The Lost World, published in 1912, is Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous work outside of Sherlock Holmes and one of the founding texts of the "lost world" genre in adventure fiction. The story is narrated by Edward Malone, a young journalist who wants to prove himself worthy of the woman he loves by undertaking a dangerous adventure. He attaches himself to an expedition led by the volcanic, red-bearded Professor George Edward Challenger, who claims to have discovered a remote plateau in the Amazon basin where prehistoric creatures have survived into the modern era.
The expedition party consists of four men: the brash and argumentative Challenger, the skeptical rival scientist Professor Summerlee, the cool and capable adventurer Lord John Roxton, and Malone himself as the reporter. After a grueling journey up the Amazon River and through dense jungle, they reach the plateau and discover that Challenger was telling the truth: the isolated tableland is home to living dinosaurs, pterodactyls, iguanodons, and other creatures thought to be extinct for millions of years.
The group becomes trapped on the plateau when their bridge to the mainland is destroyed and must survive encounters with carnivorous dinosaurs and a tribe of primitive ape-men who threaten to kill them. They form an alliance with a group of indigenous humans who are also at war with the ape-men, and together they fight a dramatic battle for survival. The climax is thrilling and fast-paced, and the team’s eventual escape and return to London — complete with living proof of their discovery — is one of the great set pieces in adventure literature.
For beginner English learners, The Lost World is an ideal choice. Conan Doyle writes in clear, energetic prose with a strong narrative drive that keeps the reader turning pages. The vocabulary includes many useful words related to nature, science, and exploration, and the story’s structure — a journey out, a series of adventures, and a triumphant return — is easy to follow and deeply satisfying.
本から学ぶ英語のレッスン
1. ““The big blank spaces in the map are all being filled in, and there’s no room for romance anywhere.””
それが何を意味するか: Malone laments that the unexplored parts of the world are disappearing as maps become more complete, leaving no room for adventure or mystery.
📝 英語のレッスン: "The big blank spaces" means "the unknown areas." "Are all being filled in" is the present continuous passive — it describes an ongoing process done by mapmakers. "There’s no room for" means "there is no space left for." "Romance" here means "adventure" or "exciting mystery," not love.
2. ““I have wrested my secret from nature, and the secret is so important that I dare not trust it to writing.””
それが何を意味するか: Challenger says he has discovered something extraordinary from the natural world, but it is so significant that he is afraid to write it down.
📝 英語のレッスン: "Have wrested" means "have pulled or torn away by force." "From nature" personifies nature as something that holds secrets. "Dare not" is a negative modal meaning "am not brave enough to." "Trust it to writing" means "put it in written form." This sentence teaches dramatic expression and formal vocabulary.
3. ““Are we to give our lives to science? Is that the question? If so, I am prepared to do so.””
それが何を意味するか: Professor Summerlee asks whether they should risk dying for the sake of scientific discovery, and says he is willing to make that sacrifice.
📝 英語のレッスン: "Are we to" is a formal way of asking "Should we?" or "Is it expected that we?" "Give our lives to" means "sacrifice our lives for." "If so" means "if that is the case." "Prepared to do so" means "ready to do that." The formal, measured tone contrasts with the dramatic content — typical of British understatement.
4. ““The great river rolled on its way, and the silence was only broken by the call of birds.””
それが何を意味するか: The Amazon River continued flowing, and the surrounding jungle was quiet except for birdsong.
📝 英語のレッスン: "Rolled on its way" personifies the river as if it were walking or traveling. "The silence was only broken by" is a common descriptive pattern meaning "the only sound was." "The call of birds" is more literary than "bird sounds." This sentence practices nature description using personification and the passive voice.
5. ““We have been privileged to be present at one of the most wonderful events in the history of science.””
それが何を意味するか: The expedition members feel honored to have witnessed something that will go down as one of the greatest scientific discoveries ever made.
📝 英語のレッスン: "Have been privileged to" means "have had the honor of." "Be present at" means "witness" or "attend." "One of the most wonderful events" is a superlative phrase. "In the history of science" provides scope. This sentence practices how to express gratitude and awe in formal English.
6. ““There are heroisms all round us, waiting to be done.””
それが何を意味するか: Opportunities for brave and heroic actions exist everywhere in daily life, just waiting for someone to seize them.
📝 英語のレッスン: "There are X all round us" means "X surrounds us everywhere." "Heroisms" is an unusual plural — it means individual acts of heroism. "Waiting to be done" is a participial phrase suggesting the actions are available but not yet taken. This optimistic sentence uses simple grammar to inspire action.
7. ““Perhaps I should say that I am a young man of not much experience, but of no mean abilities.””
それが何を意味するか: Malone introduces himself modestly: he admits he is inexperienced but claims he has genuine talent.
📝 英語のレッスン: "Perhaps I should say" is a polite, tentative way to introduce oneself. "Of not much experience" is a prepositional phrase modifying "young man." "Of no mean abilities" uses "no mean" to mean "not insignificant" or "considerable." This litotes (double negative for understatement) is a classic English rhetorical device.
8. ““It is surely a very curious place, this great plateau, and one well worth exploring.””
それが何を意味するか: The plateau is a fascinating and unusual place that absolutely deserves to be investigated thoroughly.
📝 英語のレッスン: "It is surely" expresses confident opinion. "A very curious place" means "a very strange and interesting place." "This great plateau" is apposition — it renames "it" for clarity. "Well worth exploring" means "definitely deserving of exploration." "Worth" + gerund is a useful pattern: "This book is worth reading."
Conan Doyle’s adventure writing is clear, exciting, and accessible. These quotes demonstrate how to describe nature, express scientific wonder, and build suspense using straightforward English. Beginner learners will find the vocabulary practical and the sentence patterns easy to imitate in their own writing.
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