海底两万里 第41期 第4章 尼德兰(10)

Note well, my fine Canadian, I went on, if such an animal exists, if it lives deep in the ocean,

请您注意，我又说，我的诚实的加拿大人，如果有这样的一种动物，如果它是生活在海洋底下，

if it frequents the liquid strata located miles beneath the surface of the water, it needs to have a constitution so solid, it defies all comparison.

如果它要在离水面几英里深的海底活动，它必然有坚强无比的机体。

And why this powerful constitution? Ned asked.

为什么要这么坚强的机体呢?尼德兰问。

Because it takes incalculable strength just to live in those deep strata and withstand their pressure.

因为要在很深的水中生活，要能抵抗水的压力，那就必须有一种不可估计的巨大力量。

Oh really? Ned said, tipping me a wink.

真的吗?尼德·兰挤一挤眼睛，看看我。

Oh really, and I can prove it to you with a few simple figures.

真的，一些数目字很容易给您证明这享。

Bosh! Ned replied. You can make figures do anything you want!

啊!尼德·兰答，数目字!

In business, Ned, but not in mathematics.

人们可以随便拿数目字来证明自己喜欢的事!

Listen to me. Let's accept that the pressure of one atmosphere is represented by the pressure of a column of water thirty-two feet high.

尼德·兰，这是实事求是的，而不是数学上的数目字。请您好好地听我说。我们都承认，一个大气压力等于三十二英尺高的水柱压力。

In reality, such a column of water wouldn't be quite so high because here we're dealingwith salt water, which is denser than fresh water.

实际上，这水柱的高度是最小的，因为我们现在讲的是海水，海水的密度大于淡水的密度。