Captain Nemo decided to make for the ocean floor by submerging on an appropriately gradual diagonal with the help of his side fins, which were set at a 45 degrees angle to the Nautilus's waterline.

尼摩船长决定这样探测海底，即使用船侧的纵斜机板，使它与诺第留斯号的浮标线成四十五度角，然后沿着一条充分引伸的对角线潜下去。

Then the propeller was brought to its maximum speed, and its four blades churned the waves with indescribable violence.

这样安排好后，推进器开到最大的速度，它的四重机叶猛烈搅打海水，这情景简直难以形容。

Under this powerful thrust the Nautilus's hull quivered like a resonating chord, and the ship sank steadily under the waters.

在这强大力量的推送下，诺第留斯号的船壳像一根咚咚震响的绳索一样，全部抖动，很规律地潜入水中。

Stationed in the lounge, the captain and I watched the needle swerving swiftly over the pressure gauge.

船长和我在客厅中守候，我们眼盯着那移动得很快的压力表的指针。

Soon we had gone below the livable zone where most fish reside. Some of these animals can thrive only at the surface of seas or rivers, but a minority can dwell at fairly great depths.

不久就超过了那大部分鱼类可以生活居住的水层。有些鱼类只能生活在海水或河水的上层，其他数量较少的鱼类又时常住在相当深的水中。

Among the latter I observed a species of dogfish called the cow shark that's equipped with six respiratory slits, the telescope fish with its enormous eyes,

在后一种鱼类中，我看到六孔海豚，有六个呼吸口，望远镜鱼，有望远镜一般的巨大眼睛，

the armored gurnard with gray thoracic fins plus black pectoral fins and a breastplate protected by pale red slabs of bone, then finally the grenadier, living at a depth of 1,200 meters, by that point tolerating a pressure of 120 atmospheres.

带甲刀板鱼，这鱼有灰色的前胸鳍和黑色的后胸鳍，有淡红色的骨片胸甲保护，最后，榴弹鱼，生活在一千二百米的深处，顶着一百二十度的大气压力。

I asked Captain Nemo if he had observed any fish at more considerable depths.

我问尼摩船长，他是不是曾在更深的水层观察过鱼类。

"Fish? Rarely!" he answered me. "But given the current state of marine science, who are we to presume, what do we really know of these depths?"

他回答我：鱼类吗？很少很少。但在目前这一阶段人们对于科学又推测到些什么？人们知道了什么？