英语听书《海底两万里》第375期 第25章 地中海四十八小时(1)

 THE MEDITERRANEAN¹, your ideal blue sea:  地中海，是最碧蓝的海，

to Greeks simply "the sea," to Hebrews "the great sea," to Romans mare² nostrum³.* Bordered by orange trees, aloes, cactus⁴, and maritime⁵ pine trees,  希伯来人的“大海”，希腊人酌“海”，罗马人的“我们的海”，周围广植橘树、芦卉、仙人掌、海松树，喷出番石榴花的芳香，四周峻峭的群山坏抱，

perfumed with the scent⁶ of myrtle, framed by rugged⁷ mountains, saturated⁸ with clean, transparent⁹ air but continuously under construction by fires in the earth,  空气纯洁清新，可是被地下烈火不停地熬煎，

this sea is a genuine battlefield where Neptune¹⁰ and Pluto¹¹ still struggle for world domination.  这海正是海王涅豆尼和阎王蒲留敦争夺世界霸权一直到现在还没停止的战常米歇列说，

Here on these beaches and waters, says the French historian Michelet, a man is revived by one of the most invigorating climates in the world. 就是在地中海，在它的岸上，在它的水中，是人类在地球上锻炼自己的最强大有力的一个场所。

But as beautiful as it was, I could get only a quick look at this basin whose surface area comprises 2,000,000 square kilometers. Even Captain Nemo's personal insights were denied me, because that mystifying individual didn't appear one single time during our high-speed crossing.  虽然这侮很美，但我只能很约略地瞳望一下。地中海面积共二百万平方公里。就是尼摩船长本人关于这海的知帜，我也得不到，因为这个神秘人物在这次快速度的航海中，一次也没有出来。

I estimate that the Nautilus covered a track of some 600 leagues under the waves of this sea, and this voyage was accomplished¹² in just twenty-four hours times two.  我估计诺第留斯号在这海底下所走过的路程约有六百里，而这次旅行，他用四十八小时的时间就完成了。

Departing from the waterways of Greece on the morning of February 16, we cleared the Strait of Gibraltar by sunrise on the 18th. 2月16日早晨从希腊一带海面出发，18日太阳从东方升起的时候，我们就通过直布罗陀海峡了。

It was obvious to me that this Mediterranean, pinned in the middle of those shores he wanted to avoid, gave Captain Nemo no pleasure.  对我来说，事情很明显，这地中海正处在尼摩船长要逃避的人所居住的陆地中间，他不喜欢这海。

Its waves and breezes brought back too many memories, if not too many regrets.  这海水和这海风给他带来了纵然不是过多的悔恨，也一定是过多的回忆。

Here he no longer had the ease of movement and freedom of maneuver¹³ that the oceans allowed him, and his Nautilus felt cramped¹⁴ so close to the coasts of both Africa and Europe. 在这海里，海洋赋予他的那种自由自在的神情姿态，那种独来独往的行动，他现在没有了；他的诺第留斯号在这些非洲和欧洲相接近的海岸中间，也感到气闷。

1 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

2 mare   

n.母马，母驴

参考例句：

• The mare has just thrown a foal in the stable.那匹母马刚刚在马厩里产下了一只小马驹。
• The mare foundered under the heavy load and collapsed in the road.那母马因负载过重而倒在路上。

3 nostrum   

n.秘方；妙策

参考例句：

• He told the patient that he had a nostrum.他告诉病人他有秘方。
• Photography studio provide you with a few small nostrum you must use.为您提供一些小妙策你一定用的着。

4 cactus   

n.仙人掌

参考例句：

• It was the first year that the cactus had produced flowers.这是这棵仙人掌第一年开花。
• The giant cactus is the vegetable skycraper.高大的仙人掌是植物界巨人。

5 maritime   

adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的

参考例句：

• Many maritime people are fishermen.许多居于海滨的人是渔夫。
• The temperature change in winter is less in maritime areas.冬季沿海的温差较小。

6 scent   

n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉

参考例句：

• The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。
• The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。

7 rugged   

adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的

参考例句：

• Football players must be rugged.足球运动员必须健壮。
• The Rocky Mountains have rugged mountains and roads.落基山脉有崇山峻岭和崎岖不平的道路。

8 saturated   

a.饱和的，充满的

参考例句：

• The continuous rain had saturated the soil. 连绵不断的雨把土地淋了个透。
• a saturated solution of sodium chloride 氯化钠饱和溶液

9 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

10 Neptune   

n.海王星

参考例句：

• Neptune is the furthest planet from the sun.海王星是离太阳最远的行星。
• Neptune turned out to be a dynamic,stormy world.海王星原来是个有生气、多风暴的世界。

11 Pluto   

n.冥王星

参考例句：

• Pluto is the furthest planet from the sun.冥王星是离太阳最远的行星。
• Pluto has an elliptic orbit.冥王星的轨道是椭圆形的。

12 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

13 maneuver   

n.策略[pl.]演习；v.(巧妙)控制；用策略

参考例句：

• All the fighters landed safely on the airport after the military maneuver.在军事演习后，所有战斗机都安全降落在机场上。
• I did get her attention with this maneuver.我用这个策略确实引起了她的注意。

14 cramped   

a.狭窄的

参考例句：

• The house was terribly small and cramped, but the agent described it as a bijou residence. 房子十分狭小拥挤，但经纪人却把它说成是小巧别致的住宅。
• working in cramped conditions 在拥挤的环境里工作