2020年经济学人 环球航海家马文·克里默(4)

Heavy cumulus clouds indicated land; diving petrels showed, specifically, the Falklands (as did the raf fighter jets that buzzed them, so soon after the war). Red sand-streaks on the sails in the dew of morning proved they were close to the Sahara. For him, having the time of his life, happily chewing day after day the canned hamburger which Blanche, once resigned, had nobly put up for him, all the interest and point of the circumnavigation lay in these essential observations. Of course, there were dramas. Twice they almost capsized, with the mast 45% underwater.

密集的积云表明有陆地；潜水海燕出现，就说明到了福克兰群岛。（二战结束后不久，英国皇家空军战斗机在他们耳边嗡嗡作响）。在晨露中船帆上的红沙条纹表明他们已经接近撒哈拉沙漠了。对克雷默来说，环球旅行的全部乐趣和意义就在于这些重要的观察。他每天愉快地嚼着布兰奇在辞职后慷慨地为他提供的汉堡包罐头，度过一生中最愉快的时光。当然，也有戏剧性事件。他们有两次几乎翻船，桅杆有45%在水下。

Going through Drake Passage near the Horn broke the “indestructible” steel tiller, though he was a good enough mechanic to rig up another. More than once they nearly came to grief on rocky, unlit coasts. Passing Tasmania, in the worst weather of the trip, he had to haul down wet sails with a dislocated shoulder. A galley¹ fire almost incinerated the boat, as well as the loaf he was baking. Frustrations², but par³ for the course.

经过靠近合恩角的德雷克海峡时，那把“坚不可摧”的钢舵折断了，尽管克雷默是一个足够优秀的机械师，可以再装配一个。他们曾不止一次地在岩石嶙峋、没有灯光的海岸上遭遇不幸。经过塔斯马尼亚时，天气非常恶劣，肩膀脱臼的他不得不拉下湿帆。厨房里的火几乎把船和他正在烤的面包烧成灰烬。挫折不断，但这是意料之中的事。

He was just thrilled to prove that the ancients could have undertaken serious long-distance sailing, without toys, more often than people thought. Naturally he wrote a book about it. But publishers showed no interest. No one had mutinied in this story, or been lost overboard; it was academic rather than tragic⁴. Besides, there were lots of sailing books, and circumnavigations were increasing. That was all true; but then again, how many of those sailors had estimated latitude⁵ by watching yager gulls⁶, or knew they were approaching home when a housefly settled in the cabin?

证明古人可以在没有仪器的情况下进行真正意义上的长途航行，而且比人们想象的还要频繁，这让他很激动。自然，他为此写了一本书。但出版商对此毫无兴趣。在这个故事里，没有人叛变，也没有人落水；它是学术性的，而不是悲剧。此外，市面上已经有许多有关航海的书籍，环游地球的次数也在增加。这些都是真的；但话又说回来，这些水手中有多少人是通过观察海鸥来估计纬度的，或者，有多少人看到一只家蝇在船舱里栖息时，会知道自己正在回家？

1 galley   

n.（飞机或船上的）厨房单层甲板大帆船；军舰舰长用的大划艇；

参考例句：

• The stewardess will get you some water from the galley.空姐会从厨房给你拿些水来。
• Visitors can also go through the large galley where crew members got their meals.游客还可以穿过船员们用餐的厨房。

2 frustrations   

挫折( frustration的名词复数 )； 失败； 挫败； 失意

参考例句：

• The temptation would grow to take out our frustrations on Saigon. 由于我们遭到挫折而要同西贡算帐的引诱力会增加。
• Aspirations will be raised, but so will frustrations. 人们会产生种种憧憬，但是种种挫折也会随之而来。

3 par   

n.标准，票面价值，平均数量；adj.票面的，平常的，标准的

参考例句：

• Sales of nylon have been below par in recent years.近年来尼龙织品的销售额一直不及以往。
• I don't think his ability is on a par with yours.我认为他的能力不能与你的能力相媲美。

4 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

5 latitude   

n.纬度，行动或言论的自由(范围)，(pl.)地区

参考例句：

• The latitude of the island is 20 degrees south.该岛的纬度是南纬20度。
• The two cities are at approximately the same latitude.这两个城市差不多位于同一纬度上。

6 gulls   

n.鸥( gull的名词复数 )v.欺骗某人( gull的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• A flock of sea gulls are hovering over the deck. 一群海鸥在甲板上空飞翔。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The gulls which haunted the outlying rocks in a prodigious number. 数不清的海鸥在遥远的岩石上栖息。 来自辞典例句