船长，什么方法呢？我问。

　　Here I'm naturally led into telling you how the Nautilus is maneuvered.

　　这样一来，我自然得告诉你我是怎样驾驶诺第留斯号的。

　　I can't wait to find out.

　　我很想知道。

　　In order to steer this boat to port or starboard, in short, to make turns on a horizontal plane, I use an ordinary, wide-bladed rudder that's fastened to the rear of the sternpost and worked by a wheel and tackle.

　　驾驶这船，要它向左向右，简单说，要它在水平面上走时，我使用普通的舵，舵上还有宽阔的副舵，装在船尾，用机轮和滑车转动。

　　But I can also move the Nautilus upward and downward on a vertical plane by the simple method of slanting its two fins, which are attached to its sides at its center of flotation; these fins are flexible, able to assume any position, and can be operated from inside by means of powerful levers.

　　但我又可以使诺第留斯号在水中上升、，下降，这时我就使用两个纵斜机板，机板装在船的两侧浮标线的中央，它们是活动的，可以随便变换位置，使用动力强大的杠杆，从船内部来操纵它们。

　　If these fins stay parallel with the boat, the latter moves horizontally.

　　纵斜机板的位置如果与船身平行，船便在水平面上行驶，

　　If they slant, the Nautilus follows the angle of that slant and, under its propeller's thrust, either sinks on a diagonal as steep as it suits me, or rises on that diagonal.

　　如果它们的位置倾斜了，诺第留斯号在推进器的推动下，就沿着倾斜方向或沿着我所要的对角线沉下去，或沿着这对角线浮上来。

　　And similarly, if I want to return more swiftly to the surface, I throw the propeller in gear, and the water's pressure makes the Nautilus rise vertically, as an air balloon inflated with hydrogen lifts swiftly into the skies.

　　并且，我想更快地浮上水面来时，我就催动推进器，水的压力使诺第留斯号直线地浮上来，像一只氢气球迅速升人空中一样。

　　Bravo, captain! I exclaimed. But in the midst of the waters, how can your helmsman follow the course you've given him?

　　真了不得！船长，我喊道，但是，领航人怎样能看见您在水底下指示船所应走的路线呢？

　　My helmsman is stationed behind the windows of a pilothouse, which protrudes from the topside of the Nautilus's hull and is fitted with biconvex glass.

　　领航人是守在一个装有玻璃的笼间里，这笼间在诺第留斯号船身的上部突出部分，装有各种凹凸玻璃片，保证他可以清楚地看见航路。

　　Is glass capable of resisting such pressures?

　　玻璃片能抵抗这样强大的压力吗？

　　Perfectly capable. Though fragile on impact, crystal can still offer considerable resistance.

　　能抵抗。玻璃虽然经不起冲击，很脆，但有强大的耐压力。

　　In 1864, during experiments on fishing by electric light in the middle of the North Sea, glass panes less than seven millimeters thick were seen to resist a pressure of sixteen atmospheres, all the while letting through strong, heat-generating rays whose warmth was unevenly distributed.

　　1864年在北方海中利用电光做打鱼的实验，我们知道，当时使用的玻璃片只有七毫米厚，可以抵抗十六大气压的压力，同时又可以让强烈发热的光线通过，使它获得不平均的热力的配给。

　　Now then, I use glass windows measuring no less than twenty-one centimeters at their centers; in other words, they've thirty times the thickness.

　　何况我们使用的玻璃片， 中央的厚度至少是二十一厘米，就是说，比上面打鱼用的玻璃片厚三十倍。