In the course of the day of the 29th of January, the island of Ceylon disappeared under the horizon, and the Nautilus, at a speed of twenty miles an hour, slid into the labyrinth of canals which separate the Maldives from the Laccadives.
在1月29日这一天，锡兰岛在地平线下消失了，以每小时20英里的速度，鹦鹉螺号滑入了将马尔代夫和拉卡迪夫群岛分隔开的迷宫般的运河中。 —

It coasted even the Island of Kiltan, a land originally coraline, discovered by Vasco da Gama in 1499, and one of the nineteen principal islands of the Laccadive Archipelago, situated between 10° and 14° 30′ N. lat.
它甚至沿着基尔坦岛岸边航行，这是一个最初为珊瑚岛的土地，1499年被瓦斯科·达伽马发现，位于拉卡迪夫群岛的19个主要岛屿之一，位于北纬10°至14°30’之间。 —

, and 69° 50′ 72″ E. long.
和东经69°50’72”。

We had made 16,220 miles, or 7, 500 (French) leagues from our starting-point in the Japanese Seas.
我们已经行驶了16,220英里，或者说从我们在日本海出发的起点起，行驶了7,500（法）里程。

The next day (30th January), when the Nautilus went to the surface of the ocean there was no land in sight.
第二天（1月30日），当鹦鹉螺号浮出海面时，视线中没有陆地。 —

Its course was N.N.E., in the direction of the Sea of Oman, between Arabia and the Indian Peninsula, which serves as an outlet to the Persian Gulf. It was evidently a block without any possible egress.
它的航向是北北东，朝着阿拉伯和印度半岛之间的阿曼海，这是波斯湾的出口。显然，那是一个没有任何可能出口的区域。 —

Where was Captain Nemo taking us to? I could not say. This, however, did not satisfy the Canadian, who that day came to me asking where we were going.
船长尼摩要带我们去哪里？我无法说。然而，这并没有满足这位加拿大人，他那天来问我我们要去哪里。

“We are going where our Captain’s fancy takes us, Master Ned.”
“我们去任何地方都取决于船长的想法，内德先生。”

“His fancy cannot take us far, then, ” said the Canadian. “The Persian Gulf has no outlet:
“那么他的想法也不会带我们很远了，”加拿大人说道。” 波斯湾没有出口，如果我们进去了，很快就会出来的。” —

and, if we do go in, it will not be long before we are out again.”
“好吧，那么我们就会再出来，兰先生；如果在波斯湾之后，鹦鹉螺想去红海，巴尔米丹海峡就能让我们进入。”

“Very well, then, we will come out again, Master Land;
“我不用告诉你，先生，”内德兰德说道，” —

and if, after the Persian Gulf, the Nautilus would like to visit the Red Sea, the Straits of Bab-el-mandeb are there to give us entrance.”
红海和波斯湾一样封闭，苏伊士运河还没有开凿出来；而且即使开凿了，像我们这样神秘的船只也不会冒险通过用闸门分隔的运河。

“I need not tell you, sir,” said Ned Land, “that the Red Sea is as much closed as the Gulf, as the Isthmus of Suez is not yet cut;
再说了，红海也不是带我们返回欧洲的路。” —

and, if it was, a boat as mysterious as ours would not risk itself in a canal cut with sluices.
“但我从来没有说过我们要返回欧洲。” —

And again, the Red Sea is not the road to take us back to Europe.”
“那你认为呢？”

“But I never said we were going back to Europe.”
“你以为呢？”

“What do you suppose, then?”
“那你以为呢？”

“I suppose that, after visiting the curious coasts of Arabia and Egypt, the Nautilus will go down the Indian Ocean again, perhaps cross the Channel of Mozambique, perhaps off the Mascarenhas, so as to gain the Cape of Good Hope.”
“我想，在参观完阿拉伯和埃及有趣的海岸之后，『鹦鹉螺号』会再次横渡印度洋，也许会穿过莫桑比克海峡，也许会经过马斯卡林纳斯群岛，进而抵达好望角。”

“And once at the Cape of Good Hope?
“那抵达好望角后呢？ —

” asked the Canadian, with peculiar emphasis.
”加拿大人特别强调地问道。

“Well, we shall penetrate into that Atlantic which we do not yet know.
“嗯，我们将进入那片我们尚未探索的大西洋。啊！朋友奈德， —

Ah! friend Ned, you are getting tired of this journey under the sea;
你对这个深海之旅已经厌倦了吗；你对不断变幻的海底奇观感到腻味了吗？” —

you are surfeited with the incessantly varying spectacle of submarine wonders.
“我个人会为这趟很少有人能够完成的航海之旅的结束感到遗憾。” —

For my part, I shall be sorry to see the end of a voyage which it is given to so few men to make.”
“在2月3日之前的四天里，『鹦鹉螺号』在阿曼海上以各种速度和不同深度巡航。”

For four days, till the 3rd of February, the Nautilus scoured the Sea of Oman, at various speeds and at various depths.
“似乎随意行驶，犹豫着要选择哪条航线，但我们从未穿过北回归线。” —

It seemed to go at random, as if hesitating as to which road it should follow, but we never passed the Tropic of Cancer.
看起来很随机，仿佛迟疑着不知该走哪条路，但我们从未经过北回归线。

In quitting this sea we sighted Muscat for an instant, one of the most important towns of the country of Oman. I admired its strange aspect, surrounded by black rocks upon which its white houses and forts stood in relief.
离开这片海洋时，我们瞥见了阿曼国最重要的城市之一——穆斯喀特。我对它奇特的景象赞叹不已，它被黑色岩石包围，周围耸立着它的白色房屋和堡垒。 —

I saw the rounded domes of its mosques, the elegant points of its minarets, its fresh and verdant terraces.
我看到了穆斯喀特的圆顶清真寺、优雅的尖塔和绿树成荫的露台。 —

But it was only a vision!
但这只是一瞬间的幻象！ —

The Nautilus soon sank under the waves of that part of the sea.
《鹦鹉螺号》很快沉入了那片海域的波涛之中。

We passed along the Arabian coast of Mahrah and Hadramaut, for a distance of six miles, its undulating line of mountains being occasionally relieved by some ancient ruin.
我们沿着马赫拉和哈德拉穆特的阿拉伯海岸航行了六英里，一路上时常能看到一些古老的废墟，这些废墟为起伏的山脉勾勒出了曲线。 —

The 5th of February we at last entered the Gulf of Aden, a perfect funnel introduced into the neck of Bab-el-mandeb, through which the Indian waters entered the Red Sea.
2月5日，我们终于进入亚丁湾，这是一个完美的漏斗口，引入了巴比尔·曼德布海峡的方向，印度水域借此进入红海。

The 6th of February, the Nautilus floated in sight of Aden, perched upon a promontory which a narrow isthmus joins to the mainland, a kind of inaccessible Gibraltar, the fortifications of which were rebuilt by the English after taking possession in 1839.
2月6日，鹦鹉螺号漂浮在亚丁的视野中，栖息在一块附着在大陆的海角上，那是一座种类独特的直布罗陀，英国在1839年占领后重建了其防御工事。 —

I caught a glimpse of the octagon minarets of this town, which was at one time the richest commercial magazine on the coast.
我瞥见了这座城市的八角形尖塔，这座城市曾经是沿海最富有的商业市场之一。

I certainly thought that Captain Nemo, arrived at this point, would back out again;
我确实认为，纳摩船长到了这个地方会打退堂鼓；但是我错了， —

but I was mistaken, for he did no such thing, much to my surprise.
令我非常惊讶的是，他并没有退缩。

The next day, the 7th of February, we entered the Straits of Bab-el-mandeb, the name of which, in the Arab tongue, means The Gate of Tears.
第二天，2月7日，我们进入了巴伯曼德比海峡，阿拉伯语中的名字意为“泪之门”。

To twenty miles in breadth, it is only thirty-two in length.
雖然海峡寬僅二十英里，長度卻僅三十二英里， —

And for the Nautilus, starting at full speed, the crossing was scarcely the work of an hour.
對于以全速起航的鹦鹉螺号來說，渡过海峡只需不到一小时的时间。 —

But I saw nothing, not even the Island of Perim, with which the British Government has fortified the position of Aden. There were too many English or French steamers of the line of Suez to Bombay, Calcutta to Melbourne, and from Bourbon to the Mauritius, furrowing this narrow passage, for the Nautilus to venture to show itself.
但我什么也没看到，甚至没有看到英国政府在亚丁加固了的珀里姆岛。游艇“鹦鹉螺”不敢露面，因为从苏伊士到孟买，加尔各答到墨尔本，从留尼汪到毛里求斯都有太多英国或法国的巡航船只在这条狭窄的航道穿行。 —

So it remained prudently below. At last about noon, we were in the waters of the Red Sea.
因此，“鹦鹉螺”保持着谨慎地低于水面。终于，在中午左右，我们来到了红海的水域。

I would not even seek to understand the caprice which had decided Captain Nemo upon entering the gulf.
我甚至不想去理解船长尼莫为什么要决定进入这个海湾的古怪心思。 —

But I quite approved of the Nautilus entering it.
但我非常赞同“鹦鹉螺”进入其中。它的速度减慢了：有时它在水面上航行，有时它潜入水中以避开其他船只， —

Its speed was lessened:
这样我能观察到这个奇特海域的上下部分。 —

sometimes it kept on the surface, sometimes it dived to avoid a vessel, and thus I was able to observe the upper and lower parts of this curious sea.
从2月8日天亮开始，我看见了摩卡的景象，现在它是一座破败的城市，城墙一枪就会倒塌，但这里却零星分布着一些绿树成荫的椰树。

The 8th of February, from the first dawn of day, Mocha came in sight, now a ruined town, whose walls would fall at a gunshot, yet which shelters here and there some verdant date-trees;
—

once an important city, containing six public markets, and twenty-six mosques, and whose walls, defended by fourteen forts, formed a girdle of two miles in circumference.
这座曾经重要的城市拥有六个公共市场和二十六座清真寺，城墙由十四座堡垒守卫，围成了两英里的周长。

The Nautilus then approached the African shore, where the depth of the sea was greater.
然后，鹦鹉螺号接近非洲海岸，那里的海深度更大。 —

There, between two waters clear as crystal, through the open panels we were allowed to contemplate the beautiful bushes of brilliant coral and large blocks of rock clothed with a splendid fur of green variety of sites and landscapes along these sandbanks and algæ and fuci.
在那里，透过开放的舷窗，我们可以看到两片晶莹剔透的水之间，漂亮的珊瑚灌木和覆盖着翠绿色毛皮的大块岩石。沙洲、藻类和海藻构成了各种各样的地点和风景。 —

What an indescribable spectacle, and what variety of sites and landscapes along these sandbanks and volcanic islands which bound the Libyan coast!
这是一幅难以形容的景象，在这些沙洲和火山岛屿围绕着利比亚海岸的地方，可以看到多样的地点和风景。 —

But where these shrubs appeared in all their beauty was on the eastern coast, which the Nautilus soon gained.
但最美丽的灌木出现在东海岸，而鹦鹉螺号很快就到达了那里。 —

It was on the coast of Tehama, for there not only did this display of zoophytes flourish beneath the level of the sea, but they also formed picturesque interlacings which unfolded themselves about sixty feet above the surface, more capricious but less highly coloured than those whose freshness was kept up by the vital power of the waters.
这是在特哈马海岸上的，因为在这里，这种动物植物群落不仅在海平面下繁茂生长，而且还形成了画面般的交错纹理，高达六十英尺，色彩不像那些通过水的活力保持鲜艳的那么鲜艳，但更为奇特。

What charming hours I passed thus at the window of the saloon!
我在客厅的窗前度过了多么美妙的时光啊！ —

What new specimens of submarine flora and fauna did I admire under the brightness of our electric lantern!
我们在明亮的电灯下，欣赏到了怎样的新的海底植物群和动物群！

The 9th of February the Nautilus floated in the broadest part of the Red Sea, which is comprised between Souakin, on the west coast, and Komfidah, on the east coast, with a diameter of ninety miles.
2月9日，鲨鱼号漂浮在红海最宽阔的部分，即西海岸的苏瓦金和东海岸的康菲达之间，直径为九十英里。

That day at noon, after the bearings were taken, Captain Nemo mounted the platform, where I happened to be, and I was determined not to let him go down again without at least pressing him regarding his ulterior projects.
那天中午，在测距结束后，尼摩船长登上了平台，而我恰好也在那里，我决定至少询问他一下关于他未来计划的事情，不能让他再下去而不说一句话。 —

As soon as he saw me he approached and graciously offered me a cigar.
他一看见我就走过来，亲切地给我递上一支雪茄。

“Well, sir, does this Red Sea please you?
“先生，这个红海是否让您满意？ —

Have you sufficiently observed the wonders it covers, its fishes, its zoophytes, its parterres of sponges, and its forests of coral?
您是否已经足够地观察了它所覆盖的奇观，鱼类、虫珊瑚、海绵花园和珊瑚林？ —

Did you catch a glimpse of the towns on its borders?”
你是否看到了它的边境上的城镇？”

“Yes, Captain Nemo,” I replied;
“是的，尼莫船长，”我回答道， —

“and the Nautilus is wonderfully fitted for such a study.
“而且鹦鹉螺号非常适合进行这样的研究。啊！ —

Ah! it is an intelligent boat!”
真是一艘聪明的船！”

“Yes, sir, intelligent and invulnerable.
“是的，先生，聪明而且坚不可摧。 —

It fears neither the terrible tempests of the Red Sea, nor its currents, nor its sandbanks.”
它既不怕红海的狂风暴雨，也不怕其洋流和浅滩。”

“Certainly,” said I, “this sea is quoted as one of the worst, and in the time of the ancients, if I am not mistaken, its reputation was detestable.”
“确实如此，”我说，“这个海被认为是最糟糕的之一，在古代，如果我没有记错的话，它的名声是糟糕的。”

“Detestable, M. Aronnax.
“糟糕透顶， —

The Greek and Latin historians do not speak favourably of it, and Strabo says it is very dangerous during the Etesian winds and in the rainy season.
阿尔纳克斯先生。希腊和拉丁的历史学家对它没有好感，斯特拉博说在季风和雨季时非常危险。” —

The Arabian Edrisi portrays it under the name of the Gulf of Colzoum, and relates that vessels perished there in great numbers on the sandbanks and that no one would risk sailing in the night.
阿拉伯人依德里斯以科尔祖姆湾的名字描述它，并提到许多船只在浅滩上失事，没有人敢在夜间冒险航行。 —

It is, he pretends, a sea subject to fearful hurricanes, strewn with inhospitable islands, and ‘which offers nothing good either on its surface or in its depths.’”
他假装它是一个受可怕飓风影响的海洋，遍布着不友好的岛屿，“在海面上和海底都没有任何好东西”。

“One may see,” I replied, “that these historians never sailed on board the Nautilus.”
“我回答说，这些历史学家显然没有乘坐鹦鹉螺号船。”

“Just so,” replied the Captain, smiling;
“确实如此。”船长笑着回答说， —

“and in that respect moderns are not more advanced than the ancients.
“在这方面，现代人并没有超过古人。” —

It required many ages to find out the mechanical power of steam.
发现蒸汽的机械力量花费了很多年代。 —

Who knows if, in another hundred years, we may not see a second _Nautilus?
谁知道再过一百年，我们是否能看到第二艘鹦鹉螺号呢？ —

_ Progress is slow, M. Aronnax.”
进步是缓慢的，阿罗纳克斯先生。

“It is true,” I answered;
“是的，”我回答， —

“your boat is at least a century before its time, perhaps an era.
“您的潜艇至少领先了一个世纪，也许是一个时代。” —

What a misfortune that the secret of such an invention should die with its inventor!”
太不幸了，这样的发明之秘密随着发明者一起消失了！

Captain Nemo did not reply.
“船长尼摩没有回答。 —

After some minutes’ silence he continued:
经过几分钟的沉默后，他继续说道：”

“You were speaking of the opinions of ancient historians upon the dangerous navigation of the Red Sea.”
“你刚才提到了古代历史学家对红海危险航行的观点。”

“It is true,” said I;
“的确，”我说道， —

“but were not their fears exaggerated?”
“但是他们的担忧是否夸大了？”

“Yes and no, M. Aronnax,” replied Captain Nemo, who seemed to know the Red Sea by heart.
“是与否，阿洛纳克斯先生，”尼摩船长回答道，他似乎对红海了如指掌。 —

“That which is no longer dangerous for a modern vessel, well rigged, strongly built, and master of its own course, thanks to obedient steam, offered all sorts of perils to the ships of the ancients.
“对于一艘现代化的、装备精良、建造坚固、掌握航向的船只来说，通过顺从的蒸汽机驱动前进，红海不再具备危险。 —

Picture to yourself those first navigators venturing in ships made of planks sewn with the cords of the palmtree, saturated with the grease of the seadog, and covered with powdered resin!
“想象一下，那些最早的航海家们冒险乘坐用椰榈树绳子缝制的木板船，浸透了海狗的油脂，覆盖着粉末状的松香！ —

They had not even instruments wherewith to take their bearings, and they went by guess amongst currents of which they scarcely knew anything.
“他们甚至没有用于确定航向的仪器，他们凭借着对洋流几乎一无所知的猜测行驶。 —

Under such conditions shipwrecks were, and must have been, numerous.
“在这样的条件下，沉船是很常见的，也是必然的。” —

But in our time, steamers running between Suez and the South Seas have nothing more to fear from the fury of this gulf, in spite of contrary trade-winds.
但在我们这个时代，穿行苏伊士和南海之间的汽船已经不再担心这个海湾的愤怒，尽管有强风逆行。 —

The captain and passengers do not prepare for their departure by offering propitiatory sacrifices;
船长和乘客不再通过祭祀仪式来准备他们的出发； —

and, on their return, they no longer go ornamented with wreaths and gilt fillets to thank the gods in the neighbouring temple.”
回来后，他们也不再身披花环和镀金额带去邻近的神庙向神灵致谢。”

“I agree with you,” said I;
“我同意你的说法，”我说， —

“and steam seems to have killed all gratitude in the hearts of sailors.
“蒸汽似乎已经杀死了水手们心中的所有感激之情。 —

But, Captain, since you seem to have especially studied this sea, can you tell me the origin of its name?”
但是，船长，既然你似乎特别研究过这个海洋，你能告诉我它的名字的由来吗？”

“There exist several explanations on the subject, M. Aronnax. Would you like to know the opinion of a chronicler of the fourteenth century?”
“对于这个问题，有几种解释存在，阿洛纳克斯先生。你想知道一个14世纪编年史学家的观点吗？”

“Willingly.”
“愿意。”

“This fanciful writer pretends that its name was given to it after the passage of the Israelites, when Pharaoh perished in the waves which closed at the voice of Moses.”
“这位富有幻想的作家声称，在以色列人经过之后，它的名字就是在摩西的声音中关闭的波浪中法老灭亡之后得名的。”

“A poet’s explanation, Captain Nemo,” I replied;
“一个诗人的解释，尼莫船长，”我回答道; —

“but I cannot content myself with that.
“但我不能满足于此。 —

I ask you for your personal opinion.”
我要求你给出你个人的观点。”

“Here it is, M. Aronnax. According to my idea, we must see in this appellation of the Red Sea a translation of the Hebrew word ‘Edom’;
“就在这里，阿洛纳克斯先生。根据我的想法，我们必须将红海这个称呼译作希伯来语中‘以东’的意思； —

and if the ancients gave it that name, it was on account of the particular colour of its waters.”
“如果古人给它取了这个名字，那是因为它水的特殊颜色。”

“But up to this time I have seen nothing but transparent waves and without any particular colour.”
“但直到现在我只看到透明的波浪，并没有任何特殊的颜色。”

“Very likely; but as we advance to the bottom of the gulf, you will see this singular appearance.
“很可能；但是当我们向湾的底部前进时，你会看到这种奇特的景象。” —

I remember seeing the Bay of Tor entirely red, like a sea of blood.”
“我记得看到了托尔湾完全变成红色，像一片血海。”

“And you attribute this colour to the presence of a microscopic seaweed?”
“你把这个颜色归因于微小的海藻的存在？”

“Yes.”
“是的。”

“So, Captain Nemo, it is not the first time you have overrun the Red Sea on board the Nautilus?”
“那么，内莫船长，你曾经在鹦鹉螺号上多次穿越红海吗？”

“No, sir.”
“是的，先生。”

“As you spoke a while ago of the passage of the Israelites and of the catastrophe to the Egyptians, I will ask whether you have met with the traces under the water of this great historical fact?”
“既然你刚才提到以色列人的通行和埃及人的灾难，我想问问你是否在水下找到了这一重大历史事件的痕迹？”

“No, sir; and for a good reason.”
“没有，先生；有一个很好的理由。”

“What is it?”
“是什么原因？”

“It is that the spot where Moses and his people passed is now so blocked up with sand that the camels can barely bathe their legs there.
“是因为摩西和他的人民经过的地方现在被沙子堵得几乎没法湿脚。” —

You can well understand that there would not be water enough for my Nautilus.”
你很清楚我的“鹦鹉螺号”将没有足够的水源。”

“And the spot?” I asked.
“这个地点在哪里？”我问道。

“The spot is situated a little above the Isthmus of Suez, in the arm which formerly made a deep estuary, when the Red Sea extended to the Salt Lakes. Now, whether this passage were miraculous or not, the Israelites, nevertheless, crossed there to reach the Promised Land, and Pharaoh’s army perished precisely on that spot;
“这个地点位于苏伊士运河以北一点，当时红海延伸到盐湖时形成了一个深水湾。无论这个通道是奇迹还是不是，以色列人仍然从那里渡过去达到应许之地，法老的军队恰恰在那个地点灭亡； —

and I think that excavations made in the middle of the sand would bring to light a large number of arms and instruments of Egyptian origin.”
我认为在沙漠中央进行挖掘将会发现大量埃及起源的武器和工具。”

“That is evident,” I replied;
“这是显而易见的， —

“and for the sake of archaeologists let us hope that these excavations will be made sooner or later, when new towns are established on the isthmus, after the construction of the Suez Canal;
”我回答道，“为了考古学家的利益，让我们希望这些挖掘工作早晚会进行，在修建苏伊士运河后，在地峡上建立新的城镇时； —

a canal, however, very useless to a vessel like the Nautilus.”
然而，对于像“鹦鹉螺号”这样的船只来说，这个运河是非常无用的。”

“Very likely; but useful to the whole world, ” said Captain Nemo. “The ancients well understood the utility of a communication between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean for their commercial affairs:
“很有可能，而且对整个世界都有用，”船长尼摩说。“古人很清楚红海和地中海之间的交通对他们的商业事务有多么重要：” —

but they did not think of digging a canal direct, and took the Nile as an intermediate.
“但他们没有想过直接挖一条运河，而是选择了尼罗河作为中间环节。” —

Very probably the canal which united the Nile to the Red Sea was begun by Sesostris, if we may believe tradition.
“很可能，将尼罗河与红海连接起来的运河是由塞索特里斯开始建造的，如果我们相信传统的话。” —

One thing is certain, that in the year 615 before Jesus Christ, Necos undertook the works of an alimentary canal to the waters of the Nile across the plain of Egypt, looking towards Arabia.
“有一件事是确定的，公元前615年，内科斯开始在埃及平原修建一条通往尼罗河水域的引导运河，面向阿拉伯。” —

It took four days to go up this canal, and it was so wide that two triremes could go abreast.
“上行这条运河需要四天时间，它非常宽阔，可以同时容纳两艘三排桨的战舰。” —

It was carried on by Darius, the son of Hystaspes, and probably finished by Ptolemy II. Strabo saw it navigated:
“它是由达里乌斯，海斯塔斯比的儿子，进行的，可能由托勒密二世完成。斯特拉博看到了它的通航情况：” —

but its decline from the point of departure, near Bubastes, to the Red Sea was so slight that it was only navigable for a few months in the year.
“但从起点附近的布巴斯特斯到红海的下降程度非常微小，以至于一年中只有几个月可以顺利航行。” —

This canal answered all commercial purposes to the age of Antonius, when it was abandoned and blocked up with sand.
该运河一度满足了所有商业需求, 直到Antonius时代废弃并被沙子封堵起来。 —

Restored by order of the Caliph Omar, it was definitely destroyed in 761 or 762 by Caliph Al-Mansor, who wished to prevent the arrival of provisions to Mohammed-ben-Abdallah, who had revolted against him.
受哈里发奥马尔的指令修复后, 该运河在761或762年被哈里发艾尔-曼苏尔彻底摧毁，他希望阻止粮食运抵Mohammed-ben-Abdallah，后者曾反抗他。 —

During the expedition into Egypt, your General Bonaparte discovered traces of the works in the Desert of Suez;
在进入埃及的探险中，您的将军波拿巴(Napoleon Bonaparte) 在苏伊士沙漠发现了这些遗迹; —

and, surprised by the tide, he nearly perished before regaining Hadjaroth, at the very place where Moses had encamped three thousand years before him.”
他在潮水袭击下险些在回到哈吉洛斯的路上丧命，就在他之前三千年, 摩西就曾在那里驻扎过.”

“Well, Captain, what the ancients dared not undertake, this junction between the two seas, which will shorten the road from Cadiz to India, M. Lesseps has succeeded in doing;
“嗯，船长，古人们不敢企及的这条将凯迪斯和印度间的道路缩短的连接，” M. Lesseps 已经成功实现了； —

and before long he will have changed Africa into an immense island.”
不久他将把非洲变成一个巨大的岛屿。”

“Yes, M. Aronnax; you have the right to be proud of your countryman.
“是的，Aronnax先生，你有权感到骄傲， —

Such a man brings more honour to a nation than great captains.
你的同胞带给一个国家的荣耀超过伟大的将军。 —

He began, like so many others, with disgust and rebuffs;
他开始时像许多其他人一样感到厌恶和拒绝， —

but he has triumphed, for he has the genius of will.
但他取得了胜利，因为他有意志的天才。 —

And it is sad to think that a work like that, which ought to have been an international work and which would have sufficed to make a reign illustrious, should have succeeded by the energy of one man.
令人悲哀的是，一个原本应该成为一部国际性作品、足以使一个王朝辉煌的作品，竟然只靠一个人的能量成功了。 —

All honour to M. Lesseps!”
向莱赛普斯先生致敬！

“Yes! honour to the great citizen,” I replied, surprised by the manner in which Captain Nemo had just spoken.
是的！向这位伟大的公民致敬，我回答道，对船长尼摩刚才的言辞感到惊讶。

“Unfortunately,” he continued, “I cannot take you through the Suez Canal;
不幸的是，他继续说道，我不能带你穿过苏伊士运河； —

but you will be able to see the long jetty of Port Said after to-morrow, when we shall be in the Mediterranean.”
但在后天，我们到达地中海之后，你将能够看到苏伊士港的长堤。

“The Mediterranean!” I exclaimed.
地中海！我惊叫道。

“Yes, sir; does that astonish you?”
是的，先生，这让你感到惊讶吗？

“What astonishes me is to think that we shall be there the day after to-morrow.”
我感到惊讶的是我们后天就会到那里。

“Indeed?”
确实吗？

“Yes, Captain, although by this time I ought to have accustomed myself to be surprised at nothing since I have been on board your boat.”
是的，船长，虽然自从我登上你的船以来，我应该已经习惯了对所有事情感到惊讶。

“But the cause of this surprise?”
“但是这让我惊讶的原因是什么？”

“Well! it is the fearful speed you will have to put on the Nautilus, if the day after to-morrow she is to be in the Mediterranean, having made the round of Africa, and doubled the Cape of Good Hope!”
“哦！原因是你将不得不为了‘鹦鹉螺’号在后天抵达地中海而飞快地行驶，绕过非洲，绕过好望角！”

“Who told you that she would make the round of Africa and double the Cape of Good Hope, sir?”
“是谁告诉您她将绕过非洲，绕过好望角的，先生？”

“Well, unless the Nautilus sails on dry land, and passes above the isthmus——”
“嗯，除非‘鹦鹉螺’号在陆地上航行，从地峡上空横过——”

“Or beneath it, M. Aronnax.”
“或者在地峡下面，阿罗纳克斯先生。”

“Beneath it?”
“在下面？”

“Certainly,” replied Captain Nemo quietly.
“当然了，”纳摩船长平静地回答道，“很久以前， —

“A long time ago Nature made under this tongue of land what man has this day made on its surface.”
大自然在这块陆地的下方形成了一个通道，而今天人类在它的表面上才刚刚建造出来。”

“What! such a passage exists?”
“什么！这样一个通道存在吗？”

“Yes; a subterranean passage, which I have named the Arabian Tunnel.
“是的，一个地下通道，我称之为‘阿拉伯隧道’。 —

It takes us beneath Suez and opens into the Gulf of Pelusium.”
它从苏伊士潜行，通向佩鲁西乌姆湾。”

“But this isthmus is composed of nothing but quick sands?”
“但是这个地峡由流沙组成呀！”

“To a certain depth. But at fifty-five yards only there is a solid layer of rock.”
“在一定深度上是的。但是仅仅在五十五码处，有一层坚硬的岩石。”

“Did you discover this passage by chance?
“你这篇文章是偶然发现的吗？ —

” I asked more and more surprised.
”我越来越吃惊地问道。

“Chance and reasoning, sir;
“是偶然和推理，先生； —

and by reasoning even more than by chance.
而且更多是靠推理而不是偶然。 —

Not only does this passage exist, but I have profited by it several times.
这篇文章不仅存在，而且我已经多次从中获益。 —

Without that I should not have ventured this day into the impassable Red Sea. I noticed that in the Red Sea and in the Mediterranean there existed a certain number of fishes of a kind perfectly identical.
在穿越不可通行的红海之前，我就发现了这一点。我注意到在红海和地中海中存在着一种完全相同的鱼类。 —

Certain of the fact, I asked myself was it possible that there was no communication between the two seas?
确信无疑，我自问是否可能两个海域之间没有任何联系？ —

If there was, the subterranean current must necessarily run from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean, from the sole cause of difference of level.
如果有联系，那么地下水流必然是由于海平面的差异而从红海流向地中海的。 —

I caught a large number of fishes in the neighbourhood of Suez. I passed a copper ring through their tails, and threw them back into the sea.
我在苏伊士附近捕到了大量的鱼。我为它们的尾部穿过一枚铜环，然后将它们放回海中。 —

Some months later, on the coast of Syria, I caught some of my fish ornamented with the ring.
几个月后，我在叙利亚海岸捕到了一些带有铜环的鱼。 —

Thus the communication between the two was proved.
这样证明了两个海域之间的联系。” —

I then sought for it with my Nautilus; I discovered it, ventured into it, and before long, sir, you too will have passed through my Arabian tunnel!”
然后我用我的“鹦鹉螺”去寻找它；我发现了它，冒险进入了其中，而在不久的将来，先生，您也将通过我的阿拉伯隧道！