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The Scotia hadn't run afoul of something, it had been fouled, and by a cutting or perforating instrument rather than a blunt one.
斯各脫亞號不是撞上了什么，而是被什么撞上了。憧它的不是敲擊的器械而是鉆鑿的器械。
This encounter seemed so minor that nobody on board would have been disturbed by it, had it not been for the shouts of crewmen in the hold, who climbed on deck yelling:
這次沖撞是十分輕微的，要不是管船艙的人員跑到甲板上來喊：
"We're sinking! We're sinking!"
“船要沉了：船要沉了！”也許船上的人誰也不會在意。
At first the passengers were quite frightened, but Captain Anderson hastened to reassure them.
旅客們起初十分驚慌，但船長安德生很快就使他們安穩(wěn)下來。
In fact, there could be no immediate danger. Divided into seven compartments by watertight bulkheads, the Scotia could brave any leak with impunity.
危險并不會立刻就發(fā)生。斯各脫亞號由防水板分為七大間，一點也不在乎個把漏洞。
Captain Anderson immediately made his way into the hold. He discovered that the fifth compartment had been invaded by the sea,
安德生船長立即跑到艙底下去。他查出第五間被海水浸人了，海水浸入十分快，
and the speed of this invasion proved that the leak was considerable.
證明漏洞相當大。
Fortunately this compartment didn't contain the boilers, because their furnaces would have been abruptly extinguished.
好在這間里沒有蒸汽爐，不然的話，爐火就要熄滅了。
Captain Anderson called an immediate halt, and one of his sailors dived down to assess the damage.
安德生船長吩咐馬上停船，并且命令一個潛水員下水檢查船身的損壞情形。
Within moments they had located a hole two meters in width on the steamer's underside.
一會兒，他知道船底有一個長兩米的大洞。
Such a leak could not be patched, and with its paddle wheels half swamped, the Scotia had no choice but to continue its voyage.
這樣一個裂口是沒法堵住的，斯各脫亞號盡管機輪有一半浸在水里，但也必須繼續(xù)行駛。
By then it lay 300 miles from Cape Clear, and after three days of delay that filled Liverpool with acute anxiety, it entered the company docks.
當時船離克利亞峽還有三百海里，等船駛進公司的碼頭，已經誤了三天期，在這三天里，利物浦的人都為它惶惶不安。
