海底兩萬里 第207期 第15章 一封邀請信(9)

I've no more objections to raise, I replied. I'll only ask you, captain: how can you light your way at the bottom of the ocean?

我再沒有什么可以非難的了，我回答，但我要問，您在海底下行動是靠什么來照明呢?

With the Ruhmkorff device, Professor Aronnax. If the first is carried on the back, the second is fastened to the belt.

我用的是蘭可夫燈，阿龍納斯先生。呼吸器放在我背上，探照燈帶在我腰間。

It consists of a Bunsen battery that I activate not with potassium dichromate but withsodium.

探照燈裝有一組本生電池，但我不用氯化鉀，而用海中含量很多的氯化鈉來發(fā)電。

An induction coil gathers the electricity generated and directs it to a specially designed lantern.

用一個感應(yīng)線圈把發(fā)生的電收集起來，送到特制的燈泡。

In this lantern one finds a glass spiral that contains only a residue of carbon dioxide gas.

燈泡中有一根彎曲的玻璃管，管中只有少量的二氧化碳氣。

When the device is operating, this gas becomes luminous and gives off a continuous whitish light. Thus provided for, I breathe and I see.

使用探照燈的時候，二氧化碳氣發(fā)出一種連續(xù)不斷的白光，照亮起來。有了這些設(shè)備，我就可以呼吸，可以看見。

Captain Nemo, to my every objection you give such crushing answers, I'm afraid to entertain a single doubt.

尼摩船長，您對我提出的所有反對意見，都作了十分有力的答復，現(xiàn)在我再也不能懷疑了。

However, though I have no choice but to accept both the Rouquayrol and Ruhmkorff devices, I'd like to register some reservations about the rifle with which you'll equip me.

不過，我雖然不得不承認盧格羅爾呼吸器和蘭可夫探照燈，但我對那支獵槍，眈是您要我攜帶的這件武器，還不得不保留我的意見。

But it isn't a rifle that uses gunpowder, the captain replied.

這不是什么火藥槍。船長回答。

Then it's an air gun?

那么，是氣槍嗎?

Surely. How can I make gunpowder on my ship when I have no saltpeter, sulfur, orcharcoal?

可不是。船上沒有硝石，沒有硫磺，沒有木炭，您要我怎么制造火藥呢?

Even so, I replied, to fire underwater in a medium that's 855 times denser than air, you'd have to overcome considerable resistance.

還有，我說，海水比空氣重八百五十五倍，在這種環(huán)境中開槍要有實效，首先就要克服這種巨大的壓力。