23 珊瑚王国(64)
Standing by the port deadlight, I spotted magnificent coral substructures, zoophytes, algae, and crustaceans with enormous quivering claws that stretched forth from crevices in the rock.
我在左舷的船窗边，望见了珊瑚累积成的十分美丽的基层建筑，无数植虫、海藻、介壳动物，舞动它们的巨大爪牙，在岩石凹凸不平的外面，长长地伸张出来。
At 10:15 Captain Nemo himself took the helm. Dark and deep, a wide gallery opened ahead of us.
十点一刻，尼摩船长亲自把舵。一条宽阔的长廊，又黑又深，在我们面前出现。
The Nautilus was brazenly swallowed up. Strange rumblings were audible along our sides.
诺第留斯号直冲进去。在它两旁发出一种我没有听惯的沙沙声响。
It was the water of the Red Sea, hurled toward the Mediterranean by the tunnel's slope.
这是红海的水，由于地道的斜坡，冲到地中海上。
Our engines tried to offer resistance by churning the wa一ves with propeller in reverse, but the Nautilus went with the torrent, as swift as an arrow.
诺第留斯号跟着这道急流下去，像箭一般快，虽然它的机器想要尽力慢一些，把推进器逆流转动，也没有起作用。
Along the narrow walls of this passageway, I saw only brilliant streaks, hard lines, fiery furrows, all scrawled by our speeding electric light. With my hand I tried to curb the pounding of my heart.
地道两边狭窄的高墙上，我只看见飞奔的速度在电光下所画出的辉煌线纹、笔直线条、火一色一痕迹。我的心跳动不止，我用手压住心头。
At 10:35 Captain Nemo left the steering wheel and turned to me:
十点三十五分，尼摩船长放下舵上的机轮，向我回过头来，对我说：
The Mediterranean, he told me.
到地中海了。
In less than twenty minutes, swept along by the torrent, the Nautilus had just cleared the Isthmus of Suez.
不到二十分钟，诺第留斯号顺着水流，就通过了苏伊土地峡了。