VOA慢速英语: 菲茨·杰姆斯·奥布莱恩《钻石镜片》

Our story today is called "The Diamond Lens. " It was written by Fitz-James O'Brien. We will tell the story in two parts. Now, here is Maurice Joyce with part one of "The Diamond Lens."

When I was ten years old, one of my older cousinsgave me a microscope. The first time I looked throughits magiclens, the clouds that surrounded my daily liferolled away. I saw a universe of tiny living creatures in adrop of water. Day after day, night after night, I studiedlife under my microscope.

Quiz - The Diamond Lens by Fitz-James O'Brien (Part 1)

The fungus that spoiled my mother’s jam was, for me, a land of magic gardens. I would put one of those spotsof green mold under my microscope and see beautifulforests, where strange silver and golden fruit hung from the branches of tiny trees. I felt as if I had discovered another Garden of Eden.

Although I didn’t tell anyone about my secret world, Idecided to spend my life studying the microscope.

My parents had other plans for me. When I was nearlytwenty years old, they insisted that I learn a profession even though we were arich family, and I really didn’t have to work at all. I decided to study medicine inNew York.

This city was far away from my family, so I could spend my time as I pleased. As long as I paid my medical school fees every year, my family would neverknow I wasn’t attending any classes. In New York, I would be able to buyexcellent microscopes and meet scientists from all over the world. I wouldhave plenty of money and plenty of time to spend on my dream. I left homewith high hopes.

Two days after I arrived in New York, I found a place to live. It was largeenough for me to use one of the rooms as my laboratory. I filled this room withexpensive scientific equipment that I did not know how to use. But by the endof my first year in the city, I had become an expert with the microscope. I alsohad become more and more unhappy.

The lens in my expensive microscope was still not strong enough to answermy questions about life. I imagined there were still secrets in Nature that thelimited power of my equipment prevented me from knowing.

I lay awake nights, wishing to find the perfect lens – an instrument of greatmagnifying power. Such a lens would permit me to see life in the smallestparts of its development. I was sure that a powerful lens like that could bebuilt. And I spent my second year in New York trying to create it.

I experimented with every kind of material. I tried simple glass, crystal andeven precious stones. But I always found myself back where I started.

My parents were angry at the lack of progress in my medical studies. I had notgone to one class since arriving in New York. Also, I had spent a lot of moneyon my experiments.

One day, while I was working in my laboratory, Jules Simon knocked at mydoor. He lived in the apartment just above mine. I knew he loved jewelry,expensive clothing and good living. There was something mysterious abouthim, too. He always had something to sell: a painting, a rare stature, anexpensive pair of lamps.

I never understood why Simon did this. He didn’t seem to need the money. He had many friends among the best families of New York.

Simon was very excited as he came into my laboratory. “O my dear fellow!” he gasped. “I have just seen the most amazing thing in the world!”

He told me he had gone to visit a woman who had strange, magical powers. She could speak to the dead and read the minds of the living. To test her,Simon had written some questions about himself on a piece of paper. Thewoman, Madame Vulpes, had answered all of the questions correctly.

Hearing about the woman gave me an idea. Perhaps she would be able tohelp me discover the secret of the perfect lens. Two days later, I went to herhouse.

Madame Vulpes was an ugly woman with sharp, cruel eyes. She didn’t say aword to me when she opened the door, but took me right into her living room. We sat down at a large round table, and she spoke. “What do you want fromme?”

“I want to speak to a person who died many years before I was born.”

“Put your hands on the table.”

We sat there for several minutes. The room grew darker and darker. ButMadame Vulpes did not turn on any lights. I began to feel a little silly. Then I felta series of violent knocks. They shook the table, the back of my chair, the floorunder my feet and even the windows.

Madam Vulpes smiled. “They are very strong tonight. You are lucky. Theywant you to write down the name of the spirit you wish to talk to.”

I tore a piece of paper out of my notebook and wrote down a name. I didn’tshow it to Madame Vulpes.

After a moment, Madame Vulpes’ hand began to shake so hard the tablemove. She said the spirit was now holding her hand and would write me amessage.

I gave her paper and a pencil. She wrote something and gave the paper to me. The message read: “I am here. Question me.” It was signed “Leeuwenhoek.”

I couldn’t believe my eyes. The name was the same one I had written on mypiece of paper. I was sure that an ignorant woman like Madame Vulpes wouldnot know who Leeuwenhoek was. Why would she know the name of the manwho invented the microscope?

Quickly, I wrote a question on another piece of paper. “How can I create theperfect lens?” Leeuwenhoek wrote back: “Find a diamond of one hundred andforty carats. Give it a strong electrical charge. The electricity will change thediamond’s atoms. From that stone you can form the perfect lens.”

I left Madame Vulpes’ house in a state of painful excitement. Where would Ifind a diamond that large? All my family’s money could not buy a diamond likethat. And even if I had enough money, I knew that such diamonds are verydifficult to find.

When I came home, I saw a light in Simon’s window. I climbed the stairs tohis apartment and went in without knocking. Simon’s back was toward me as he bent over a lamp. He looked as if he were carefully studying a small objectin his hands. As soon as he heard me enter, he put the object in his pocket.His face became red, and he seemed very nervous.

“What are you looking at?” I asked. Simon didn’t answer me. Instead, helaughed nervously and told me to sit down. I couldn’t wait to tell him my news.

“Simon, I have just come from Madame Vulpes. She gave me some importantinformation that will help me find the perfect lens. If only I could find a diamondthat weighs one hundred forty carats!”

My words seemed to change Simon into a wild animal. He rushed to a smalltable and grabbed a long, thin knife. “No!” he shouted. “You won’t get mytreasure! I’ll die before I give it to you!”

“My dear Simon,” I said, “I don’t know what you are talking about. I went toMadame Vulpes to ask her for help with a scientific problem. She told me Ineeded an enormous diamond. You could not possible own a diamond thatlarge. If you did, you would be very rich. And you wouldn’t be living here.”

He stared at me for a second. Then he laughed and apologized.

“Simon,” I suggested, “let us drink some wine and forget all this. I have twobottles downstairs in my apartment. What do you think?”

“I like your idea,” he said.

I brought the wine to his apartment, and we began to drink. By the time we hadfinished the first bottle, Simon was very sleepy and very drunk. I felt as calmas ever…for I believed that I knew Simon’s secret.

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

microscope– n. a device used to make very small things look larger so theycan be studied

lens- n. a clear curved piece of glass or plastic that is used to make thingslook clearer, smaller, or bigger

magnify - v. to make (something) appear larger

ignorant- adj. lacking knowledge or information

carat – n. a unit for measuring the weight of jewels (such as diamonds) that is equal to 200 milligrams​

enormous- adj. very great in size or amount