英中英30_7500000 tipplers_林_乐明无念

[ Chapter 16 ] - the narrator discusses theEarth's lamplighters So then the seventh planet was the Earth.The Earth is not just an ordinary planet! One can count, there 111 kings(not forgetting, to be sure, the Negro kings among them), 7000 geographers,900,000 businessmen, 7,500,000 tipplers, 311,000,000 conceited men-- that is tosay, about 2,000,000,000 grown-ups.To give you an idea of the size of the Earth, I will tell you that beforethe invention of electricity it was necessary to maintain, over the whole ofthe six continents, a veritable army of 462,511 lamplighters for the streetlamps.Seen from a slight distance, that would make a splendid spectacle. Themovements of this army would be regulated like those of the ballet in theopera. First would come the turn of the lamplighters of New Zealand andAustralia. Having set their lamps alight, these would go off to sleep. Next,the lamplighters of China and Siberia would enter for their steps in the dance,and then they too would be waved back into the wings. After that would come theturn of the lamplighters of Russia and the Indies; then those of Africa andEurope, then those of South America; then those of South America; then those ofNorth America. And never would they make a mistake in the order of their entryupon the stage. It would be magnificent.Onlythe man who was in charge of the single lamp at the North Pole, and hiscolleague who was responsible for the single lamp at the South Pole-- onlythese two would live free from toil and care: they would be busy twice a year.