A Volta ao Mundo em 80 Dias

一

I.

敘述斐利亞．福克與路路通彼此接納，一個為主人，

In Which Phileas Fogg and Passepartout Accept One Another, the One as Master,

一個為僕人

the Other as Servant

一八七二年，

In the year 1872,

薩維爾街七號那幢宅邸，

the house bearing the number 7 in Saville Row,

位於柏林頓花園——

Burlington Gardens —

謝立丹便是一八一四年在此逝世的——，

the house in which Sheridan died in 1814 —

住著菲利亞斯・福格先生，

was inhabited by Phileas Fogg, Esq.,

他是倫敦改良俱樂部裡最古怪、也最引人注目的會員之一，

one of the most singular and most noticed members of the Reform Club of London,

儘管他似乎刻意避免做出任何足以引人注意的事。

although he seemed to make it his business to do nothing that might attract attention.

繼那位為英國增光的偉大演說家之後，

To one of the greatest orators who do honour to England,

入住此屋的便是這位斐利亞．福克，

there had succeeded, then, this Phileas Fogg,

一個謎一般的人物，

an enigmatic personage,

人們對他一無所知，

of whom nothing was known,

只曉得他是個極為彬彬有禮的人，是英國上流社會中最俊美的紳士之一。

save that he was a most gallant man and one of the handsomest gentlemen of English high society.

有人說他長得像拜倫——

It was said that he resembled Byron —

指的是那顆頭顱，

in the head,

因為他的雙腳完美無瑕——，

for as to his feet he was irreproachable —

不過是一個蓄著髭鬚與絡腮鬍的拜倫，

but a Byron with moustaches and whiskers,

一個泰然自若的拜倫，

an impassive Byron,

縱使活上一千年也不會衰老。

who might have lived a thousand years without growing old.

他無疑是英國人，

English, most assuredly,

但斐利亞．福克或許並非倫敦本地人。

Phileas Fogg was perhaps not a Londoner.

誰也不曾在交易所見過他，

He had never been seen either on the Exchange,

不曾在銀行見過他，

or at the Bank,

也不曾在倫敦城的任何一家商行見過他。

or in any of the counting-houses of the City.

倫敦的港池與船塢從未接納過一艘以斐利亞．福克為船東的船隻。

Neither the basins nor the docks of London had ever received a vessel whose owner was Phileas Fogg.

這位紳士不在任何一個董事會之列。

This gentleman figured on no board of administration.

他的名字從未在律師公會裡響起過，

His name had never echoed in any inn of court,

無論是在聖殿律師學院，

neither at the Temple,

在林肯律師學院，

nor at Lincoln’s Inn,

還是在格雷律師學院。

nor at Gray’s Inn.

他從未在大法官法庭出庭辯護，

Never did he plead either in the Court of Chancery,

不曾在王座法庭，

or in the Queen’s Bench,

不曾在財稅法庭，

or in the Exchequer,

也不曾在宗教法庭。

or in the Ecclesiastical Court.

他不是實業家，

He was neither a manufacturer,

不是批發商，

nor a dealer,

不是零售商，

nor a merchant,

也不是農場主。

nor a farmer.

他既不屬於

He belonged neither to the

大不列顛皇家學會，

Royal Institution of Great Britain,

也不屬於

nor to the

倫敦學會，

London Institution,

不屬於

nor to the

工匠學會，

Artisans’ Institution,

不屬於

nor to the

羅素學會，

Russell Institution,

不屬於

nor to the

西區文學學會，

Western Literary Institution,

不屬於

nor to the

法學學會，

Law Institution,

也不屬於那個

nor to that

藝術與科學聯合學會，

Institution of Arts and Sciences combined,

那是直接受女王陛下庇護的。

which is placed under the direct patronage of Her Gracious Majesty.

總之，在英國首都多如牛毛的各種團體之中，他一個也不隸屬，

He belonged, in short, to none of the numerous societies that swarm in the capital of England,

從

from the

玻璃琴協會

Harmonic Society

直到

to the

昆蟲學會，

Entomological Society,

——後者創立的主要宗旨是消滅害蟲。

founded chiefly with the aim of destroying noxious insects.