我们望不见什么。望不见暗礁，望不见小岛。林肯号不见了；望见的只是一片汪洋的海水。

　　Raising his sextant, Captain Nemo took the altitude of the sun, which would give him his latitude. He waited for a few minutes until the orb touched the rim of the horizon. While he was taking his sights, he didn't move a muscle, and the instrument couldn't have been steadier in hands made out of marble.

　　尼摩船长带了他的六分仪，测量太阳的高度，因此可以。知道船所在的纬度。他等待了几分钟，让太阳跟地平线相齐。当他观察的时候，他的肌肉没有一处颜动，仪器也像握：在铁石的手中一般，绝对平稳。

　　Noon, he said. Professor, whenever you're ready. . . .

　　正午，他说，教授，您要我们这时出发吗？

　　I took one last look at the sea, a little yellowish near the landing places of Japan, and I went below again to the main lounge.

　　我最后看一下海面，因为靠近日本海岸，海面微作努色，然后我回到客厅中来。

　　There the captain fixed his position and used a chronometer to calculate his longitude, which he double-checked against his previous observations of hour angles. Then he told me:

　　客厅中，船长在地图上记了方位，按合时计来算经度卜同时他拿从前做的时角观察记录来校对。然后他对我说：

　　Professor Aronnax, we're in longitude 137 degrees 15' west-

　　阿龙纳斯先生，我们是在西经137度15分…

　　West of which meridian? I asked quickly, hoping the captain's reply might give me a clue to his nationality.

　　您根据哪种子午线算的呢？我急急地问，想从船长的回答中知道他的国籍。

　　Sir, he answered me, I have chronometers variously set to the meridians of Paris, Greenwich, and Washington, D.C. But in your honor, I'll use the one for Paris.

　　先生，他答复我，我有各种不同的时计，可以根据巴黎、格林威治和华盛顿子午线来计算。但因为您的关系，我以后将根据巴黎子午线计算.

　　This reply told me nothing. I bowed, and the commander went on:

　　这个回答使我得不到什么。我点头表示谢意，船长又说：

　　We're in longitude 137 degrees 15' west of the meridian of Paris, and latitude 30 degrees 7' north, in other words, about 300 miles from the shores of Japan. At noon on this day of November 8, we hereby begin our voyage of exploration under the waters.

　　我们在巴黎子午线西经137度15分，北纬30度7分，即是说，距日本海岸约为三百海里。今天11月8日，中午，我们开始作我们的海底探险旅行。

　　May God be with us! I replied.

　　愿上帝保佑我们！我答。

　　And now, professor, the captain added, I'll leave you to your intellectual pursuits. I've set our course east-northeast at a depth of fifty meters. Here are some large-scale charts on which you'll be able to follow that course. The lounge is at your disposal, and with your permission, I'll take my leave.

　　教授，船长又说，我现在让您做您的研究。我要船在水深五十米下，向东北偏东方行驶。这里有标记分明的地图，您可以看着我们的航行路线。客厅您可以随便使用，我向您告辞了。