And so, by loading up its ballast tanks, or by sinking obliquely with its slanting fins, the Nautilus successively reached depths of 3,000, 4,000, 5,000, 7,000, 9,000, and 10,000 meters, and the ultimate conclusion from these experiments was that, in all latitudes, the sea had a permanent temperature of 4.5 degrees centigrade at a depth of 1,000 meters.
諾第留斯號或者是把所有的儲水池裝得特別滿,或用縱斜機板斜斜下降,就可以陸續(xù)達到三千、四千、五千、七千)九千、一萬米的深度)這些實驗最后肯定的結(jié)果是,不論任何緯度下的海水,在一千米下的深度,溫度總是四度半,永遠不變。
I watched these experiments with the most intense fascination. Captain Nemo brought a real passion to them. I often wondered why he took these observations. Were they for the benefit of his fellow man? It was unlikely, because sooner or later his work would perish with him in some unknown sea! Unless he intended the results of his experiments for me. But that meant this strange voyage of mine would come to an end, and no such end was in sight.
我興趣很濃厚地看他做這種實驗。尼摩船長對這種實驗有一種真正的熱情。我心中時常想,他做這些觀察有什么目的呢?是為人類的利益嗎?這很不可能;因為,總有一天,他的工作要跟他一齊在沒人知道的海中消滅!除非是他打算把他的實驗結(jié)果交給我。這就是預(yù)先要肯定我的奇怪游歷將有結(jié)束的期限,可是,這期限,我還沒有看到。
Be that as it may, Captain Nemo also introduced me to the different data he had obtained on the relative densities of the water in our globe's chief seas. From this news I derived some personal enlightenment having nothing to do with science.
不管怎樣,船長同樣又讓我知道他所獲得的各種數(shù)字。這些數(shù)字是關(guān)于地球上主要海洋海水密度的報告。從他給我的這個通知,我取得了不是關(guān)于科學(xué)的、而是關(guān)于個人的知識。
It happened the morning of January 15. The captain, with whom I was strolling on the platform, asked me if I knew how salt water differs in density from sea to sea. I said no, adding that there was a lack of rigorous scientific observations on this subject.
這是 1月15日的早上,船長跟我一起在平臺上散步,他問我是否知道各處海水的不同密度。我回答不知道,同時又說,科學(xué)對于這個問題還沒有做過精確的觀察。
I've taken such observations, he told me, and I can vouch for their reliability.
這些觀察我做過了,他對我說,而且我可以肯定它們的準確性。
Fine, I replied, but the Nautilus lives in a separate world, and the secrets of its scientists don't make their way ashore.
很好,我答,不過諾第留斯號是另一個世界,這個性界的學(xué)者的‘秘密’不能傳到陸地上。