14 黑潮暖流(5)

Meanwhile Ned Land, less dedicated to conchology, questioned me about my interview with Captain Nemo.

这个时候。尼德·兰—他不是贝类学家—问我关于我跟尼摩船长会谈的情形。

Had I discovered who he was, where he came from, where he was heading, how deep he was taking us? In short, a thousand questions I had no time to answer.

他问我,我是否发现他是哪一国人,他从哪里来,到哪里去,把我们拉到多少深的海底去?他问了许多问题,我简直来不及回答他。

I told him everything I knew--or, rather, everything I didn't know-- and I asked him what he had seen or heard on his part.

我将我所知道的全部告诉他,或不如说,将我所不知道的全部告诉他。我又问他,他看到些什么或听到些什么。

Haven't seen or heard a thing! the Canadian replied. I haven't even spotted the crew of this boat. By any chance, could they be electric too?

什么也没有看见,什么也没有听到!加拿大人回答,我甚至于连这船上的人员的影子也没有看见。真的,是不是他们都是电人?

Electric?

电人!

Oh ye gods, I'm half tempted to believe it! But back to you, Professor Aronnax, Ned Land said, still hanging on to his ideas.

说真的,我是要这样想呢。可是您,阿龙纳靳先生,尼德·兰问,他总是不忘记他的那个念头,

Can't you tell me how many men are on board? Ten, twenty, fifty, a hundred?

您不能告诉我这船上一有多少人吗?十人,二十人,五十人,一百人吗?

I'm unable to answer you, Mr. Land. And trust me on this: for the time being, get rid of these notions of taking over the Nautilus or escaping from it.

尼德·兰师傅,这我可不能回答您。而且您要相信我,此刻您必须抛弃您那夺取或逃出诺第留斯号的念头。

This boat is a masterpiece of modern technology, and I'd be sorry to have missed it!

这船是现代工业的杰作,我如果没有看见它,我不知要怎么惋惜呢!

Many people would welcome the circumstances that have been handed us, just to walk in the midst of these wonders. So keep calm, and let's see what's happening around us.

许多人,只为能看看这些神奇事物,也就乐意接受我们的处境了。所以您必须保持镇静,我们想法观看我们周围所有的事物。

See! the harpooner exclaimed. There's nothing to see, nothing we'll ever see from this sheet-iron prison! We're simply running around blindfolded.

观看!鱼叉手喊,除了这钢板的监牢,我们看不见什么,我们将来也看不见什么!我们就是跑,我们就是盲目行驶…

Ned Land was just pronouncing these last words when we were suddenly plunged into darkness, utter darkness.

当尼德·兰说最后这句话的时候,忽然全厅黑了,这是绝对的黑暗。

The ceiling lights went out so quickly, my eyes literally ached, just as if we had experienced the opposite sensation of going from the deepest gloom to the brightest sunlight.

明亮的天花板熄灭了,并且熄灭得十分快,使我的眼睛发生一种疼痛的感觉,跟在相反的情形中,即从漆一般的黑暗中忽见最辉煌的光明所发生的感觉一样。

We stood stock-still, not knowing what surprise was waiting for us, whether pleasant or unpleasant.

我们都默不作声,动也不敢动,不知道有什么是福是祸的意外事件等着我们。

But a sliding sound became audible. You could tell that some panels were shifting over the Nautilus's sides.

我们听到一种滑走的声音。简直要使人认为是盖板在诺第留斯号的两侧动起来了。