海底兩萬里 第362期 第23章 珊瑚王國(62)

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Professor, he said to me, would you like to go with me to the wheelhouse?

他對我說：教授，您高興同我一起到領(lǐng)航人籠間里去嗎？

I was afraid to ask, I replied.

我不敢請求您，我正是求之不得呢！我回答說。

Come along, then. This way, you'll learn the full story about this combination underwater and underground navigating.

那么，請來吧。您這樣就可以看見，這次同時是地下又是海底航行的一切情況。

Captain Nemo led me to the central companionway. In midstair he opened a door, went along the upper gangways, and arrived at the wheelhouse, which, as you know, stands at one end of the platform.

尼摩船長領(lǐng)我到中央樓梯，在樓梯欄桿的中腰，他打開一扇門，沿上層的長廊走去，到了領(lǐng)航人的籠間里，上面說過，這籠間在平臺的前方尖端。

It was a cabin measuring six feet square and closely resembling those occupied by the helmsmen of steamboats on the Mississippi or Hudson rivers.

那是一門每面有六英尺寬的小艙房，跟密西西比…和哈得遜河汽船上領(lǐng)航人所占的籠問差不多一樣。

In the center stood an upright wheel geared to rudder cables running to the Nautilus's stern.

艙房中間，有一架垂直放著的機(jī)輪轉(zhuǎn)動，輪齒接在舵纜上，纜直通到比第留斯號的后面。

Set in the cabin's walls were four deadlights, windows of biconvex glass that enabled the man at the helm to see in every direction.

叼個裝上兩面凸鏡片的船窗，缺在艙間的復(fù)壁上，使守舵人四面八方都可以看見。

The cabin was dark; but my eyes soon grew accustomed to its darkness and I saw the pilot, a muscular man whose hands rested on the pegs of the wheel.

這籠間是黑暗的，但我的眼睛不久就習(xí)慣了這種黑暗，我看見里面的領(lǐng)骯人。他很精壯，兩手扶住機(jī)輪的車輛。

Outside, the sea was brightly lit by the beacon shining behind the cabin at the other end of the platform.

在外面，平臺上另一端的探照燈在籠間后面照耀，光映海面，分外明亮。

Now, Captain Nemo said, let's look for our passageway.

現(xiàn)在，尼摩船長說，我們來找地道吧。

Electric wires linked the pilothouse with the engine room, and from this cabin the captain could simultaneously signal heading and speed to his Nautilus.

有好些電線把領(lǐng)骯人的籠間跟機(jī)器房接連，從籠間里面，船長同時可以對諾第留斯號發(fā)出航行方向和速度快慢的指示。

He pressed a metal button and at once the propeller slowed down significantly.

他按一下金屬鈕，機(jī)輪的速度就立即減低。

I stared in silence at the high, sheer wall we were skirting just then, the firm base of the sandy mountains on the coast.

我默默地注視我們此刻走過的十分陡峭險峻的高墻，

For an hour we went along it in this fashion, staying only a few meters away.

這是沿海高厚沙地的堅(jiān)牢基矗我們在一個鐘頭內(nèi)沿著這座高墻走，相距只不過幾米，

Captain Nemo never took his eyes off the two concentric circles of the compass hanging in the cabin.

尼摩船長兩眼不離那個掛在籠間，有兩個大小同心圓的羅盤，

At a mere gesture from him, the helmsman would instantly change the Nautilus's heading.

看他做一個手勢，領(lǐng)航人就每時每刻改變諾第留斯號行駛的方向。