海底兩萬里 第348期 第23章 珊瑚王國(47)

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Agreed, I said. And steam seems to have killed off all gratitude in seamen's hearts.

這樣一個秘密要跟它的發(fā)明人一同消逝，是多么不幸：尼摩船長并不回答我的話。

But since you seem to have made a special study of this sea, captain, can you tell me how it got its name?

靜默了幾分鐘后，我問：船長，您好像是特別研究過這海，您可以讓我知道紅海這名字的來源嗎？

Many explanations exist on the subject, Professor Aronnax. Would you like to hear the views of one chronicler in the 14th century?

阿龍納斯先生，關(guān)于這問題有很多的解釋。您愿意知道一個十四世紀(jì)的史學(xué)家的意見嗎？

Gladly.

當(dāng)然愿意知道。

This fanciful fellow claims the sea was given its name after the crossing of the Israelites, when the Pharaoh perished in those waves that came together again at Moses' command:

這位空想家認(rèn)為‘紅海’這個名字是在以色列人走過這海之后才有的，當(dāng)時(shí)法老軍隊(duì)追趕他們到海上，海聽到摩西的聲音就涌上來，把法老軍隊(duì)淹沒了：

To mark that miraculous sequel, the sea turned a red without equal.

為表示這種神奇，變成為鮮紅的海，

Thus no other course would do but to name it for its hue.

自后除了紅海’的稱呼再不能叫它別的名字了。

An artistic explanation, Captain Nemo, I replied, but I'm unable to rest content with it. So I'll ask you for your own personal views.

尼摩船長，我回答，這是詩人的解釋，我不能滿足。所以我要問問您個人的意見。

Here they come. To my thinking, Professor Aronnax, this 'Red Sea' designation must be regarded as a translation of the Hebrew word 'Edrom,' and if the ancients gave it that name, it was because of the unique color of its waters.

阿龍納斯先生，照我的意思，我們要把紅海名字看作為希伯來語‘愛德龍’一詞的轉(zhuǎn)譯，古代的人所以稱它這個名字，是由于這海的水有一種特殊顏色。

Until now, however, I've seen only clear waves, without any unique hue.

可是，直到目前，我看見的都是清澈的水波，沒有什么特殊顏色。

Surely, but as we move ahead to the far end of this gulf, you'll note its odd appearance. I recall seeing the bay of El Tur completely red, like a lake of blood.

當(dāng)然，不過您走進(jìn)這海灣的內(nèi)部時(shí)，您就會看到這奇異現(xiàn)象。我回想起從前看過的多爾灣，完全紅色，好像血湖一樣。

And you attribute this color to the presence of microscopic algae?

這顏色，您認(rèn)為是由于海中有某種微生海藻的存在嗎？

Yes. It's a purplish, mucilaginous substance produced by those tiny buds known by the name trichodesmia, 40,000 of which are needed to occupy the space of one square millimeter. Perhaps you'll encounter them when we reach El Tur.

是的。那是稱為三棱藻的細(xì)小植物所產(chǎn)生的朱紅色的粘性物質(zhì)，四萬個這種植物，才占面積一平方厘米。說不定我們到多爾灣的時(shí)候，您就可以看到這些植物。