英语听书《海底两万里》第513期 第32章 海湾暖流(4)

 Leaving Old Bahama Channel, which is fourteen leagues wide by 350 meters deep, the Gulf¹ Stream moves at the rate of eight kilometers per hour. 从巴哈马运河出来时，海湾暖流在14里宽、350米深的范围内以每小时8公里的速度流动。

Its speed steadily² decreases as it advances northward³, and we must pray that this steadiness continues, because, as experts agree, 随着它向北推进，这个速度就有规律地减慢，但愿这种规律性永远保持下去，因为正如有人指出，

if its speed and direction were to change, the climates of Europe would undergo disturbances⁴ whose consequences are incalculable. 如果它的方向和速度稍有改变，欧洲的气候就会受到很大的影响，由此导致的后果是不堪设想的。

Near noon I was on the platform with Conseil.  中午时分，我和康塞尔在平台上。

I shared with him the relevant details on the Gulf Stream.  我向他讲述了一些有关海湾暖流的特征。

When my explanation was over, I invited him to dip his hands into its current. 当我讲述完后，我请他把双手放进水流中。

Conseil did so, and he was quite astonished to experience no sensation of either hot or cold. 康塞尔照着我的话做了，但他很奇怪感觉不到有任何冷热的差别。

That comes, I told him, "from the water temperature of the Gulf Stream, which, as it leaves the Gulf of Mexico, is barely different from your blood temperature. “这是因为海湾暖流刚从墨西哥湾出来，现在的水温和人血的温度没什么差别。” 我对他说，

This Gulf Stream is a huge heat generator⁵ that enables the coasts of Europe to be decked in eternal greenery. “这股海湾暖流可是一个保证欧洲海岸四季常绿的大暖炉。

And if Commander Maury is correct, were one to harness the full warmth of this current, 而且，如果莫利说得对的话，这股水流的热量如果能完全地被利用，

it would supply enough heat to keep molten a river of iron solder⁶ as big as the Amazon or the Missouri." 那它就能提供足够的卡路里，使亚马逊河或密苏里河这样的大河保持熔铁熔点的温度。”

Just then the Gulf Stream's speed was 2.25 meters per second.  这时，海湾暖流的速度是每秒2.25米。

So distinct is its current from the surrounding sea,  它的水流与周围海水非常之有差别，

its confined waters stand out against the ocean and operate on a different level from the colder waters.  它的水流因受周围海水的挤压而在洋面上突起，和海洋的冷水之间形成不同的层次。

1 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

2 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

3 northward   

adv.向北；n.北方的地区

参考例句：

• He pointed his boat northward.他将船驶向北方。
• I would have a chance to head northward quickly.我就很快有机会去北方了。

4 disturbances   

n.骚乱( disturbance的名词复数 )；打扰；困扰；障碍

参考例句：

• The government has set up a commission of inquiry into the disturbances at the prison. 政府成立了一个委员会来调查监狱骚乱事件。
• Extra police were called in to quell the disturbances. 已调集了增援警力来平定骚乱。

5 generator   

n.发电机，发生器

参考例句：

• All the while the giant generator poured out its power.巨大的发电机一刻不停地发出电力。
• This is an alternating current generator.这是一台交流发电机。

6 solder   

v.焊接，焊在一起；n.焊料，焊锡

参考例句：

• Fewer workers are needed to solder circuit boards.焊接电路板需要的工人更少了。
• He cuts the pieces and solders them together.他把那些断片切碎，然后把它们焊在一起。