美国小学英语教材6:第69课 洋基快速船(8)

 Eighteen days, scoffed 1 the other, that is past any man's belief. Ships move by sails, not wings! 十八天，另一个人嘲笑道，这是任何人都不相信的。船靠帆走，而不是靠翅膀!

Eighteen days, repeated Humphrey sternly. I promise you that you will hear of our voyage made in just that time. 十八天。汉弗莱坚定地重复道。我向你保证，你会听到我们实现十八天航行的消息。
And when other vessels 2 are built to match or to better her, our country will come a great stride nearer to you, 当有跟这艘船相匹配或更好的船建造成功时，我们的国家将向你们迈进一大步，
a thousand miles nearer to traitors 3, murderers, and thieves. 向叛徒、杀人犯和小偷走近一千英里。
Humphrey brought his hand down upon the table with such force that the gold coins went rolling and tumbling to the floor, 汉弗莱的手用力拍着桌子，金币滚来滚去，滚到地板上。
and the important-looking Arab was forced to go down on his hands and knees to pick them up. 这个神气十足的阿拉伯人不得不跪下来把金币捡起来。
When he arose, Humphrey was standing 4 by the door, which he held open. The Arab departed in a great show of dignity and was rowed ashore 5. 他起身时，汉弗莱正站在门边，用手把门打开。那个阿拉伯人带着极大的尊严离开了，他上了岸。
Then Humphrey, with a sigh of relief, turned himself to the preparations for getting under way. 然后汉弗莱松了一口气，转身准备动身。
He had vowed 7 a vow 6 within himself that Jonathan Adams should not be disappointed, 他心里暗暗发誓，乔纳森·亚当斯不会失望的，
and that on the homeward voyage they would shorten the passage by the five days for which he had hoped. 在返航途中，他们会把航程缩短五天，这是他希望看到的情况。
ALL RECORDS BROKEN AT LAST 最终所有的记录都打破了
In the days that followed, whatever went wrong, whatever accident, small or great, 在接下来的日子里，无论出了什么差错，无论发生了什么事故，无论大小，
befell the ship on her race across the Atlantic, the wind never failed. Lines parted, tackle jammed, 不管这艘船在横渡大西洋的途中遇到了什么，风从来没有停止过。钓索分开了，绞索卡住了，
and sails carried away, but still the wind held. The oldest but ablest seaman 8, he who had not believed in Gibraltar when he saw it, 帆也扯走了，但风还在。他们中年纪最大但最能干的水手看到直布罗陀时还不相信它，
fell from a yard and was picked up with a broken knee. A falling block, dropping from a height to the deck below, crushed, as it fell, 他从一个帆桁上摔了下来，膝盖骨折，被人扶了起来。一块下落的木块，从高处掉到下面的甲板上，
the shoulder of another sailor. But still the wind held and still the ship cut the South-Atlantic rollers like an arrow. 落下时压碎了另一个水手的肩膀。但是风仍然刮得很猛，船仍然像箭一样劈着南大西洋的波浪。
Seven days, eight days, nine days, they were halfway 9 across, and excitement had begun to run breathlessly high. 七天，八天，九天——他们已经走了一半时间，他们兴奋得上气不接下气。
At the end of the ninth day, while the West Wind was wallowing in a cross sea, 第九天快结束的时候，西风在海面上横冲直撞，
it was discovered that the water casks had broken loose from their lashings; 忽然有人看见水桶从捆绑之中挣开了。
that two of them were crushed, others injured, and that the greater portion of their precious water had leaked away. 他们中有两个人被压死了，另一些人受伤了，他们宝贵的水大部分都漏出了。
Then we have need to make port all the more quickly, Captain Reynolds said grimly, 雷诺船长冷冷地说，那我们得赶快靠岸了，
and stood by in person while, to each man including himself, the small allowance of water for each day was measured out. 他亲自站在一旁，等着把那一小部分水量好，按天分配给包括他自己在内的所有人。