The Mediterranean1, the blue sea par2 excellence3, "the great sea" of the Hebrews, "the sea" of the Greeks, the "mare4 nostrum5" of the Romans, bordered by orange-trees, aloes, cacti6, and sea-pines; embalmed7 with the perfume of the myrtle, surrounded by rude mountains, saturated8 with pure and transparent9 air, but incessantly10 worked by underground fires; a perfect battlefield in which Neptune11 and Pluto12 still dispute the empire of the world! It is upon these banks, and on these waters, says Michelet, that man is renewed in one of the most powerful climates of the globe. But, beautiful as it was, I could only take a rapid glance at the basin whose superficial area is two million of square yards. Even Captain Nemo's knowledge was lost to me, for this puzzling person did not appear once during our passage at full speed. I estimated the course which the Nautilus took under the waves of the sea at about six hundred leagues, and it was accomplished13 in forty-eight hours. Starting on the morning of the 16th of February from the shores of Greece, we had crossed the Straits of Gibraltar by sunrise on the 18th.
It was plain to me that this Mediterranean, enclosed in the midst of those countries which he wished to avoid, was distasteful to Captain Nemo. Those waves and those breezes brought back too many remembrances, if not too many regrets. Here he had no longer that independence and that liberty of gait which he had when in the open seas, and his Nautilus felt itself cramped14 between the close shores of Africa and Europe. Our speed was now twenty-five miles an hour. It may be well understood that Ned Land, to his great disgust, was obliged to renounce15 his intended flight. He could not launch the pinnace, going at the rate of twelve or thirteen yards every second. To quit the Nautilus under such conditions would be as bad as jumping from a train going at full speed--an imprudent thing, to say the least of it. Besides, our vessel16 only mounted to the surface of the waves at night to renew its stock of air; it was steered17 entirely18 by the compass and the log. I saw no more of the interior of this Mediterranean than a traveller by express train perceives of the landscape which flies before his eyes; that is to say, the distant horizon, and not the nearer objects which pass like a flash of lightning.
We were then passing between Sicily and the coast of Tunis. In the narrow space between Cape19 Bon and the Straits of Messina the bottom of the sea rose almost suddenly. There was a perfect bank, on which there was not more than nine fathoms20 of water, whilst on either side the depth was ninety fathoms.
The Nautilus had to manoeuvre21 very carefully so as not to strike against this submarine barrier.
I showed Conseil, on the map of the Mediterranean, the spot occupied by this reef. "But if you please, sir," observed Conseil, "it is like a real isthmus22 joining Europe to Africa." "Yes, my boy, it forms a perfect bar to the Straits of Lybia, and the soundings of Smith have proved that in former times the continents between Cape Boco and Cape Furina were joined." "I can well believe it," said Conseil. "I will add," I continued, "that a similar barrier exists between Gibraltar and Ceuta, which in geological times formed the entire Mediterranean." "What if some volcanic23 burst should one day raise these two barriers above the waves?" "It is not probable, Conseil." "Well, but allow me to finish, please, sir; if this phenomenon should take place, it will be troublesome for M. Lesseps, who has taken so much pains to pierce the isthmus." "I agree with you; but I repeat, Conseil, this phenomenon will never happen. The violence of subterranean24 force is ever diminishing. Volcanoes, so plentiful25 in the first days of the world, are being extinguished by degrees; the internal heat is weakened, the temperature of the lower strata26 of the globe is lowered by a perceptible quantity every century to the detriment27 of our globe, for its heat is its life." "But the sun?" "The sun is not sufficient, Conseil. Can it give heat to a dead body?" "Not that I know of." "Well, my friend, this earth will one day be that cold corpse28; it will become uninhabitable and uninhabited like the moon, which has long since lost all its vital heat." "In how many centuries?" "In some hundreds of thousands of years, my boy." "Then," said Conseil, "we shall have time to finish our journey-that is, if Ned Land does not interfere29 with it." And Conseil, reassured30, returned to the study of the bank, which the Nautilus was skirting at a moderate speed. During the night of the 16th and 17th February we had entered the second Mediterranean basin, the greatest depth of which was 1,450 fathoms. The Nautilus, by the action of its crew, slid down the inclined planes
and buried itself in the lowest depths of the sea. On the 18th of February, about three o'clock in the morning, we were at the entrance of the Straits of Gibraltar. There once existed two currents: an upper one, long since recognised, which conveys the waters of the ocean into the basin of the Mediterranean; and a lower counter-current, which reasoning has now shown to exist. Indeed, the volume of water in the Mediterranean, incessantly added to by the waves of the Atlantic and by rivers falling into it, would each year raise the level of this sea, for its evaporation31 is not sufficient to restore the equilibrium32. As it is not so, we must necessarily admit the existence of an under-current, which empties into the basin of the Atlantic through the Straits of Gibraltar the surplus waters of the Mediterranean. A fact indeed; and it was this counter-current by which the Nautilus profited. It advanced rapidly by the narrow pass. For one instant I caught a glimpse of the beautiful ruins of the temple of Hercules, buried in the ground, according to Pliny, and with the low island which supports it; and a few minutes later we were floating on the Atlantic.
地中海,是最碧蓝的海,希伯来人的“大海”,希腊人酌“海”,罗马人的“我们的海”,周围广植橘树、芦卉、仙人掌、海松树,喷出番石榴花的芳香,四周峻峭的群山坏抱,空气纯洁清新,可是被地下烈火不停地熬煎,这海正是海王涅豆尼和阎王蒲留敦①争夺世界霸权一直到现在还没停止的战常米歇列说,就是在地中海,在它的岸上,在它的水中,是人类在地球上锻炼自己的最强大有力的一个场所。。
虽然这侮很美,但我只能很约略地瞳望一下。地中海面积共二百万平方公里。就是尼摩船长本人关于这海的知帜,我也得不到,因为这个神秘人物在这次快速度的航海中,一次也没有出来。我估计诺第留斯号在这海底下所走过的路程约有六百里,而这次旅行,他用四十八小时的时间就完成了。2月16日早晨从希腊一带海面出发,18日太阳从东方升起的时候,我们就通过直布罗陀海峡了。
对我来说,事情很明显,这地中海正处在尼摩船长要逃避的人所居住的陆地中间,他不喜欢这海。这海水和这海风给他带来了纵然不是过多的悔恨,也一定是过多的回忆。
在这海里,海洋赋予他的那种自由自在的神情姿态,那种独来独往的行动,他现在没有了;他的诺第留斯号在这些非洲和欧洲相接近的海岸中间,也感到气闷。
因此,我们的速度是每小时二十五海里,即每里为四千米的十二里①。那不用说,尼德·兰很难过,只有放弃他的逃走计划。这样每秒十二至十三米的速度,他不可能使用那只小艇。在这种条件下离开诺第留斯号,那等于从飞奔的火车上往下跳,简直是粗心大意的行为。并且,我们的船夜间才浮上水面来,调换新鲜空气,它单单根据罗盘的度数和测程器的指示来行驶。
所以,我从地中海内部往外看,就像快车上的旅客所看到的他眼前疾驰的风景一样,这是说,只看到远远的天际,但是像闪电一般飞过的眼前景致却反而看不见。不过,康塞尔和我,我们仍然可能看见一些地中海的鱼类,它们的鳍的力量可以让它们在诺第留斯号的附近水流中停留一些时帜,我也得不到,因为这个神秘人物在这次快速度的航海牛,一次也没有出来。我估计诺第留斯号在这海底下所走过的路程约有六百里,而这次旅行,他用四十八小时的时间就完成了。2月16日早晨从希腊一带海面出发,18日太阳从东方升起的时候,我们就通过直布罗陀海峡了。
对我来说,事情很明显,这地中海正处在尼摩船长要逃避的人所居住的陆地中间,他不喜欢这海。这海水和这海风给他带来了纵然不是过多的悔恨,也一定是过多的回忆。
;在这海里,海洋赋予他的那种自由自在的神情姿态,那种独来独往的行动,他现在没有了;他的诺第留斯号在这些非洲和欧洲相接近的海岸中间,也感到气闷。
因此,我们的速度是每小时二十五海里,即每里为四千米的十二里①。那不用说,尼德·兰很难过,只有放弃他的逃走计划。这样每秒十二至十三米的速度,他不可能使用“那只小艇。在这种条件下离开诺第留斯号,那等于从飞奔的火车上往下跳,简直是粗心大意的行为。并且,我们的船夜间才浮上水面来,调换新鲜空气,它单单根据罗盘的度数和测程器的指示来行驶。
所以,我从地中海内部往外看,就像快车上的旅客所看到的他眼前疾驰的风景一样,这是说,只看到远远的天际,但是像闪电一般飞过的眼前景致却反而看不见。不过,康塞尔和我,我们仍然可能看见一些地中海的鱼类,它们的鳍力量可以让它们在诺第留斯号的附近水流中停留一些时候。我们在客厅的玻璃边等待机会,我们的笔记对我校正地中海鱼类学有很大帮助。
在被阵阵电光照碍通亮的水流中间,有一些长一米的八目鳗婉蜒地游来游去,这种鱼差不多在所有气候不同的地方都有。稣鱼类的尖嘴鱼,宽五英尺,肚腹白色,脊背友色带斑点,像宽大的围巾被水流漂着滚来滚去。其他的鲫鱼类走过得很快,我想法认识它们是否应得希腊人给它们的“鹰”的称号,或者近代渔人很离奇地给它们的“老鼠”、“蟾涂”和“编幅”的名字。好些鸯形鲛有十二英尺长,这是潜水人特别害怕的东西,这些鲛彼此在水里比赛速度。梅狐狸,长八英尺,嗅觉极端敏锐,像淡蓝色的阴影一样在水中出现。扁鱼是绸鱼属,有些长至十三分米,全身银白和天蓝,缠上条纹,特别显出它们的鳍的深黑色调;这是古时专用来祭美神维纳斯的鱼,它们的眼睛嵌在金色眉睫里。美丽的鳍鱼,长丸至十米,是走动很快的动物,有力的尾巴仲撞客厅的玻璃,显出它们有小栗色斑点的淡蓝脊背,它们跟鲛鱼相像,但没有鲛鱼的气力大。这鱼在所有的海洋中都可碰见,春季,它们喜欢上溯到大河里。但在地中海的这些不同鱼类中,当诺第留斯号上浮接近水面时我可以最有益处地观察到的,是属于骨质鱼组的第六十三属。那是脊背蓝黑,肚腹带银甲,背上线条发出金黄微光的鳍鲸鱼。这类鱼是以跟着船只一齐走出名的,在热带的炎热天空下,它们找到了船的凉快阴影来躲藏:果然事情是这样,它们陪着诺第留斯号,像从前陪着拉·比路斯的船只一样。在长久的时间内,它们同我们的船比赛竞走。我不停地欣赏这些鱼,它们生来就是为便于赛跑的,它们的头很小,身子很光滑,作纺锤形,有些身长超过三米,它们的胸鳍特别有力,尾巴作叉形。它们行动时作三角形,像可以和它们比快的某种鸟类一样,因此,古时人就说它们是熟习几何学和战略砌。
我单单为记忆起见,举出康塞尔或我只能望见一下的那些地中海的鱼类。那是拳状电鳗,淡白色,游走时像不可捉摸的气体一样。有海鳝鱼,像长三至四米的蛇一样,带青、蓝和黄的美丽颜色。有海鳍鱼,长三英尺,肝是美味好吃的。有带条鱼,浮来浮去,像细长的海藻。有纺拂,诗人称为琴鱼,水手称为笛鱼,嘴上装有三角形和多齿形的两块薄片,形状像老荷马的乐器。有燕子笛鱼,走得很快,像燕子一样,所以得了这个名称。有金著稠,头红色,脊鳍上满是丝线条。有芦葵鱼,身上带有黑色、灰色、栗色、蓝色、黄色、青色的斑点,它能发出钟铃的叮当银质声响。有华美的蝶鱼,这鱼是海中的山鸡,全身作菱形,淡黄色的鳍,带粟子色的小斑点,左边上部,通常带有栗色和黄色花纹。最后有美丽的海诽鳃,那真正是海里面的无双鸟。
至于海中哺乳类,我觉得走过亚德里亚海口时看到了两三条大头鲸,它们具有真甲鲸属的脊鳍;几条圆球头属的海猪,它们是地中海的特产,头的前部有一条条的光辉花纹。又有十来条海豹,白肚腹,黑皮毛,大家知道它们的名字是“和尚”,它们的样子完全跟多明尼克①派的修土一样,身长三米。
在康塞尔方面,他觉得望见了一只六英尺宽的大龟,背有三条纵长的伸出去的突起棱骨。
至于植虫动物,我曾在短时间内,欣赏一种美丽的橙黄色唇形水熄,这些东西钩在船左舷嵌板的玻璃上,那是一条很长、很细的丝带,长出无穷无尽的枝叶,末梢是最精美的花边,就是阿拉克妮的敌手也织不出来。可惜我不能打到这个美丽的品种,幸而诺第留斯号在16日晚上速度特别缓慢了,要不然地中海的其他植虫动物一定不可能出现在我眼前。下面是当时的情况。
我们正从西西里岛和突尼斯海岸中间走过。在崩角和墨西拿海峡间的狭窄海中,海底突然上升;在这一带简直就形成了一条山脊,水深只有十六米,至于两边海底每边有一、百七十米深。所以诺第留斯号要很小心地行驶,怕撞上这道海底栅栏。
我在地中海地图上,指给康塞尔看那条很长的暗礁所。
占据的部位。
“不过,请先生原谅,”康塞尔说,“那就真正是连结欧洲。
和非洲的一条地峡了。”
“对,老实人,”我回答,“它完全堵住了利比亚海峡,史。
密斯的测量也证明了这两个大陆从前是在崩角和夫利那角、间连结起来的。”
“我很相信是这样。康塞尔说。
“要知道,”我立即又说,“类似的一道栅栏也存在于直布罗陀和叙达之间,在地质学的纪元时期把地中海完全封锁起来。”
康塞尔用心研究诺第留斯号缓慢地、挨近地面走过的那浅水海底。
这浅水海底,在多石的和火成岩的地下,有整部的活花草盛开着;有海绵:有海参;有透明的海胆;有带淡红色的蔓,发出轻微的磷光:有海袋,俗名海黄瓜,浸在七色阳光的及射光线中;有巡行游走的车盘,宽一米,它们的大红颜色.把海水都染红了;有最美的咸丛海水仙;有茎很长的石纹花;有许多种类不同,可以食用的海栗;有青色的海苑葵,茎于是淡灰色,花盘是栗子色,藏在触须形成的橄揽色毛发里面,很不容易看清楚。
康塞尔特别注意观察软体动物和节肢动物,虽然关于这一部分的术语有些枯燥,但我不愿对不起这个老实人,把他个人的观察遗漏了。
在软体动物门中,他举出许多的柿形海扇,彼此堆起来伪驴蹄形双壳贝,三角形的端那螺,鳍黄色和壳透明的三齿稍子贝,橙黄色的腹脚贝,带淡青色小斑点的卵形贝,名为海兔的腹足贝,古锨形贝,多肉的无触角贝,地中海特产的伞贝,壳中产生一种很宝贵的螺铀的海耳贝,火焰形海扇无头贝(据说,法国南部人爱吃这种贝甚于牡蛎),马赛人很宝贵的毛砚,又白又肥的双层草贝。又有一些介蛤,北美沿海出产很丰富,在纽约零售的数量非常之多。还有颜色变化很多的潜在自身壳洞中的盖形梳贝;我很爱吃的带胡椒味豹石子贝;顶上有凸起的壳,侧面有突出的带线条痕迹的薄鳃类蛤,大红瘤丛生的辛提贝;尖端弯曲和有些像小艇形的肉食贝:头上戴冠的铁贝;螺丝形介壳的人形柱贝;灰色海神贝;带有白点,蒙上丝绦的头巾,类似小蛐蜒的琴贝;爬在背上的洼涡贝;耳朵贝;其中有带椭圆形壳的琉璃草耳朵贝;茶褐色的丝挂贝;海螺,海蛤,菊贝,岩贝,薄片贝,宝石贝,花瓶贝等等。
至于节肢动物,康塞尔在他的笔记上,很正确地把它们分为六纲,其中有三纲是属于海产动物。这王纲是甲壳纲,蔓足纲和坏虫纲。
甲壳纲分为丸目,其中第一目包括十脚节肢动物,这些动物通常是头部和胸部连接起来,口腔器官由好几对节时组成,又有四对、五对或六对胸部的脚或走动的脚。康塞尔遵照我们的老师密尔·爱德华的方法,把十脚节肢动物分为三部:短尾部,长尾部和无尾部。这些名字稍微有点通俗,但很明白,很正确。在短尾部中,康塞尔举出“阿马地’蟹,前头有两支分开的长刺:蝎子蟹——我不知道因为什么~一希腊人拿这蟹来象征智慧。棍形海蜘蛛,刺形海蚁蛛,这些东西可能是迷路到达浅海底中来了,因为它们通常是在水很深的地方。十足蟹,矢形蟹,菱形蟹,粒形蟹——康塞尔指出,这蟹很容易消化;无齿的伞花蟹,螃蟹,西蟹,毛绒蟹等。在长尾部中,分为五科:装甲科,掘脚科,无定位科,虾科,足目科;康塞尔举出普通的龙虾(母龙虾肉是很受人重视的),熊虾,或海蝉,河虾,以及各种食用的虾但他没有说到无定位科的区别,其中有对虾这一属,因为地虾是地中海中唯一的对虾属。
诺第留斯号已经通过了利比亚海峡的浅水海底,到了深海水中,速度又照常了一自后,便看不见软体动。物、节胶动物、植虫动物了。只有一些大鱼,像黑影一般走过。
在2月16日至17日的夜间,我们进入了地中海的第二道水域,最深的地方有三千米。诺第留斯号受机轮的推动,随侧面的纵斜机板溜下,一直潜到最下的水层。
在最深的水层,虽然没有自然的新奇东西,但阵阵的海水也给我看到了各种动人和可怕的场面。正是在这时候,我们走过了地中海发生遇难沉船事件最多的地方。从阿尔及利亚沿海至普罗文沙海岸,不知道有多少船只遇难了1有多少船只沉没了!
因此,在这次从海底深水处走过的快速行驶中,我看见很多沉没的船躺在海底,有的已经被珊瑚胶粘住了,有的仅仅蒙上一层铁锈,锚、大炮、子弹、各种铁架、机轮叶、机器零件、破碎的圆筒、损坏的锅炉,以及那些浮在水中的船壳,有的直立,有的翻倒。
这些遇难的船只、有的因为相撞、有的由于碰上了花岗石的暗礁才沉没的。我看见有些船笔直地沉下去,桅墙直立,船具被水浸坏了。它们好像停泊在阔大的外港中,正等待准时开行。当诺第留斯号从它们中间走过,它的电光波照耀它们的时候,好像这些船招展它们的旗,向它致敬,把它们的编号向它报告!不,在这灾祸的场所上,只有寂静和死亡!
我看到地中海底下,当诺第留斯号愈来愈走近直布罗陀海峡的时候,这些遇难沉没船只的残骸也就堆积得愈来愈多了。欧洲和非洲海岸在这里狭窄起来,在这狭窄的空间隙中,相碰相憧是常有的事,我看见下面有许多铁制的船身,汽船的离奇古怪的残骸,有的倒下,有的竖立,好像十分庞大的动物。其中一只船,侧面破裂了,烟囱弯了,它的机轮只剩下骨架,它的舵已经离开尾柱,但铁链仍然把舵系注,它的后面铁盘已经受海盐的侵蚀,现出十分难看的形状!有多少人在这船遇难中丧了生!有多少牺牲者被拖到水底下去了!是不是有水手保全了性命,给人们讲述这次可怕的灾祸呢?或者水波仍然保持着这次遇难事件的秘密呢?
然而,诺第留斯号,无情地和迅速地开足机轮从这些残骸中间跑过去。2月18日,早晨三点左右,它出现在直布罗陀海峡的口上。
海峡中有两道水流:一道是上层水流,很久以来就有人知道是它把大西洋的水引人地中海的,又有一道相反的下层水流,现在由于推理证明了它的存在。是的,地中海水的总量,由大西洋潮水和流入其中的大河水,不停地增加,这海水的水平应该每年上涨,因为水汽的蒸发作用不能保持水量的平衡。不过,事实上并不是这样,因此,人们就自然而然地承认有一道下层水流的存在,把地中海过剩的水从直布罗陀海峡输送到大西洋去。
对的,这事实是正确的。就是这道相反的下层水流,诺第留斯号现在要来利用。它迅速地进人这条狭窄的水道。
在这一瞬间,我可以望见一下那座根据蒲林尼和阿维纽斯①的话而沉在海底下的壮丽惊人的赫克留斯庙的废墟。,以及在下面支承这庙的小岛,几分钟后,我们就浮在大西洋水波上面了。
1 Mediterranean | |
adj.地中海的;地中海沿岸的 | |
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2 par | |
n.标准,票面价值,平均数量;adj.票面的,平常的,标准的 | |
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3 excellence | |
n.优秀,杰出,(pl.)优点,美德 | |
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4 mare | |
n.母马,母驴 | |
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5 nostrum | |
n.秘方;妙策 | |
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6 cacti | |
n.(复)仙人掌 | |
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7 embalmed | |
adj.用防腐药物保存(尸体)的v.保存(尸体)不腐( embalm的过去式和过去分词 );使不被遗忘;使充满香气 | |
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8 saturated | |
a.饱和的,充满的 | |
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9 transparent | |
adj.明显的,无疑的;透明的 | |
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10 incessantly | |
ad.不停地 | |
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11 Neptune | |
n.海王星 | |
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12 Pluto | |
n.冥王星 | |
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13 accomplished | |
adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的 | |
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14 cramped | |
a.狭窄的 | |
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15 renounce | |
v.放弃;拒绝承认,宣布与…断绝关系 | |
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16 vessel | |
n.船舶;容器,器皿;管,导管,血管 | |
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17 steered | |
v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 );操纵;控制;引导 | |
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18 entirely | |
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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19 cape | |
n.海角,岬;披肩,短披风 | |
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20 fathoms | |
英寻( fathom的名词复数 ) | |
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21 manoeuvre | |
n.策略,调动;v.用策略,调动 | |
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22 isthmus | |
n.地峡 | |
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23 volcanic | |
adj.火山的;象火山的;由火山引起的 | |
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24 subterranean | |
adj.地下的,地表下的 | |
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25 plentiful | |
adj.富裕的,丰富的 | |
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26 strata | |
n.地层(复数);社会阶层 | |
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27 detriment | |
n.损害;损害物,造成损害的根源 | |
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28 corpse | |
n.尸体,死尸 | |
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29 interfere | |
v.(in)干涉,干预;(with)妨碍,打扰 | |
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30 reassured | |
adj.使消除疑虑的;使放心的v.再保证,恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
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31 evaporation | |
n.蒸发,消失 | |
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32 equilibrium | |
n.平衡,均衡,相称,均势,平静 | |
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