In a few minutes the three hunters were before a crackling fire. —
在几分钟内，三名猎人就来到了一个旺盛的篝火前。 —

The captain and the reporter were there. —
船长和记者在那里。 —

Pencroft looked from one to the other, his capybara in his hand, without saying a word.
彭克罗夫没有说一句话，拿着他手里的水豚。

“Well, yes, my brave fellow,” cried the reporter.
“好，是的，我的勇敢的伙计,” 记者喊道。

“Fire, real fire, which will roast this splendid pig perfectly, and we will have a feast presently!”
“火，真正的火，将完美地烤熟这只绝妙的猪，我们一会儿就能享用美餐了!”

“But who lighted it?” asked Pencroft.
“但是谁点燃了它呢?” 彭克罗夫问道。

“The sun!”
“阳光!”

Gideon Spilett was quite right in his reply. —
吉迪恩·斯派莱特说得完全正确。 —

It was the sun which had furnished the heat which so astonished Pencroft. —
是阳光提供了让彭克罫感到惊讶的热量。 —

The sailor could scarcely believe his eyes, and he was so amazed that he did not think of questioning the engineer.
水手几乎不敢相信自己的眼睛，他如此惊异，以至于没有想要询问工程师。

“Had you a burning-glass, sir?” asked Herbert of Harding.
“你有一个燃烧玻璃吗，先生?” 赫伯特问哈丁。

“No, my boy,” replied he, “but I made one.”
“没有，我的孩子,” 他回答说，”但我做了一个。”

And he showed the apparatus which served for a burning-glass. —
他展示了用作燃烧玻璃的装置。 —

It was simply two glasses which he had taken from his own and the reporter’s watches. —
这只是他从自己和记者的手表上拿下来的两块玻璃。 —

Having filled them with water and rendered their edges adhesive by means of a little clay, he thus fabricated a regular burning-glass, which, concentrating the solar rays on some very dry moss, soon caused it to blaze.
他把它们装满水，并用一点黏土把边缘粘合在一起，从而制造了一个常规的燃烧光圈，这个光圈能把太阳光聚集在一些非常干燥的苔藓上，很快使其燃烧起来。

The sailor considered the apparatus; then he gazed at the engineer without saying a word, only a look plainly expressed his opinion that if Cyrus Harding was not a magician, he was certainly no ordinary man. —
水手观察着这个装置；然后他盯着工程师看了一眼，没有说出一个字，他只是一眼就表达了他的看法，即如果赛勒斯·哈丁不是个魔术师，他肯定也不是个普通人。 —

At last speech returned to him, and he cried,–
最终，他恢复了说话能力，他叫道，–

“Note that, Mr. Spilett, note that down on your paper!”
“Mr. Spilett，请把这个记下来！”

“It is noted,” replied the reporter.
“已经记下了，”记者回答道。

Then, Neb helping him, the seaman arranged the spit, and the capybara, properly cleaned, was soon roasting like a suckling-pig before a clear, crackling fire.
于是，涅布帮忙，水手安排好了扦子，把清理干净的水豚放在明火前，很快就像烧猪仔一样烤制起来。

The Chimneys had again become more habitable, not only because the passages were warmed by the fire, but because the partitions of wood and mud had been re-established.
烟囱又变得更加适宜居住了，不仅因为通道被火温暖了，而且因为重新建立了木和泥的隔断。

It was evident that the engineer and his companions had employed their day well. —
显然工程师和他的伙伴们今天都很有效率。 —

Cyrus Harding had almost entirely recovered his strength, and had proved it by climbing to the upper plateau. —
赛勒斯·哈丁几乎完全恢复了体力，并通过攀爬上层高台证明了这一点。 —

From this point his eye, accustomed to estimate heights and distances, was fixed for a long time on the cone, the summit of which he wished to reach the next day. —
从这个点开始，他的眼睛，习惯了估算高度和距离，长时间盯着那座山，他希望明天能到达山顶。 —

The mountain, situated about six miles to the northwest, appeared to him to measure 3,500 feet above the level of the sea. —
这座山位于西北约六英里处，他认为山顶离海平面有3500英尺高。 —

Consequently the gaze of an observer posted on its summit would extend over a radius of at least fifty miles. —
因此，站在山顶的观察者的视线至少会延伸到五十英里的半径范围内。 —

Therefore it was probable that Harding could easily solve the question of “island or continent,” to which he attached so much importance.
因此，很可能哈丁可以很容易解决他非常重视的“岛屿还是大陆”的问题。

They supped capitally. The flesh of the capybara was declared excellent. —
他们吃得很好。水豚的肉被宣称是极好的。 —

The sargassum and the almonds of the stone-pine completed the repast, during which the engineer spoke little. —
海葵和松子又补充了餐宴，在这期间工程师很少说话。 —

He was preoccupied with projects for the next day.
他正在为第二天的计划忙碌。

Once or twice Pencroft gave forth some ideas upon what it would be best to do; —
两次之间潘克洛夫发表了一些意见，关于做什么最好； —

but Cyrus Harding, who was evidently of a methodical mind, only shook his head without uttering a word.
但是赛勒斯·哈丁显然是一个有条理的人，只是摇了摇头没有说话。

“To-morrow,” he repeated, “we shall know what we have to depend upon, and we will act accordingly.”
“明天，”他重复道，“我们将知道我们所依靠的是什么，然后我们会据此行动。”

The meal ended, fresh armfuls of wood were thrown on the fire, and the inhabitants of the Chimneys, including the faithful Top, were soon buried in a deep sleep.
饭后，鲜木柴被扔到火堆上，烟囱的居民，包括忠实的汤普，很快沉浸在深深的睡眠中。

No incident disturbed this peaceful night, and the next day, the 29th of March, fresh and active they awoke, ready to undertake the excursion which must determine their fate.
没有什么事件打扰这个宁静的夜晚，第二天，3月29日，新鲜而活跃，他们醒来，准备开始决定他们命运的远足。

All was ready for the start. The remains of the capybara would be enough to sustain Harding and his companions for at least twenty-four hours.
一切准备就绪。鲸鼠的残骸足以维持哈丁和他的同伴至少二十四小时。

Besides, they hoped to find more food on the way. —
除此之外，他们希望在路上找到更多食物。 —

As the glasses had been returned to the watches of the engineer and reporter, Pencroft burned a little linen to serve as tinder. —
由于将眼镜还给了工程师和记者的手表上，潘克洛夫烧了一点亚麻布，以便用作引火物。 —

As to flint, that would not be wanting in these regions of Plutonic origin. —
至于打火石，在这些来自冥王星起源的地区是不愁缺的。 —

It was half-past seven in the morning when the explorers, armed with sticks, left the Chimneys. —
当探险家带着棍子离开烟囱时，时间已经是早晨七点半。 —

Following Pencroft’s advice, it appeared best to take the road already traversed through the forest, and to return by another route. —
顺着潘克洛夫的建议，走已经穿过的森林是最佳选择，并通过另一条路返回。 —

It was also the most direct way to reach the mountain. —
这也是到达山的最直接方式。 —

They turned the south angle and followed the left bank of the river, which was abandoned at the point where it formed an elbow towards the southwest. —
他们转过南角，跟随着河流的左岸，河流在向西南转弯的地方被抛弃。 —

The path, already trodden under the evergreen trees, was found, and at nine o’clock Cyrus Harding and his companions had reached the western border of the forest. —
路径已经被常青树下踏踵而过，在上午九点的时候，赛勒斯·哈丁和他的同伴已经到达森林的西边界。 —

The ground, till then, very little undulated, boggy at first, dry and sandy afterwards, had a gentle slope, which ascended from the shore towards the interior of the country. —
到目前为止，地面几乎没有起伏，一开始泥泞，后来干燥沙质，有一个向内陆上升的温和坡度。 —

A few very timid animals were seen under the forest-trees. —
在森林树下只看到了一些非常胆怯的动物。 —

Top quickly started them, but his master soon called him back, for the time had not come to commence hunting; —
顶很快就开始追赶它们，但他的主人很快就把他招回来，因为还没有到开始狩猎的时候； —

that would be attended to later. The engineer was not a man who would allow himself to be diverted from his fixed idea. —
那将在以后处理。工程师不是一个会被转移注意力的人，他坚持着自己的主意。 —

It might even have been said that he did not observe the country at all, either in its configuration or in its natural productions, his great aim being to climb the mountain before him, and therefore straight towards it he went. —
甚至可以说，他对这片土地并没有注意，无论是它的形态还是自然产物，他的首要目标是爬上眼前的山，因此他径直向它走去。 —

At ten o’clock a halt of a few minutes was made. —
十点钟停下了几分钟。 —

On leaving the forest, the mountain system of the country appeared before the explorers. —
离开森林后，探险者们眼前展现出了这个国家的山脉系统。 —

The mountain was composed of two cones; the first, truncated at a height of about two thousand five hundred feet, was sustained by buttresses, which appeared to branch out like the talons of an immense claw set on the ground. —
这座山由两个圆锥形成，第一个在高约两千五百英尺处截断，并由支撑物支撑着，看起来像是巨大利爪根植于地面。 —

Between these were narrow valleys, bristling with trees, the last clumps of which rose to the top of the lowest cone. —
在它们之间是狭窄的山谷，长满了树木，最后一丛树丛高及第一个圆锥的顶端。 —

There appeared to be less vegetation on that side of the mountain which was exposed to the northeast, and deep fissures could be seen which, no doubt, were watercourses.
在向东北暴露的山脉一侧似乎有较少的植被，可以看到深深的裂缝，无疑是水流河道。

On the first cone rested a second, slightly rounded, and placed a little on one side, like a great round hat cocked over the ear. —
第一个锥形屹立着第二个，略微圆润，稍稍偏了一边，像是扣在耳边的一顶帽子。 —

A Scotchman would have said, “His bonnet was a thocht ajee.” —
一个苏格兰人会说，“他的帽子歪了一点”。 —

It appeared formed of bare earth, here and there pierced by reddish rocks.
它似乎由裸露的土地构成，偶尔穿插着红色的岩石。

They wished to reach the second cone, and proceeding along the ridge of the spurs seemed to be the best way by which to gain it.
他们希望到达第二个圆锥，顺着山脊爬升似乎是最好的方法。

“We are on volcanic ground,” Cyrus Harding had said, and his companions following him began to ascend by degrees on the back of a spur, which, by a winding and consequently more accessible path, joined the first plateau.
“我们在火山地带,” 塞勒斯·哈甯说，并且他的同伴们跟随他开始逐渐爬升在突出的山脊背上，这条弯曲和更容易到达的路径连接了第一个高原。

The ground had evidently been convulsed by subterranean force. —
地面显然已经被地下力量震动。 —

Here and there stray blocks, numerous debris of basalt and pumice-stone, were met with. —
这儿那儿都有零星的石块，还有大量的玄武岩和浮石。 —

In isolated groups rose fir-trees, which, some hundred feet lower, at the bottom of the narrow gorges, formed massive shades almost impenetrable to the sun’s rays.
孤立的树组成的是冷杉树，在谷底，数百英尺以下，形成了几乎遮阳的浓密阴影。

During the first part of the ascent, Herbert remarked on the footprints which indicated the recent passage of large animals.
在上山的第一段路上，赫伯特注意到了大动物最近经过的足迹。

“Perhaps these beasts will not let us pass by willingly,” said Pencroft.
“也许这些野兽不会轻易放我们通过。”潘克罗夫说。

“Well,” replied the reporter, who had already hunted the tiger in India, and the lion in Africa, “we shall soon learn how successfully to encounter them. —
“好吧，”曾在印度狩猎过老虎，在非洲狩猎过狮子的记者回答说，“我们很快就会学会如何成功地对抗它们了。” —

But in the meantime we must be upon our guard!”
“但同时我们必须提高警惕！”

They ascended but slowly.
他们上山的速度很慢。

The distance, increased by detours and obstacles which could not be surmounted directly, was long. —
路程变长了，要绕过无法直接克服的弯路和障碍物。 —

Sometimes, too, the ground suddenly fell, and they found themselves on the edge of a deep chasm which they had to go round. —
有时，地面突然降低，他们发现自己站在一个深深的峡谷边上，必须绕过去。 —

Thus, in retracing their steps so as to find some practicable path, much time was employed and fatigue undergone for nothing. —
这样，再重复他们先前的脚印，以找到一条可行的道路，浪费了很多时间，也承受了很多疲劳。 —

At twelve o’clock, when the small band of adventurers halted for breakfast at the foot of a large group of firs, near a little stream which fell in cascades, they found themselves still half way from the first plateau, which most probably they would not reach till nightfall. —
十二点，冒险家小队在一大群冷杉树旁的小溪旁停下来吃早餐时，发现他们离第一个高原还有一半的路程，最可能直至夜幕降临才能到达。 —

From this point the view of the sea was much extended, but on the right the high promontory prevented their seeing whether there was land beyond it. —
从这一点，海洋的视野大大扩展，但向右的高海角阻挡了他们看到海角以外的陆地。 —

On the left, the sight extended several miles to the north; —
向左，视线延伸了几英里向北； —

but, on the northwest, at the point occupied by the explorers, it was cut short by the ridge of a fantastically-shaped spur, which formed a powerful support of the central cone.
然而，在西北方向，占领探险者的位置，由于一个奇形怪状的冗长支脉，视线被中央火山锥的支撑力截断。

At one o’clock the ascent was continued. They slanted more towards the southwest and again entered among thick bushes. —
一点钟时，他们继续攀登。他们更向西南倾斜，再次进入浓密灌木丛中。 —

There under the shade of the trees fluttered several couples of gallinaceae belonging to the pheasant species. —
在树荫下，有几对孔雀科鸡类的雄鸟在飞舞。 —

They were tragopans, ornamented by a pendant skin which hangs over their throats, and by two small, round horns, planted behind the eyes. —
它们是锥角雉，脖子上垂下一个皮肤垂饰，两只小圆角长在眼后。 —

Among these birds, which were about the size of a fowl, the female was uniformly brown, while the male was gorgeous in his red plumage, decorated with white spots. —
在这些鸟中，雌鸟体型与家禽相仿，而雄鸟则身披红色华丽羽毛，点缀着白色斑点。 —

Gideon Spilett, with a stone cleverly and vigorously thrown, killed one of these tragopans, on which Pencroft, made hungry by the fresh air, had cast greedy eyes.
吉迪恩·斯皮莱特狡猾有力地投掷一块石头，打死了其中一只锥角雉，潘克罗夫因新鲜空气变得饥饿，贪婪地望着这只锥角雉。

After leaving the region of bushes, the party, assisted by resting on each other’s shoulders, climbed for about a hundred feet up a steep acclivity and reached a level place, with very few trees, where the soil appeared volcanic. —
离开灌木区后，一行人互相肩并肩，攀登了大约百英尺的陡峭山坡，到达了一片几乎没有树木的平坦地带，土壤看起来像是火山形成的。 —

It was necessary to ascend by zigzags to make the slope more easy, for it was very steep, and the footing being exceedingly precarious required the greatest caution. —
必须蜿蜒攀登以使坡度更易行，因为坡度很陡，脚下极其不牢靠，需要极大谨慎。 —

Neb and Herbert took the lead, Pencroft the rear, the captain and the reporter between them. —
农奴和赫伯特走各自为首，潘克罗夫走在最后，船长和记者在他们之间。 —

The animals which frequented these heights–and there were numerous traces of them– must necessarily belong to those races of sure foot and supple spine, chamois or goat. —
这些高地上往来的动物–很多地方都有它们的痕迹–必然属于那些有着稳健双腿和灵活脊柱的种群，羚羊或山羊等。 —

Several were seen, but this was not the name Pencroft gave them, for all of a sudden–“Sheep!” he shouted.
几只被看见，但潘克罗夫却非常突然地说道：”羊！”

All stopped about fifty feet from half-a-dozen animals of a large size, with strong horns bent back and flattened towards the point, with a woolly fleece, hidden under long silky hair of a tawny color.
所有人停下大约五十英尺远处，看见六只体型庞大、牛角向后弯曲并向尖端压扁，覆盖着长而丝滑的黄褐色毛发的动物。

They were not ordinary sheep, but a species usually found in the mountainous regions of the temperate zone, to which Herbert gave the name of the musmon.
它们不是普通的羊，而是普遍生活在温带地区山地的一种物种，赫伯特称之为矬羊。

“Have they legs and chops?” asked the sailor.
“它们有腿和排骨吗？” 水手问道。

“Yes,” replied Herbert.
“有的，” 赫伯特回答道。

“Well, then, they are sheep!” said Pencroft.
“那么，它们就是羊！” 潘克罗夫说。

The animals, motionless among the blocks of basalt, gazed with an astonished eye, as if they saw human bipeds for the first time. —
这些静止在玄武岩石块间的动物，以惊讶的眼神凝视着，䅁像是第一次看见人类两足动物一般。 —

Then their fears suddenly aroused, they disappeared, bounding over the rocks.
然后，他们突然被惊吓，消失了，在岩石上腾跃。

“Good-bye, till we meet again,” cried Pencroft, as he watched them, in such a comical tone that Cyrus Harding, Gideon Spilett, Herbert, and Neb could not help laughing.
“再见，待我们再会,” 彭克罗夫喊道，他的语气滑稽可笑，使得赛勒斯·哈丁、吉迪恩·斯皮莱特、赫伯特和内布都忍不住笑了起来。

The ascent was continued. Here and there were traces of lava. —
继续攀登。这里和那里都有火山岩痕迹。 —

Sulphur springs sometimes stopped their way, and they had to go round them. —
硫磺泉有时挡住了去路，他们不得不绕过去。 —

In some places the sulphur had formed crystals among other substances, such as whitish cinders made of an infinity of little feldspar crystals.
在一些地方，硫磺与其他物质形成了结晶，如白色矿渣，由无数小长石晶体构成。

In approaching the first plateau formed by the truncating of the lower cone, the difficulties of the ascent were very great. —
靠近下面锥体被截后形成的第一个高台时，攀登的困难非常大。 —

Towards four o’clock the extreme zone of the trees had been passed. —
大约在四点钟时，他们已经走出了树木的极限地带。 —

There only remained here and there a few twisted, stunted pines, which must have had a hard life in resisting at this altitude the high winds from the open sea. —
这里仅剩下一些扭曲、矮小的松树，它们在这种海拔高度抵抗来自开阔海面的强风必须过得很艰难。 —

Happily for the engineer and his companions the weather was beautiful, the atmosphere tranquil; —
幸运的是，工程师和他的同伴们正值天气晴朗，大气平静； —

for a high breeze at an elevation of three thousand feet would have hindered their proceedings. —
如果在海拔三千英尺处刮着强风，会阻碍他们的行进。 —

The purity of the sky at the zenith was felt through the transparent air. —
天空在顶点的纯净透明的空气中被感受到。 —

A perfect calm reigned around them. They could not see the sun, then hid by the vast screen of the upper cone, which masked the half-horizon of the west, and whose enormous shadow stretching to the shore increased as the radiant luminary sank in its diurnal course. —
周围完全宁静。他们看不见太阳，因为受到上部圆锥形巨大屏幕的遮挡，它遮蔽了西面的半地平线，而隐藏了的炽热太阳光线。 —

Vapor–mist rather than clouds–began to appear in the east, and assume all the prismatic colors under the influence of the solar rays.
东方开始出现水蒸气–更像是薄雾而非云–在太阳光的影响下呈现出七彩色。

Five hundred feet only separated the explorers from the plateau, which they wished to reach so as to establish there an encampment for the night, but these five hundred feet were increased to more than two miles by the zigzags which they had to describe. —
探险家距离他们希望到达的高地仅有五百英尺，以便在那里建立过夜的营地，但由于他们不得不绕过的之字形路线，这五百英尺增加到超过两英里。 —

The soil, as it were, slid under their feet.
土壤仿佛在他们的脚下滑动。

The slope often presented such an angle that they slipped when the stones worn by the air did not give a sufficient support. —
斜坡经常呈现出这样一个角度，石头被风蚀磨光后就没有足够的支撑，结果导致他们滑倒了。 —

Evening came on by degrees, and it was almost night when Cyrus Harding and his companions, much fatigued by an ascent of seven hours, arrived at the plateau of the first cone. —
夜幕逐渐降临，当塞勒斯·哈丁和他的同伴们翻过第一个圆锥体的高原时，天色已经接近黑暗。 —

It was then necessary to prepare an encampment, and to restore their strength by eating first and sleeping afterwards. —
接下来必须准备一个营地，先进食后睡眠，来恢复体力。 —

This second stage of the mountain rose on a base of rocks, among which it would be easy to find a retreat. —
这座山的第二阶段是由岩石构成的基座，其中很容易找到一个避难所。 —

Fuel was not abundant. However, a fire could be made by means of the moss and dry brushwood, which covered certain parts of the plateau. —
燃料并不丰富。然而，一些部分的苔藓和干木屑可以用来点火。 —

While the sailor was preparing his hearth with stones which he put to this use, Neb and Herbert occupied themselves with getting a supply of fuel. —
水手用石头准备火堆，尼布和赫伯特则忙着采集燃料。 —

They soon returned with a load of brushwood. —
他们很快就拿回一堆木柴。 —

The steel was struck, the burnt linen caught the sparks of flint, and, under Neb’s breath, a crackling fire showed itself in a few minutes under the shelter of the rocks. —
钢被敲击，烧焦的亚麻布把燧石上的火花引燃，在尼布的呵护下，几分钟内石头的遮蔽下就出现了明亮的火光。 —

Their object in lighting a fire was only to enable them to withstand the cold temperature of the night, as it was not employed in cooking the bird, which Neb kept for the next day. —
他们点火的目的只是为了能够抵御夜间的寒冷温度，因为不打算用来烹饪那只鸟，尼布留着明天用。 —

The remains of the capybara and some dozens of the stone-pine almonds formed their supper. —
残余的水豚肉和几十颗榧子组成了他们的晚餐。 —

It was not half-past six when all was finished.
全部完成时刚过六点半。

Cyrus Harding then thought of exploring in the half-light the large circular layer which supported the upper cone of the mountain. —
塞勒斯·哈丁接着考虑在微弱的灯光下探索支撑着山顶圆锥的大圆层。 —

Before taking any rest, he wished to know if it was possible to get round the base of the cone in the case of its sides being too steep and its summit being inaccessible. —
在休息之前，他想知道在侧面太陡峭、顶端不可达的情况下，是否有可能绕过圆锥的底部。 —

This question preoccupied him, for it was possible that from the way the hat inclined, that is to say, towards the north, the plateau was not practicable. —
这个问题困扰着他，因为有可能从斜帽的倾斜方向——即向北的那边，高原是不可通行的。 —

Also, if the summit of the mountain could not be reached on one side, and if, on the other, they could not get round the base of the cone, it would be impossible to survey the western part of the country, and their object in making the ascent would in part be altogether unattained.
此外，如果无法登上山顶的一侧，另一侧又无法绕过圆锥的底部，那么就不可能勘察该国家的西部部分，他们攀登的目的将在一定程度上未能达成。

The engineer, accordingly, regardless of fatigue, leaving Pencroft and Neb to arrange the beds, and Gideon Spilett to note the incidents of the day, began to follow the edge of the plateau, going towards the north. —
因此，工程师不顾疲劳，让潘克罗夫和尼布安排床铺，而吉迪恩·斯普莱特记录当天的事件，开始沿着高原的边缘向北走去。 —

Herbert accompanied him.
赫伯特跟着他。

The night was beautiful and still, the darkness was not yet deep. —
夜晚美丽而宁静，黑暗还没有变得很深。 —

Cyrus Harding and the boy walked near each other, without speaking. —
塞勒斯·哈定和男孩走在一起，没有说话。 —

In some places the plateau opened before them, and they passed without hindrance. —
在一些地方，高原在他们面前展现开阔，他们可以毫无阻碍地通过。 —

In others, obstructed by rocks, there was only a narrow path, in which two persons could not walk abreast. —
在其他地方，被岩石挡住，只有一条狭窄的路径，两个人无法并排走。 —

After a walk of twenty minutes, Cyrus Harding and Herbert were obliged to stop. —
在走了二十分钟后，塞勒斯·哈定和赫伯特被迫停下来。 —

From this point the slope of the two cones became one. —
从这个点开始，两个锥形山的斜坡变成了一个。 —

No shoulder here separated the two parts of the mountain. —
没有肩膀将山的两部分分开。 —

The slope, being inclined almost seventy degrees, the path became impracticable.
斜坡几乎倾斜七十度，路径变得无法通过。

But if the engineer and the boy were obliged to give up thoughts of following a circular direction, in return an opportunity was given for ascending the cone.
但是，如果工程师和男孩不得不放弃绕圆方向，换回提供了一个升山的机会。

In fact, before them opened a deep hollow. —
实际上，在他们面前张开了一个深深的空洞。 —

It was the rugged mouth of the crater, by which the eruptive liquid matter had escaped at the periods when the volcano was still in activity. —
这是火山口崎岖的口部，岩浆曾在火山仍处于活动期间流出。 —

Hardened lava and crusted scoria formed a sort of natural staircase of large steps, which would greatly facilitate the ascent to the summit of the mountain.
硬化的熔岩和结晶的火山渣形成了一种天然的大台阶楼梯，将极大地促进爬上山顶。

Harding took all this in at a glance, and without hesitating, followed by the lad, he entered the enormous chasm in the midst of an increasing obscurity.
哈定一眼看穿了这一切，并毫不犹豫地跟着那个男孩，进入了越来越昏暗的巨大裂口。

There was still a height of a thousand feet to overcome. —
仍有一千英尺的高度要克服。 —

Would the interior acclivities of the crater be practicable? It would soon be seen. —
火山口内的陡坡可以通行吗？很快就会知晓了。 —

The persevering engineer resolved to continue his ascent until he was stopped. —
坚忍不拔的工程师决心继续攀登，直到受阻。 —

Happily these acclivities wound up the interior of the volcano and favored their ascent.
幸运的是，这些陡坡盘旋在火山口内部，并有利于他们的攀登。

As to the volcano itself, it could not be doubted that it was completely extinct. —
至于火山本身，毫无疑问是完全熄灭了。 —

No smoke escaped from its sides; not a flame could be seen in the dark hollows; —
没有一丝烟雾从侧面冒出；黑暗洞穴中也看不到火焰； —

not a roar, not a mutter, no trembling even issued from this black well, which perhaps reached far into the bowels of the earth. —
没有一声轰鸣，没有一丝低吟，甚至没有地震从这个黑暗的深洞中传出，它或许深入地球的腹地。 —

The atmosphere inside the crater was filled with no sulphurous vapor. —
火山口内的大气中没有硫磺蒸气。 —

It was more than the sleep of a volcano; —
这已不仅仅是火山的沉睡； —

it was its complete extinction. Cyrus Harding’s attempt would succeed.
它是彻底熄灭了。赛勒斯·哈丁的尝试将会成功。

Little by little, Herbert and he climbing up the sides of the interior, saw the crater widen above their heads. —
赫伯特和他一点点地攀爬火山口内部的山壁，看到火山口在他们头顶逐渐变宽。 —

The radius of this circular portion of the sky, framed by the edge of the cone, increased obviously. At each step, as it were, that the explorers made, fresh stars entered the field of their vision. —
这圆形的天空区域，由锥体边缘环绕，半径显然增加。随着探险者的每一步，新的星星进入他们视野。 —

The magnificent constellations of the southern sky shone resplendently. —
南方的壮丽星座熠熠生辉。 —

At the zenith glittered the splendid Antares in the Scorpion, and not far was Alpha Centauri, which is believed to be the nearest star to the terrestrial globe. —
天穹顶部闪耀着天蝎座的壮烈安塔雷斯，不远处是被认为是地球最近的星球的阿尔法半人马座。 —

Then, as the crater widened, appeared Fomalhaut of the Fish, the Southern Triangle, and lastly, nearly at the Antarctic Pole, the glittering Southern Cross, which replaces the Polar Star of the Northern Hemisphere.
然后，随着火山口的扩大，出现了鲸鱼座的弗马尔鲁特、南三角形，最后几乎在南极星底部的金光闪烁的南十字星，它取代了北半球的北极星。

It was nearly eight o’clock when Cyrus Harding and Herbert set foot on the highest ridge of the mountain at the summit of the cone.
当西罗斯哈定和赫伯特踏上了火山顶端的最高山脊时，已接近晚上八点。

It was then perfectly dark, and their gaze could not extend over a radius of two miles. —
那时完全黑暗，他们的视线无法超出两英里的半径。 —

Did the sea surround this unknown land, or was it connected in the west with some continent of the Pacific? —
这片未知之地四周被海洋包围吗，还是向西与太平洋某大陆相连？ —

It could not yet be made out. Towards the west, a cloudy belt, clearly visible at the horizon, increased the gloom, and the eye could not discover if the sky and water were blended together in the same circular line.
目前还无法确定。西方的一片云带在地平线清晰可见，增加了阴暗，眼睛无法分辨天空和水是否在同一圆形线上融为一体。

But at one point of the horizon a vague light suddenly appeared, which descended slowly in proportion as the cloud mounted to the zenith.
但在地平线的某处突然出现了一道淡淡的光芒，随着云的升高慢慢下降。

It was the slender crescent moon, already almost disappearing; —
虽然几乎要消失，但那纤弱的月牙的光线足以清晰显示水平线，从云上分离出来，工程师可以看到它在液体表面上颤动一会儿。 —

but its light was sufficient to show clearly the horizontal line, then detached from the cloud, and the engineer could see its reflection trembling for an instant on a liquid surface. —
西罗斯哈定握住少年的手，用庄重的语气说道 - —

Cyrus Harding seized the lad’s hand, and in a grave voice,–
“一个岛屿！”他在月牙快要沉入海底的时候说道。

“An island!” said he, at the moment when the lunar crescent disappeared beneath the waves.
当月牙几乎完全消失时，它的光线足以清晰地显示水平线，然后从云中脱落，工程师能看到其在液体表面上的颤动。