海底兩萬里 第455期 第27章 南極(12)
I found a place near him and waited without speaking.
我站在他旁邊，我等候著，不說話。
Noon arrived, and just as on the day before, the sun didn't put in an appearance.
正午到了，跟昨天一樣，太陽不出來。
It was sheer bad luck. Our noon sights were still lacking.
這真是沒辦法的事。觀察又不能做。
If we couldn't obtain them tomorrow, we would finally have to give up any hope of fixing our position.
如果明天觀察不能完成，那測(cè)定我們所在方位的事情，恐怕只好完全放棄了。
In essence, it was precisely March 20.
今天恰好是3月20日。
Tomorrow, the 21st, was the day of the equinox; the sun would disappear below the horizon for six months not counting refraction, and after its disappearance the long polar night would begin.
明天21日是春分，析光作用映出的陽光不算，太陽以后就要沒人水平線下，有六個(gè)月不能出來，太陽不見，極圈的長夜時(shí)期就開始了。
Following the September equinox, the sun had emerged above the northerly horizon, rising in long spirals until December 21.
從九月中的秋分日起，它在北方天際出現(xiàn)，沿著長長的螺旋線上升，直到12月21日。
At that time, the summer solstice of these southernmost districts, the sun had started back down, and tomorrow it would cast its last rays.
這個(gè)時(shí)候是北冰洋地區(qū)的夏至日，它又開始下降，明天就是它射出光線的最后一天了。
I shared my thoughts and fears with Captain Nemo.
我把自己的意見和顧慮告訴尼摩船長，他對(duì)我說。
You're right, Professor Aronnax, he told me.
您說得對(duì)，阿龍納斯先生。
If I can't take the sun's altitude tomorrow, I won't be able to try again for another six months.
如果明天我不能測(cè)量太陽的高度，我就不用能在六個(gè)月之內(nèi)再做測(cè)量了。
But precisely because sailors' luck has led me into these seas on March 21, it will be easy to get our bearings if the noonday sun does appear before our eyes.
不過也正因?yàn)槲疫@次航行的機(jī)會(huì)，3月21日把我?guī)У竭@南極海中來如果太陽給我們現(xiàn)出來，我的方位是很容易測(cè)定的。
Why easy, captain?
船長，為什么呢？
Because when the orb of day sweeps in such long spirals, it's difficult to measure its exact altitude above the horizon, and our instruments are open to committing serious errors.
因?yàn)?，太陽沿著那么拉長的螺旋線走，想在水平線上確切測(cè)量它的高度，很是困難，儀器也容易犯嚴(yán)重的錯(cuò)誤。
Then what can you do?
那么，您怎樣來進(jìn)行呢？
I use only my chronometer, Captain Nemo answered me.
我只是使用我的航海時(shí)計(jì)，尼摩船長回答我。
At noon tomorrow, March 21, if, after accounting for refraction, the sun's disk is cut exactly in half by the northern horizon, that will mean I'm at the South Pole.
如果明天3月21日，折光作用估計(jì)在內(nèi)，太陽圈輪正好切在北方的水平線上，那我就是在南極點(diǎn)上了。
