海底兩萬里 第184期 第13章 一些數(shù)字(7)

There are no structural deformities to worry about, because the double hull of this boat has the rigidity of iron; no rigging to be worn out by rolling and pitching on the waves; no sails for the wind to carry off; no boilers for steam to burst open; no fires to fear, because this submersible is made of sheet iron not wood; no coal to run out of, since electricity is its mechanical force; no collisions to fear, because it navigates the watery deep all by itself; no storms to brave, because just a few meters beneath the waves, it finds absolute tranquility! There, sir.

用不著害怕船要損毀，因為這只船的雙層船殼是剛鐵似的堅硬;它沒有風浪的翻騰或顛簸可以毀損的纜索一類東西：它沒有風可以吹走的帆;它沒有蒸汽可以破裂的鐵爐;它不會發(fā)生可怕的火災，因為船完全是鋼鐵制的，不是木頭造的;它不用有時會用完的煤炭，因為電是它的機械原動力;因為它在深水獨來獨往，不會發(fā)生可怕的相撞;它又不用冒風暴的危險，因為它在水面幾米下便能得到絕對的平靜!先生，以上就是這船的優(yōu)點。

There's the ideal ship! And if it's true that the engineer has more confidence in a craft than the builder, and the builder more than the captain himself, you can understand the utter abandon with which I place my trust in this Nautilus, since I'm its captain, builder, and engineer all in one!

它是一只特殊優(yōu)異，獨一無二的船!對于這只船，設計工程師可能比監(jiān)造建筑師有信心，監(jiān)造建筑師可能又比船長更有信心，如果真是這樣，那您就可以理解到我對我的諾第留斯號為什么完全信賴了，因為我同時是這只船的船長、建筑師和工程師!

Captain Nemo spoke with winning eloquence. The fire in his eyes and the passion in his gestures transfigured him. Yes, he loved his ship the same way a father loves his child!

尼摩船長滔滔不絕地雄辯他說著。他眼中的火焰，他手勢的激動，使他完全變成另一個人。是的!他愛他的船，像一個父親愛他的兒子一樣!

But one question, perhaps indiscreet, naturally popped up, and I couldn't resist asking it.

但有一個也許是冒昧的問題，自然而然的出現(xiàn)了，我忍不住問他：

You're an engineer, then, Captain Nemo?

尼摩船長，您是這船的設計工程師嗎?

Yes, professor, he answered me. I studied in London, Paris, and New York back in the days when I was a resident of the earth's continents.

是的，教授.他回答我，當我還是陸地上的居民的時候，我曾在倫敦，在巴黎，在紐約學習過。

But how were you able to build this wonderful Nautilus in secret?

但是，您怎樣能秘密地建造這艘奇異的令人五體投地諾第留斯號呢?

Each part of it, Professor Aronnax, came from a different spot on the globe and reached me at a cover address. Its keel was forged by Creusot in France, its propeller shaft by Pen & Co. in London, the sheet-iron plates for its hull by Laird's in Liverpool, its propeller by Scott's in Glasgow.

阿龍納斯先生，船的每一塊材料都是從地球上的不同點，寫上假地址送來給我的。船的龍骨是法國克魯棱工廠造的，推進器大軸是倫敦朋尼公司制的，船殼的鋼鐵板是利物浦利亞工廠造的，推進器是格拉斯哥斯各脫工廠制的。