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In the bottom of each boat are five huge red stones.
在每艘船的船底有五塊巨大的紅色石頭，
Through a hole in each a rope has been passed.
這些石頭上面的孔里穿著一根繩子。
Each diver plants his right foot firmly on one of these stones, while with his right hand he grasps a rope;
每一個潛入海底的采珠人把右腳牢牢地用繩子綁在其中一塊石頭上，然后用右手抓住繩子，
and weighted by the huge red stone, he speedily sinks to the bottom.
因為有紅色巨石的重量做輔助，他能夠很快地潛入海底。
To hold the shells, he bears with him a basket, or he hangs a net-work bag around his neck.
他帶著一個竹筐，或是在脖子上系一張網來裝從海底撿到的貝殼。
As soon as he reaches the bottom —and not daring to glance around, lest the monster he dreads may be near—he quickly gathers all the shells within his reach.
當到達海底時，他不敢四處張望，害怕那些海底的猛獸就在附近，所以采珠人竭盡所能快速地收集自己能撿到的貝殼。
Generally speaking, in about two minutes he pulls the rope, which his right hand has never let go, and is swiftly drawn up again into the boat.
大概兩分鐘之后，他用力一拉右手纏著的那根繩子，就被拽回到船上了。
Each diver makes from forty to fifty plunges in a day, bringing up perhaps a hundred shells at a time.
每個采珠人每天要這樣上上下下進行四十到五十次的作業，每次大約可以帶上船一百個貝殼。
But remaining under water for one minute—two, four, five minutes—has a terrible effect on the human frame.
但是，待在水底，哪怕一兩分鐘，或者四五分鐘，都會對人體產生很嚴重的影響。
When the divers come up, not only water, but sometimes blood, pours from their nostrils, mouths, and ears!
當采珠人從深海被拉上船后，從他們的鼻孔、嘴里和耳朵里流出來的不僅是水，有時還有血！
But of this they take no heed. In the blue waters themselves as the only enemy they dread—the fierce and cruel ground-shark.
但他們對此毫不在意。在藍色的海水里，最讓他們感到恐懼的是——兇猛殘忍的大清鯊。
When noontide arrives, again the gun fires, and, with colours flying, the boats return, bearing their treasures to the shore.
當正午到來時，又會有槍響聲，那些采珠船會帶著他們采到的珍寶滿載而歸。
