The mountains of arguments amassed over a year collapsed all at once, and each man now wanted only to catch up on his eating and sleeping, 一年来累积起的像磐石一般的理由，一下子完全垮下来了，这时每个人都想好好吃一吃，睡一睡，

to make up for the time he had so stupidly sacrificed.

来弥补因为自己愚蠢而牺牲了的时间。

With typical human fickleness, they jumped from one extreme to the other.

由于天生就的动摇性，容易从一个极端跑到另一个极端。

Inevitably, the most enthusiastic supporters of the undertaking became its most energetic opponents.

当初最热诚拥护这次远征的人，现在却变成最激烈的反对者了。

This reaction mounted upward from the bowels of the ship,

这次反响从舱底发生，

from the quarters of the bunker hands to the messroom of the general staff;

从仓库看守人的岗位传到船参谋部的军官餐厅。

and for certain, if it hadn't been for Commander Farragut's characteristic stubbornness, thefrigate would ultimately have put back to that cape in the south.

毫无疑问，如果不是法拉古舰长特别坚持，这艘船早就掉头往南开了。

But this futile search couldn't drag on much longer.

可是，这种无益的搜索再也不能拖得过久。

The Abraham Lincoln had done everything it could to succeed and had no reason to blame itself.

林肯号已经尽了最大的努力，实在丝毫没有可以责备的地方了。

Never had the crew of an American naval craft shown more patience and zeal; they weren't responsible for this failure; there was nothing to do but go home.

美国海军部派到这只船上的人员，从没有表现过这么大的耐心和热情;失败并不能怪他们;现在除了回航没有什么可做了。