The absolute calm of the waves facilitated this operation. The Nautilus lay motionless, neither rolling nor pitching.
海上風平浪靜,十分有利于他進行觀察?!胞W鵡螺號”一動不動地,不搖晃,也不顛簸。
I was on the platform just then. After determining our position, the captain pronounced only these words: "It's right here!" He went down the hatch. Had he seen that vessel change course and seemingly head toward us? I'm unable to say. I returned to the lounge. The hatch closed, and I heard water hissing in the ballast tanks. The Nautilus began to sink on a vertical line, because its propeller was in check and no longer furnished any forward motion.
這時,我也在平臺上。當觀測完成時,尼摩船長只吐出這幾個字:“就是這里!” 他走下嵌板。難道他看到那艘海輪改變了方向,好像正朝我們開過來嗎?這我說不準。我回到客廳。嵌板關(guān)上了,我聽到儲水器里海水發(fā)出的咝咝聲?!胞W鵡螺號”船只開始垂直潛進水中,這時成了絆腳繩的推進器并不能為它提供任何動力。
Some minutes later it stopped at a depth of 833 meters and came to rest on the seafloor. The ceiling lights in the lounge then went out, the panels opened, and through the windows I saw, for a half-mile radius, the sea brightly lit by the beacon's rays.
幾分鐘后,“鸚鵡螺號”在830米深的地方停在地面上。這時,客廳天花板上的燈都熄滅了,嵌板打開著。透過玻璃窗,我看見了方圓半海里內(nèi)的海水都被探照燈的燈光照得通明。
I looked to port and saw nothing but the immenseness of these tranquil waters. To starboard, a prominent bulge on the sea bottom caught my attention. You would have thought it was some ruin enshrouded in a crust of whitened seashells, as if under a mantle of snow.
我看了左舷一眼,除了寧靜的海水,什么也沒有。右舷呢,海底上有一大堆東西引起了我的注意。這似乎是一堆裹在灰白色介殼糊下的廢墟,像裹在雪白外衣下一樣。