英语听书《海底两万里》第453期 第27章 南极(12)

 I found a place near him and waited without speaking. 我站在他旁边，我等候着，不说话。

Noon arrived, and just as on the day before, the sun didn't put in an appearance. 正午到了，跟昨天一样，太阳不出来。

It was sheer bad luck. Our noon sights were still lacking.  这真是没办法的事。观察又不能做。

If we couldn't obtain them tomorrow, we would finally have to give up any hope of fixing our position. 如果明天观察不能完成，那测定我们所在方位的事情，恐怕只好完全放弃了。

In essence, it was precisely¹ March 20.  今天恰好是3月20日。

Tomorrow, the 21st, was the day of the equinox; the sun would disappear below the horizon for six months not counting refraction, and after its disappearance² the long polar night would begin.  明天21日是春分，析光作用映出的阳光不算，太阳以后就要没人水平线下，有六个月不能出来，太阳不见，极圈的长夜时期就开始了。

Following the September equinox, the sun had emerged above the northerly horizon, rising in long spirals until December 21.  从九月中的秋分日起，它在北方天际出现，沿着长长的螺旋线上升，直到12月21日。

At that time, the summer solstice of these southernmost districts, the sun had started back down, and tomorrow it would cast its last rays. 这个时候是北冰洋地区的夏至日，它又开始下降，明天就是它射出光线的最后一天了。

I shared my thoughts and fears with Captain Nemo. 我把自己的意见和顾虑告诉尼摩船长，他对我说。

You're right, Professor Aronnax, he told me.  您说得对，阿龙纳斯先生。

If I can't take the sun's altitude tomorrow, I won't be able to try again for another six months.  如果明天我不能测量太阳的高度，我就不用能在六个月之内再做测量了。

But precisely because sailors' luck has led me into these seas on March 21, it will be easy to get our bearings if the noonday sun does appear before our eyes. 不过也正因为我这次航行的机会，3月21日把我带到这南极海中来如果太阳给我们现出来，我的方位是很容易测定的。

Why easy, captain? 船长，为什么呢？

Because when the orb³ of day sweeps in such long spirals, it's difficult to measure its exact altitude above the horizon, and our instruments are open to committing serious errors. 因为，太阳沿着那么拉长的螺旋线走，想在水平线上确切测量它的高度，很是困难，仪器也容易犯严重的错误。

Then what can you do? 那么，您怎样来进行呢？

I use only my chronometer⁴, Captain Nemo answered me.  我只是使用我的航海时计，尼摩船长回答我。

At noon tomorrow, March 21, if, after accounting⁵ for refraction, the sun's disk is cut exactly in half by the northern horizon, that will mean I'm at the South Pole. 如果明天3月21日，折光作用估计在内，太阳圈轮正好切在北方的水平线上，那我就是在南极点上了。

1 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

2 disappearance   

n.消失，消散，失踪

参考例句：

• He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
• Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。

3 orb   

n.太阳；星球；v.弄圆；成球形

参考例句：

• The blue heaven,holding its one golden orb,poured down a crystal wash of warm light.蓝蓝的天空托着金色的太阳，洒下一片水晶般明亮温暖的光辉。
• It is an emanation from the distant orb of immortal light.它是从远处那个发出不灭之光的天体上放射出来的。

4 chronometer   

n.精密的计时器

参考例句：

• Murchison followed with his eye the hand of his chronometer.莫奇生的眼睛追随着他的时计的秒针。
• My watch is more expensive because it's a chronometer.我的手表是精密型的，所以要比你的贵。

5 accounting   

n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• There's an accounting error in this entry.这笔账目里有差错。