英语听书《海底两万里》第214期 第16章 在海底平原散步(5)

 　　We were walking on sand that was fine-grained and smooth, not wrinkled like beach sand, which preserves the impressions left by the waves.  我们在很细，很平，没有皱纹，像海滩上只留有潮水痕迹的沙上行走。

　　This dazzling carpet was a real mirror, throwing back the sun's rays with startling intensity¹.  这种眩人眼目的地毯，像真正的反射镜，把太阳光强烈地反射出去。

　　The outcome: an immense vista² of reflections that penetrated³ every liquid molecule⁴.  由此而生出那种强大的光线辐射，透人所有的水层中。

　　Will anyone believe me if I assert that at this thirty-foot depth, I could see as if it was broad daylight? 如果我肯定说，在水中深三十英尺的地方，我可以像在阳光下一样看得清楚，那人们能相信我吗？

　　For a quarter of an hour, I trod this blazing sand, which was strewn with tiny crumbs⁵ of seashell.  我们踩着明亮的沙层走动，足足有一刻钟，它是贝壳变成的粉未构成的。

　　Looming⁶ like a long reef, the Nautilus's hull⁷ disappeared little by little,  像长长的暗礁一样出现的诺第留斯号船身，已经渐渐隐没不见了；

　　but when night fell in the midst of the waters, the ship's beacon⁸ would surely facilitate our return on board, since its rays carried with perfect distinctness.  但它的探照灯，射出十分清楚的亮光， 在水中黑暗的地方，可以指示我们回到船上去。

　　This effect is difficult to understand for anyone who has never seen light beams so sharply defined on shore.  人们1只在陆地上看见过这种一道道的十分辉煌的白光，对于电光在海底下的作用，实在不容易了解。

　　There the dust that saturates⁹ the air gives such rays the appearance of a luminous¹⁰ fog;  在陆地上，空气中充满尘土，使一道道光线像明亮的云雾一样：

　　but above water as well as underwater, shafts¹¹ of electric light are transmitted with incomparable clarity. 但在海上, 跟在海底下一样，电光是十分透亮的，一点也不模糊。

　　Meanwhile we went ever onward¹², and these vast plains of sand seemed endless.  我们不停地走动，广阔的细沙平原好像是漫无边际。

　　My hands parted liquid curtains that closed again behind me, and my footprints faded swiftly under the water's pressure. 我用手拨开水帘，走过后它又自动合上，我的脚迹在水的压力下也立即就消失了。

1 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

2 vista   

n.远景，深景，展望，回想

参考例句：

• From my bedroom window I looked out on a crowded vista of hills and rooftops.我从卧室窗口望去，远处尽是连绵的山峦和屋顶。
• These uprisings come from desperation and a vista of a future without hope.发生这些暴动是因为人们被逼上了绝路，未来看不到一点儿希望。

3 penetrated   

adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The knife had penetrated his chest. 刀子刺入了他的胸膛。
• They penetrated into territory where no man had ever gone before. 他们已进入先前没人去过的地区。

4 molecule   

n.分子，克分子

参考例句：

• A molecule of water is made up of two atoms of hygrogen and one atom of oxygen.一个水分子是由P妈̬f婘̬ 妈̬成的。
• This gives us the structural formula of the molecule.这种方式给出了分子的结构式。

5 crumbs   

int. (表示惊讶)哎呀 n. 碎屑 名词crumb的复数形式

参考例句：

• She stood up and brushed the crumbs from her sweater. 她站起身掸掉了毛衣上的面包屑。
• Oh crumbs! Is that the time? 啊，天哪！都这会儿啦？

6 looming   

n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• The foothills were looming ahead through the haze. 丘陵地带透过薄雾朦胧地出现在眼前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Then they looked up. Looming above them was Mount Proteome. 接着他们往上看，在其上隐约看到的是蛋白质组山。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 回顾与展望

7 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。

8 beacon   

n.烽火，（警告用的）闪火灯，灯塔

参考例句：

• The blink of beacon could be seen for miles.灯塔的光亮在数英里之外都能看见。
• The only light over the deep black sea was the blink shone from the beacon.黑黢黢的海面上唯一的光明就只有灯塔上闪现的亮光了。

9 saturates   

浸湿，浸透( saturate的第三人称单数 )； 使…大量吸收或充满某物

参考例句：

• The Port of Yangon, the principal trading centre of Myanmar, saturates in the nested area. 仰光港作为缅甸主要的贸易中心，位于嵌套区域。
• A model asphalt had been separated into four components: asphaltenes, saturates, aromatics and resins. 用四组分法将沥青分为饱和分、芳香分、胶质、沥青质。

10 luminous   

adj.发光的，发亮的；光明的；明白易懂的；有启发的

参考例句：

• There are luminous knobs on all the doors in my house.我家所有门上都安有夜光把手。
• Most clocks and watches in this shop are in luminous paint.这家商店出售的大多数钟表都涂了发光漆。

11 shafts   

n.轴( shaft的名词复数 )；（箭、高尔夫球棒等的）杆；通风井；一阵（疼痛、害怕等）

参考例句：

• He deliberately jerked the shafts to rock him a bit. 他故意的上下颠动车把，摇这个老猴子几下。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• Shafts were sunk, with tunnels dug laterally. 竖井已经打下，并且挖有横向矿道。 来自辞典例句

12 onward   

adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先

参考例句：

• The Yellow River surges onward like ten thousand horses galloping.黄河以万马奔腾之势滚滚向前。
• He followed in the steps of forerunners and marched onward.他跟随着先辈的足迹前进。