海底兩萬(wàn)里 第471期 第29章 缺少空氣(1)
Chapter 16 Shortage of Air
第十六章 缺少空氣
Consequently, above, below, and around the Nautilus, there were impenetrable frozen walls. We were the Ice Bank's prisoners! The Canadian banged a table with his fearsome fist. Conseil kept still. I stared at the captain. His face had resumed its usual emotionlessness. He crossed his arms. He pondered. The Nautilus did notstir. The captain then broke into speech:"Gentlemen," he said in a calm voice, "there are two ways of dying under the conditions in which we're placed."This inexplicable individual acted like a mathematics professor working out a problem for his pupils. "The first way," he went on, "is death by crushing. The second is death by asphyxiation. I don't mention the possibility of death by starvation because the Nautilus's provisions will certainly last longer than we will. Therefore, let's concentrate on our chances of being crushed or asphyxiated." "As for asphyxiation, captain," I replied, "that isn't a cause for alarm, because the air tanks are full." "True," Captain Nemo went on, "but they'll supply air for only two days. Now then, we've been buried beneath the waters for thirty-six hours, and the Nautilus's heavy atmosphere already needs renewing. In another forty-eight hours, our reserve air will be used up." "Well then, captain, let's free ourselves within forty-eight hours!" "We'll try to at least, by cutting through one of these walls surrounding us." "Which one?" I asked.
這樣，諾第留斯號(hào)的四周，上面下面，都是不可通過的冰墻。我們是冰山的俘虜了。加拿大人把他的粗大拳頭拍打著桌子。康塞爾沉默不言。我眼盯著船長(zhǎng)。他的面容又恢復(fù)了平常的冷淡、嚴(yán)肅，他兩手交叉著，他心中思考。諾第留斯號(hào)不動(dòng)了。船長(zhǎng)于是發(fā)言了，他聲音鎮(zhèn)定地說：“先生們，在我們目前所處的情況下，有兩種死的方式。"這個(gè)神秘人物好像一位數(shù)學(xué)教員，給他的學(xué)生作算術(shù)問題的解答。他又說：“第一種死的方式是被壓死。第二種是被悶死。我不說有餓死的可能，因?yàn)橹Z第留斯號(hào)儲(chǔ)藏的糧食一定比我們還能耐久一些。因此我們來考慮一下壓死或悶死的可能性“船長(zhǎng)，”我回答說。"至于悶死那是不用怕的，因?yàn)槲业膬?chǔ)藏庫(kù)有滿滿的空氣。"“對(duì)，”船長(zhǎng)說，“可是這些空氣只能使用兩天，現(xiàn)在我潛入水中已經(jīng)有三十六小時(shí)了，諾第留斯號(hào)的重濁空氣經(jīng)需要調(diào)換。到四十八小時(shí)，我們儲(chǔ)藏的空氣就用完“那么，船長(zhǎng)，我們想法在四十八小時(shí)前脫身就是了。"“至少，我們要想法試一下，把圍住我們的冰墻鑿開。"“從哪一面鑿呢？"我問。
Borings will tell us that. I'm going to ground the Nautilus on the lower shelf, then my men will put on their diving suits and attack the thinnest of these ice walls.
“那探測(cè)器可以使我知道。我把諾第留斯號(hào)擱淺在下部冰層，我的船員穿上潛水衣，從冰墻最薄的地方鑿開冰山?！?/p>
Can the panels in the lounge be left open?
“可以把客廳的嵌板打開來嗎？"
Without ill effect. We're no longer in motion.
“沒有什么不可以。船已經(jīng)不行駛了?！?/p>
Captain Nemo went out. Hissing sounds soon told me that water was being admitted into the ballast tanks. TheNautilus slowly settled and rested on the icy bottom at a depth of 350 meters, the depth at which the lower shelf of ice lay submerged.
尼摩船長(zhǎng)走了。不久發(fā)出哨聲，我知道海水吸入儲(chǔ)水池中。諾第留斯號(hào)慢慢下沉，停在三百五十米深的冰底下，這是冰山下部冰層潛入水底的深度。
My friends, I said, "we're in a serious predicament, but I'm counting on your courage and energy."
“朋友們，”我說，“情形很是嚴(yán)重，但我相信你們能拿出你們的勇氣和力量來?！?/p>
Sir, the Canadian replied, "this is no time to bore you with my complaints. I'm ready to do anything I can for the common good."
“先生，”加拿大人回答我，“現(xiàn)在不是拿責(zé)罵來惹您討厭的時(shí)候。我準(zhǔn)備為大家共同的安全犧牲一切。”
Excellent, Ned, I said, extending my hand to the Canadian.
“好，尼德?！蔽疑焓纸o加拿大人說。
I might add, he went on, "that I'm as handy with a pick as a harpoon. If I can be helpful to the captain, he can use me any way he wants."
“我又要說，”他補(bǔ)充說，“我使鐵锨和使魚叉一樣靈活，如果我可能對(duì)船長(zhǎng)有用，請(qǐng)他隨便吩咐我吧。”
He won't turn down your assistance. Come along, Ned.
“他一定不拒絕您的幫助。請(qǐng)跟我來，尼德?！?/p>
