It was the latter part of a calm, sultry day, that they floated gently with the tide between these stern mountains. 当时天近傍晚，无风、闷热。船儿顺流轻轻漂流，两岸森严的崇山峻岭绵亘延伸。

　　There was that perfect quiet which prevails over nature in the languor of summer heat. 天地陷入浓重的静谧。夏日无精打采，似乎耗尽了最后一缕炎热。

　　The turning of a plank, or the accidental falling of an oar, on deck, was echoed from the mountain side and reverberated along the shores; 船舷时而偏转，甲板上木浆偶然落水，哪怕一点细微声音，撞击山体后旋即沿山涧两岸依次荡开。

　　and, if by chance the captain gave a shout of command, there were airy tongues that mocked it from every cliff. 如果碰巧船长扯开嗓子吆喝一声，四周峭壁很快炸响一连串滚动訇然。

　　Dolph gazed about him, in mute delight and wonder, at these scenes of nature's magnificence. 道尔夫出神地看着周遭如同淹没在远古洪荒中的自然奇观，内心满是无言的快乐，还有好奇。

　　To the left, the Dunderberg reared its woody precipices, height over height, forest over forest, away into the deep summer sky. 从左舷看，此刻，“邓德伯格号”船高竖前舷，径直冲过层层前方陡峭，飞快掠过两岸浓密丛林，进入更为幽深的夏日空寂。

　　To the right, strutted forth the bold promontory of Antony's Nose, with a solitary eagle wheeling about it; 从右舷看，舷体凸出一块木牌，外形有点像安东尼的粗硕鼻子，木牌上刻有一只孤独的鹰，那只鹰正在快速不停地旋转。

　　while beyond, mountain succeeded to mountain, until they seemed to lock their arms together and confine this mighty rive in their embraces. 放眼望去，只见沿岸山峦叠嶂不断后退，最后，好像山穷水复疑无路，群峰兀立，头顶上唯有一道狭长蓝天。

　　In the midst of this admiration, Dolph remarked a pile of bright, snowy clouds peering above the western heights. 道尔夫忙着观幽探奇，突然看到一簇明晃晃的银色云团，在西方天际若隐若现，

　　It was succeeded by another, and another,  随后，又飘过来一簇云团，又涌来一团，

　　each seemingly pushing onward its predecessor, and towering, with dazzling brilliancy, in the deep blue atmosphere; 不断叠现翻滚的云团逐次相推，直冲九天云汉，亦愈发炫目耀眼，背景天空现出阴晦的深蓝。

　　and now muttering peals of thunder were faintly heard rolling behind the mountains. 倏尔，沉闷的雷声依稀裹杂响起，从山那边滚翻冒出。

　　The river, hitherto still and glassy, reflecting pictures of the sky and land, 河水，恍然不知，一如既往地娴静；满目山川景色，在澄明如镜的一袭水面现出清晰倒影。

　　now showed a dark ripple at a distance, as the wind came creeping up it. 很快，似乎闻到风的潜行气息，远处水域翻起黑色波浪。

　　The fishhawks wheeled and screamed, and sought their nests on the high, dry trees; 水面上，鱼鹰急速地盘旋尖叫，到处寻觅筑在山崖枯树上的鸟巢；

　　the crows flew clamorously to the crevices of the rocks; and all nature seemed conscious of the approaching thunder gust. 乌鸦鼓噪地飞向峭崖绝壁的石隙里；自然万物无不惊悚，一场暴风雨顷刻来临。