But I knew that the sun's rays, even in the clearest seas, could reach no deeper.  但我知道，即最清澈的海水，阳光也不能再往下照了。

　　So at precisely this point the darkness became profound.  正是在这时候，周围变得漆黑。

　　Not a single object was visible past ten paces.  在十步外什么也看不见。

　　Consequently, I had begun to grope my way when suddenly I saw the glow of an intense white light.  所以我只能摸索着走，这时我看见一道相当明亮的白光忽然闪出来。

　　Captain Nemo had just activated his electric device.  原来是尼摩船长使用他的电光机器。

　　His companion did likewise. Conseil and I followed suit.  他的同伴照他那样做。康塞尔和我也学着他们的榜样。

　　By turning a switch,  我转动螺丝钉，

　　I established contact between the induction coil and the glass spiral, and the sea, lit up by our four lanterns, was illuminated for a radius of twenty-five meters. 使电磁铁跟曲玻璃管接通，灯亮了，海中有我们四盏探照灯的照射，周围二十五米内都明亮起来。

　　Captain Nemo continued to plummet into the dark depths of this forest, whose shrubbery grew ever more sparse.  尼摩船长继续走人森林中最幽深的地方，沿途树木渐渐稀少。

　　I observed that vegetable life was disappearing more quickly than animal life.  我注意到，在海底，植物界要比动物界消失得早些。

　　The open-sea plants had already left behind the increasingly arid seafloor, where a prodigious number of animals were still swarming:  海产植物虽然已经放弃了这些变为贫瘠的土地，但数量很多的动物、植虫动物、

　　zoophytes, articulates, mollusks, and fish. 节肢动物、软体动物和鱼类仍然到处皆是。

　　While we were walking, I thought the lights of our Ruhmkorff devices would automatically attract some inhabitants of these dark strata.  我一边走一边想，我们带的兰可夫灯的灯光必然要引起那些沉黑的海底下居民的注意，齐集前来。

　　But if they did approach us, at least they kept at a distance regrettable from the hunter's standpoint.  可是，它们虽然前来，但总是留在猎人力量不可及，距离相当远的地方。

　　Several times I saw Captain Nemo stop and take aim with his rifle;  好几次，我看见尼摩船长停步，瞄准他的枪，

　　then, after sighting down its barrel for a few seconds, he would straighten up and resume his walk. 但经过一些时候的观察后，他又把枪放下，再向前行。