英语听书《海底两万里》第12期 第2章 正与反(1)

 　　DURING THE PERIOD in which these developments were occurring,

　　这些事件发生的时候，

　　I had returned from a scientific undertaking¹ organized to explore the Nebraska badlands in the United States.

　　我正从美国内布拉斯加州的贫瘠地区做完了科学考察回来。

　　In my capacity as Assistant Professor at the Paris Museum of Natural History, I had been attached to this expedition by the French government.

　　由于我是巴黎自然科学博物馆的副教授，法国政府派我参加这次考察，

　　After spending six months in Nebraska, I arrived in New York laden² with valuable collections near the end of March. My departure for France was set for early May.

　　在内布拉斯加州度过了六个月的时间，三月底，我满载了珍贵的标本回到纽约，我动身回法国的日期定在五月初。

　　In the meantime, then, I was busy classifying my mineralogical, botanical, and zoological treasures when that incident took place with the Scotia.

　　所以，我就利用逗留期间，把这次收集来的矿物标本和动、植物标本加以整理，而斯各脱亚号的意外事件就是在这个时候发生的。

　　I was perfectly³ abreast⁴ of this question, which was the big news of the day, and how could I not have been?

　　我自然也熟悉当时议论纷纷的这个问题，而且我怎能不知道呢？

　　I had read and reread every American and European newspaper without being any farther along. This mystery puzzled me.

　　我把美国和欧洲的各种报刊读了又读，但没有获得进一步的了解。因为这个怪物，我作了种种猜测。

　　Finding it impossible to form any views, I drifted from one extreme to the other.

　　由于自己拿不定主意，我始终摇摆于极端不同的见解之间。

　　Something was out there, that much was certain, and any doubting Thomas was invited to place his finger on the Scotia's wound.

　　这是一件真实的事，那是无可置疑的；怀疑这事的人，请他们去摸一摸斯各脱亚号的裂口好了。

　　When I arrived in New York, the question was at the boiling point.

　　当我到纽约的时候，这问题正闹得热火朝天。

　　The hypothesis of a drifting islet or an elusive⁵ reef, put forward by people not quite in their right minds, was completely eliminated.

　　有些不学无术的人曾经说那是浮动的小岛，是不可捉摸的暗礁，不过，这种假设,现在完全被推翻了。

1 undertaking   

n.保证，许诺，事业

参考例句：

• He gave her an undertaking that he would pay the money back with in a year.他向她做了一年内还钱的保证。
• He is too timid to venture upon an undertaking.他太胆小，不敢从事任何事业。

2 laden   

adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的

参考例句：

• He is laden with heavy responsibility.他肩负重任。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat.将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。

3 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

4 abreast   

adv.并排地；跟上(时代)的步伐，与…并进地

参考例句：

• She kept abreast with the flood of communications that had poured in.她及时回复如雪片般飞来的大批信件。
• We can't keep abreast of the developing situation unless we study harder.我们如果不加强学习，就会跟不上形势。

5 elusive   

adj.难以表达(捉摸)的；令人困惑的；逃避的

参考例句：

• Try to catch the elusive charm of the original in translation.翻译时设法把握住原文中难以捉摸的风韵。
• Interpol have searched all the corners of the earth for the elusive hijackers.国际刑警组织已在世界各地搜查在逃的飞机劫持者。