我們望不見(jiàn)什么。望不見(jiàn)暗礁,望不見(jiàn)小島。林肯號(hào)不見(jiàn)了;望見(jiàn)的只是一片汪洋的海水。
Raising his sextant, Captain Nemo took the altitude of the sun, which would give him hislatitude. He waited for a few minutes until the orb touched the rim of the horizon. While he was taking his sights, he didn't move a muscle, and the instrument couldn't have been steadier in hands made out of marble.
尼摩船長(zhǎng)帶了他的六分儀,測(cè)量太陽(yáng)的高度,因此可以。知道船所在的緯度。他等待了幾分鐘,讓太陽(yáng)跟地平線相齊。當(dāng)他觀察的時(shí)候,他的肌肉沒(méi)有一處顏動(dòng),儀器也像握:在鐵石的手中一般,絕對(duì)平穩(wěn)。
Noon, he said. Professor, whenever you're ready. . . .
正午,他說(shuō),教授,您要我們這時(shí)出發(fā)嗎?
I took one last look at the sea, a little yellowish near the landing places of Japan, and I went below again to the main lounge.
我最后看一下海面,因?yàn)榭拷毡竞0?,海面微作努色,然后我回到客廳中來(lái)。
There the captain fixed his position and used a chronometer to calculate hislongitude, which he double-checked against his previous observations of hour angles. Then he told me:
客廳中,船長(zhǎng)在地圖上記了方位,按合時(shí)計(jì)來(lái)算經(jīng)度卜同時(shí)他拿從前做的時(shí)角觀察記錄來(lái)校對(duì)。然后他對(duì)我說(shuō):
Professor Aronnax, we're in longitude 137 degrees 15' west-
阿龍納斯先生,我們是在西經(jīng)137度15分…
West of which meridian? I asked quickly, hoping the captain's reply might give me a clue to his nationality.
您根據(jù)哪種子午線算的呢?我急急地問(wèn),想從船長(zhǎng)的回答中知道他的國(guó)籍。
Sir, he answered me, I have chronometers variously set to the meridians of Paris, Greenwich, and Washington, D.C. But in your honor, I'll use the one for Paris.
先生,他答復(fù)我,我有各種不同的時(shí)計(jì),可以根據(jù)巴黎、格林威治和華盛頓子午線來(lái)計(jì)算。但因?yàn)槟年P(guān)系,我以后將根據(jù)巴黎子午線計(jì)算.
This reply told me nothing. I bowed, and the commander went on:
這個(gè)回答使我得不到什么。我點(diǎn)頭表示謝意,船長(zhǎng)又說(shuō):
We're in longitude 137 degrees 15' west of the meridian of Paris, and latitude 30 degrees 7' north, in other words, about 300 miles from the shores of Japan. At noon on this day of November 8, we hereby begin our voyage of exploration under the waters.
我們?cè)诎屠枳游缇€西經(jīng)137度15分,北緯30度7分,即是說(shuō),距日本海岸約為三百海里。今天11月8日,中午,我們開(kāi)始作我們的海底探險(xiǎn)旅行。
May God be with us! I replied.
愿上帝保佑我們!我答。
And now, professor, the captain added, I'll leave you to your intellectual pursuits. I've set our course east-northeast at a depth of fifty meters. Here are some large-scale charts on which you'll be able to follow that course. The lounge is at your disposal, and with your permission, I'll take my leave.
教授,船長(zhǎng)又說(shuō),我現(xiàn)在讓您做您的研究。我要船在水深五十米下,向東北偏東方行駛。這里有標(biāo)記分明的地圖,您可以看著我們的航行路線??蛷d您可以隨便使用,我向您告辭了。