英语听书《海底两万里》第8期 第1章 飞走的暗礁(8)

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　　英国著名的船主苟纳尔的名字是没有一个人不知道。

　　In 1840 this shrewd industrialist² founded a postal³ service between Liverpool and Halifax,

　　这位精明的企业家早在1840年就创办了一家邮船公司，开辟了从利物浦到哈利法克斯的航线，

　　featuring three wooden ships with 400-horsepower paddle wheels and a burden of 1,162 metric tons.

　　当时只有三艘四百匹马力、载重一千一百六十二吨的明轮木船。

　　Eight years later, the company's assets were increased by four 650-horsepower ships at 1,820 metric tons,

　　八年以后，公司扩大了，共有四艘六百五十匹马力、载重一千八百二十吨的船。

　　and in two more years, by two other vessels⁴ of still greater power and tonnage.

　　再过两年，又添了两艘马力和载重量更大的船，

　　In 1853 the Cunard Co., whose mail-carrying charter had just been renewed,

　　1853年，苟纳尔公司继续取得装运政府邮件的特权，

　　successively added to its assets the Arabia, the Persia, the China, the Scotia, the Java, and the Russia,

　　一连添造了阿拉伯号、波斯号、中国号、斯备脱亚号、爪哇号、俄罗斯号，

　　all ships of top speed and, after the Great Eastern, the biggest ever to plow⁵ the seas.

　　这些都是头等的快船，而且是最宽大的，除了大东方号外，在海上航行的船没有能跟它们相比的。

　　So in 1867 this company owned twelve ships, eight with paddle wheels and four with propellers⁶.

　　到1867年，这家公司一共有十二艘船～八艘明轮的，四艘暗轮的。

　　If I give these highly condensed details,

　　我所以要把上面的情形简单地介绍一下，

　　it is so everyone can fully⁷ understand the importance of this maritime⁸ transportation company, known the world over for its shrewd management.

　　是要大家知道这家海运公司的重要性。它由于经营得法，是全世界都闻名的。

　　No transoceanic navigational undertaking⁹ has been conducted with more ability, no business dealings have been crowned with greater success.

　　任何航海企业，没有比这公司搞得更精明，经营得更成功的了。

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