Путешествие к центру Земли / A Journey to the Centre of the Earth

Do I need to explain what that is?”

“Of course not,” I replied in the tone of an injured man. But my uncle continued.

“Runic characters were in use in Iceland in former ages. They were invented, it is said, by Odin [14 - Odin – Один, верховный бог в германо-скандинавской мифологии]himself. Look there, and wonder, impious young man, and admire these letters, the invention of the Scandinavian god!”

Well, well! I was going to prostrate myself before this wonderful book, when a little incident happened to divert conversation into another channel.

A dirty slip of parchment slipped out of the volume and fell upon the floor.

“What’s this?” cried my uncle.

And he laid out upon the table that piece of parchment, five inches by three[15 - five inches by three – размером 5х3 дюймов], with certain mysterious characters.

The Professor raised his spectacles and pronounced:

“These are Runic letters; they are exactly like those of the manuscript of Snorre Turlleson.

But what is their meaning? It is certainly old Icelandic.”

Suddenly two o’clock struck by the little clock over the fireplace. At that moment our good housekeeper Martha opened the study door, and said:

“Dinner is ready!”

I followed her, and sat in my usual place. I waited a few minutes. Professor did not come. He had never missed the important ceremonial of dinner.

“I have never known such a thing,” said Martha. “Mr. Liedenbrock is not at table! Something serious is going to happen.”

After the dinner, I came back to the study.

3

“Undoubtedly it is Runic,” said the Professor; “but there is a secret in it, and I want to discover the key.”

He finished the sentence with a violent gesture.

“Sit there,” he added “Sit there and write.”

I sat down.

“Now I will dictate to you every letter of our alphabet which corresponds with each of these Icelandic characters.

We will see what that will give us.”

The dictation commenced. I did my best. Every letter came one after the other[16 - one after the other – одна за другой], with the following remarkable result:

mm.rnlls esrevel seecIde

sgtssmf vnteief niedrke

kt,samn atrateS saodrrn

emtnaeI nvaect rrilSa

Atsaar .