万物简史 第393期:浩瀚的海洋(12)

 　　In 1958, they did a deal with the U.S. Navy, which gave the Navy ownership but left them in control. 1958年，他们与美国海军达成一桩交易，把探海艇的所有权交给海军，但他们仍保留使用权。

　　Now flush with funds, the Piccards rebuilt the vessel¹, 他们因此获得了大笔资金，对那条船进行了改造，

　　giving it walls five inches thick and shrinking the windows to just two inches in diameter—little more than peepholes. 把船壁的厚度加大到将近13厘米，舷窗缩小到只有直径5厘米——实际上成了小小的窥孔。

　　But it was now strong enough to withstand truly enormous pressures, 但是，探海艇变得相当坚固，可以抵御巨大的压力。

　　and in January 1960 Jacques Piccard and Lieutenant² Don Walsh of the U.S. Navy sank slowly to the bottom of the ocean's deepest canyon³, 1960年1月，雅克·皮卡尔和美国海军的唐·沃尔什在西太平洋关岛外商大约400公里的地方，慢慢下沉到了海洋里最深的峡谷：

　　the Mariana Trench⁴, some 250 miles off Guam in the western Pacific (and discovered, not incidentally, by Harry⁵ Hess with his fathometer). 马里亚纳海沟（这里要特别提一下，该海沟是哈里·赫斯用回声测探仅发现的）。

　　It took just under four hours to fall 35,820 feet, or almost seven miles. 他们花了不到4个小时就下沉到10918米，相当于差不多11公里。

　　Although the pressure at that depth was nearly 17,000 pounds per square inch, 虽然在那个深度压力达到了每平方厘米将近1200千克，

　　they noticed with surprise that they disturbed a bottom-dwelling flatfish just as they touched down. 但他们吃惊地注意到，碰着底部时惊动了生活在海底的比目鱼。

　　They had no facilities for taking photographs, so there is no visual record of the event. 他们没有照相设备，因此没有记录下当时的情景。

　　After just twenty minutes at the world's deepest point, they returned to the surface. 他们在世界的最深处只停留了20分钟，然后返回水面。

　　It was the only occasion on which human beings have gone so deep. 人类只有这么一次达到了那种深度。

　　Forty years later, the question that naturally occurs is: Why has no one gone back since? 40多年以后，人们自然会提出这样的问题：为什么自那以来再也没有人下去？

　　To begin with, further dives were vigorously opposed by Vice⁶ Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, 首先，再次潜水受到了海军中将海曼·G·里科弗的坚决反对。

　　a man who had a lively temperament⁷, forceful views, and, most pertinently⁸, control of the departmental checkbook. 他这个人办事认真，说话算数，最关键的是他掌握着海军部的财政大权。

1 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

2 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

3 canyon   

n.峡谷，溪谷

参考例句：

• The Grand Canyon in the USA is 1900 metres deep.美国的大峡谷1900米深。
• The canyon is famous for producing echoes.这个峡谷以回声而闻名。

4 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。

5 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

6 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

7 temperament   

n.气质，性格，性情

参考例句：

• The analysis of what kind of temperament you possess is vital.分析一下你有什么样的气质是十分重要的。
• Success often depends on temperament.成功常常取决于一个人的性格。

8 pertinently   

适切地

参考例句：

• It is one thing to speak much and another to speak pertinently. 说得多是一回事，讲得中肯又是一回事。
• Pertinently pointed out the government, enterprises and industry association shall adopt measures. 有针对性地指出政府、企业和行业协会应采取的措施。