This measure was distasteful to me. To my mind it would lead nowhere. We could hope for nothing from the Nautilus's commander but could depend only on ourselves. Besides, for some time now the man had been gloomier, morewithdrawn, less sociable. He seemed to be avoiding me. I encountered him only at rare intervals. He used to take pleasure in explaining the underwater wonders to me; now he left me to my research and no longer entered the lounge.

但我不赞成这种做法。依我看，这种做法是不会奏效的。我们不应该对 “鹦鹉螺号”船上的指挥官抱任何希望，一切只能靠我们自己。再说这段时间以来，这个人变得更陰沉，更深居简出，更不爱与人交往。他好像在躲避我。我很少碰到他。以前他很乐意向我解释海底的奇观；可现在他对我的研究撒手不管，也不再到客厅来了。

What changes had come over him? From what cause? I had no reason to blame myself. Was our presence on board perhaps a burden to him? Even so, I cherished no hopes that the man would set us free.

他到底发生了什么变化？是因为什么呢？可我并没有什么需要自责的地方啊。那可能是我们在他船上出现使他为难了吧？然而，我却不会希望他是那种想给我们自由的人。

So I begged Ned to let me think about it before taking action. If this measure proved fruitless, it could arouse the captain's suspicions, make our circumstances even more arduous, and jeopardize the Canadian's plans. I might add that I could hardly use our state of health as an argument. Except for that grueling ordeal under the Ice Bank at the South Pole, we had never felt better, neither Ned, Conseil, nor I. The nutritious food, life-giving air, regular routine, and uniform temperature kept illness at bay; and for a man who didn't miss his past existence on land, for a Captain Nemo who was at home here, who went where he wished, who took paths mysterious to others if not himself in attaining his ends, I could understand such a life.

于是，我请求尼德在行动之前让我好好地想一想。如果这一步没取得任何效果的话，这样会引起他的疑心，而使我们的处境变得更艰难甚至破坏加拿大人的计划。我补充说我们无论如何也不能以我们的身体健康状况为理由，提出离开这里。因为既然我们能忍受得住南极大浮冰下的艰苦考验，那我们——不论是加拿大人、康塞尔，还是我——就什么都能挺得住。像现在这种卫生的饮食，这样有益于健康的空气，这般有规律的生活，如此恒定的温度，是不会让人生病的。而且对于一个离开了陆地生活而心中无悔的人来说对于尼摩船长来说，他现在是在自己的家里，来去自由，可以行踪鬼秘地——对于其他人来说是的而对于他自己来说则不是——去他想去的地方，我理解这样的生活。