英语听书《海底两万里》第442期 第27章 南极(1)

 I RUSHED UP onto the platform.  我飞跑到平台上去。

Yes, open sea!  是的！自由通行的海。

Barely a few sparse¹ floes, some moving icebergs²; a sea stretching into the distance; hosts of birds in the air and myriads³ of fish under the waters, which varied⁴ from intense blue to olive green depending on the depth.  近边只有一些散乱的冰块和浮为的冰层，远方一片大海，空中是群鸟世界；水底下有千亿万的鱼类，水的颜色随深浅的不同，现出从深浓的靛蓝至橄览的青绿。

The thermometer marked 3 degrees centigrade.  温度表指着摄氏三度。

It was as if a comparative springtime had been locked up behind that Ice Bank, whose distant masses were outlined on the northern horizon. 对被关在这冰山后的天气来说，这好像是相对的春天，远远的冰群在北方天际露出面影。

Are we at the pole? I asked the captain, my heart pounding. 我们是在南极吗？我问船长，同时心跳动不止。

I've no idea, he answered me. At noon we'll fix our position. 我不知道。他回答我。中午我没来测量方位。

But will the sun show through this mist?  可是，太阳能穿过这些云雾吗？

I said, staring at the grayish sky. 我眼看着灰色的天空说。

No matter how faintly it shines, it will be enough for me, the captain replied. 只要露出一点就够了。船长回答。

To the south, ten miles from the Nautilus, a solitary⁵ islet rose to a height of 200 meters.  距诺第留斯号南方二海里，有一座孤立的小岛浮出，高两百米。

We proceeded toward it, but cautiously, because this sea could have been strewn with reefs. 我们向小岛走去，但很小心，因为这海中可能各处都有暗礁。

In an hour we had reached the islet. 一小时后，我们到达小岛。

Two hours later we had completed a full circle around it.  又过两小时，我们就绕了小岛一周。

It measured four to five miles in circumference⁶.  它周围四海里至五海里长。

A narrow channel separated it from a considerable shore, perhaps a continent whose limits we couldn't see.  一条狭窄水道把它跟一片广大陆地分开，或者这是一个大洲，我们还不能望见它的界限。

1 sparse   

adj.稀疏的，稀稀落落的，薄的

参考例句：

• The teacher's house is in the suburb where the houses are sparse.老师的家在郊区，那里稀稀拉拉有几处房子。
• The sparse vegetation will only feed a small population of animals.稀疏的植物只够喂养少量的动物。

2 icebergs   

n.冰山，流冰( iceberg的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The drift of the icebergs in the sea endangers the ships. 海上冰山的漂流危及船只的安全。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The icebergs towered above them. 冰山高耸于他们上方。 来自辞典例句

3 myriads   

n.无数，极大数量( myriad的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Each galaxy contains myriads of stars. 每一星系都有无数的恒星。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The sky was set with myriads of stars. 无数星星点缀着夜空。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 varied   

adj.多样的，多变化的

参考例句：

• The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
• The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。

5 solitary   

adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士

参考例句：

• I am rather fond of a solitary stroll in the country.我颇喜欢在乡间独自徜徉。
• The castle rises in solitary splendour on the fringe of the desert.这座城堡巍然耸立在沙漠的边际，显得十分壮美。

6 circumference   

n.圆周，周长，圆周线

参考例句：

• It's a mile round the circumference of the field.运动场周长一英里。
• The diameter and the circumference of a circle correlate.圆的直径与圆周有相互关系。