英语听书《海底两万里》第471期 第29章 缺少空气(3)

 After two hours of energetic work, 经过两小时的努力工作，

Ned Land reentered, exhausted¹. 尼德·兰疲倦不堪地回来。

He and his companions were replaced by new workmen, 他的同伴们和他，由别的人员替代，

including Conseil and me. 康塞尔和我，我们这次也加入。

The Nautilus's chief officer supervised us.  诺第留斯号的船副来指导我们。

The water struck me as unusually cold, 我觉得海水特别冷，

but I warmed up promptly² while wielding³ my pick. 但我挥动铁锨，不久就暖和了。

My movements were quite free, although they were executed under a pressure of thirty atmospheres. 我的动作虽然在三十度气压下面进行，但是很轻松自在。

After two hours of work, reentering to snatch some food and rest, 当我工作了两小时，回来吃点东西，休息一会儿的时候，

The air hadn't been renewed in forty-eight hours, 空气自四十八小时来没有调换，

and its life-giving qualities were considerably⁴ weakened. 它的刺激兴奋力量已经很薄弱。

Meanwhile, after twelve hours had gone by, 可是，过了十二小时，

we had removed from the outlined surface area a slice of ice only one meter thick, 我们在画出的冰面上，只挖去了厚一米的冰，

hence about 600 cubic meters. 就是约六百立方米的冰。

Assuming the same work would be accomplished⁵ every twelve hours, 假定每十二小时可以做同样工作，

it would still take five nights and four days to see the undertaking⁶ through to completion. 把这个工作好好的完成，还要五夜和四天的工夫。

"Five nights and four days!" I told my companions. “五夜和四天的工夫！”我对我的同伴们说，

"And we have oxygen in the air tanks for only two days." “但在储藏库中我们只有够用两天的空气”

"Without taking into account," Ned answered,  “并且，”尼德·兰回答，

"that once we're out of this damned prison, “又没有算上我们脱离了这座魔鬼监牢后，

we'll still be cooped up beneath the Ice Bank, 我们可能还要被禁在冰山下，

without any possible contact with the open air!" 仍不能立即跟上面的大气相交通！”

An apt remark. 这是正确的想法。

For who could predict the minimum time we would need to free ourselves? 那时谁能预料我们得救所需要的最小限度的时间是多少呢？

Before the Nautilus could return to the surface of the waves, 在诺第留斯号可能回到水面之前，

couldn't we all die of asphyxiation⁷? 缺乏氧气不是就把我们窒息死了吗？

Were this ship and everyone on board doomed⁸ to perish in this tomb of ice? 难道这船是连同它载上的所有的人都注定死在这冰的坟墓中吗？

It was a dreadful state of affairs. 看来情形十分可怕。

But we faced it head-on, 但人人都正视它，

each one of us determined⁹ to do his duty to the end. 人人都决心尽各人的责任，坚持到底。

During the night, in line with my forecasts, 照我的预见，在夜间，

a new one-meter slice was removed from this immense socket¹⁰. 又有一片一米厚的冰从这巨大的圆圈中挖去。

But in the morning, wearing my diving suit, 但是，到了早晨，当我穿上了潜水衣，

I was crossing through the liquid mass in a temperature of -6 degrees to -7 degrees centigrade, 在零下六、七度温度下，走过海水时，

when I noted¹¹ that little by little the side walls were closing in on each other. 我看到旁边的冰墙渐渐地连接起来了。

The liquid strata¹² farthest from the trench¹³, 在水坑中远一点的水，

not warmed by the movements of workmen and tools, 因为人的劳力和工具的作用不能使它温热，

were showing a tendency to solidify¹⁴. 现出要冻结的情势。

In the face of this imminent¹⁵ new danger, 面前发生了这个新的危险，

what would happen to our chances for salvation¹⁶, 我们得救的机会将是怎样呢？

and how could we prevent this liquid medium from solidifying¹⁷? 这种海水中间的冻结作用，怎样加以防止呢？

then cracking the Nautilus's hull¹⁸ like glass. 可能把诺第留斯号的船壳像玻璃一样压碎。

1 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

2 promptly   

adv.及时地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
• She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

3 wielding   

手持着使用（武器、工具等）( wield的现在分词 )； 具有； 运用（权力）； 施加（影响）

参考例句：

• The rebels were wielding sticks of dynamite. 叛乱分子舞动着棒状炸药。
• He is wielding a knife. 他在挥舞着一把刀。

4 considerably   

adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上

参考例句：

• The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
• The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。

5 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

6 undertaking   

n.保证，许诺，事业

参考例句：

• He gave her an undertaking that he would pay the money back with in a year.他向她做了一年内还钱的保证。
• He is too timid to venture upon an undertaking.他太胆小，不敢从事任何事业。

7 asphyxiation   

n. 窒息

参考例句：

• Objective Inquiry into the heavy asphyxiation rescues measure of the new born. 摘要目的探讨新生儿重度窒息抢救的措施。
• Self-contained breathing apparatus(SCBA) may be required to prevent asphyxiation of rescue personnel. 可能要求有自给式呼吸器(SCBA)，以防止救援人员窒息。

8 doomed   

命定的

参考例句：

• The court doomed the accused to a long term of imprisonment. 法庭判处被告长期监禁。
• A country ruled by an iron hand is doomed to suffer. 被铁腕人物统治的国家定会遭受不幸的。

9 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

10 socket   

n.窝，穴，孔，插座，插口

参考例句：

• He put the electric plug into the socket.他把电插头插入插座。
• The battery charger plugs into any mains socket.这个电池充电器可以插入任何类型的电源插座。

11 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

12 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。

13 trench   

n./v.(挖)沟，(挖)战壕

参考例句：

• The soldiers recaptured their trench.兵士夺回了战壕。
• The troops received orders to trench the outpost.部队接到命令在前哨周围筑壕加强防卫。

14 solidify   

v.(使)凝固，(使)固化，(使)团结

参考例句：

• Opinion on this question began to solidify.对这个问题的意见开始具体化了。
• Water will solidify into ice if you freeze it.水冷冻会结冰。

15 imminent   

adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的

参考例句：

• The black clounds show that a storm is imminent.乌云预示暴风雨即将来临。
• The country is in imminent danger.国难当头。

16 salvation   

n.（尤指基督）救世，超度，拯救，解困

参考例句：

• Salvation lay in political reform.解救办法在于政治改革。
• Christians hope and pray for salvation.基督教徒希望并祈祷灵魂得救。

17 solidifying   

（使）成为固体，（使）变硬，（使）变得坚固( solidify的现在分词 )； 使团结一致； 充实，巩固； 具体化

参考例句：

• The substances are formed from a mixture of liquids solidifying under pressure. 这些材料是由几种液体混合在一起并加压使之凝固而成的。
• Painting is an art solidifies time and space for solidifying. 绘画是凝固了的时间和空间的艺术。

18 hull   

n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳

参考例句：

• The outer surface of ship's hull is very hard.船体的外表面非常坚硬。
• The boat's hull has been staved in by the tremendous seas.小船壳让巨浪打穿了。