All day long on May 31, the Nautilus swept around the sea in a series of circles that had me deeply puzzled. It seemed to be searching for a locality that it had some trouble finding. At noon Captain Nemo himself came to take our bearings. He didn't address a word to me. He looked gloomier than ever. What was filling him with such sadness? Was it our proximity to these European shores? Was he reliving his memories of that country he had left behind? If so, what did he feel? Remorse or regret? For a good while these thoughts occupied my mind, and I had a hunch that fate would soon give away the captain's secrets.
5月31日一整天,“鸚鵡螺號”一直在海上兜圈子,這使我深感納悶。它似乎在尋找一個不太容易找到的地方。中午,尼摩船長親自出來測定了方位。他沒跟我說話,我覺得他變得比以前更陰沉。誰使他這么憂愁呢?是因為接近了歐洲海岸嗎?難道他對那被他拋棄了的祖國產生了幾絲感觸嗎?那么他有何感想呢?是后悔還是遺憾呢?這種想法在我的腦海中盤據了很久,而且我有一種預感:不久,偶然的機會會把尼摩船長的秘密泄露出來的。
The next day, June 1, the Nautilus kept to the same tack. It was obviously trying to locate some precise spot in the ocean. Just as on the day before, Captain Nemo came to take the altitude of the sun. The sea was smooth, the skies clear. Eight miles to the east, a big steamship was visible on the horizon line. No flag was flapping from the gaff of its fore-and-aft sail, and I couldn't tell its nationality.
第二天,6月1日,“鸚鵡螺號”還是老樣子。顯然它想盡力找到海里某個確定的地點,尼摩船長就像前天那樣出來測定太陽的高度。當時海面很美,晴空萬里。在東面8海里處,一艘大汽輪出現(xiàn)在天際邊。船帆上沒有掛任何旗幟,我無法辨認出它的國籍。
A few minutes before the sun passed its zenith, Captain Nemo raised his sextant and took his sights with the utmost precision.
在太陽經過子午線的前幾分鐘,尼摩船長拿著六分儀,十分仔細地觀察起來。