23 珊瑚王国(35)

DURING THE DAY of January 29, the island of Ceylon disappeared below the horizon, and at a speed of twenty miles per hour, the Nautilus glided into the labyrinthine channels that separate the Malpe and Laccape Islands. It likewise hugged Kiltan Island, a shore of madreporic origin discovered by Vasco da Gama in 1499 and one of nineteen chief islands in the island group of the Laccapes, located between latitude 10 degrees and 14 degrees 30' north, and between longitude 50 degrees 72' and 69 degrees east.

1月29日,锡兰岛远在天边看不见了,诺第留斯号的速度是每小时二十海里,驶人把马尔代夫岛和拉克代夫岛分开的弯弯曲曲的水道中。它又沿吉檀岛行驶,这岛原是珊瑚岛,1499年被法斯科·德·嘉马发现,为拉克代夫岛的十九座主要岛屿之一,位于北纬10度和14度 30分之间,东经69度和50度72分之间。

By then we had fared 16,220 miles, or 7,500 leagues, from our starting point in the seas of Japan.

我们从日本海出发以来,到现在,我们已经走了一万六千二百二十海里,即七千五百里了。

The next day, January 30, when the Nautilus rose to the surface of the ocean, there was no more land in sight. Setting its course to the north-northwest, the ship headed toward the Gulf of Oman, carved out between Arabia and the Indian peninsula and providing access to the Persian Gulf.

第二天,1月30日,当诺第留斯号浮出洋面来的时候,看不见陆地了。船对着西北偏北方向,向阿曼海驶去,这海位于阿拉伯和印度岛之间,是波斯湾的出口。

This was obviously a blind alley with no possible outlet. So where was Captain Nemo taking us? I was unable to say. Which didn't satisfy the Canadian, who that day asked me where we were going.

很明白,波斯湾是不可能有出路的,是不能通行的海湾。那么尼摩船长带我们到哪里去呢?我说不上。这点)加拿大人很不满意,因为他那一天问我,我们要到哪里去。