Conseil was in dead earnest, but I didn't subscribe to his views. However, the situation had changed in only a short time and we hadn't noticed. Now some twenty dugout canoes were surrounding the Nautilus. Hollowed from tree trunks, these dugouts were long, narrow, and well designed for speed, keeping their balance by means of two bamboo poles that floated on the surface of the water. They were maneuvered by skillful, half-naked paddlers, and I viewed their advance with definite alarm.

康塞尔说的是老实话，不过我不赞同他的意见。可是目前的情形已经很不对了，这一点我们还没有觉察到。这时，有二十多只独木舟正围绕着诺第留斯号。这种独木舟是中空的树身做的，很长，很窄。为了便于行驶，配上两条浮在水面的竹制长杆，使舟身可以平衡不倾斜地摆动。独木舟由半光着身体、巧妙使用自由桨板的上人驾驶，我看见他们驶向前来，心中不能不害怕起来。

It was obvious these Papuans had already entered into relations with Europeans and knew their ships. But this long, iron cylinder lying in the bay, with no masts or funnels--what were they to make of it? Nothing good, because at first they kept it at a respectful distance. However, seeing that it stayed motionless, they regained confidence little by little and tried to become more familiar with it. Now then, it was precisely this familiarity that we needed to prevent. Since our weapons made no sound when they went off, they would have only a moderate effect on these islanders, who reputedly respect nothing but noisy mechanisms. Without thunderclaps, lightning bolts would be much less frightening, although the danger lies in the flash, not the noise.

很显然，这些巴布亚人已经跟欧洲人有过来往，他们见过而且能够识别欧洲人的船只。但我们这只躺在湾中的钢铁圆锥，没有桅槁，没有烟突，他们会怎么想呢？他们一定认为这是没有一点好处的坏东西，因为他们首先站在距离相当远的地方，不敢近前。可是，看见船停住不动，他们渐渐恢复了信心，想法子跟船熟识。正是这种要求熟识的行动，人们应加以阻止。我们的武器没有砰砰的声响，对于这些土人只能有一种很平常的效力，因为他们所害怕的是宏大的炮声，雷电的危险虽然在闪光而不在声响。但如果没有隆隆的轰击，也很少有人害怕。

Just then the dugout canoes drew nearer to the Nautilus, and a cloud of arrows burst over us.

这时候，独木舟更逼近诺第留斯号了，一阵一阵的箭落在船身上了。

"Fire and brimstone, it's hailing!" Conseil said. "And poisoned hail perhaps!"

“真怪! 下雹子了!"康塞尔说，“可能是有毒的雹子呢!"

"We've got to alert Captain Nemo," I said, reentering the hatch.

“应当通知尼摩船长。”我说，同时我就从嵌板中进来。

I went below to the lounge. I found no one there. I ventured a knock at the door opening into the captain's stateroom.

我走到客厅中，客厅里没有人。我冒昧敲一敲朝着船长房间开的那扇门。

The word "Enter!" answered me. I did so and found Captain Nemo busy with calculations in which there was no shortage of X and other algebraic signs.

一声“请进”回答我；我进去，我见船长正聚精会神地作计算，上面有很多X 未知数和其它的代数符号。