海底兩萬(wàn)里 第365期 第24章 希臘群島(2)
I could easily see what the Canadian was driving at. In any event, I thought it best to let him have his chat, and we all three went to sit next to the beacon, where we were less exposed to the damp spray from the billows.
我很知道加拿大人要商談的是什么事情，不管怎樣，我想談一談是好些，因?yàn)樗?。我們?nèi)擞谑亲教秸諢舾浇?，在那邊我們可以受到一些浪花打?lái)的泡沫。
Now, Ned, we're all ears, I said. What have you to tell us?
尼德，我說(shuō)，我們現(xiàn)在靜聽(tīng)您的話了。您有什么好消息告訴我們嗎？
What I've got to tell you is very simple, the Canadian replied. We're in Europe, and before Captain Nemo's whims take us deep into the polar seas or back to Oceania, I say we should leave this Nautilus.
我要告訴你們的是很簡(jiǎn)單的幾句。加拿大人回答，我們現(xiàn)在在歐洲了，在尼摩船長(zhǎng)的任性行為還沒(méi)有帶我們到兩極的海底中，或把我們帶回大洋洲一帶之前，我要求離開(kāi)諾第留斯號(hào)。
I confess that such discussions with the Canadian always baffled me.
我承認(rèn)，跟加拿大人飼·論這事，總是讓我心中很為難。
I didn't want to restrict my companions' freedom in any way, and yet I had no desire to leave Captain Nemo.
我一點(diǎn)也不想妨礙我的同伴們得到自由，同時(shí)我自己又完全沒(méi)有離開(kāi)尼摩船長(zhǎng)的愿望。
Thanks to him and his submersible, I was finishing my undersea research by the day, and I was rewriting my book on the great ocean depths in the midst of its very element.
由于他，由于他的船，我日復(fù)一日地完成了我的海底研究，也就是在海底把我這部關(guān)于海底寶藏的書重寫出來(lái)。
Would I ever again have such an opportunity to observe the ocean's wonders? Absolutely not!
我還能再得到這樣一個(gè)機(jī)會(huì)來(lái)觀察這些海洋的秘密嗎？當(dāng)然不可能！
So I couldn't entertain this idea of leaving the Nautilus before completing our course of inquiry.
所以我就不可能想象在我們的周期考察完成之前就離開(kāi)諾第留斯號(hào)。
Ned my friend, I said, answer me honestly. Are you bored with this ship? Are you sorry that fate has cast you into Captain Nemo's hands?
尼德朋友，我說(shuō)，請(qǐng)您直率地回答我。您在這船上覺(jué)得厭煩無(wú)聊嗎？您很悔恨命運(yùn)把您送到尼摩船長(zhǎng)手中來(lái)嗎？
The Canadian paused for a short while before replying. Then, crossing his arms:
加拿大人停了一刻，沒(méi)有回答。然后，交叉著兩子說(shuō)。
Honestly, he said, I'm not sorry about this voyage under the seas. I'll be glad to have done it, but in order to have done it, it has to finish. That's my feeling.
坦白說(shuō)，我并不悔恨這次海底旅行。我很高興做了這件事，但是必須做完，才能算數(shù)。這就是我的意思。
It will finish, Ned.
尼德，這事一定要做完的。
Where and when?
在什么地方和什么時(shí)候做完呢？
Where? I don't know. When? I can't say. Or, rather, I suppose it will be over when these seas have nothing more to teach us. Everything that begins in this world must inevitably come to an end.
什么地方？我一點(diǎn)不知道。什么時(shí)候？我不能說(shuō)，或不如說(shuō)，我假定旅行是要結(jié)束的,就在那一天，海洋中再?zèng)]有什么可以給我們學(xué)習(xí)的時(shí)候。
