I was mulling this over when the captain approached, cool and calm, forever in control of himself, looking neither alarmed nor annoyed.

我正在这样想的时候，尼摩船长很冷静，好像一点也不激动，一点也不失望地走近前来，他总是那样胸有成竹。

An accident? I said to him.

出了什么事故吗?我对他说。

No, an incident, he answered me.

不,是偶然的事件。他回答我。

But an incident, I replied, that may oblige you to become a resident again of these shores you avoid!

是偶然的事件，我又说，但它或者要使您重新做您不愿意做的陆上居民呢！

Captain Nemo gave me an odd look and gestured no. Which told me pretty clearly that nothing would ever force him to set foot on a land mass again. Then he said:

尼摩船长拿奇异的眼光注视我，做一个否定的手势。这就足够清楚地对我说明，没有什么东西能够再强迫他又回到陆地上去。一会儿他又对我说：

No, Professor Aronnax, the Nautilus isn't consigned to perdition. It will still carry you through the midst of the ocean's wonders. Our voyage is just beginning, and I've no desire to deprive myself so soon of the pleasure of your company.

阿龙纳斯先生，诺第留斯号现在还没有损坏呢。它仍然可以送您去看海洋的秘密。我们的海底旅行仅仅是一个开端呢，我很荣幸能够陪伴您，我不愿让旅行这样快就结束了。

Even so, Captain Nemo, I went on, ignoring his ironic turn of phrase, the Nautilus has run aground at a moment when the sea is full. Now then, the tides aren't strong in the Pacific, and if you can't unballast the Nautilus, which seems impossible to me, I don't see how it will float off.

尼摩船长，我并没有注意他这一句话的讽刺语气，我又说，但诺第留斯号是在高潮来的时候搁浅了。一般说来，太平洋的潮水上涨时是不高的，如果您不能把诺第留斯号浮起来—在我看来这是不可能的—那我就看不到它有什么法子，能够离开暗礁，重回大海。

You're right, professor, the Pacific tides aren't strong, Captain Nemo replied. But in the Torres Strait, one still finds a meter-and-a-half difference in level between high and low seas. Today is January 4, and in five days the moon will be full. Now then, I'll be quite astonished if that good-natured satellite doesn't sufficiently raise these masses of water and do me a favor for which I'll be forever grateful.

太平洋的潮水涨得不高，教授，您说得对，尼摩船长回答我，但是托列斯海峡，高潮和低潮之间，仍然有一米半的差别。今天是1月4日，过五天月亮就圆了。如果这个讨人喜欢的月球，不掀起足够的水量，不给我出一把力做我只想由它来做的这件好事，我才十分奇怪呢！