My companions and I then witnessed an unusual sight. The panels in the lounge were open, and since the Nautilus's beacon was off, a hazy darkness reigned in the midst of the waters. Covered with heavy clouds, the stormy sky gave only the faintest light to the ocean's upper strata.
我的同伴和我,在這時(shí)親眼看到一種很新奇的景象??蛷d的嵌板敞開(kāi),由于諾第留斯號(hào)的探照燈沒(méi)有點(diǎn)著,水中充滿模模糊糊的陰暗。騷動(dòng)的和遮滿密云的天空照在海洋上部水層中的,是一種迷糊不足的光線。
I was observing the state of the sea under these conditions, and even the largest fish were nothing more than ill-defined shadows, when the Nautilus was suddenly transferred into broad daylight. At first I thought the beacon had gone back on and was casting its electric light into the liquid mass. I was mistaken, and after a hasty examination I discovered my error.
我在這種條件下觀察海中的情形,最粗大的魚(yú)看來(lái)也就像模糊不清的陰影一樣,這個(gè)時(shí)候,諾第留斯號(hào)忽然轉(zhuǎn)入完全光明中了。我初時(shí)以為是探照燈亮起來(lái),把電力的光輝照在海水中。其實(shí)我弄錯(cuò)了,經(jīng)過(guò)很快的觀察,我認(rèn)識(shí)到我的看法的錯(cuò)誤。
The Nautilus had drifted into the midst of some phosphorescent strata, which, in this darkness, came off as positively dazzling. This effect was caused by myriads of tiny, luminous animals whose brightness increased when they glided over the metal hull of our submersible. In the midst of these luminous sheets of water, I then glimpsed flashes of light, like those seen inside a blazing furnace from streams of molten lead or from masses of metal brought to a white heat--flashes so intense that certain areas of the light became shadows by comparison, in a fiery setting from which every shadow should seemingly have been banished. No, this was no longer the calm emission of our usual lighting! This light throbbed with unprecedented vigor and activity! You sensed that it was alive!
諾第留斯號(hào)浮游在一層磷光里面,在海水陰暗中,磷火也變得光輝奪目了。這光由無(wú)數(shù)的發(fā)光微生動(dòng)物所產(chǎn)生,因?yàn)樗鼈冊(cè)诮饘侔宓拇砩狭镞^(guò),閃光就更加增強(qiáng)。這時(shí),我在陣陣光明的水層中間,突然看到了這些閃光,好像熔在大火爐中的鉛鐵流一樣,或跟燒到白熱的金屬塊一樣;由于對(duì)立作用,在這火紅光下有些明亮的部分也變成陰影了。在這環(huán)境中間所有陰影好像都不應(yīng)當(dāng)存在。不!這不是我們通常的燃燒發(fā)光體的輻射光!在這光中有一種不平常的精力和運(yùn)動(dòng)!這光,人們感到它是生動(dòng)的!活潑的!
In essence, it was a cluster of countless open-sea infusoria, of noctiluca an eighth of an inch wide, actual globules of transparent jelly equipped with a threadlike tentacle, up to 25,000 of which have been counted in thirty cubic centimeters of water. And the power of their light was increased by those glimmers unique to medusas, starfish, common jellyfish, angel-wing clams, and other phosphorescent zoophytes, which were saturated with grease from organic matter decomposed by the sea, and perhaps with mucus secreted by fish.
是的,這是海中點(diǎn)滴微蟲(chóng)和粟粒夜光蟲(chóng)無(wú)窮無(wú)盡的集體的結(jié)合,是有細(xì)微觸須的真正透明小膠球,在三十立方厘的水中,它們的數(shù)目可以有二萬(wàn)五千。又因?yàn)橛兴浮⒑1P(pán)、章魚(yú)、海棗以及其他發(fā)光植蟲(chóng)動(dòng)物特別產(chǎn)生的微光,它們的光更加增強(qiáng)。