海底兩萬里 第8期 第1章 飛走的暗礁(8)

No one is unaware of the name of that famous English shipowner, Cunard.

英國著名的船主茍納爾的名字是沒有一個人不知道。

In 1840 this shrewd industrialist founded a postal service between Liverpool and Halifax,

這位精明的企業(yè)家早在1840年就創(chuàng)辦了一家郵船公司，開辟了從利物浦到哈利法克斯的航線，

featuring three wooden ships with 400-horsepower paddle wheels and a burden of 1,162 metric tons.

當(dāng)時只有三艘四百匹馬力、載重一千一百六十二噸的明輪木船。

Eight years later, the company's assets were increased by four 650-horsepower ships at 1,820 metric tons,

八年以后，公司擴(kuò)大了，共有四艘六百五十匹馬力、載重一千八百二十噸的船。

and in two more years, by two other vessels of still greater power and tonnage.

再過兩年，又添了兩艘馬力和載重量更大的船，

In 1853 the Cunard Co., whose mail-carrying charter had just been renewed,

1853年，茍納爾公司繼續(xù)取得裝運(yùn)政府郵件的特權(quán)，

successively added to its assets the Arabia, the Persia, the China, the Scotia, the Java, and the Russia,

一連添造了阿拉伯號、波斯號、中國號、斯備脫亞號、爪哇號、俄羅斯號，

all ships of top speed and, after the Great Eastern, the biggest ever to plow the seas.

這些都是頭等的快船，而且是最寬大的，除了大東方號外，在海上航行的船沒有能跟它們相比的。

So in 1867 this company owned twelve ships, eight with paddle wheels and four withpropellers.

到1867年，這家公司一共有十二艘船～八艘明輪的，四艘暗輪的。

If I give these highly condensed details,

我所以要把上面的情形簡單地介紹一下，

it is so everyone can fully understand the importance of this maritime transportation company, known the world over for its shrewd management.

是要大家知道這家海運(yùn)公司的重要性。它由于經(jīng)營得法，是全世界都聞名的。

No transoceanic navigational undertaking has been conducted with more ability, no business dealings have been crowned with greater success.

任何航海企業(yè)，沒有比這公司搞得更精明，經(jīng)營得更成功的了。