Around the World in 80 Days
(excerpts)
I will make the tour of the world in eighty days or less…. Do you accept?"
"We accept," replied Messrs. Stuart, Fallentin, Sullivan, Flanagan, and Ralph, after consulting each other.
"Good," said Mr. Fogg. "The train leaves for Dover at a quarter before nine. I will take it."
"This very evening?" asked Stuart.
"This very evening," returned Phileas Fogg. He took out and consulted a pocket almanac, and added, "As today is Wednesday, the 2nd of October, I shall be due in London in this very room of the Reform Club, on Saturday, the 21st of December, at a quarter before nine p.m.; or else the twenty thousand pounds, now deposited in my name at Baring's, will belong to you, in fact and .”…
Phileas Fogg, at twenty-five minutes past seven, left the Reform Club.
Passepartout… was more than surprised to see his master… appearing at this unaccustomed hour; for, according to rule, he was not due in Saville Row until precisely midnight.
Mr. Fogg repaired to his bedroom, and called out, "Passepartout!"
Passepartout did not reply. It could not be he who was called; it was not the right hour.
"Passepartout!" repeated Mr. Fogg, without raising his voice.
Passepartout made his appearance.
"I've called you twice," observed his master.
"But it is not midnight," responded the other, showing his watch.
"I know it; I don't blame you. We start for Dover and Calais in ten minutes."
A puzzled grin overspread Passepartout's round face; clearly he had not comprehended his master. "Monsieur is going to leave home?"
"Yes," returned Phileas Fogg. "We are going round the world."
Passepartout opened wide his eyes, raised his eyebrows, held up his hands, and seemed about to collapse, so overcome was he with stupefied astonishment.
"Round the world!" he murmured.
"In eighty days," responded Mr. Fogg. "So we haven't a moment to lose."
"We'll have no trunks; only a carpet-bag, with two shirts and three pairs of stockings for me, and the same for you. We'll buy our clothes on the way. Bring down my mackintosh and traveling-cloak, and some stout shoes, though we shall do little walking. Make haste!"
Passepartout tried to reply, but could not. He went… to his own room, fell into a chair, and muttered:
"That's good, that is! And I, who wanted to remain quiet!"
He mechanically set about making the preparations for departure. Around the world in eighty days! Was his master a fool? No. Was this a joke, then? They were going to Dover; good! To Calais; good again! After all, Passepartout, who had been away from France five years, would not be sorry to set foot on his native soil again. Perhaps they would go as far as Paris, and it would do his eyes good to see Paris once more. But surely a gentleman… would stop there; no doubt-- but, then, it was none the less true that he was going away, this so domestic perso…!
By eight o'clock Passepartout had packed the modest carpet-bag, containing the wardrobes of his master and himself; then, still troubled in mind, he carefully shut the door of his room, and descended to Mr. Fogg.
Mr. Fogg was quite ready. Under his arm might have been observed a red-bound copy of Bradshaw's Continental Railway Steam Transit and General Guide, with its timetables showing the arrival and departure of steamers and railways. He took the carpet-bag, opened it, and slipped into it a goodly roll of Bank of England notes, which would pass wherever he might go.
Två dystopiska bilder som visar utvecklingen i Stahlstadt.
Jules Verne förutsåg Skype och nazisterna svd.se 16 augusti 2010
I min ungdom läste jag aldrig Jules Verne (1828–1905). Science fiction intresserade mig inte. När jag som forskare skulle skriva en bok om utopier, kände jag att jag borde foga in Jules Verne i ett kapitel om teknikoptimister. Motvilligt började jag läsa hans böcker men fann till min förvåning en helt annan författare än jag hade väntat mig. Han var ju i högsta grad vuxenförfattare, och när det gällde tekniken var han pessimist, inte optimist.
Jules Verne var politiskt medveten, närmast av socialdemokratisk art. Hans idealland var Norge eftersom man där inte hade någon adel. I unionstvisten mellan Sverige och Norge höll han benhårt på norrmännen.
I den mindre kända romanen ”Begums 500 miljoner” målar han upp två samhällsideal. Han låter en tysk och en fransman ärva en stor förmögen så att de kan förverkliga var sin utopi. Fransmannen bygger en ljus, luftig stad med parker och stora grönområden. Alla får bo i villa, varje person skall ha eget rum, uppvärmning sker genom ett centralt system så att alla föroreningar leds ut centralt för att orsaka minsta möjliga skada. Alla viktigare beslut tas gemensamt vid stormöten som hålls ute i stadens parker.
Tysken däremot bygger en diktatorisk industristat, Stahlstadt, som framför allt tillverkar kanoner. Han är själv biolog, privatdocenten Schultze, och tolkar naturlagarna så att den starkare har rätt att bestämma över alla andra. Varje medborgare måste blint lyda ”das grosse Vaterland”, annars skall de landsförvisas. Industrin leder till att miljön blir så nedsmutsad att man måste ha skyddsmask för att vistas ute.
Hela det program som Schultze lägger fram är nazismens ideologi rakt av, femtio år före nazismen! Jules Verne förutsade mycket annat, förutom miljöproblemen även rasismens utveckling i USA. Och naturligtvis var han fascinerad av teknikens möjligheter. Han lekte med tankarna inte bara i fråga om raketer och månfärder, han ”uppfann” datorer och mobiltelefoner, ja den svenska konstruktionen med Skype finns redan i hans böcker. Men nästan alla fantasikonstruktioner slutar illa. De miljardärer och tekniska genier som gör uppfinningarna blir galna eller går under med sina luftfarkoster och maskinella öar. Kapten Nemo slutar symboliskt nog instängd i en grotta.
Det finns egentligen bara en positiv roman med teknik, och det är ”Den hemlighetsfulla ön”. När gruppen av skeppsbrutna gjort uppfinningar och överlevt faror av de hemskaste slag, säger ledaren Cyrus Smith att de inte klarat sig med hjälp av tekniken utan tack vare kamratskap och solidaritet. Det är moralen i historien, som i de flesta av Jules Vernes historier.
Tore Frängsmyr
