評論
打印
Fire and brimstone! Ned put in.
尼德·蘭喊一聲：好家伙！
All right then, my fine harpooner, if vertebrates several hundred meters long and proportionate in bulk live at such depths, their surface areas make up millions of square centimeters, and the pressure they undergo must be assessed in billions of kilograms.
好，我的誠實的魚叉手，如果一種脊推動物，身長好幾百米，身寬按照身長的比例，它住在這樣的海底深處，那么,它們有數百萬平方厘米面積的身軀，所受到的壓力，就要以千百億公斤來計算了。
Calculate, then, how much resistance of bone structure and strength of constitution they'd need in order to withstand such pressures!
現在請您算一算它們的骨架和機體，要頂住這樣大的壓力所必需的抵抗力吧！
They'd need to be manufactured, Ned Land replied, from sheet-iron plates eight inches thick, like ironclad frigates.
那它們的身體要用八英寸厚的鋼板造成，跟鐵甲戰艦那樣才行。尼德蘭回答。
Right, Ned, and then picture the damage such a mass could inflict if it were launched with the speed of an express train against a ship's hull.
正像您說的那樣，尼德蘭，現在您想想，這樣一個巨大的物體，以快車的速度撞在一只船殼上，可能產生的破壞力量是怎樣。
Yes . . .indeed . . .maybe, the Canadian replied, staggered by these figures but still not willing to give in.
是…也許…是這樣.加拿大人回答，由于上面的數目字，他心中動搖了，但并不愿意馬上認輸。
Well, have I convinced you?
那么，您相信了嗎？
You've convinced me of one thing, Mr. Naturalist. That deep in the sea, such animals would need to be just as strong as you say-if they exist.
您使我相信了一件事，生物學專家，就是說，如果海底下有這樣的動物，那它們的身體力量必須像您所說的那樣強大。
