英语听书《海底两万里》第346期 第23章 珊瑚王国(43)

 　　On February 9 the Nautilus cruised in the widest part of the Red Sea, measuring 190 miles straight across from Suakin on the west coast to Qunfidha on the east coast. 2月9日，诺第留斯号浮出在红海最宽阔的一部分海面上，海面的西岸是苏阿京，东岸是光享达，直径是一百丸十海里。

　　At noon that day after our position fix, Captain Nemo climbed onto the platform, where I happened to be.  这一天中午，在地图上记录了船行的方位后，尼摩船长走上平台来，正好我也在那里。

　　I vowed¹ not to let him go below again without at least sounding him out on his future plans. As soon as he saw me, he came over, graciously offered me a cigar, and said to me: 我心中打算，对于他此后的航行计划如果得不到一些了解，我就不让他回船里面去。

　　Well, professor, are you pleased with this Red Sea? Have you seen enough of its hidden wonders, its fish and zoophytes, its gardens of sponges and forests of coral?  他一看见我就走向前来，很礼貌地送我一支雪前烟，对我说：喂！教授，您喜欢这红海吗？您曾充分观察它所蕴藏伪奇异东西吗？它的鱼类和它的植虫类，它的海绵花坛和它的珊瑚森林吗？

　　Have you glimpsed the towns built on its shores? 您曾望见散在海边的城市吗？

　　Yes, Captain Nemo, I replied, and the Nautilus is wonderfully suited to this whole survey. Ah, it's a clever boat! 是的，尼摩船长，我回答，诺第留斯号是奇妙的最便于做这种研究的。啊！农真是一只聪明的有智慧的船！

　　Yes, sir, clever, daring, and invulnerable! It fears neither the Red Sea's dreadful storms nor its currents and reefs. 不错，先生，又聪明，叉大胆，叉是不会受损伤的！它、不伯红海的厉害风暴，汹涌波涛，危险暗礁。

　　Indeed, I said, this sea is mentioned as one of the worst, and in the days of the ancients, if I'm not mistaken, it had an abominable² reputation. 是的，，我说，红海常被称为最厉害多风浪的海，如果、我没有记错，在上古时代，它的声名听来就使人讨厌。

　　Thoroughly³ abominable, Professor Aronnax. The Greek and Latin historians can find nothing to say in its favor,  阿龙纳斯先生，是的，使人讨厌。希腊和拉丁的历史家没有说它好，

　　and the Greek geographer⁴ Strabo adds that it's especially rough during the rainy season and the period of summer prevailing⁵ winds.  史杜拉宾说，红海在刮北风和雨季的时期特别难航，特别厉害。

　　The Arab Idrisi, referring to it by the name Gulf⁶ of Colzoum, relates that ships perished in large numbers on its sandbanks and that no one risked navigating⁷ it by night.  阿捡伯人艾德利西是用哥尔藏海湾的名字来写红海的，他说有很多的船只在它的浮洲上就沉役了,没有人敢在夜间冒险航行。

　　This, he claims, is a sea subject to fearful hurricanes, strewn with inhospitable islands, and 'with nothing good to offer,either on its surface or in its depths.  他认为，这海受厉害台风伪控制，处处有损害船只的小岛，不管在海底下和海面上，一点都没有好处。

　　As a matter of fact, the same views can also be found in Arrian, Agatharchides, and Artemidorus. 很明白，我马上说，那就是因为这些历史家并没有在诺第留斯号船上航行过。

1 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

2 abominable   

adj.可厌的，令人憎恶的

参考例句：

• Their cruel treatment of prisoners was abominable.他们虐待犯人的做法令人厌恶。
• The sanitary conditions in this restaurant are abominable.这家饭馆的卫生状况糟透了。

3 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

4 geographer   

n.地理学者

参考例句：

• His grandfather is a geographer.他的祖父是一位地理学家。
• Li Siguang is a famous geographer.李四光是一位著名的地理学家。

5 prevailing   

adj.盛行的；占优势的；主要的

参考例句：

• She wears a fashionable hair style prevailing in the city.她的发型是这个城市流行的款式。
• This reflects attitudes and values prevailing in society.这反映了社会上盛行的态度和价值观。

6 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

7 navigating   

v.给（船舶、飞机等）引航，导航( navigate的现在分词 )；（从海上、空中等）横越；横渡；飞跃

参考例句：

• These can also be very useful when navigating time-based documents, such as video and audio. 它对于和时间有关的文档非常有用，比如视频和音频文档。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Vehicles slowed to a crawl on city roads, navigating slushy snow. 汽车在市区路上行驶缓慢，穿越泥泞的雪地。 来自互联网