二十六年来，苟纳尔公司的船在大西洋上航行了两千次，没有一次航行不达目的地，

　　a delay recorded, a man, a craft, or even a letter lost.

　　没有一次发生迟误，从没有遗失过一封信，损失过一个人或一只船。

　　Accordingly, despite strong competition from France, passengers still choose the Cunard line in preference to all others,

　　因此,尽管法国竭力要抢它的生意，但是乘客们都一致愿意搭苟纳尔公司的船，

　　as can be seen in a recent survey of official documents.

　　这点从近年来官方的统计文献中就可以看出来。

　　Given this, no one will be astonished at the uproar provoked by this accident involving one of its finest steamers.

　　了解这情形以后，便没有人奇怪这家公司的一只汽船遭遇到意外事件会引起那么巨大的反响。

　　On April 13, 1867, with a smooth sea and a moderate breeze, the Scotia lay in longitude 15 degrees 12' and latitude 45 degrees 37'.

　　1867年4月13日，海很平静，风又是顺风，斯备脱亚号在西经15度12分、北纬45度37分的海面上行驶着。

　　It was traveling at a speed of 13.43 knots under the thrust of its 1,000-horsepower engines.

　　它在一千匹马力的发动机推动下，速度为每小时十三海里半。

　　Its paddle wheels were churning the sea with perfect steadiness. It was then drawing 6.7 meters of water and displacing 6,624 cubic meters.

　　它的机轮在海中转动，完全正常。它当时的吃水深度是6米70厘米，排水量是6，685方米。

　　At 4:17 in the afternoon, during a high tea for passengers gathered in the main lounge, a collision occurred, scarcely noticeable on the whole,

　　下午四点十六分，乘客们正在大厅中吃点心的时候，在斯各脱亚号船尾、

　　affecting the Scotia's hull in that quarter a little astern of its port paddle wheel.

　　左舷机轮后面一点，似乎发生了轻微的撞击。