英和和英

出典:『Wikipedia』 (2011/03/17 17:08 UTC 版)

英語による解説

引用

The black smoke, or black powder is a fictional poisonous gas in H. G. Wells' science fiction novel The War of the Worlds, used by the Martians to eliminate groups of humans remotely, especially artillery crews, before they could fire. The rockets from which they explode are fired from a "black tube" attached to the Tripod. Any human breathing this deadly smoke is killed almost instantly. The smoke would form a scum on contact with water. After the smoke had done its job, the Martians would dispel it with jets of steam, leaving only a residual black powder. The smoke is more of an ink-like vapour than a smoke, and is very dense; it can be avoided by climbing to higher places. The aliens may have used this also to avoid unnecessary destruction of buildings in cities such as London. As they used it on London after one of their Tripods is brought down by a Twelve-pounder, it may be seen as a reserve weapon in case the humans prove dangerous. Although Wells never exactly explains how the black smoke works, he does mention that it may bind with argon and cause a disastrous chemical reaction inside a human who comes in contact with it. Although as at that time argon was considered inert this is unlikely.