英语听书《海底两万里》第443期 第27章 南极(2)

 The existence of this shore seemed to bear out Commander Maury's hypotheses.  这片陆地的存在好像证明莫利的假设是对的。

In essence, this ingenious American has noted¹ that between the South Pole and the 60th parallel, the sea is covered with floating ice of dimensions much greater than any found in the north Atlantic.  的确，这位高明的美国学者指出，在南极和纬度60度中间，海上是浮动的冰群，这些冰群非常巨大，在大西洋北部从不能碰到。

From this fact he drew the conclusion that the Antarctic Circle must contain considerable shores, since icebergs² can't form on the high seas but only along coastlines.  根据这个事实，他得出这个结论，南极圈中藏有大片的陆地，因为冰山不能在大海中间形成，只在近陆地的边岸才能存在。

According to his calculations, this frozen mass enclosing the southernmost pole forms a vast ice cap whose width must reach 4,000 kilometers. 按照他的计算，遮覆南极的冰群形成一个球形的圆盖，这盖的宽大可能是四千公里。

Meanwhile, to avoid running aground, the Nautilus halted three cable lengths from a strand³ crowned by superb piles of rocks.  可是，诺第留斯号怕搁浅，停在相距六米左右的滩前，有一片雄壮的岩石层高耸在滩上。

The skiff was launched to sea.  小艇放到海中去。

Two crewmen carrying instruments, the captain, Conseil, and I were on board.  船长、他的两个船员带着各种器械，康塞尔和我，我们一齐上小艇去。

It was ten o'clock in the morning. I hadn't seen Ned Land.  时间是早晨十点、我没有看见尼德·兰。

No doubt, in the presence of the South Pole, the Canadian hated having to eat his words. 加拿大人一定不愿意承认南极是在他面前。

A few strokes of the oar⁴ brought the skiff to the sand, where it ran aground.  桨划了几下，小艇就到了沙滩上，搁浅下来。

Just as Conseil was about to jump ashore⁵, I held him back. 康塞尔正要下地的时候，我把他拉住了。

Sir, I told Captain Nemo, to you belongs the honor of first setting foot on this shore. 先生，我对尼摩船长说，第一次脚踩这陆地的光荣应该属于您。

Yes, sir, the captain replied, and if I have no hesitation⁶ in treading this polar soil, it's because no human being until now has left a footprint here. 对，先生，船长回答，我所以一点不犹豫地脚踩这极圈的土地，是因为直到现在，还没有一个人留下他的脚迹在这陆地上。

So saying, he leaped lightly onto the sand.  说过这话，他轻快地跳在沙滩上。

His heart must have been throbbing⁷ with intense excitement.  紧张激动的情绪使他的心跳得厉害。

He scaled an overhanging rock that ended in a small promontory⁸ and there, mute and motionless, with crossed arms and blazing eyes, he seemed to be laying claim to these southernmost regions.  他攀上一块岩石、倾斜的岩石尽处是一个小呷，在呷上，他交叉着两只手，热情的眼光，不动，静戳。他好像取得这些南极地方的所有权了。

After spending five minutes in this trance, he turned to us. 在这种极乐情绪中过了五分钟后，他向我们转过身来。

1 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

2 icebergs   

n.冰山，流冰( iceberg的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The drift of the icebergs in the sea endangers the ships. 海上冰山的漂流危及船只的安全。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The icebergs towered above them. 冰山高耸于他们上方。 来自辞典例句

3 strand   

vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地）

参考例句：

• She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ears.她把一缕散发夹到了耳后。
• The climbers had been stranded by a storm.登山者被暴风雨困住了。

4 oar   

n.桨，橹，划手；v.划行

参考例句：

• The sailors oar slowly across the river.水手们慢慢地划过河去。
• The blade of the oar was bitten off by a shark.浆叶被一条鲨鱼咬掉了。

5 ashore   

adv.在(向)岸上，上岸

参考例句：

• The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前，孩子们就上岸了。
• He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。

6 hesitation   

n.犹豫，踌躇

参考例句：

• After a long hesitation, he told the truth at last.踌躇了半天，他终于直说了。
• There was a certain hesitation in her manner.她的态度有些犹豫不决。

7 throbbing   

a. 跳动的,悸动的

参考例句：

• My heart is throbbing and I'm shaking. 我的心在猛烈跳动，身子在不住颤抖。
• There was a throbbing in her temples. 她的太阳穴直跳。

8 promontory   

n.海角；岬

参考例句：

• Genius is a promontory jutting out of the infinite.天才是茫茫大地突出的岬角。
• On the map that promontory looks like a nose,naughtily turned up.从地图上面，那个海角就像一只调皮地翘起来的鼻子。