111、一些灵人出现在头顶上，我从那里听到有声音像雷鸣；因为他们的声音就像闪电过后从云层发出的雷声。我推断，定有一大群灵人，他们掌握使他们的声音听上去像雷鸣的技巧。与我同在的更简单的灵人却嘲笑他们，这令我大为惊讶。他们嘲笑的原因很快被发现，原来这些打雷的灵人并不多，而是极少，并且还很小，就像小男孩。另一个原因是，他们以前就用类似的雷声吓唬过他们，然未能给他们造成任何伤害。
为叫我了解他们的性质，其中几个从他们打雷所在的高处下来了。我惊讶地发现，他们一个背着另一个，作为一对靠近我。他们的脸并不难看，只是比其他灵人的脸要长。他们的身材就像七岁小男孩的，但更为健壮；因此，他们是矮人。天使告诉我，他们来自月球。
背着另一个的这一个来到我这里，贴近我的胳膊肘下面的左侧，从那个位置和我交谈，说：每当他们发出声音时，就这样打雷；以此恐吓那些想要伤害他们的灵人，把他们吓跑，以便他们能安全地去往他们想去的地方。为叫我确切知道他们能制造这种声音，他从我身边退到其他几个人那里，但未完全脱离视线，然后发出同样的雷声。此外，他们还演示了他们的声音从腹部发出，就像打了个嗝，于是便制造出这种雷声。
我推断这是由于以下事实：月球居民不像我们地球居民那样从肺部说话，而是从腹部利用腹内积聚的一些空气说话。这是因为月球没有被如其它星球那样的大气围绕。我被指教，在巨人里面，月球灵与剑状软骨或齿状软骨有关，这种软骨与前面的肋骨相连，往下就是腹白线，即腹部肌肉的支点。
111. The Moon and Its Spirits and Inhabitants
Above my head there once appeared some spirits from whom I heard voices like thunder. They made booming sounds exactly like the thunder that comes from the clouds after lightning. I assumed that this must be a great crowd of spirits, and they were particularly well practiced in making their voices sound like this. Some unsophisticated spirits who were with me, though, laughed out loud at these spirits, which was a real surprise to me. The reason for their laughter soon became clear-it was only a few spirits who were making this sound, not a great number, and they were as small as children. These spirits had used such sounds to terrify the spirits with me before, and yet they were completely incapable of doing any harm.
[2] So that I could learn what they were like, some of them came down from the height where they had been making these sounds. Much to my surprise, one was carrying another on his back, and in this fashion two of them came to me. Their faces were not unattractive, but were longer than the faces of other spirits. They were about as tall as seven-year-old children, but of sturdier build, so they were little people. I was told by some angels that they were from the Moon.
[3] The one carried by the other came to me, positioning himself at my left side under my elbow, and talked with me from there. He said that this is what they sound like when they use their voices, and that in this way they strike fear into spirits who want to do them harm, and even drive some of them away. This makes it possible for these spirits to go in safety wherever they wish. To convince me that this tremendous sound came from them, he went off to join some of his companions (without going completely out of sight) and thundered again.
They also showed me that belching the sound out of their abdomens gave it this thunderous quality.
[4] I perceived that this practice arose out of the fact that the inhabitants of the Moon do not speak from their lungs like the inhabitants of other planets, but from the abdomen and therefore from some air that is stored there. This is because the Moon is not surrounded by the same kind of atmosphere as other planets are.
I was informed that in the universal human, spirits from the Moon have to do with the scutiform or xiphoid cartilage 1to which the ribs are attached in front and from which descends the fascia alba 2that supports the abdominal muscles.
Footnotes:
1. The scutiform or xiphoid cartilage is an extension (in medical terminology, a “process”) at the lowest part of the sternum, or breast bone. It is now commonly referred to as the xiphoid process. [SS]
2. The fascia alba, now called the linea alba, is a fibrous tissue extending from the xiphoid process (see note 1 in Other Planets 111) to the central joint between the pubic bones. It divides the left and right abdominal muscles and maintains them in their positions. [SS]
111. VII. ON THE SPIRITS AND INHABITANTS OF THE MOON
Some spirits appeared overhead, and I heard from there voices like thunder; for their voices thundered just like the claps of thunder which come from the clouds following lightning flashes. I supposed that there were a huge number of spirits who knew the trick of making their voices sound like that. The more simple spirits present with me laughed at them, which very much surprised me. The reason for their laughter was soon revealed, which was that these thundering spirits were not numerous, but only few, and also as small as boys. Another reason was that previously they had struck terror into them by similar thunderings, yet had not been able to do them any harm.
[2] To show me what they were like, some of them came down from the height where they were thundering. I was surprised to see one carrying another on his back, so they approached me as a pair. Their faces were not unattractive in appearance, but longer than those of other spirits. In height they resembled a boy of seven, but were stronger in body; so they were dwarfs. I was told by angels that they were from the moon.
[3] The one who was carried by another came to me, attaching himself to my left side below the elbow. He spoke to me from that position, and said that when they give voice they thunder like that. This frightens spirits who want to harm them, making some of them run away, so that they can go where they want in safety. To prove to me that they could make such a noise, he retreated from me to join a few others, but without going out of sight, and made the same kind of thunder. Moreover, they demonstrated that their voice came out of their abdomen like a belch, and this caused the thunder.
[4] I gathered that this arises from the fact that the inhabitants of the moon do not speak so much from the lungs like the inhabitants of other worlds, but from the abdomen, using some air which collects there. This is because the moon is not surrounded by the same kind of atmosphere as the other worlds. I was informed that the spirits of the moon answer in the Grand Man to the scutiform or xiphoid cartilage, 1to which the ribs are connected in front, and from which the linea alba descends, which is the fulcrum of the abdominal muscles.
Footnotes:
1. [Both these terms were formerly in use for what is to-day generally called the sternum.-TR.]
111. THE SPIRITS AND INHABITANTS OF THE MOON.
Certain spirits appeared above the head, and thence were heard voices like thunder; for they thundered with their voices like the thunder from the clouds after lightning. I asserted that it was a great multitude of spirits, who had the art of uttering voices attended with so loud a noise. The more simple spirits who were with me laughed at them, at which I greatly wondered. The cause of their laughter was presently discovered to be this, that the spirits who thundered were not many, but few, and were also as small as boys; and that before they had terrified them by such noises, and yet were unable to do them any harm. In order that I might know their quality, some of them let themselves down from on high where they were thundering; and what surprised me, one carried another on his back, and thus two of them approached me. Their faces appeared not unhandsome, but longer than the faces of other spirits. Their stature was like the stature of boys seven years old, but more robust; thus they were dwarfs. It was told me by the angels, that they were from the Moon. He who was carried on the other's back, on coming to me, applied himself to my left side under the elbow, and thence spoke with me, saying that whenever they utter their voices they thus thunder; and that thereby they terrify the spirits who wish to do them evil; and put some to flight, and that thus they go with security whithersoever they will. That I might know certainly that they made this sound, he retired from me to some others, but not entirely out of sight, and thundered in like manner. They showed, moreover, that the voice being uttered from the abdomen, like an eructation, made this thundering sound. It was perceived that this was owing to the fact, that the inhabitants of the Moon do not speak from the lungs like the inhabitants of other earths, but from the abdomen, and thus from some air there collected, by reason that the Moon is not encompassed with an atmosphere like that of other earths. I was instructed that the spirits of the Moon, in the Greatest Man, have relation to the ensiform or zyphoid cartilage, to which the ribs in front are joined, and from which descends the facia alba, which is the fulcrum of the abdominal muscles.
111. DE SPIRITIBUS et INCOLIS LUNAE
Aliqui Spiritus apparebant supra caput, et auditae sunt voces sicut tonitrua, nam non aliter tonabant voces eorum, quam sicut e nubibus tonitrua post fulmina: autumabam, quod esset ingens multitudo spirituum, qui callebant arte voces edere cum tali sonitu. Spiritus simpliciores, qui apud me erant, illos irridebant; quod valde miratus sum: causa irrisionis mox detegebatur, quae erat, quod Spiritus, qui tonabant, non multi essent sed pauci, et quoque parvi sicut pueri; et quod illi eis prius per tales sonitus terrorem incusserint, et tamen prorsus nihil damni possent inferre. Ut scirem, quales essent, demiserunt se quidam ab alto ubi tonabant; et quod mirum, unus portabat alterum a tergo, et sic appropinquabant bini ad me: apparebant facie non invenusta, sed longiori quam facies reliquorum spirituum; statura simili staturae pueri septem annorum, sed corpore robustiore; ita erant homunciones. Dicebatur mihi ab angelis, quod essent e Luna. Qui portatus ab altero veniebat ad me, se applicans sinistro lateri sub ulna, et inde loquebatur, dicens, quod cum vocem edunt, ita tonent; et quod sic spiritus, qui illis malum inferre volunt, territent, et quosdam in fugam agant, et quod ita tuti vadant quo volunt. Ut pro certo scirem, quod talis illorum sonus esset, recedebat ille a me ad quosdam alios, sed non plane extra conspectum, et similiter tonabat. Et porro ostendebant, quod vox eorum ex abdomine ad instar eructationis emissa ita intonaret. Perceptum est, quod hoc inde existeret, quia incolae Lunae non ita ex pulmone, sicut incolae aliarum tellurum, sed ex abdomine loquantur, et sic ex aliquo aere ibi collecto; ex causa, quia Luna non simili Athmosphaera, qua aliae tellures, circumfusa est. Instructus sum, quod spiritus Lunae in maximo Homine referant Cartilaginem scutiformem seu Xiphoiden, cui anterius annectuntur Costae, et e qua descendit Fascia alba, quae est fulcrum musculis abdominis.