英语听书《海底两万里》第312期 第23章 珊瑚王国(9)

 　　What an indescribable sight! Oh, if only we could share our feelings! Why were we imprisoned¹ behind these masks of metal and glass!  实在是难以形容，难以描绘的景象！啊！为什么我们不能交换彼此所感到的印象！为什么我们关禁在这金属玻、璃的圆盔中！

　　Why were we forbidden to talk with each other!  为什么我们被阻止，彼此不能说话！

　　At least let us lead the lives of the fish that populate this liquid element, or better yet, the lives of amphibians², which can spend long hours either at sea or on shore,  至少，希望我们生活能跟繁殖在海水中的鱼类一样，或更进一步，能跟那些两栖动物一样，它们可以在长期间内，

　　traveling through their double domain³ as their whims⁴ dictate⁵! 随它们的意思，往来地上，游泳水中！

　　Meanwhile Captain Nemo had called a halt. My companions and I stopped walking, and turning around, I saw the crewmen form a semicircle around their leader.  可是尼摩船长站住了。我的同伴和我也停止前进，我回过头来，看见船员们作半圆形围绕着他们伪首领。

　　Looking with greater care, I observed that four of them were carrying on their shoulders an object that was oblong in shape. 我更细心地看，看到其中有四人肩上抬着一件长方形的东西。

　　At this locality we stood in the center of a huge clearing surrounded by the tall tree forms of this underwater forest.  我们站的是一块宽大空地的中心地方，围绕四周的是海底森林的高大突出的枝权。

　　Our lamps cast a sort of brilliant twilight⁶ over the area, making inordinately⁷ long shadows on the seafloor.  我们的照明灯在这广阔的空间中射出模糊的光线，把地上阴影拉得特别长。

　　Past the boundaries of the clearing, the darkness deepened again, relieved only by little sparkles given off by the sharp crests⁸ of coral. 空地的尽处，更是漆黑，只有珊瑚的尖刺留住了一些稀疏的亮光。

　　Ned Land and Conseil stood next to me. We stared, and it dawned on me that I was about to witness a strange scene.  尼德·兰和康塞尔站在我身边。我们留心看着，我心里想，我是要参加一个很离奇的场面了。

　　Observing the seafloor,  我观察地面，

　　I saw that it swelled⁹ at certain points from low bulges¹⁰ that were encrusted with limestone¹¹ deposits and arranged with a symmetry that betrayed the hand of man. 看到好几处，由于石灰质的堆积，由于人手的规律性的安排，有微微隆起的瘤子，地面显得鼓起来的样子。

　　In the middle of the clearing, on a pedestal of roughly piled rocks, there stood a cross of coral, extending long arms you would have thought were made of petrified¹² blood. 在空地中间，随便堆起来的石头基础上，竖起一副珊瑚的十字架，这十字架两边横出的两条长胳膊，简直使人要认为是石质的血制成的呢。

1 imprisoned   

下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。
• They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。

2 amphibians   

两栖动物( amphibian的名词复数 )； 水陆两用车； 水旱两生植物； 水陆两用飞行器

参考例句：

• The skin of amphibians is permeable to water. 两栖动物的皮肤是透水的。
• Two amphibians ferry them out over the sands. 两辆水陆两用车把他们渡过沙滩。

3 domain   

n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围

参考例句：

• This information should be in the public domain.这一消息应该为公众所知。
• This question comes into the domain of philosophy.这一问题属于哲学范畴。

4 WHIMS   

虚妄，禅病

参考例句：

• The mate observed regretfully that he could not account for that young fellow's whims. 那位伙伴很遗憾地说他不能说出那年轻人产生怪念头的原因。
• The rest she had for food and her own whims. 剩下的钱她用来吃饭和买一些自己喜欢的东西。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

5 dictate   

v.口授；(使)听写；指令，指示，命令

参考例句：

• It took him a long time to dictate this letter.口述这封信花了他很长时间。
• What right have you to dictate to others?你有什么资格向别人发号施令？

6 twilight   

n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期

参考例句：

• Twilight merged into darkness.夕阳的光辉融于黑暗中。
• Twilight was sweet with the smell of lilac and freshly turned earth.薄暮充满紫丁香和新翻耕的泥土的香味。

7 inordinately   

adv.无度地，非常地

参考例句：

• But if you are determined to accumulate wealth, it isn't inordinately difficult. 不过，如果你下决心要积累财富，事情也不是太难。 来自互联网
• She was inordinately smart. 她非常聪明。 来自互联网

8 crests   

v.到达山顶（或浪峰）( crest的第三人称单数 )；到达洪峰，达到顶点

参考例句：

• The surfers were riding in towards the beach on the crests of the waves. 冲浪者们顺着浪头冲向岸边。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The correspondent aroused, heard the crash of the toppled crests. 记者醒了，他听见了浪头倒塌下来的轰隆轰隆声。 来自辞典例句

9 swelled   

增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情）

参考例句：

• The infection swelled his hand. 由于感染，他的手肿了起来。
• After the heavy rain the river swelled. 大雨过后，河水猛涨。

10 bulges   

膨胀( bulge的名词复数 )； 鼓起； （身体的）肥胖部位； 暂时的激增

参考例句：

• His pocket bulges with apples. 他的衣袋装着苹果鼓了起来。
• He bulges out of his black T-shirt. 他的肚子在黑色T恤衫下鼓鼓地挺着。

11 limestone   

n.石灰石

参考例句：

• Limestone is often used in building construction.石灰岩常用于建筑。
• Cement is made from limestone.水泥是由石灰石制成的。

12 petrified   

adj.惊呆的；目瞪口呆的v.使吓呆，使惊呆；变僵硬；使石化(petrify的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• I'm petrified of snakes. 我特别怕蛇。
• The poor child was petrified with fear. 这可怜的孩子被吓呆了。 来自《简明英汉词典》