海底两万里 第346期 第23章 珊瑚王国(45)
On February 9 the Nautilus cruised in the widest part of the Red Sea, measuring 190 miles straight across from Suakin on the west coast to Qunfidha on the east coast.
2月9日，诺第留斯号浮出在红海最宽阔的一部分海面上，海面的西岸是苏阿京，东岸是光享达，直径是一百丸十海里。
At noon that day after our position fix, Captain Nemo climbed onto the platform, where I happened to be.
这一天中午，在地图上记录了船行的方位后，尼摩船长走上平台来，正好我也在那里。
I vowed not to let him go below again without at least sounding him out on his future plans. As soon as he saw me, he came over, graciously offered me a cigar, and said to me:
我心中打算，对于他此后的航行计划如果得不到一些了解，我就不让他回船里面去。
Well, professor, are you pleased with this Red Sea? Have you seen enough of its hidden wonders, its fish and zoophytes, its gardens of sponges and forests of coral?
他一看见我就走向前来，很礼貌地送我一支雪前烟，对我说：喂！教授，您喜欢这红海吗？您曾充分观察它所蕴藏伪奇异东西吗？它的鱼类和它的植虫类，它的海绵花坛和它的珊瑚森林吗？
Have you glimpsed the towns built on its shores?
您曾望见散在海边的城市吗？
Yes, Captain Nemo, I replied, and the Nautilus is wonderfully suited to this whole survey. Ah, it's a clever boat!
是的，尼摩船长，我回答，诺第留斯号是奇妙的最便于做这种研究的。啊！农真是一只聪明的有智慧的船！
Yes, sir, clever, daring, and invulnerable! It fears neither the Red Sea's dreadful storms nor its currents and reefs.
不错，先生，又聪明，叉大胆，叉是不会受损伤的！它、不伯红海的厉害风暴，汹涌波涛，危险暗礁。
Indeed, I said, this sea is mentioned as one of the worst, and in the days of the ancients, if I'm not mistaken, it had an abominable reputation.
是的，，我说，红海常被称为最厉害多风浪的海，如果、我没有记错，在上古时代，它的声名听来就使人讨厌。
Thoroughly abominable, Professor Aronnax. The Greek and Latin historians can find nothing to say in its favor, and the Greek geographer Strabo adds that it's especially rough during the rainy season and the period of summer prevailing winds.
阿龙纳斯先生，是的，使人讨厌。希腊和拉丁的历史家没有说它好，史杜拉宾说，红海在刮北风和雨季的时期特别难航，特别厉害。
The Arab Idrisi, referring to it by the name Gulf of Colzoum, relates that ships perished in large numbers on its sandbanks and that no one risked navigating it by night.
阿捡伯人艾德利西是用哥尔藏海湾的名字来写红海的，他说有很多的船只在它的浮洲上就沉役了,没有人敢在夜间冒险航行。
This, he claims, is a sea subject to fearful hurricanes, strewn with inhospitable islands, and 'with nothing good to offer,' either on its surface or in its depths.
他认为，这海受厉害台风伪控制，处处有损害船只的小岛，不管在海底下和海面上，一点都没有好处。
As a matter of fact, the same views can also be found in Arrian, Agatharchides, and Artemidorus.
很明白，我马上说，那就是因为这些历史家并没有在诺第留斯号船上航行过。
