海底兩萬里 第233期 第18章 太平洋下四千里(5)

They absorb the marine salts, they assimilate the solid elements in the water, and since they create coral and madrepores, they're the true builders of limestone continents! And so, after they've finished depriving our water drop of its mineral nutrients, the droplet gets lighter, rises to the surface, there absorbs more salts left behind through evaporation, gets heavier, sinks again, and brings those tiny animals new elements to absorb. The outcome: a double current, rising and falling, constant movement, constant life! More intense than on land, more abundant, more infinite, such life blooms in every part of this ocean, an element fatal to man, they say, but vital to myriads of animals--and to me!

它們吸收了海中的鹽，消化了水中的固體物質(zhì)，它們是真正石灰質(zhì)陸地的造成者，因為它們制造了珊瑚和水熄啊!這滴水，當(dāng)它的礦物質(zhì)被吸去了的時候，變輕了，又浮到水面上來，在水面吸收了由于蒸發(fā)作用而拋棄在那里的鹽質(zhì)，又變重了，沉下去，重新給那些微生動物帶來了可吸收的新物質(zhì)。因此而發(fā)生上下循環(huán)不已的潮流，永遠(yuǎn)是不停的運動，永遠(yuǎn)是不斷的生命。生命力，比在陸地上更強大的生命力，在海洋的所有部分更豐富地，更無窮地盡量發(fā)展。人們說，海洋是人類致命的地方，但對無數(shù)的動物——和對我，它是真正生命的所在!

When Captain Nemo spoke in this way, he was transfigured, and he filled me with extraordinary excitement.

當(dāng)尼摩船長這樣說話的時候，他的容貌完全改變了，使哉產(chǎn)生一種特殊的心情。他又說：

There, he added, out there lies true existence! And I can imagine the founding of nautical towns, clusters of underwater households that, like the Nautilus, would return to the surface of the sea to breathe each morning, free towns if ever there were, independent cities! Then again, who knows whether some tyrant . . .

所以，海洋中才有真正的生活!我打算建設(shè)水中的城市，集體的海底住宅，像諾第留斯號一般，每天早晨浮上水面來呼吸。如果成功的話, 那一定是自由自在的城市，獨立自主的城市!不過，又有誰知道，不會有些專制魔王…

Captain Nemo finished his sentence with a vehement gesture. Then, addressing me directly, as if to drive away an ugly thought:

尼摩船長做個激烈的手勢結(jié)束了他這句話。一會兒。他直接來問我，好像要把一些不祥的思想驅(qū)逐出去似的，他問：

Professor Aronnax, he asked me, do you know the depth of the ocean floor?

阿龍納斯先生，您知道海洋有多深嗎?

At least, captain, I know what the major soundings tell us.

船長，我至少知道一些主要的探測海深所得的結(jié)果。

Could you quote them to me, so I can double-check them as the need arises?

您可以給我舉出來，讓我必要時加以檢查嗎?

Here, I replied, are a few of them that stick in my memory. If I'm not mistaken, an average depth of 8,200 meters was found in the north Atlantic, and 2,500 meters in the Mediterranean.

下面是我從記憶中可以說出來的一些數(shù)字。 我答，如果我沒有記錯，北大西洋的平均深度為八千二百米，地中海為二千五百米。