英语听书《海底两万里》第524期 第32章 海湾暖流(15)

 Their volume and power increased with the depth of the waters.  它们的水量和强度随着海水深度的增加而增加。

I then understood the role played by these waves, which trap air in their flanks and release it in the depths of the sea where its oxygen brings life. 于是我明白了，这些海浪把空气包抄起来压缩进海底，同时，它们也带走了生命和氧气。

Their utmost pressure—it has been calculated—can build to 3,000 kilograms on every square foot of surface they strike. 它们的极限压力——有人曾经算过——在它们冲击的表面上可以达到每平方英尺3000公斤。

It was such waves in the Hebrides that repositioned a stone block weighing 84,000 pounds. 正是这样的海浪，在赫布里德岛上推起了一块重84000磅的岩石。

It was their relatives in the tidal wave on December 23, 1854, that toppled part of the Japanese city of Tokyo, 也正是这样的海浪，在1864年12月23日的暴风雨中，在日本掀翻了一部分东京城后，

then went that same day at 700 kilometers per hour to break on the beaches of America. 以每小时700公里的速度，在同一天内击向美洲海岸。

After nightfall the storm grew in intensity¹. 随着夜幕降临，暴风雨的强度增大了。

As in the 1860 cyclone² on Réunion Island, the barometer³ fell to 710 millimeters.  晴雨表像1860年联合岛发生飓风时一样，降到了710毫米。

At the close of day, I saw a big ship passing on the horizon, struggling painfully.  日落时，我看到了天边走过一艘正在苦苦挣扎的船。

It lay to at half steam in an effort to hold steady on the waves. 它减弱蒸气动力，减速航行，以保持行驶在浪峰脚下。

It must have been a steamer on one of those lines out of New York to Liverpool or Le Havre. 这应该是一只从纽约开往利物浦或勒阿弗尔港的汽船。

It soon vanished into the shadows. 它一会儿就消失在黑暗中。

At ten o'clock in the evening, the skies caught on fire. The air was streaked⁴ with violent flashes of lightning. 晚上10点，天空中雷鸣电闪，大气被猛烈的闪电划出道道条纹。

I couldn't stand this brightness, but Captain Nemo stared straight at it, as if to inhale⁵ the spirit of the storm.  面对着这样的霹雳雷鸣，我再也忍受不了；而尼摩船长，他正视着它，好像要把暴风雨的灵魂吸进他的体内似的。

A dreadful noise filled the air, a complicated noise made up of the roar of crashing breakers, the howl of the wind, claps of thunder. 一阵可怕的声响充斥空中，这是一声由压碎的海浪吼声、风啸声和炸雷声组成的完整的响声。

The wind shifted to every point of the horizon, and the cyclone left the east to return there after passing through north, west, and south, 风从天边各个方向吹来，从东边来的台风，吹向北边、南边，

moving in the opposite direction of revolving⁶ storms in the southern hemisphere. 又吹回东边，和北半球回旋风暴形成逆向流动。

1 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

2 cyclone   

n.旋风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• An exceptionally violent cyclone hit the town last night.昨晚异常猛烈的旋风吹袭了那个小镇。
• The cyclone brought misery to thousands of people.旋风给成千上万的人带来苦难。

3 barometer   

n.气压表，睛雨表，反应指标

参考例句：

• The barometer marked a continuing fall in atmospheric pressure.气压表表明气压在继续下降。
• The arrow on the barometer was pointing to"stormy".气压计上的箭头指向“有暴风雨”。

4 streaked   

adj.有条斑纹的，不安的v.快速移动( streak的过去式和过去分词 )；使布满条纹

参考例句：

• The children streaked off as fast as they could. 孩子们拔脚飞跑 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• His face was pale and streaked with dirt. 他脸色苍白，脸上有一道道的污痕。 来自辞典例句

5 inhale   

v.吸入(气体等)，吸(烟)

参考例句：

• Don't inhale dust into your lung.别把灰尘吸进肺里。
• They are pleased to not inhale second hand smoke.他们很高兴他们再也不会吸到二手烟了。

6 revolving   

adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想

参考例句：

• The theatre has a revolving stage. 剧院有一个旋转舞台。
• The company became a revolving-door workplace. 这家公司成了工作的中转站。