First off, I'll mention that at the bottom of the sea there exist veins of zinc, iron, silver, and gold whose mining would quite certainly be feasible.

首先，我对您说，海底有锌、铁、银、金等矿藏，开发并不是不可能的事。

But I've tapped none of these land-based metals, and I wanted to make demands only on the sea itself for the sources of my electricity.

但我并不借助于陆地上的这些金属，我只是要大海本身来供给我生产电力的原料。

The sea itself?

要海来供给?

Yes, professor, and there was no shortage of such sources.

是的，教授，我的方怯多着呢。

In fact, by establishing a circuit between two wires immersed to different depths, I'd be able to obtain electricity through the diverging temperatures they experience;

譬如我可以把沉在不同深度下的金属线连结成电路，金属线受到的不同热度就产生电：

but I preferred to use a more practical procedure.

但我通常采用的，是另一种比较方便而实用的方法。

And that is?

是哪种方法呢?

You're familiar with the composition of salt water. In 1,000 grams one finds 96.5% water and about 2.66% sodium chloride;

海水的成份您是知道的。一千克的海水有百分之九十六点五是水，百分之二点七左右是氯化钠，

then small quantities of magnesium chloride, potassium chloride, magnesium bromide, sulfate of magnesia, calcium sulfate, and calcium carbonate.

其余就是小量的氯化镁，氯化钾，澳化镁，硫酸镁，硫酸和石炭酸。

Hence you observe that sodium chloride is encountered there in significant proportions.

由此您可以看出，氯化钠在海水中含有相当大的分量。

Now then, it's this sodium that I extract from salt water and with which I compose my electric cells.

而我从海水中提出来的就是钠，我就是用这些钠制造我所需要的物质。