英语听书《海底两万里》第182期 第13章 一些数字(5)

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　　船长，什么方法呢？我问。

　　Here I'm naturally led into telling you how the Nautilus is maneuvered¹.

　　这样一来，我自然得告诉你我是怎样驾驶诺第留斯号的。

　　I can't wait to find out.

　　我很想知道。

　　In order to steer² this boat to port or starboard, in short, to make turns on a horizontal plane, I use an ordinary, wide-bladed rudder that's fastened to the rear of the sternpost and worked by a wheel and tackle.

　　驾驶这船，要它向左向右，简单说，要它在水平面上走时，我使用普通的舵，舵上还有宽阔的副舵，装在船尾，用机轮和滑车转动。

　　But I can also move the Nautilus upward and downward on a vertical³ plane by the simple method of slanting⁵ its two fins⁶, which are attached to its sides at its center of flotation; these fins are flexible, able to assume any position, and can be operated from inside by means of powerful levers.

　　但我又可以使诺第留斯号在水中上升、，下降，这时我就使用两个纵斜机板，机板装在船的两侧浮标线的中央，它们是活动的，可以随便变换位置，使用动力强大的杠杆，从船内部来操纵它们。

　　If these fins stay parallel with the boat, the latter moves horizontally.

　　纵斜机板的位置如果与船身平行，船便在水平面上行驶，

　　If they slant⁴, the Nautilus follows the angle of that slant and, under its propeller⁷'s thrust, either sinks on a diagonal as steep as it suits me, or rises on that diagonal.

　　如果它们的位置倾斜了，诺第留斯号在推进器的推动下，就沿着倾斜方向或沿着我所要的对角线沉下去，或沿着这对角线浮上来。

　　And similarly, if I want to return more swiftly to the surface, I throw the propeller in gear, and the water's pressure makes the Nautilus rise vertically⁸, as an air balloon inflated⁹ with hydrogen lifts swiftly into the skies.

　　并且，我想更快地浮上水面来时，我就催动推进器，水的压力使诺第留斯号直线地浮上来，像一只氢气球迅速升人空中一样。

　　Bravo, captain! I exclaimed. But in the midst of the waters, how can your helmsman follow the course you've given him?

　　真了不得！船长，我喊道，但是，领航人怎样能看见您在水底下指示船所应走的路线呢？

　　My helmsman is stationed behind the windows of a pilothouse, which protrudes¹⁰ from the topside of the Nautilus's hull¹¹ and is fitted with biconvex glass.

　　领航人是守在一个装有玻璃的笼间里，这笼间在诺第留斯号船身的上部突出部分，装有各种凹凸玻璃片，保证他可以清楚地看见航路。

　　Is glass capable of resisting such pressures?

　　玻璃片能抵抗这样强大的压力吗？

　　Perfectly¹² capable. Though fragile on impact, crystal can still offer considerable resistance.

　　能抵抗。玻璃虽然经不起冲击，很脆，但有强大的耐压力。

　　In 1864, during experiments on fishing by electric light in the middle of the North Sea, glass panes¹³ less than seven millimeters thick were seen to resist a pressure of sixteen atmospheres, all the while letting through strong, heat-generating rays whose warmth was unevenly¹⁴ distributed.

　　1864年在北方海中利用电光做打鱼的实验，我们知道，当时使用的玻璃片只有七毫米厚，可以抵抗十六大气压的压力，同时又可以让强烈发热的光线通过，使它获得不平均的热力的配给。

　　Now then, I use glass windows measuring no less than twenty-one centimeters at their centers; in other words, they've thirty times the thickness.

　　何况我们使用的玻璃片， 中央的厚度至少是二十一厘米，就是说，比上面打鱼用的玻璃片厚三十倍。

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