23 珊瑚王国(22)
Captain Nemo took me to the central companionway whose steps led to the platform. Ned and Conseil were there, enraptured with the "pleasure trip" getting under way.
尼摩船长领我到中一央楼梯，梯上通至平台。尼德·兰和康塞尔早在那里了，他们对于准备做的“海底游玩”很为高兴。
Oars in position, five of the Nautilus's sailors were waiting for us aboard the skiff, which was moored alongside.
诺第留斯船上的五个水手拿着桨，在紧一靠着大船的小艇中等待我们。
The night was still dark. Layers of clouds cloaked the sky and left only a few stars in view.
夜一色一还很黑暗。片片的云彩遮满天空，只露出很稀微的星光。
My eyes flew to the side where land lay, but I saw only a blurred line covering three-quarters of the horizon from southwest to northwest.
我两眼向陆地方面看，我只见一条摇曳不定的直线，封住了从西南到西北的四分之三的天边。
Going up Ceylon's west coast during the night, the Nautilus lay west of the bay, or rather that gulf formed by the mainland and Mannar Island.
在夜间上溯了锡兰岛西部海岸，现在到了这海口的西边，或不如说，到了马纳尔岛陆地形成的这个海湾的西边。
Under these dark waters there stretched the bank of shellfish, an inexhaustible field of pearls more than twenty miles long.
这里深水底下，罗列着小纹贝礁石岩脉，长度超过二十英里，真是采不尽的珍珠生产常尼摩船长。
Captain Nemo, Conseil, Ned Land, and I found seats in the stern of the skiff.
康塞尔、尼德·兰和我，我们坐在小艇后面、小艇挺长用手把着舵，
The longboat's coxswain took the tiller; his four companions leaned into their oars; the moorings were cast off and we pulled clear.
他的四个同伴抉着桨，解了绳索，我们就离开大船了。
The skiff headed southward. The oarsmen took their time.
小艇向南驶去，艇中的潜水人并不急子下水。
I watched their strokes vigorously catch the water, and they always waited ten seconds before rowing again, following the practice used in most na一vies.
他们的桨使劲地在水中划，我注意到这是海军战舰上常用的方法。
While the longboat coasted, drops of liquid flicked from the oars and hit the dark troughs of the wa一ves, pitter-pattering like splashes of molten lead.
每寸秒划一下。小艇在一定的速度上前进，水珠像熔铅散射一出的液体一样，落在漆黑的水波中嘶嘶作响。
Coming from well out, a mild swell made the skiff roll gently, and a few cresting billows lapped at its bow.
一阵不大的波一浪一从海面冲来，使小艇发生轻微的颠簸，有些一浪一花飞一溅到它的前头。