英语听书《海底两万里》第248期 第19章 万尼科罗群岛(10)

 　　Furthermore, this native boatman claimed that during a stay in Vanikoro six years earlier,  这个印第安人又说，六年前，他在万尼科罗岛住下来的时候，曾看见过两个欧洲人，

　　he had seen two Europeans belonging to ships that had run aground on the island's reefs many years before. 他们是一只遇难船砌船员，这船多年前撞在岛附近的暗礁上了。

　　Dillon guessed that the ships at issue were those under the Count de La Perouse,  狄勇立即猜想到，这一定是拉白鲁斯船上的遇难人员，

　　ships whose disappearance¹ had shaken the entire world. He tried to reach Vanikoro,  周为这些船只的失踪是众所周知的，曾经震动世界。

　　where, according to the native boatman, a good deal of rubble² from the shipwreck³ could still be found,  他打算到万尼科罗群岛去，据印第安人说，那里还有遇难船只的、许多遗物，

　　but winds and currents prevented his doing so. 可是大风和海浪阻挡了他，无法前往。

　　Dillon returned to Calcutta. There he was able to interest the Asiatic Society and the East India Company in his discovery.  狄勇回到加尔备答。在加尔各答；他想法使亚洲学会和印度公司注意他的发现。

　　A ship named after the Search was placed at his disposal,  他于是得到一只船， 这只船命名为搜索号，由他指挥，

　　and he departed on January 23, 1827, accompanied by a French deputy. 1827年1月23月，他由一个法国人陪着，乘船出发，前往搜寻。

　　This new Search, after putting in at several stops over the Pacific,  搜索号在太平洋好几处停锚找寻，

　　dropped anchor before Vanikoro on July 7, 1827, in the same harbor of Vana where the Nautilus was currently floating. 于1827年7月了日：到万尼科罗群岛前面停泊了，地点就是此刻诺第留斯号所在的这个万奴岛的天然小港中。

　　There Dillon collected many relics⁴ of the shipwreck:  在这个地方，狄勇收集了遇难船只的许多遗物：

　　iron utensils⁵, anchors, eyelets from pulleys, swivel guns, an eighteen-pound shell,  铁制的用具，锚，滑车的铁链环，小炮，一颗十八号炮弹，

　　the remains⁶ of some astronomical⁷ instruments, a piece of sternrail,  残破的天文仪器，船后部断片：另外还有一口铜钟，

　　and a bronze bell bearing the inscription⁸ "Made by Bazin," the foundry mark at Brest Arsenal⁹ around 1785.  上面有款识，写着巴赞给我造的，这是1785年左右，布勒斯特军械局铸造厂的标记。

　　There could no longer be any doubt. 这事是十分明确，不可以怀疑的了。

1 disappearance   

n.消失，消散，失踪

参考例句：

• He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
• Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。

2 rubble   

n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾

参考例句：

• After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后，花了数月才清理完瓦砾。
• After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。

3 shipwreck   

n.船舶失事，海难

参考例句：

• He walked away from the shipwreck.他船难中平安地脱险了。
• The shipwreck was a harrowing experience.那次船难是一个惨痛的经历。

4 relics   

[pl.］n.遗物，遗迹，遗产；遗体，尸骸

参考例句：

• The area is a treasure house of archaeological relics. 这个地区是古文物遗迹的宝库。
• Xi'an is an ancient city full of treasures and saintly relics. 西安是一个有很多宝藏和神圣的遗物的古老城市。

5 utensils   

器具，用具，器皿( utensil的名词复数 )； 器物

参考例句：

• Formerly most of our household utensils were made of brass. 以前我们家庭用的器皿多数是用黄铜做的。
• Some utensils were in a state of decay when they were unearthed. 有些器皿在出土时已经残破。

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

7 astronomical   

adj.天文学的，（数字）极大的

参考例句：

• He was an expert on ancient Chinese astronomical literature.他是研究中国古代天文学文献的专家。
• Houses in the village are selling for astronomical prices.乡村的房价正在飙升。

8 inscription   

n.（尤指石块上的）刻印文字，铭文，碑文

参考例句：

• The inscription has worn away and can no longer be read.铭文已磨损，无法辨认了。
• He chiselled an inscription on the marble.他在大理石上刻碑文。

9 arsenal   

n.兵工厂，军械库

参考例句：

• Even the workers at the arsenal have got a secret organization.兵工厂工人暗中也有组织。
• We must be the great arsenal of democracy.我们必须成为民主的大军火库。