海底兩萬(wàn)里 第8期 第1章 飛走的暗礁(8)

No one is unaware of the name of that famous English shipowner, Cunard.

英國(guó)著名的船主茍納爾的名字是沒(méi)有一個(gè)人不知道。

In 1840 this shrewd industrialist founded a postal service between Liverpool and Halifax,

這位精明的企業(yè)家早在1840年就創(chuàng)辦了一家郵船公司，開(kāi)辟了從利物浦到哈利法克斯的航線，

featuring three wooden ships with 400-horsepower paddle wheels and a burden of 1,162 metric tons.

當(dāng)時(shí)只有三艘四百匹馬力、載重一千一百六十二噸的明輪木船。

Eight years later, the company's assets were increased by four 650-horsepower ships at 1,820 metric tons,

八年以后，公司擴(kuò)大了，共有四艘六百五十匹馬力、載重一千八百二十噸的船。

and in two more years, by two other vessels of still greater power and tonnage.

再過(guò)兩年，又添了兩艘馬力和載重量更大的船，

In 1853 the Cunard Co., whose mail-carrying charter had just been renewed,

1853年，茍納爾公司繼續(xù)取得裝運(yùn)政府郵件的特權(quán)，

successively added to its assets the Arabia, the Persia, the China, the Scotia, the Java, and the Russia,

一連添造了阿拉伯號(hào)、波斯號(hào)、中國(guó)號(hào)、斯備脫亞號(hào)、爪哇號(hào)、俄羅斯號(hào)，

all ships of top speed and, after the Great Eastern, the biggest ever to plow the seas.

這些都是頭等的快船，而且是最寬大的，除了大東方號(hào)外，在海上航行的船沒(méi)有能跟它們相比的。

So in 1867 this company owned twelve ships, eight with paddle wheels and four withpropellers.

到1867年，這家公司一共有十二艘船～八艘明輪的，四艘暗輪的。

If I give these highly condensed details,

我所以要把上面的情形簡(jiǎn)單地介紹一下，

it is so everyone can fully understand the importance of this maritime transportation company, known the world over for its shrewd management.

是要大家知道這家海運(yùn)公司的重要性。它由于經(jīng)營(yíng)得法，是全世界都聞名的。

No transoceanic navigational undertaking has been conducted with more ability, no business dealings have been crowned with greater success.

任何航海企業(yè)，沒(méi)有比這公司搞得更精明，經(jīng)營(yíng)得更成功的了。