"Faith," muttered Passepartout, somewhat flurried, "I've seen people at Madame Tussaud's as lively as my new master!"
Madame Tussaud's "people," let it be said, are of wax, and are much visited in London; speech is all that is wanting to make them human.
During his brief interview with Mr. Fogg, Passepartout had been carefully observing him. He appeared to be a man about forty years of age, with fine, handsome features, and a tall, well-shaped figure; his hair and whiskers were light, his forehead compact and unwrinkled, his face rather pale, his teeth magnificent. His countenance possessed in the highest degree what physiognomists call "repose in action," a quality of those who act rather than talk. Calm and phlegmatic, with a clear eye, Mr. Fogg seemed a perfect type of that English composure which Angelica Kauffmann has so skilfully represented on canvas. Seen in the various phases of his daily life, he gave the idea of being perfectly well-balanced, as exactly regulated as a Leroy chronometer. Phileas Fogg was, indeed, exactitude personified, and this was betrayed even in the expression of his very hands and feet; for in men, as well as in animals, the limbs themselves are expressive of the passions.
He was so exact that he was never in a hurry, was always ready, and was economical alike of his steps and his motions. He never took one step too many, and always went to his destination by the shortest cut; he made no superfluous gestures, and was never seen to be moved or agitated. He was the most deliberate person in the world, yet always reached his destination at the exact moment.
He lived alone, and, so to speak, outside of every social relation; and as he knew that in this world account must be taken of friction, and that friction retards, he never rubbed against anybody.
As for Passepartout, he was a true Parisian of Paris. Since he had abandoned his own country for England, taking service as a valet, he had in vain searched for a master after his own heart. Passepartout was by no means one of those pert dunces depicted by Moliere with a bold gaze and a nose held high in the air; he was an honest fellow, with a pleasant face, lips a trifle protruding, soft-mannered and serviceable, with a good round head, such as one likes to see on the shoulders of a friend. His eyes were blue, his complexion rubicund, his figure almost portly and well-built, his body muscular, and his physical powers fully developed by the exercises of his younger days. His brown hair was somewhat tumbled; for, while the ancient sculptors are said to have known eighteen methods of arranging Minerva's tresses, Passepartout was familiar with but one of dressing his own: three strokes of a large-tooth comb completed his toilet.
It would be rash to predict how Passepartout's lively nature would agree with Mr. Fogg. It was impossible to tell whether the new servant would turn out as absolutely methodical as his master required; experience alone could solve the question. Passepartout had been a sort of vagrant in his early years, and now yearned for repose; but so far he had failed to find it, though he had already served in ten English houses. But he could not take root in any of these; with chagrin, he found his masters invariably whimsical and irregular, constantly running about the country, or on the look-out for adventure. His last master, young Lord Longferry, Member of Parliament, after passing his nights in the Haymarket taverns, was too often brought home in the morning on policemen's shoulders. Passepartout, desirous of respecting the gentleman whom he served, ventured a mild remonstrance on such conduct; which, being ill-received, he took his leave. Hearing that Mr. Phileas Fogg was looking for a servant, and that his life was one of unbroken regularity, that he neither travelled nor stayed from home overnight, he felt sure that this would be the place he was after. He presented himself, and was accepted, as has been seen.
At half-past eleven, then, Passepartout found himself alone in the house in Saville Row. He begun its inspection without delay, scouring it from cellar to garret. So clean, well-arranged, solemn a mansion pleased him; it seemed to him like a snail's shell, lighted and warmed by gas, which sufficed for both these purposes. When Passepartout reached the second story he recognised at once the room which he was to inhabit, and he was well satisfied with it. Electric bells and speaking-tubes afforded communication with the lower stories; while on the mantel stood an electric clock, precisely like that in Mr. Fogg's bedchamber, both beating the same second at the same instant. "That's good, that'll do," said Passepartout to himself.
He suddenly observed, hung over the clock, a card which, upon inspection, proved to be a programme of the daily routine of the house. It comprised all that was required of the servant, from eight in the morning, exactly at which hour Phileas Fogg rose, till half-past eleven, when he left the house for the Reform Club—all the details of service, the tea and toast at twenty-three minutes past eight, the shaving-water at thirty-seven minutes past nine, and the toilet at twenty minutes before ten. Everything was regulated and foreseen that was to be done from half-past eleven a.m. till midnight, the hour at which the methodical gentleman retired.
Mr. Fogg's wardrobe was amply supplied and in the best taste. Each pair of trousers, coat, and vest bore a number, indicating the time of year and season at which they were in turn to be laid out for wearing; and the same system was applied to the master's shoes. In short, the house in Saville Row, which must have been a very temple of disorder and unrest under the illustrious but dissipated Sheridan, was cosiness, comfort, and method idealised. There was no study, nor were there books, which would have been quite useless to Mr. Fogg; for at the Reform two libraries, one of general literature and the other of law and politics, were at his service. A moderate-sized safe stood in his bedroom, constructed so as to defy fire as well as burglars; but Passepartout found neither arms nor hunting weapons anywhere; everything betrayed the most tranquil and peaceable habits.
Having scrutinised the house from top to bottom, he rubbed his hands, a broad smile overspread his features, and he said joyfully, "This is just what I wanted! Ah, we shall get on together, Mr. Fogg and I! What a domestic and regular gentleman! A real machine; well, I don't mind serving a machine."
背景介绍和作者介绍
这段文字选自儒勒·凡尔纳的经典小说《八十天环游地球》，儒勒·凡尔纳是一位著名的法国作家，以其冒险和科幻作品而闻名。这部小说写于1873年，捕捉了工业革命的精神，以及对新技术和全球旅行的迷恋。凡尔纳生动的想象力和详细的描述，生动地展现了在那个时代环游世界的兴奋和挑战，那时这样的旅行仍然是一项了不起的壮举。
故事详细解读
节选介绍了两个主要人物：福格，一个生活严谨、一丝不苟的人，以及他新雇佣的仆人帕斯帕图，帕斯帕图活泼、随和的性格与福格机械般的规律形成了鲜明对比。福格被描绘成一个典型的英国绅士，举止得体，一丝不苟，他的生活井然有序，每一分钟和每一个动作都经过精心计划和执行。另一方面，帕斯帕图是一个热情、人性化的角色，有着丰富多彩的过去，并渴望稳定。
开篇为小说的主要冒险奠定了基础：福格打赌要在八十天内环游世界。福格有条不紊的性格与他即将面对的不可预测的世界之间的对比，在整个故事中制造了紧张感和幽默感。
学生可以学到什么
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纪律和规律的价值： 福格的性格体现了纪律的力量。他的准时、细致的计划和冷静的举止表明，结构如何帮助实现雄心勃勃的目标。学生们可以学习时间管理和组织在学习和日常生活中的重要性。
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适应性和开放的心态： 帕斯帕图的性格提醒我们，虽然规律很有价值，但灵活性和善良同样重要。他过去的经历和随和的性格平衡了福格的刻板，教导学生欣赏不同的个性并适应新的情况。
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勇气和冒险： 这部小说鼓励读者拥抱挑战，走出自己的舒适区。福格的旅程是毅力和勇气的隐喻，激励年轻读者克服障碍，追求自己的梦想。
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文化意识： 随着故事穿越不同的国家和文化，它为世界的多样性打开了一扇窗口。这拓宽了学生的视野，培养了对不同民族和传统的尊重。
在生活中应用这些教训
- 在学习中： 学生们可以效仿福格的奉献精神，设定明确的目标并遵循学习计划，同时也记住帕斯帕图的灵活性，优雅地处理意想不到的变化或困难。
- 在社交场合： 认识到不同个性的价值有助于建立同情心和团队合作。正如福格和帕斯帕图互相补充一样，学生们可以学会与具有不同优势的同学良好合作。
- 在个人成长中： 冒险精神鼓励好奇心和韧性。学生们可以挑战自己去尝试新的活动、旅行或探索新的想法，从而增强他们的信心和世界观。
从故事中培养积极的特质
- 精确和责任： 像福格一样，学生们可以练习对自己的任务负责，并准时履行承诺。
- 友善和支持： 受到帕斯帕图的启发，对他人的友善和支持可以建立牢固的友谊和积极的环境。
- 解决问题： 故事表明，意想不到的问题会出现，但冷静的思考和决心会带来成功。学生们可以通过保持冷静和创造性地思考来培养解决问题的能力。
结论
《八十天环游地球》不仅仅是一次激动人心的冒险；它还是关于性格、文化和勇气的丰富教训的来源。通过阅读和思考这个故事，学生们可以获得帮助他们在学校、人际关系和生活中的许多旅程的见解。拥抱纪律和灵活性，尊重多样性，并敢于探索未知，是这部经典小说所传达的永恒的价值观。
