THE NEXT MORNING, February 19, I beheld the Canadian entering my stateroom.
第二天2月19日早晨,我看見加拿大人走進我房中。
I was expecting this visit. He wore an expression of great disappointment.
我正等他來,他神色沮喪。
Well, sir? he said to me.
先生,怎樣?他對我說。
Well, Ned, the fates were against us yesterday.
尼德,怎樣,昨天機會對我們不利。
Yes! That damned captain had to call a halt just as we were going to escape from his boat.
對!那個鬼怪船長正在我們要逃出他的船的時候,就把船停下來了。
Yes, Ned, he had business with his bankers.
尼德,是的,他跟他的銀行經(jīng)理有享呢。
His bankers?
他的銀行經(jīng)理!
Or rather his bank vaults. By which I mean this ocean, where his wealth is safer than in any national treasury.
或者不如說是跟他的銀行有享。我所說銀行的意思就是海洋,就是他的財富存放的地方,那比國家的金庫更為安全可靠的海洋。
I then related the evening's incidents to the Canadian, secretly hoping he would come around to the idea of not deserting the captain;
我于是把昨晚的意外事件告訴加拿大人,暗中希望這樣可以使他不要拋棄船長,
but my narrative had no result other than Ned's voicing deep regret that he hadn't strolled across the Vigo battlefield on his own behalf.
可是,我的講述所得的結果,只是尼德很強烈表示出來的悔恨,他惋惜自己沒有能親自到維哥灣的戰(zhàn)場上去走一下。
Anyhow, he said, it's not over yet! My first harpoon missed, that's all! We'll succeed the next time, and as soon as this evening, if need be . . .
他說:‘好,事情并沒有完!這一次只是魚叉落了空罷了!另一次我們一定成功,如果可能,就是今晚…
What's the Nautilus's heading? I asked.
諾第留斯號是向哪個方向航行?我問。
I've no idea, Ned replied.
我不知道。尼德回答。
All right, at noon we'll find out what our position is!
那么,到中午,我們來觀測船的方位吧。
The Canadian returned to Conseil's side. As soon as I was dressed, I went into the lounge.
加拿大人回到康塞爾那邊去。我一穿好了衣服,就走入客廳中。
The compass wasn't encouraging. The Nautilus's course was south-southwest. We were turning our backs on Europe.
羅盤指示不很明確。諾第留斯號的航路是西南偏南。我們是背著歐洲行駛。
I could hardly wait until our position was reported on the chart. Near 11:30 the ballast tanks emptied, and the submersible rose to the surface of the ocean.
我等待著把船的方位記在地圖上,心中有些著急。十一點左右,儲水池空了,船浮上洋面。
I leaped onto the platform. Ned Land was already there.
我跑到平臺上,尼德已經(jīng)先在那里了。
No more shore in sight. Nothing but the immenseness of the sea.
陸地再也望不見,只見一片汪洋大海。
A few sails were on the horizon, no doubt ships going as far as Cape Sao Roque to find favorable winds for doubling the Cape of Good Hope.
天際有幾只帆船,一定是到桑羅克角尋找順風,繞過好望角去的船。
The sky was overcast. A squall was on the way.
天色明沉,恐怕要刮風了。