万物简史 第390期:浩瀚的海洋(9)

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　　it was in fact Barton who designed the first bathysphere (from the Greek word for "deep") and funded the $12,000 cost of its construction. 但设计并出资1200美元来建造第一个探海球（源自希腊语，意思是“深”）的，其实是巴顿。

　　It was a tiny and necessarily robust¹ chamber², 那是一个小而坚固的沉箱，

　　made of cast iron 1.5 inches thick and with two small portholes containing quartz³ blocks three inches thick. 用3.8厘米厚的铸铁割成，带有两扇7.6厘米厚的石英板舷窗。

　　It held two men, but only if they were prepared to become extremely well acquainted. 里面可以容纳两个人。但要准备过着极其亲密的生活。

　　Even by the standards of the age, the technology was unsophisticated. 即使按照那个时代的标准，那个技术也是不复杂的。

　　The sphere had no maneuverability—it simply hung on the end of a long cable—and only the most primitive⁴ breathing system: 球体很不灵活——只是吊在一很长长的缆绳的一头——只带有一个最原始的呼吸系统：

　　to neutralize⁵ their own carbon dioxide they set out open cans of soda⁶ lime, 若要中和二氧化碳他们就得打开石灰罐子；

　　and to absorb moisture they opened a small tub of calcium⁷ chloride, 若要吸收水汽，他们就得打开小盆氯化钙。

　　over which they sometimes waved palm fronds⁸ to encourage chemical reactions. 为了加速化学反应，他们有时候还得扇一扇棕榈叶子。

　　But the nameless little bathysphere did the job it was intended to do. 但是，那个没有名字的小小探海球还真管用。

　　On the first dive, in June 1930 in the Bahamas, Barton and Beebe set a world record by descending⁹ to 600 feet. 1930年6月，在巴哈马群岛的首次潜水中，巴顿和毕比下沉到183米深处，创造了一个世界记录。

　　By 1934, they had pushed the record to 3,028 feet, where it would stay until after the war. 到1934年，他们已经把这个记录提高到900米以上。那个记录直到第二次世界大战结束以后才被打破。

　　Barton was confident the device was safe to a depth of 4,500 feet, 巴顿很有把握，认为该装置沉到140米左右的深度完全没有问题，

　　though the strain on every bolt and rivet¹⁰ was audibly evident with each fathom¹¹ they descended¹². 虽然每下沉l米在张力的作用下每个螺栓和铆钉都发出清晰的声音。

　　At any depth, it was brave and risky¹³ work. 反正，在任何深度，这都是一项勇敢而危险的工作。

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