Then night fell in the midst of a heavy silence occasionally broken by the calls of pelicans and nocturnal birds, by the sound of surf chafing against rocks, or by the distant moan of a steamer churning the waves of the gulf with noisy blades. 一会儿，黑夜来临，在沉重的静默中间，有时有塘鸡和一种夜鸟的叫声，怒潮打在岩石上的声响，或一只汽船的响亮水门搅打湾中海水所发生的远远的声音，把寂寞冲破了。

From eight to nine o'clock, the Nautilus stayed a few meters beneath the waters. According to my calculations, we had to be quite close to Suez.  八点到九点，诺第留斯号在水深儿米的地方行驶。

Through the panels in the lounge, I spotted rocky bottoms brightly lit by our electric rays. It seemed to me that the strait was getting narrower and narrower. 照我的计算，我们应当很接近苏伊士了。从客厅里的嵌板看。我望见了受我的电光清楚照出的水底岩石。我觉得海峡是愈来愈窄了。

At 9:15 when our boat returned to the surface, I climbed onto the platform.  九点一刻，船又浮出水面，我到平台上来。

I was quite impatient to clear Captain Nemo's tunnel, couldn't sit still, and wanted to breathe the fresh night air. 心中急急想穿过尼摩船长的海底地道，我不能安静等待，我要上来呼吸夜间的新鲜空气。

Soon, in the shadows, I spotted a pale signal light glimmering a mile away, half discolored by mist. 不久，在黑暗中，我望见一些黯淡火光，被蒙雾弄得模糊了，火在距我们一海里远的地方亮着。

A floating lighthouse, said someone next to me. 一座浮在水上的灯塔。有人在我身旁说。

I turned and discovered the captain. 我回过头来，我看见是船长。

That's the floating signal light of Suez, he went on. It won't be long before we reach the entrance to the tunnel. 那是苏伊士的浮在水上的灯火，他又说，我们不久就要走人地道口了。

It can't be very easy to enter it. 进口不容易吗？

No, sir. Accordingly, I'm in the habit of staying in the pilothouse and directing maneuvers myself.  不容易，先生。因此，我照例是亲自到领航人的笼间中，守在那里，指挥航行。

And now if you'll kindly go below, Professor Aronnax, the Nautilus is about to sink beneath the waves, and it will only return to the surface after we've cleared the Arabian Tunnel. 阿龙纳斯先生，您请下来，诺第留斯号现在要潜入水中了，到通过了阿拉伯海底地道后，它才浮上来。

I followed Captain Nemo. The hatch closed, the ballast tanks filled with water, and the submersible sank some ten meters down. 我跟着尼摩船长下来。嵌板关闭了，储水池装满了水，船潜入水底十来米深左右。

Just as I was about to repair to my stateroom, the captain stopped me. 当我要回房中去的时候，船长留住我。