Part 2 Chapter 23

Thus ends the voyage under the seas. What passed during that night-how the boat escaped from the eddies² of the maelstrom³-how Ned Land, Conseil, and myself ever came out of the gulf⁴, I cannot tell.

But when I returned to consciousness, I was lying in a fisherman's hut, on the Loffoden Isles⁵. My two companions, safe and sound, were near me holding my hands. We embraced each other heartily⁶. At that moment we could not think of returning to France. The means of communication between the north of Norway and the south are rare. And I am therefore obliged to wait for the steamboat running monthly from Cape¹ North.

And, among the worthy⁷ people who have so kindly⁸ received us, I revise my record of these adventures once more. Not a fact has been omitted, not a detail exaggerated. It is a faithful narrative⁹ of this incredible expedition in an element inaccessible¹⁰ to man, but to which Progress will one day open a road.

Shall I be believed? I do not know. And it matters little, after all. What I now affirm is, that I have a right to speak of these seas, under which, in less than ten months, I have crossed 20,000 leagues in that submarine tour of the world, which has revealed so many wonders. But what has become of the Nautilus? Did it resist the pressure of the maelstrom? Does Captain Nemo still live? And does he still follow under the ocean those frightful¹¹ retaliations? Or, did he stop after the last hecatomb? Will the waves one day carry to him this manuscript containing the history of his life? Shall I ever know the name of this man? Will the missing vessel¹² tell us by its nationality that of Captain Nemo? I hope so. And I also hope that his powerful vessel has conquered the sea at its most terrible gulf, and that the Nautilus has survived where so many other vessels¹³ have been lost! If it be so--if Captain Nemo still inhabits the ocean, his adopted country, may hatred¹⁴ be appeased¹⁵ in that savage¹⁶ heart! May the contemplation of so many wonders extinguish for ever the spirit of vengeance¹⁷! May the judge disappear, and the philosopher continue the peaceful exploration of the sea! If his destiny be strange, it is also sublime¹⁸. Have I not understood it myself? Have I not lived ten months of this unnatural¹⁹ life? And to the question asked by Ecclesiastes three thousand years ago, "That which is far off and exceeding deep, who can find it out?" two men alone of all now living have the right to give an answer---CAPTAIN NEMO AND MYSELF.

下面就是我们这次海底旅行的结论。那天夜间的经过，小艇怎样逃出北冰洋大风暴的可怕漩涡，尼德·兰、康塞尔和我，我们怎样脱离这个无底深渊，我可不能说。但当我醒过来的时候，我躺在罗夫丹群岛上一个渔人的木头房子里面。我的两个同伴，安全无事，在我身边，双手紧紧按着我。我们热情地互相拥抱。

这时候，我们不能打算立即回法国去。挪威北部和南部的交通工具是很稀少的。所以我没有办法，只能等待半个月开行一次，往来北角的汽船经过这边才能走。

因此，就是在这些收留我们的善良老实的人们中间，我把这次新奇惊险的纪事重新翻阅一下。这些纪事是完全正确的。没有漏记一件事实，也没有夸张一处细节。它是那不可设想为真的、在人迹不能到的海底下作的这次新奇探险的忠实记录，当然，有一天学术进步，这海底是要变为可以自由通行的。

人们相信我的记录吗？那我可不知道。信不信，到底也没有什么关系。我现在可以肯定的是，我有权利和理由来讲这些海洋，在不到十个月的时间中，我在这些海洋底下走过了两万里，来讲这次穿过太平洋，印度洋、红海、地中海、大西洋、南北两极海洋，给我现出无限神奇的海底环球旅行！

可是，诺第留斯号怎样了？它抵住了北冰洋大风暴的压力吗？尼摩船长还活着吗？他在海洋底下继续执行他的可怕报复吗？或者他在上一次的大屠杀后，就停止了报复吗？海波有一天能把写有他整个生活历史的手稿带到人间来吗？到底我可能知道这个人的真名字吗？那只隐没不见的潜水船可以表明它的国籍，同时把尼摩船长的国籍也告诉我们吗？

我希望能这样。我同时又希望，他的强有力的潜水船战胜了那海洋中最可怕的深渊，诺第留斯号在无数的船只都沉没了的海上独能存在！如果事实是这样，如果尼摩船长老是居住在他所选择的祖国海洋中，但愿所有的仇恨都在这颗倔强的心中平息！但愿海底无限神奇的潜心静观熄灭他心中的复仇情绪！但愿他这个裁判执行人潜没无踪！

但愿他这个高明的学者继续作和平的探海工作！固然他的命运是离奇古怪，但他也是崇高伟大的。＝我自己不是了解他吗？我不是也亲自过了十个月的这种超自然的生活吗？

所以，对于六千年前《传道书》①中提出的这个问题：“谁能有一天测透这深渊的最深处呢？”现在，世上所有的人们中间，有两个人有权利来回答这问题了。这两个人就是尼麾船长和我。

1 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

2 eddies   

（水、烟等的）漩涡，涡流( eddy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Viscosity overwhelms the smallest eddies and converts their energy into heat. 粘性制服了最小的旋涡而将其能量转换为热。
• But their work appears to merge in the study of large eddies. 但在大旋涡的研究上，他们的工作看来却殊途同归。

3 maelstrom   

n.大乱动；大漩涡

参考例句：

• Inside,she was a maelstrom of churning emotions.她心中的情感似波涛汹涌，起伏不定。
• The anxious person has the spirit like a maelstrom.焦虑的人的精神世界就像一个大漩涡。

4 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

5 isles   

岛( isle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the geology of the British Isles 不列颠群岛的地质
• The boat left for the isles. 小船驶向那些小岛。

6 heartily   

adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很

参考例句：

• He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿，就出去找他的马。
• The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手，热情地和我握手。

7 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

8 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

9 narrative   

n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的

参考例句：

• He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
• Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。

10 inaccessible   

adj.达不到的，难接近的

参考例句：

• This novel seems to me among the most inaccessible.这本书对我来说是最难懂的小说之一。
• The top of Mount Everest is the most inaccessible place in the world.珠穆朗玛峰是世界上最难到达的地方。

11 frightful   

adj.可怕的；讨厌的

参考例句：

• How frightful to have a husband who snores!有一个发鼾声的丈夫多讨厌啊！
• We're having frightful weather these days.这几天天气坏极了。

12 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

13 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

14 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

15 appeased   

安抚，抚慰( appease的过去式和过去分词 )； 绥靖（满足另一国的要求以避免战争）

参考例句：

• His hunger could only be appeased by his wife. 他的欲望只有他的妻子能满足。
• They are the more readily appeased. 他们比较容易和解。

16 savage   

adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人

参考例句：

• The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs.那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。
• He has a savage temper.他脾气粗暴。

17 vengeance   

n.报复，报仇，复仇

参考例句：

• He swore vengeance against the men who murdered his father.他发誓要向那些杀害他父亲的人报仇。
• For years he brooded vengeance.多年来他一直在盘算报仇。

18 sublime   

adj.崇高的，伟大的；极度的，不顾后果的

参考例句：

• We should take some time to enjoy the sublime beauty of nature.我们应该花些时间去欣赏大自然的壮丽景象。
• Olympic games play as an important arena to exhibit the sublime idea.奥运会，就是展示此崇高理念的重要舞台。

19 unnatural   

adj.不自然的；反常的

参考例句：

• Did her behaviour seem unnatural in any way?她有任何反常表现吗？
• She has an unnatural smile on her face.她脸上挂着做作的微笑。