英语听书《海底两万里》第398期 第25章 地中海四十八小时(24)

 Where are we? I said. 我们是在哪里呢？

In the very heart of an extinct volcano, the captain answered me, a volcano whose interior was invaded by the sea after some convulsion in the earth. While you were sleeping, professor, the Nautilus entered this lagoon¹ through a natural channel that opens ten meters below the surface of the ocean.  我们是在一座熄灭了的火山中心，船长回答我，这：座火山由于地面震动，海水侵入内部，火熄灭了。教授，当您睡眠的时候，诺第留斯号在海面十米下，从一条天然开凿的水道驶进这小咸水湖里面。

This is our home port, secure, convenient, secret, and sheltered against winds from any direction!  这里是湖中停船的港口，是安全、方便、秘密、罗盘上所有方位的风都可以躲开的港口！

Along the coasts of your continents or islands, show me any offshore² mooring³ that can equal this safe refuge for withstanding the fury of hurricanes 请在你们大陆的海岸或你们的海岛，给我找到一个跟这港湾一样的港口来罢，要安全的，不怕飓风袭击的。

Indeed, I replied, here you're in perfect safety, Captain Nemo. Who could reach you in the heart of a volcano? But don't I see an opening at its summit? 是的，我回答，尼摩船长，您在这港内很安全。谁可能到这火山中心来呢？

Yes, its crater⁴, a crater formerly⁵ filled with lava⁶, steam, and flames, but which now lets in this life-giving air we're breathing. 不过，在那顶上：我不是望见有一个孔吗？是的，那是喷火口，这火口从前充满火石、烟气和火焰，现在是使人生动活泼、我们呼吸的空气的通路了。

But which volcanic⁷ mountain is this? I asked. 不过这座发火的山是什么呢？我问。

It's one of the many islets with which this sea is strewn. For ships a mere⁸ reef, for us an immense cavern⁹. I discovered it by chance, and chance served me well. 它是这海洋中许多小岛的一个。对船只来说，它仅是一个简单的暗礁，对我们，那就是巨大的岩洞了。我无意中发现了它，在里面，它无意中给我许多好处。

But couldn't someone enter through the mouth of its crater? 但人们不可能从那以前是火山喷口的孔下来吗？

No more than I could exit through it. You can climb about 100 feet up the inner base of this mountain, but then the walls overhang, they lean too far in to be scaled. 不可能，跟我不能从这里上去一样。直到一百英尺左右，这山内部下层是可以走的，但再上一点，石壁就很陡峭，山腰间的石层不可能越过。

1 lagoon   

n.泻湖，咸水湖

参考例句：

• The lagoon was pullulated with tropical fish.那个咸水湖聚满了热带鱼。
• This area isolates a restricted lagoon environment.将这一地区隔离起来使形成一个封闭的泻湖环境。

2 offshore   

adj.海面的，吹向海面的；adv.向海面

参考例句：

• A big program of oil exploration has begun offshore.一个大规模的石油勘探计划正在近海展开。
• A gentle current carried them slowly offshore.和缓的潮流慢慢地把他们带离了海岸。

3 mooring   

n.停泊处；系泊用具，系船具；下锚v.停泊，系泊（船只）(moor的现在分词)

参考例句：

• However, all the best mooring were occupied by local fishing boats. 凡是可以泊船的地方早已被当地渔船占去了。 来自汉英文学 - 散文英译
• Her mind was shaken loose from the little mooring of logic that it had. 就像小船失去了锚，她的思绪毫无逻辑地四处漂浮，一会为这个想法难受，一会为那个念头生气。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

4 crater   

n.火山口，弹坑

参考例句：

• With a telescope you can see the huge crater of Ve-suvius.用望远镜你能看到巨大的维苏威火山口。
• They came to the lip of a dead crater.他们来到了一个死火山口。

5 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

6 lava   

n.熔岩，火山岩

参考例句：

• The lava flowed down the sides of the volcano.熔岩沿火山坡面涌流而下。
• His anger spilled out like lava.他的愤怒像火山爆发似的迸发出来。

7 volcanic   

adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的

参考例句：

• There have been several volcanic eruptions this year.今年火山爆发了好几次。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

8 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

9 cavern   

n.洞穴，大山洞

参考例句：

• The cavern walls echoed his cries.大山洞的四壁回响着他的喊声。
• It suddenly began to shower,and we took refuge in the cavern.天突然下起雨来，我们在一个山洞里避雨。