英语听书《海底两万里》第494期 第31章 章鱼(2)

 This measure was distasteful to me. 但我不赞成这种做法。

To my mind it would lead nowhere. 依我看，这种做法是不会奏效的。

We could hope for nothing from the Nautilus's commander but could depend only on ourselves. 我们不应该对 “鹦鹉螺号”船上的指挥官抱任何希望，一切只能靠我们自己。

Besides, for some time now the man had been gloomier, more withdrawn¹, less sociable².  再说这段时间以来，这个人变得更阴沉，更深居简出，更不爱与人交往。

He seemed to be avoiding me. 他好像在躲避我。

I encountered him only at rare intervals³. 我很少碰到他。

He used to take pleasure in explaining the underwater wonders to me; now he left me to my research and no longer entered the lounge. 以前他很乐意向我解释海底的奇观；可现在他对我的研究撒手不管，也不再到客厅来了。

What changes had come over him? From what cause?  他到底发生了什么变化？是因为什么呢？

I had no reason to blame myself. 可我并没有什么需要自责的地方啊。

Was our presence on board perhaps a burden to him?  那可能是我们在他船上出现使他为难了吧？

Even so, I cherished no hopes that the man would set us free. 然而，我却不会希望他是那种想给我们自由的人。

So I begged Ned to let me think about it before taking action. 于是，我请求尼德在行动之前让我好好地想一想。

If this measure proved fruitless, it could arouse the captain's suspicions, 如果这一步没取得任何效果的话，这样会引起他的疑心，

make our circumstances even more arduous⁴, and jeopardize⁵ the Canadian's plans.  而使我们的处境变得更艰难甚至破坏加拿大人的计划。

I might add that I could hardly use our state of health as an argument. 我补充说我们无论如何也不能以我们的身体健康状况为理由，提出离开这里。

Except for that grueling ordeal⁶ under the Ice Bank at the South Pole, we had never felt better, neither Ned, Conseil, nor I. 因为既然我们能忍受得住南极大浮冰下的艰苦考验，那我们——不论是加拿大人、康塞尔，还是我——就什么都能挺得住。

The nutritious⁷ food, life-giving air, regular routine, and uniform temperature kept illness at bay; 像现在这种卫生的饮食，这样有益于健康的空气，这般有规律的生活，如此恒定的温度，是不会让人生病的。

and for a man who didn't miss his past existence on land, for a Captain Nemo who was at home here, who went where he wished,  而且对于一个离开了陆地生活而心中无悔的人来说对于尼摩船长来说，他现在是在自己的家里，来去自由，

who took paths mysterious to others if not himself in attaining⁸ his ends, I could understand such a life.  可以行踪鬼秘地——对于其他人来说是的而对于他自己来说则不是——去他想去的地方，我理解这样的生活。

1 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

2 sociable   

adj.好交际的，友好的，合群的

参考例句：

• Roger is a very sociable person.罗杰是个非常好交际的人。
• Some children have more sociable personalities than others.有些孩子比其他孩子更善于交际。

3 intervals   

n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息

参考例句：

• The forecast said there would be sunny intervals and showers. 预报间晴，有阵雨。
• Meetings take place at fortnightly intervals. 每两周开一次会。

4 arduous   

adj.艰苦的，费力的，陡峭的

参考例句：

• We must have patience in doing arduous work.我们做艰苦的工作要有耐性。
• The task was more arduous than he had calculated.这项任务比他所估计的要艰巨得多。

5 jeopardize   

vt.危及，损害

参考例句：

• Overworking can jeopardize your health.工作过量可能会危及你的健康。
• If you are rude to the boss it may jeopardize your chances of success.如果你对上司无礼，那就可能断送你成功的机会。

6 ordeal   

n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验

参考例句：

• She managed to keep her sanity throughout the ordeal.在那场磨难中她始终保持神志正常。
• Being lost in the wilderness for a week was an ordeal for me.在荒野里迷路一星期对我来说真是一场磨难。

7 nutritious   

adj.有营养的，营养价值高的

参考例句：

• Fresh vegetables are very nutritious.新鲜蔬菜富于营养。
• Hummingbirds have discovered that nectar and pollen are very nutritious.蜂鸟发现花蜜和花粉是很有营养的。

8 attaining   

（通常经过努力）实现( attain的现在分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况）

参考例句：

• Jim is halfway to attaining his pilot's licence. 吉姆就快要拿到飞行员执照了。
• By that time she was attaining to fifty. 那时她已快到五十岁了。