英國語文第六冊(雙語):大西洋洋底(3)

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Each of these great ocean valleys rises in a series of terraces to the sides of the Old and New Worlds respectively. The course of the western valley, which lies off the United States and the West India Islands, has been traced as far south as to the Equator. The terraces of the eastern valley rise from the depths of the ocean to the western coasts of Europe and Africa. Off the coast of Africa they rise into a series of lofty and rugged summits, which we call Madeira, the Cape Verd, and the Canary Isles; and the whole system culminates in the Peak of Teneriffe in the last-named group. That peak is two miles and one-third above the level of the sea. The lowest point yet sounded in the bed of the Atlantic is five miles and a third below that level. The whole mountain system of the Atlantic basin, therefore, extends to upwards of seven miles in vertical height, or higher than any of the mountains of the globe are above the level of the sea.

每一個(gè)大洋峽谷都是從許許多多的平地中凸起至東西半球的兩側(cè)。位于美國和西印度群島的西部山谷，其山脈被探測到向南一直延伸至赤道附近；東部山谷的平地從大西洋深處開始拔起直至歐洲和非洲的西海岸；在非洲海岸線的不遠(yuǎn)處，這些凸起的平地甚至浮出海平面直至形成一座座高聳而又崎嶇的山峰。這些山峰所在的地區(qū)也就是我們所說的馬德里群島、佛得角和加納利群島，其最高點(diǎn)延伸至特內(nèi)里費(fèi)島的最高處，高達(dá)海平面以上2·33英里，其最低點(diǎn)，據(jù)測量，處在大西洋洋底以下5·3英里的位置。因此，整個(gè)大西洋盆地的山脈系統(tǒng)垂直高度可達(dá)7英里以上，其海拔比世界上任何一座高于海平面的山脈都要高。

By bringing up specimens from the depth of the Atlantic, and studying them under the microscope, it has been ascertained that the bed of the ocean is covered with very minute shells, which lie on the bottom as lightly as gossamer. The microscope has not detected a single particle of sand or gravel among these little mites of shells. This fact proves that quiet reigns in the depths of the sea: that as in the air ocean there is a region of perpetual calm, "above the clouds;" so in the ocean of waters there is a region where perpetual calm prevails, beneath the troubled waves. There is not motion enough to abrade these very delicate organisms, nor current enough to sweep them about, or to mix with them a grain of the finest sand.

通過從大西洋深處提取標(biāo)本并在顯微鏡下對其進(jìn)行的研究得出，大西洋底部的確覆蓋了一層極薄極輕的殼。通過顯微鏡觀察，這些殼之間并沒有沙子和礫石，這一事實(shí)證明，這個(gè)默默統(tǒng)治著海底深處的主宰——就像空氣是“云層之上”永恒的寂靜之地一樣，在波濤洶涌的大海下面的水域里，也有這樣一個(gè)永恒的寂靜之地，小波動(dòng)都不足以驚擾到這些極其脆弱的生物體，也沒有足夠強(qiáng)的水流能來把它們卷來卷去或把它們打磨成“珍珠”。

It may be that the myriads of animalcules which make the sea glow with life are secreting from it solid matter which is destined to fill up the cavities below. They furnish the atoms of which mountains are formed and plains are spread out. Our marl-beds, the clay in our river-bottoms, large portions of many of the great basins of the Earth, even flinty rocks, are composed of the remains of just such minute animals as those which have been fished up from a depth of three miles below the sea-level. These creatures, therefore, when living, may have been preparing the ingredients for the fruitful soil of a land that some earthquake or upheaval, in ages far away in the future, may yet raise up from the bottom of the sea for the use of man.

或許是無數(shù)的微生物體使海洋煥發(fā)出生命的光輝，它們從海洋中分泌的固體物質(zhì)注定要填滿海面下的空洞。它們提供了構(gòu)成山脈和平原的原子。我們的泥床，我們河底的粘土，地球上許多大盆地的很大一部分，甚至是堅(jiān)硬的巖石，都是由從海平面以下三英里深處捕撈上來的微小動(dòng)物的殘骸形成的。因此，或許這些生物在活著的時(shí)候就已經(jīng)開始為這片土地肥沃的土壤準(zhǔn)備原料，并在遙遠(yuǎn)的將來，在地震或動(dòng)亂的影響下，這些原料最終浮出海底供人類使用。