海底兩萬里 第192期 第14章 黑潮暖流(6)
現(xiàn)在一切真要完蛋了!尼德·蘭說。
order Hydromedusa, Conseil muttered.
水母目!康塞爾低聲說。
Suddenly, through two oblong openings, daylight appeared on both sides of the lounge. The liquid masses came into view, brightly lit by the ship's electric outpourings. We were separated from the sea by two panes of glass. Initially I shuddered at the thought that these fragile partitions could break; but strong copper bands secured them, giving them nearly infinite resistance.
忽然，光線穿過兩個長方形的孔洞，從容廳的備方面射進(jìn)。海水受電光的照耀，通體明亮地顯現(xiàn)出來。兩塊玻璃晶片把我們和海水分開。初時我想到這種脆弱的隔板可能碎裂，心中害怕得發(fā)抖;但由于有紅銅的結(jié)實框架頂住，使它差不多有無限的抵抗力。
The sea was clearly visible for a one-mile radius around the Nautilus. What a sight! What pen could describe it? Who could portray the effects of this light through thesetranslucent sheets of water, the subtlety of its progressive shadings into the ocean's upper and lower strata?
在諾第留斯號周圍一海里內(nèi)的海水，現(xiàn)在都可以清楚’地看見。多么光怪陸離的景象呵!無論多么高明的妙筆也描寫不出來!誰能描繪光線穿過透明的水流所產(chǎn)生的新奇景色呢守誰能描繪那光線照在海洋上下兩方，漸次遞減的柔和光度呢!
The transparency of salt water has long been recognized. Its clarity is believed to exceed that of spring water. The mineral and organic substances it holds in suspension actually increase itstranslucency. In certain parts of the Caribbean Sea, you can see the sandy bottom with startling distinctness as deep as 145 meters down, and the penetrating power of the sun's rays seems to give out only at a depth of 300 meters. But in this fluid setting traveled by the Nautilus, our electric glow was being generated in the very heart of the waves. It was no longerilluminated water, it was liquid light.
我們認(rèn)得海洋的透明性，我們知道海水的清澈超過山間清泉。海水中所含有的礦物質(zhì)和有機(jī)物質(zhì)，甚至于可隊增加它的透明性。在太平洋中的某部分，例如在安的列斯群島，一百四十五米深的海水可以讓人看見水底下面的沙床，十分清澈，而陽光的照射力好像直至三百米的深度方才停止。但是，在諾第留斯號所走過的海水中，電光就在水波：中間照耀。這不是明亮的水，而是流動的光了。
If we accept the hypotheses of the microbiologist Ehrenberg-who believes that these underwater depths are lit up by phosphorescent organisms--nature has certainly saved one of her most prodigious sights for residents of the sea, and I could judge for myself from the thousandfold play of the light. On both sides I had windows opening over these unexplored depths. The darkness in the lounge enhanced the brightness outside, and we stared as if this clear glass were the window of an immense aquarium.
如果我們承認(rèn)愛蘭伯的假設(shè)，認(rèn)為海底是有輝煌的磷光照耀的，那么，大自然一定給海中的居民保留下一種最出奇的景象，我現(xiàn)在看見這種光的無窮變化，就可以想到這景象是多么美麗。客廳每邊都有窗戶開向這未曾經(jīng)過探測的深淵。廳中的黑暗愈顯出外面的光輝，我們細(xì)看，好像這片純晶體，真就是那大到了不得的養(yǎng)魚缸的玻璃一樣。
