評論
打印
What are they, captain? I asked.
船長，什么方法呢？我問。
Here I'm naturally led into telling you how the Nautilus is maneuvered.
這樣一來，我自然得告訴你我是怎樣駕駛諾第留斯號的。
I can't wait to find out.
我很想知道。
In order to steer this boat to port or starboard, in short, to make turns on a horizontal plane, I use an ordinary, wide-bladed rudder that's fastened to the rear of the sternpost and worked by a wheel and tackle.
駕駛這船，要它向左向右，簡單說，要它在水平面上走時，我使用普通的舵，舵上還有寬闊的副舵，裝在船尾，用機輪和滑車轉動。
But I can also move the Nautilus upward and downward on a vertical plane by the simple method of slanting its two fins, which are attached to its sides at its center of flotation; these fins are flexible, able to assume any position, and can be operated from inside by means of powerful levers.
但我又可以使諾第留斯號在水中上升、，下降，這時我就使用兩個縱斜機板，機板裝在船的兩側浮標線的中央，它們是活動的，可以隨便變換位置，使用動力強大的杠桿，從船內部來操縱它們。
If these fins stay parallel with the boat, the latter moves horizontally.
縱斜機板的位置如果與船身平行，船便在水平面上行駛，
If they slant, the Nautilus follows the angle of that slant and, under its propeller's thrust, either sinks on a diagonal as steep as it suits me, or rises on that diagonal.
如果它們的位置傾斜了，諾第留斯號在推進器的推動下，就沿著傾斜方向或沿著我所要的對角線沉下去，或沿著這對角線浮上來。
And similarly, if I want to return more swiftly to the surface, I throw the propeller in gear, and the water's pressure makes the Nautilus rise vertically, as an air balloon inflated with hydrogen lifts swiftly into the skies.
并且，我想更快地浮上水面來時，我就催動推進器，水的壓力使諾第留斯號直線地浮上來，像一只氫氣球迅速升人空中一樣。
Bravo, captain! I exclaimed. But in the midst of the waters, how can your helmsman follow the course you've given him?
真了不得！船長，我喊道，但是，領航人怎樣能看見您在水底下指示船所應走的路線呢？
My helmsman is stationed behind the windows of a pilothouse, which protrudes from the topside of the Nautilus's hull and is fitted with biconvex glass.
領航人是守在一個裝有玻璃的籠間里，這籠間在諾第留斯號船身的上部突出部分，裝有各種凹凸玻璃片，保證他可以清楚地看見航路。
Is glass capable of resisting such pressures?
玻璃片能抵抗這樣強大的壓力嗎？
Perfectly capable. Though fragile on impact, crystal can still offer considerable resistance.
能抵抗。玻璃雖然經不起沖擊，很脆，但有強大的耐壓力。
In 1864, during experiments on fishing by electric light in the middle of the North Sea, glass panes less than seven millimeters thick were seen to resist a pressure of sixteen atmospheres, all the while letting through strong, heat-generating rays whose warmth was unevenly distributed.
1864年在北方海中利用電光做打魚的實驗，我們知道，當時使用的玻璃片只有七毫米厚，可以抵抗十六大氣壓的壓力，同時又可以讓強烈發熱的光線通過，使它獲得不平均的熱力的配給。
Now then, I use glass windows measuring no less than twenty-one centimeters at their centers; in other words, they've thirty times the thickness.
何況我們使用的玻璃片， 中央的厚度至少是二十一厘米，就是說，比上面打魚用的玻璃片厚三十倍。
