英国语文第五册(双语):钱塘江大潮(2)
"Loud shouting from the fleet announced the appearance of the flood, which seemed like a glistening white cable stretched athwart the river at its mouth, as far down as the eye could reach.
“船上人的大声呼喊预示着潮水的来临，目光所及，潮水好像是穿在河口处的一条白线。
Its noise, compared by Chinese poets to that of thunder, speedily drowned that of the boatmen;
中国的诗人将涨潮的声音比作惊雷，这种声音很快盖过了船家的声音；
and as it advanced with great rapidity—at the rate, I should judge, of twentyfive miles an hour—it assumed the appearance of an alabaster wall,
潮水涌来的速度极快；——我猜应该达到了二十英里的时速——潮水铸成了一道光亮洁白的墙，
or rather of a cataract four or five miles across, and about thirty feet high, moving bodily onward!
也像是一条四五英里宽，约三十英尺高的大瀑布在向前扑来！
Soon it reached the advanced guard of the immense assemblage of vessels awaiting its approach.”
很快，潮水就涨到了船只停放的地方。”
"Knowing that the Bore of the Hoogly-which scarcely deserves mention in connection with the one before me—invariably overturned boats which were not skilfully managed,
“我们所知道的胡格里河的涨潮——和我眼前的景象比起来根本就不值一提——那些操作不善的船只不可避免地会翻船，
I could not but feel apprehensive for the lives of the floating multitude.
我对水里的人的安全感到担忧。
As the foaming wall of water dashed furiously onward they were silenced, all being intently occupied in keeping their prows towards the wave,
白色水墙袭来，潮水有要淹没所有水里的东西的石头，他们并不惊慌，
which threatened to submerge everything afloat; but they all vaulted, as it were, to the summit with perfect safety.”
专心致志地将船头掉转向潮水的方向，但是他们毫发无损地将船开到浪头上。”
"The spectacle was of greatest interest when the Bore had passed about half way among the craft.
“最有意思的奇观是当潮水到达半道的时候。
On one side they were quietly reposing on the surface of the unruffled stream, while those on the lower portion were pitching and heaving on the flood:
船身的一边浮在平静的水面上，但是地处低处的那些船就被潮水打翻了，在水里上下起伏：
others were scaling, with the agility of salmon, the formidable cascade.”
其它的船只像鲑鱼一样灵活，避开了强大的潮水。”
"This grand and exciting scene was of but a moment's duration,—it passed up the river in an instant;
“这一壮观的场景只持续了一小会儿——潮水来得很急；
but, from this point, with gradually diminishing force, size, and velocity, until it ceased to be perceptible, at a distance, say the Chinese accounts, of eighty miles from the city.
但是它的力量，规模和速度慢慢地减弱，用中国的衡量方法来说，慢慢地涨到了离城市八英里的地方。
