英语听书《海底两万里》第416期 第25章 地中海四十八小时(43)

 Just this, captain. In going toward the ocean's lower strata¹, we know that vegetable life disappears more quickly than animal life.  船长，人们所知道的情形是这样。人们知道，深入到海洋下的最底层，植物比动物更不容易生长，更快地绝迹。

We know that moving creatures can still be encountered where water plants no longer grow. We know that oysters² and pilgrim scallops live in 2,000 meters of water, and that Admiral McClintock, England's hero of the polar seas, pulled in a live sea star from a depth of 2,500 meters.  人们知道，在还可以碰到一些生物的水层，任何一种海产植物也没有了。人们知道，有生活在二千米水深的肩挂贝，牡蛎类，两极探险英雄麦克·格林托克。曾在北极海中二千五百米深处，采得一个星贝。

We know that the crew of the Royal Navy's Bulldog fished up a starfish from 2,620 fathoms³, hence from a depth of more than one vertical⁴ league.  人们知道，英国皇家海军猛犬号的船员从二千六百二十英尺，即一海里多的深处，采得一个海星。

Would you still say, Captain Nemo, that we really know nothing? 尼摩船长，您或者会对我说，人们实是一无所知吧？

No, professor, the captain replied, I wouldn't be so discourteous⁵. Yet I'll ask you to explain how these creatures can live at such depths? 教授，船长回答，不，我不能这样不客气，不过，我要问您，您怎样解释这些生物可以在这样深的水层生活呢？

I explain it on two grounds, I replied. In the first place, because vertical currents, which are caused by differences in the water's salinity⁶ and density⁷, can produce enough motion to sustain the rudimentary lifestyles of sea lilies and starfish. 我用两个理由来解释，我回答，第一，因为那些上下垂直往来的水流，由海水的不同咸度和不同密度决定，发生一种运动，足以维持海百合和海星一类的原始基本生活。

True, the captain put in. 对。船长说。

In the second place, because oxygen is the basis of life, and we know that the amount of oxygen dissolved in salt water increases rather than decreases with depth, that the pressure in these lower strata helps to concentrate their oxygen content. 其次，因为氧是生命的基础，人们知道，氧溶解在海水中，并不因水深而减少，反因水深而增加，而底下水层的压力又把它压缩了。

1 strata   

n.地层（复数）；社会阶层

参考例句：

• The older strata gradually disintegrate.较老的岩层渐渐风化。
• They represent all social strata.他们代表各个社会阶层。

2 oysters   

牡蛎( oyster的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We don't have oysters tonight, but the crayfish are very good. 我们今晚没有牡蛎供应。但小龙虾是非常好。
• She carried a piping hot grill of oysters and bacon. 她端出一盘滚烫的烤牡蛎和咸肉。

3 fathoms   

英寻( fathom的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The harbour is four fathoms deep. 港深为四英寻。
• One bait was down forty fathoms. 有个鱼饵下沉到四十英寻的深处。

4 vertical   

adj.垂直的，顶点的，纵向的；n.垂直物，垂直的位置

参考例句：

• The northern side of the mountain is almost vertical.这座山的北坡几乎是垂直的。
• Vertical air motions are not measured by this system.垂直气流的运动不用这种系统来测量。

5 discourteous   

adj.不恭的，不敬的

参考例句：

• I was offended by his discourteous reply.他无礼的回答使我很生气。
• It was discourteous of you to arrive late.你迟到了，真没礼貌。

6 salinity   

n.盐分；咸度；盐浓度；咸性

参考例句：

• In the sea water sampled the salinity is two parts per thousand.在取样的海水中，盐度为千分之二。
• In many sedimentary basins the salinity of the formation water increases with depth or compaction.在许多沉积盆地中，地层水的含盐量随深度或压实作用而增高。

7 density   

n.密集，密度，浓度

参考例句：

• The population density of that country is 685 per square mile.那个国家的人口密度为每平方英里685人。
• The region has a very high population density.该地区的人口密度很高。