通译双语文库:神秘岛Book 2 第18章

1

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赫伯特跑到门口，只见艾尔通拉动升降梯的绳子，在黑暗中消失了。他回到屋里，叫道：“可怜的人！”

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"Poor man!" said Herbert, who had rushed to the door, but returned, having seen Ayrton slide down the rope on the lift and disappear in the darkness.

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“他会回来的。”赛勒斯·史密斯说。

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"He will come back," said Cyrus Harding.

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“史密斯先生，”潘克洛夫大声说，“这是怎么回事？怎么说，难道瓶子真的不是艾尔通扔在海里的吗？那么是谁扔的呢？”

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"Come, now, captain," exclaimed Pencroft, "what does that mean? What! wasn’t it Ayrton who threw that bottle into the sea? Who was it then?"

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不错，这的确是一个问题！

4

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Certainly, if ever a question was necessary to be made, it was that one!

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“是他扔的，”纳布答道，“不过这个不幸的人已经半疯了。”

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"It was he," answered Neb, "only the unhappy man was half-mad."

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“是的！”赫伯特说，“他已经不记得自己干过些什么了。”

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"Yes!" said Herbert, "and he was no longer conscious of what he was doing."

7

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“这个问题只好这样解释，朋友们，”史密斯很快地说，“我现在才明白艾尔通怎么会知道达抱岛的正确位置的，原来在他没有被遗留在岛上以前，发生过那样的事情，所以他才知道的。”

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"It can only be explained in that way, my friends," replied Harding quickly, "and I understand now how Ayrton was able to point out exactly the situation of Tabor Island, since the events which had preceded his being left on the island had made it known to him."

8

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“可是，”潘克洛夫说，“如果他在写纸条的时候，还没有变成一个野兽，如果他是七八年前把瓶子扔在海里的，那么纸条怎么没有潮湿呢？”

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"However," observed Pencroft, "if he was not yet a brute when he wrote that document, and if he threw it into the sea seven or eight years ago, how is it that the paper has not been injured by damp?"

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“这说明艾尔通记错了，”赛勒斯·史密斯答道，“他是后来才丧失理智的。”

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"That proves," answered Cyrus Harding, "that Ayrton was deprived of intelligence at a more recent time than he thinks."

10

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“这才对呢，”潘克洛夫说，“要不然就没法解释了。”

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"Of course it must be so," replied Pencroft, "without that the fact would be unaccountable."

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“的确，没法解释。”工程师说，他似乎不想继续谈下去。

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"Unaccountable indeed," answered the engineer, who did not appear desirous to prolong the conversation.

12

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“可是，艾尔通说的是实话吗？”水手问道。

12

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"But has Ayrton told the truth?" asked the sailor.

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“是的，”通讯记者回答说。“他的故事完全是真实的。关于格里那凡爵士乘游船远航，以及远航的结果都登在当时的报上了，我记得很清楚。”

13

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"Yes," replied the reporter. "The story which he has told is true in every point. I remember quite well the account in the newspapers of the yacht expedition undertaken by Lord Glenarvan, and its result."

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“艾尔通说的是实话，”史密斯补充道。“不要怀疑，潘克洛夫，这样会使他痛苦。人在这样谴责自己的时候，总是说实话的！”

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"Ayrton has told the truth," added Harding. "Do not doubt it, Pencroft, for it was painful to him. People tell the truth when they accuse themselves like that!"

15

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第二天，12月21日，移民们下到海滩，爬上高地，发现艾尔通并不在那里。他回到畜栏的时候，已经是深夜了，移民们认为最好还是不要去打扰他。勉励不能做到的事情，时间一定能够做到。

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The next day--the 21st of December--the colonists descended to the beach, and having climbed the plateau they found nothing of Ayrton. He had reached his house in the corral during the night and the settlers judged it best not to agitate him by their presence. Time would doubtless perform what sympathy had been unable to accomplish.

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赫伯特、潘克洛夫和纳布继续做他们的日常工作。史密斯和通讯记者在当天又到“石窟”去进行原来的工作了。

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Herbert, Pencroft, and Neb resumed their ordinary occupations. On this day the same work brought Harding and the reporter to the workshop at the Chimneys.

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“你知道吗，亲爱的赛勒斯？”吉丁·史佩莱说。“昨天你在瓶子这个问题上所作的解释，完全不能使我满意！你怎么能认为这个不幸的人写了纸条，把瓶子扔在海里，而自己竟一点儿也不记得呢？”

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"Do you know, my dear Cyrus," said Gideon Spilett, "that the explanation you gave yesterday on the subject of the bottle has not satisfied me at all! How can it be supposed that the unfortunate man was able to write that document and throw the bottle into the sea without having the slightest recollection of it?"

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“而且也不能认为是他把瓶子扔在海里的呀，亲爱的史佩莱。”

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"Nor was it he who threw it in, my dear Spilett."

19

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“那么你想的是……”

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"You think then--"

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“我什么也没有想，什么也不知道！”赛勒斯·史密斯打断了他。“直到现在，还有许多事情我没法解释，我只好把它也算做一桩没法解释的事情！”

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"I think nothing, I know nothing!" interrupted Cyrus Harding. "I am content to rank this incident among those which I have not been able to explain to this day!"

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“的确，赛勒斯，”史佩莱说，“这些事情真是莫名其妙！你的被救、海滩上搁浅的箱子、托普的冒险，最后还有这个瓶子……这些谜会不会永远得不到答案呢？”

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"Indeed, Cyrus," said Spilett, "these things are incredible! Your rescue, the case stranded on the sand, Top’s adventure, and lastly this bottle... Shall we never have the answer to these enigmas?"

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“不会！”工程师很快他说，“决不会，即使需要钻到海岛的地底下去，我也要弄个水落石出！”

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"Yes!" replied the engineer quickly, "yes, even if I have to penetrate into the bowels of this island!"

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“也许有一天，机会能让我们找到打开这个秘密的钥匙！”

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"Chance will perhaps give us the key to this mystery!"

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“机会！史佩莱！我决不相信机会和神秘。这里发生了许多不可思议的事情，但是总有一个原因，这个原因我一定要找出来。不过在目前，我们还要工作和观察。”

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"Chance! Spilett! I do not believe in chance, any more than I believe in mysteries in this world. There is a reason for everything unaccountable which has happened here, and that reason I shall discover. But in the meantime we must work and observe."

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一月份到了。现在进入了1867年。大家辛勤地进行着夏季的工作。接连好几天，赫伯特和史佩莱到畜栏那边去打猎，他们告诉大家，艾尔通已经在专为他准备的房子里住下来。他成天忙着照料托付给他的羊群，这样一来，伙伴们就不需要每隔两三天到畜栏去一次了。然而，为了免得艾尔通长久寂寞起见，居民们还是经常去探望他。

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The month of January arrived. The year 1867 commenced. The summer occupations were assiduously continued. During the days which followed, Herbert and Spilett having gone in the direction of the corral, ascertained that Ayrton had taken possession of the habitation which had been prepared for him. He busied himself with the numerous flock confided to his care, and spared his companions the trouble of coming every two or three days to visit the corral. Nevertheless, in order not to leave Ayrton in solitude for too long a time, the settlers often paid him a visit.

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由于工程师和吉丁·史佩莱心里抱着一些疑虑，因此在海岛的这部分地区有一个人管着也是相当重要的，如果发生什么意外，艾尔通也能通知“花岗石官”里的居民。

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It was not unimportant either, in consequence of some suspicions entertained by the engineer and Gideon Spilett, that this part of the island should be subject to a surveillance of some sort, and that Ayrton, if any incident occurred unexpectedly, should not neglect to inform the inhabitants of Granite House of it.

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然而有的事情是必须在发生后立刻就要告诉工程师。除了和林肯岛的秘密有关的问题外，还有其他可能发生的事情，也应该尽快让居民们知道，例如看见来船，西海岸有船遇险，以及可能有海盗到岛上来等等情况。

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Nevertheless it might happen that something would occur which it would be necessary to bring rapidly to the engineer’s knowledge. Independently of facts bearing on the mystery of Lincoln Island, many others might happen, which would call for the prompt interference of the colonists,--such as the sighting of a vessel, a wreck on the western coast, the possible arrival of pirates, etc.

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因此，赛勒斯·史密斯决定要使“花岗石宫”和畜栏能够随时随刻取得联系。

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Therefore Cyrus Harding resolved to put the corral in instantaneous communication with Granite House.

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1月10日，他向伙伴们宣布了他的计划。

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It was on the 10th of January that he made known his project to his companions.

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“怎么，你打算干什么，史密斯先生？”潘克洛夫问道。“你难道想装电报吗？”

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"Why! how are you going to manage that, captain?" asked Pencroft. "Do you by chance happen to think of establishing a telegraph?"

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“一点儿也不错。”工程师回答说。

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"Exactly so," answered the engineer.

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“电的吗？”赫伯特叫道。

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"Electric?" cried Herbert.

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“电的，”赛勒斯·史密斯答道。“制造电池的必要材料我们全都有，最困难的是要有个拉铁丝的工具拉铁丝。可是，我认为这个问题也是能够解决的。”

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"Electric," replied Cyrus Harding. "We have all the necessary materials for making a battery, and the most difficult thing will be to stretch the wires, but by means of a drawplate I think we shall manage it."

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“好吧，”水手说，“将来有一天大家能坐上火车，我才高兴呢！”

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"Well, after that," returned the sailor, "I shall never despair of seeing ourselves some day rolling along on a railway!"

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于是他们着手工作，一开始先做最难办的事情，也就是制造铁丝，因为如果铁丝做不成，就省得制造电池和其他的附件了。

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They then set to work, beginning with the most difficult thing, for, if they failed in that, it would be useless to manufacture the battery and other accessories.

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前面已经说过，林肯岛的铁质十分优良，因此用来拉铁丝非常适合。史密斯第一步先制造拉模板，这是一种钻有大小不同的圆锥形窟窿的钢板，它可以逐渐使铁丝达到要求的粗细。工程师打算利用瀑布作为动力，就在离开大瀑布只有几英尺的地上，埋了一个结实的架子，把煅成的钢板牢牢地固定在架子上。压榨机就在这里，而且现在正闲着，只要用巨大的力量推动卷轴，它就可以把铁丝拉长并卷上去。这是一项细致的工作，需要十分小心。他们预先把铁做成铁棍，两头锉尖，然后把铁棍插在拉模板最大的窟窿里，卷轴一面卷一面把它拉出来，抽长到二十五英尺到三十英尺，然后再把它松开，依次在较小的窟窿里，重复同样的操作。最后，工程师得到长四十到五十英尺的铁丝，把这些铁丝连接起来，就可以毫不困难地从“花岗石宫”一直架到五英里以外的畜栏去。

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The iron of Lincoln Island, as has been said, was of excellent quality, and consequently very fit for being drawn out. Harding commenced by manufacturing a drawplate, that is to say, a plate of steel, pierced with conical holes of different sizes, which would successively bring the wire to the wished-for tenacity. This piece of steel, after having been tempered, was fixed in as firm a way as possible in a solid framework planted in the ground, only a few feet from the great fall, the motive power of which the engineer intended to utilize. In fact as the fulling- mill was there, although not then in use, its beam moved with extreme power would serve to stretch out the wire by rolling it round itself. It was a delicate operation, and required much care. The iron, prepared previously in long thin rods, the ends of which were sharpened with the file, having been introduced into the largest hole of the drawplate, was drawn out by the beam which wound it round itself, to a length of twenty-five or thirty feet, then unrolled, and the same operation was performed successively through the holes of a less size. Finally, the engineer obtained wires from forty to fifty feet long, which could be easily fastened together and stretched over the distance of five miles, which separated the corral from the bounds of Granite House.

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赛勒斯·史密斯安装好机械以后，立刻把拉电线的工作交给伙伴们，自己去制造电池；不多几天，拉铁丝的工作就完成了。

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It did not take more than a few days to perform this work, and indeed as soon as the machine had been commenced, Cyrus Harding left his companions to follow the trade of wiredrawers, and occupied himself with manufacturing his battery.

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现在需要制造一种直流电池。大家知道，现代电池一般都是用炭精棒、锌和铜做成的。工程师一点铜也没有，他找遍了林肯岛也没有找到，只好不用它。炭精就是煤气工厂里使煤去氢以后，在蒸馏器里所得的石墨，是可以做出来的；然而要取得炭精，就必须花很大气力制造一种特殊的设备。至于锌，大家也许还记得，在遗物角拾到的那只箱子里就衬着这种金属，用来做电池再适合也没有了。

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It was necessary to obtain a battery with a constant current. It is known that the elements of modern batteries are generally composed of retort coal, zinc, and copper. Copper was absolutely wanting to the engineer, who, notwithstanding all his researches, had never been able to find any trace of it in Lincoln Island, and was therefore obliged to do without it. Retort coal, that is to say, the hard graphite which is found in the retorts of gas manufactories, after the coal has been dehydrogenized, could have been obtained, but it would have been necessary to establish a special apparatus, involving great labor. As to zinc, it may be remembered that the case found at Flotsam Point was lined with this metal, which could not be better utilized than for this purpose.

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赛勒斯·史密斯考虑成熟以后，决定尽量模仿倍柯勒尔在1820年的发明，制造一种非常简单的电池，这种电池只需要锌。其他的东西，硝酸和钾碱，工程师都已经有了。

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Cyrus Harding, after mature consideration, decided to manufacture a very simple battery, resembling as nearly as possible that invented by Becquerel in 1820, and in which zinc only is employed. The other substances, azotic acid and potash, were all at his disposal.

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这种电池利用硝酸和钾碱互相作用而成，它的构造是这样的：工程师用许多玻璃瓶盛上硝酸。瓶上塞着塞子，玻璃管通过塞子，插进瓶里，管子的下端开着小孔，外面由装着粘土的布口袋紧紧地包扎着，管子是打算浸在硝酸里的。工程师预先把各种植物烧成灰烬，做成钾碱溶液，然后把溶液从管子的上端倒进去，这样，硝酸和钾碱就可以通过粘土互相作用了。

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The way in which the battery was composed was as follows, and the results were to be attained by the reaction of acid and potash on each other. A number of glass bottles were made and filled with azotic acid. The engineer corked them by means of a stopper through which passed a glass tube, bored at its lower extremity, and intended to be plunged into the acid by means of a clay stopper secured by a rag. Into this tube, through its upper extremity, he poured a solution of potash, previously obtained by burning and reducing to ashes various plants, and in this way the acid and potash could act on each other through the clay.

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然后，赛勒斯·史密斯又用了两块锌片，一片浸在硝酸里，一片浸在钾碱溶液里，两块锌片之间有金属线连接着。一股电流立刻产生了，电流从瓶里的锌片传到管里的锌片。管里的锌片就变成了阳极，瓶里的锌片就成了电池的阴极，把每一个电瓶所产生的电流加在一起，就足够电报使用了。这就是赛勒斯·史密斯的天才的、简单的创造，这个创造可以使“花岗石宫”和畜栏之间建立电报联系。

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2月6日，开始在通往畜栏的道路上竖立电线杆，电线杆上并装有拉电线用的玻璃绝缘器。几天以后，电线架好了，随时准备输送每秒钟十万公里的电流，地则作为这种电流的回路。

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工程师一共制造了两套电池，一套放在“花岗石宫”，一套放在畜栏；因为这样畜栏有事就可以通知“花岗石宫”，“花岗石宫”有事就可以通知畜栏，这是有很大的好处。

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至于收报机和发报机，制造起来非常简单。两地的电线分别绕在磁铁上，这是一块软铁，上面绕着导线。这样，两极之间就可以通电了；电流从阳极出发，通过线路，当它经过磁铁的时候，磁铁就暂时磁化了，然后电流再从地底下回到阴极来。如果电路一旦中断，磁铁马上就会失去磁性。只要把一片软铁放在磁铁前面，电路接通的时候，就会把它吸住，电路中断的时候，它就会掉下来。史密斯把铁片的活动装置做好，余下的工作就简单了，只要在一个圆盘上写明字母，在铁片上安上指针，两个电站之间就可以联系了。

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As to the receiver and manipulator, they were very simple. At the two stations the wire was wound round a magnet, that is to say, round a piece of soft iron surrounded with a wire. The communication was thus established between the two poles; the current, starting from the positive pole, traversed the wire, passed through the magnet which was temporarily magnetized, and returned through the earth to the negative pole. If the current was interrupted, the magnet immediately became unmagnetized. It was sufficient to place a plate of soft iron before the magnet, which, attracted during the passage of the current, would fall back when the current was interrupted. This movement of the plate thus obtained, Harding could easily fasten to it a needle arranged on a dial, bearing the letters of the alphabet, and in this way communicate from one station to the other.

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2月12日，一切都已经准备停当。这天史密斯发了一个电报，问畜栏里是不是一切都很好，一会儿工夫，艾尔通就来了一个令人满意的答复。潘克洛夫高兴得发了狂，从此以后，他每天早晨和晚上都打电报给畜栏，每一次都得到了回电。

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All was completely arranged by the 12th of February. On this day, Harding, having sent the current through the wire, asked if all was going on well at the corral, and received in a few moments a satisfactory reply from Ayrton. Pencroft was wild with joy, and every morning and evening he sent a telegram to the corral, which always received an answer.

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这种通讯的方法有两个优点：第一，他们可以知道艾尔通是不是在畜栏里，第二，这样艾尔通就不完全是孤单单的一个人了。就是这样，赛勒斯·史密斯还是每星期都去看他，艾尔通也常到“花岗石宫”来，每次来的时候，他都受到热情的招待。

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美好的季节在日常工作中度过了。小队的资源，特别是蔬菜和粮食，一天天在增加，从达抱岛带回来的植物长得很好。

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眺望岗的高地上也呈现了一片欣欣向荣的气象。第四次麦秋又是丰收，可以想得到，谁也不去计算收下来的麦子够不够四千亿粒了。潘克洛夫虽然曾经有过这个打算，不过赛勒斯·史密斯告诉他；即使每分钟能数三百颗，一个钟头数九千，他也需要差不多五千五百年，才能完成这项工作，善良的水手觉得最好还是放弃这个念头。

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天气很好，白天非常热，可是一到傍晚，因为有海风调节大气的温度，“花岗石宫”里的居民就觉得很凉了。在这期间，也曾有过几场暴风雨，虽然历时不长，然而来势非常凶猛，整个林肯岛都被风雨慑服了。电光闪闪，雷声隆隆，往往延续好几个钟头。

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在这期间，这小岛非常繁荣。

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家禽场里的住宅都挤满了，居民们就以过剩的“人口”作为食粮，可是还应该把“人口”减少到一个适当的数字才行。猪已经生下了猪崽，可以想象，纳布和潘克洛夫为了照料它们，曾花了不少的时间。吉丁·史佩莱和赫伯特经常骑着野驴——现在它们已经添了一对很漂亮的小驴——出去，在通讯记者的指导下，赫伯特成了优秀的骑手，他们也常用牲口拉车，有时往“花岗石官”里运木柴、煤炭，有时运工程师所需要的各种矿产。

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在这期间，他们深入远西森林，进行了几次探险。探险家们到那里去倒用不着担心受暑，因为阳光很难穿透他们头顶上的浓密的枝叶。他们视察了整个慈悲河的左岸，沿岸就是从畜栏通往瀑布河口的道路。

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居民们在这几次探险中，总是全副武装，因为他们常常遇到凶猛的野猪，而且和它们搏斗已经不止一次了。在这个季节里，他们也和美洲豹进行过激烈的战斗。吉丁·史佩莱恨透了美洲豹；他的学生赫伯特是他有力的帮手。由于他们经常携带着武器，就不怕遇到这种野兽了。赫伯特是天不怕地不怕，通讯记者则是惊人地沉着。“花岗石宫”的餐厅里，已经挂起二十张斑斓的兽皮了，如果继续下去，猎人们很快就可以达到他们的目的——使岛上的美洲豹绝种。

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有时候工程师也参加远征，到海岛上这一带陌生的地方来，他非常仔细地观察这个地带。在这广阔无边的密林深处，他注意的倒不是兽迹，而是一些其他的踪迹，然而他始终没有发现什么值得怀疑的东西。和他一起来的还有托普和杰普，它们都没有表示发现这里有什么奇怪的东西。托普在井口倒是不止一次地咆哮，可是工程师已经到井里去探索过了，并没有结果。

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箱子里的照相器材始终没有用过，这期间，吉丁·史佩莱在赫伯特的帮助下，用它在荒岛上风景最好的地方，照了许多相片。

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照相机的物镜扩大能力很强，是一架精良的仪器。此外，全部必要的印相器材——涂底板用的柯罗定、使底板能够感光的硝酸银、定影用的亚硫酸钠、涂湿印象纸的氯化迮、浸印象纸用的醋酸钠和氯化金——都不缺少。连印象纸也有，什么都准备好了，在没有把底片放在印象夹里以前，首先要把印象纸放在硝酸银的溶液里浸几分钟。

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通讯记者和他的助手不久就成为技术高超的摄影师了，他们拍了许多风景照片，例如在眺望岗上拍的、以富兰克林山为远景的海岛全景，山石巍峨的慈悲河口，背后陪衬着山岭的林间空地和畜栏、爪角和遗物角的奇形怪状的地势等等。

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摄影师们也没有忘记给岛上的全体居民照相，他们一个也没有遗漏。

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“照相使我们分身了。”潘克洛夫说。

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水手的那张相片挂在“花岗石宫”的墙上，照得非常逼真。他站在相片前面，看着自己的样子，高兴得着了迷，就好象到了百老汇大街最豪华的橱窗前面似的，舍不得离开。

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然而必须承认，最成功的相片，毫无疑问，还得数杰普那张。它一本正经地坐着，那副样子简直没法形容，照相照得跟活的一般！

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“看起来它好象正要扮鬼脸！”潘克洛夫叫道。

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如果小杰普还不称心，它就未免太挑剔了；可是它很满意，它那副趾高气扬的样子，多少带几分自负。

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随着三月的到来，炎夏终止了。下雨的时候多起来，然而天气还很热。这里的三月相当于北半球的九月，天气并不象理想中的那么好。也许这说明严寒要来得诀些。

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21日清晨，人们简直要认为已经看到初雪的景色了。事情是这样的，赫伯特一早从“花岗石宫”的一个窗口望出去，忽然大叫起来：

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“瞧啊！小岛上布满雪花了！”

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“这时候下雪？”通讯记者一面问，一面向少年走来。

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伙伴们跟着都过来了，他们只能肯定一点，那就是：不仅是小岛，而且连“花岗石宫”下面的整个海滩，都是白茫茫的一片。

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“一定是雪！”潘克洛夫说。

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“真象是雪！”纳布说。

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“可是温度表上现在有58度呢（摄氏14度）！”吉丁·史佩莱说。

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赛勒斯·史密斯注视着这雪白的一片，一句话也没有说，在这个季度，温度又是这样高，他真不知道应该怎样解释这个现象。

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“啊呀！”潘克洛夫叫道；“我们种的东西都要冻死了！”

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水手正打算下去，敏捷的杰普已经抢在他的前面，滑到沙滩上去了。

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可是，猩猩还没有着地，积雪就往半空中飞起来，只见雪花四处飞散，几分钟内，连阳光也被遮住了。

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“鸟！”赫伯特叫道。

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原来真是大群的海鸥，它们浑身长着雪白耀眼的羽毛。这些鸟成千上万地栖息在小岛和海岸上，直到它们已经消失在远处的时候，移民们还在目瞪口呆，周围的景象就好象在女巫的魔杖一触之下，忽然从寒冬变成了炎夏。可惜这个变化太突然了，通讯记者和少年都没有来得及打下一只这样的鸟来，因此他们没法知道它们的种类。

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几天以后，就是3月26日了，两年以前，遇难的人就是在这一天从高空被抛在林肯岛上的。

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Book 2 第18章|Book 2 Chapter 18

赫伯特跑到门口，只见艾尔通拉动升降梯的绳子，在黑暗中消失了。他回到屋里，叫道：“可怜的人！”

"Poor man!" said Herbert, who had rushed to the door, but returned, having seen Ayrton slide down the rope on the lift and disappear in the darkness.

“他会回来的。”赛勒斯·史密斯说。

"He will come back," said Cyrus Harding.

“史密斯先生，”潘克洛夫大声说，“这是怎么回事？怎么说，难道瓶子真的不是艾尔通扔在海里的吗？那么是谁扔的呢？”

"Come, now, captain," exclaimed Pencroft, "what does that mean? What! wasn’t it Ayrton who threw that bottle into the sea? Who was it then?"

不错，这的确是一个问题！

Certainly, if ever a question was necessary to be made, it was that one!

“是他扔的，”纳布答道，“不过这个不幸的人已经半疯了。”

"It was he," answered Neb, "only the unhappy man was half-mad."

“是的！”赫伯特说，“他已经不记得自己干过些什么了。”

"Yes!" said Herbert, "and he was no longer conscious of what he was doing."

“这个问题只好这样解释，朋友们，”史密斯很快地说，“我现在才明白艾尔通怎么会知道达抱岛的正确位置的，原来在他没有被遗留在岛上以前，发生过那样的事情，所以他才知道的。”

"It can only be explained in that way, my friends," replied Harding quickly, "and I understand now how Ayrton was able to point out exactly the situation of Tabor Island, since the events which had preceded his being left on the island had made it known to him."

“可是，”潘克洛夫说，“如果他在写纸条的时候，还没有变成一个野兽，如果他是七八年前把瓶子扔在海里的，那么纸条怎么没有潮湿呢？”

"However," observed Pencroft, "if he was not yet a brute when he wrote that document, and if he threw it into the sea seven or eight years ago, how is it that the paper has not been injured by damp?"

“这说明艾尔通记错了，”赛勒斯·史密斯答道，“他是后来才丧失理智的。”

"That proves," answered Cyrus Harding, "that Ayrton was deprived of intelligence at a more recent time than he thinks."

“这才对呢，”潘克洛夫说，“要不然就没法解释了。”

"Of course it must be so," replied Pencroft, "without that the fact would be unaccountable."

“的确，没法解释。”工程师说，他似乎不想继续谈下去。

"Unaccountable indeed," answered the engineer, who did not appear desirous to prolong the conversation.

“可是，艾尔通说的是实话吗？”水手问道。

"But has Ayrton told the truth?" asked the sailor.

“是的，”通讯记者回答说。“他的故事完全是真实的。关于格里那凡爵士乘游船远航，以及远航的结果都登在当时的报上了，我记得很清楚。”

"Yes," replied the reporter. "The story which he has told is true in every point. I remember quite well the account in the newspapers of the yacht expedition undertaken by Lord Glenarvan, and its result."

“艾尔通说的是实话，”史密斯补充道。“不要怀疑，潘克洛夫，这样会使他痛苦。人在这样谴责自己的时候，总是说实话的！”

"Ayrton has told the truth," added Harding. "Do not doubt it, Pencroft, for it was painful to him. People tell the truth when they accuse themselves like that!"

第二天，12月21日，移民们下到海滩，爬上高地，发现艾尔通并不在那里。他回到畜栏的时候，已经是深夜了，移民们认为最好还是不要去打扰他。勉励不能做到的事情，时间一定能够做到。

赫伯特、潘克洛夫和纳布继续做他们的日常工作。史密斯和通讯记者在当天又到“石窟”去进行原来的工作了。

Herbert, Pencroft, and Neb resumed their ordinary occupations. On this day the same work brought Harding and the reporter to the workshop at the Chimneys.

“你知道吗，亲爱的赛勒斯？”吉丁·史佩莱说。“昨天你在瓶子这个问题上所作的解释，完全不能使我满意！你怎么能认为这个不幸的人写了纸条，把瓶子扔在海里，而自己竟一点儿也不记得呢？”

“而且也不能认为是他把瓶子扔在海里的呀，亲爱的史佩莱。”

"Nor was it he who threw it in, my dear Spilett."

“那么你想的是……”

"You think then--"

“我什么也没有想，什么也不知道！”赛勒斯·史密斯打断了他。“直到现在，还有许多事情我没法解释，我只好把它也算做一桩没法解释的事情！”

"I think nothing, I know nothing!" interrupted Cyrus Harding. "I am content to rank this incident among those which I have not been able to explain to this day!"

“的确，赛勒斯，”史佩莱说，“这些事情真是莫名其妙！你的被救、海滩上搁浅的箱子、托普的冒险，最后还有这个瓶子……这些谜会不会永远得不到答案呢？”

"Indeed, Cyrus," said Spilett, "these things are incredible! Your rescue, the case stranded on the sand, Top’s adventure, and lastly this bottle... Shall we never have the answer to these enigmas?"

“不会！”工程师很快他说，“决不会，即使需要钻到海岛的地底下去，我也要弄个水落石出！”

"Yes!" replied the engineer quickly, "yes, even if I have to penetrate into the bowels of this island!"

“也许有一天，机会能让我们找到打开这个秘密的钥匙！”

"Chance will perhaps give us the key to this mystery!"

“机会！史佩莱！我决不相信机会和神秘。这里发生了许多不可思议的事情，但是总有一个原因，这个原因我一定要找出来。不过在目前，我们还要工作和观察。”

"Chance! Spilett! I do not believe in chance, any more than I believe in mysteries in this world. There is a reason for everything unaccountable which has happened here, and that reason I shall discover. But in the meantime we must work and observe."

由于工程师和吉丁·史佩莱心里抱着一些疑虑，因此在海岛的这部分地区有一个人管着也是相当重要的，如果发生什么意外，艾尔通也能通知“花岗石官”里的居民。

然而有的事情是必须在发生后立刻就要告诉工程师。除了和林肯岛的秘密有关的问题外，还有其他可能发生的事情，也应该尽快让居民们知道，例如看见来船，西海岸有船遇险，以及可能有海盗到岛上来等等情况。

因此，赛勒斯·史密斯决定要使“花岗石宫”和畜栏能够随时随刻取得联系。

Therefore Cyrus Harding resolved to put the corral in instantaneous communication with Granite House.

1月10日，他向伙伴们宣布了他的计划。

It was on the 10th of January that he made known his project to his companions.

“怎么，你打算干什么，史密斯先生？”潘克洛夫问道。“你难道想装电报吗？”

"Why! how are you going to manage that, captain?" asked Pencroft. "Do you by chance happen to think of establishing a telegraph?"

“一点儿也不错。”工程师回答说。

"Exactly so," answered the engineer.

“电的吗？”赫伯特叫道。

"Electric?" cried Herbert.

“电的，”赛勒斯·史密斯答道。“制造电池的必要材料我们全都有，最困难的是要有个拉铁丝的工具拉铁丝。可是，我认为这个问题也是能够解决的。”

"Electric," replied Cyrus Harding. "We have all the necessary materials for making a battery, and the most difficult thing will be to stretch the wires, but by means of a drawplate I think we shall manage it."

“好吧，”水手说，“将来有一天大家能坐上火车，我才高兴呢！”

"Well, after that," returned the sailor, "I shall never despair of seeing ourselves some day rolling along on a railway!"

于是他们着手工作，一开始先做最难办的事情，也就是制造铁丝，因为如果铁丝做不成，就省得制造电池和其他的附件了。

They then set to work, beginning with the most difficult thing, for, if they failed in that, it would be useless to manufacture the battery and other accessories.

赛勒斯·史密斯安装好机械以后，立刻把拉电线的工作交给伙伴们，自己去制造电池；不多几天，拉铁丝的工作就完成了。

It did not take more than a few days to perform this work, and indeed as soon as the machine had been commenced, Cyrus Harding left his companions to follow the trade of wiredrawers, and occupied himself with manufacturing his battery.

赛勒斯·史密斯考虑成熟以后，决定尽量模仿倍柯勒尔在1820年的发明，制造一种非常简单的电池，这种电池只需要锌。其他的东西，硝酸和钾碱，工程师都已经有了。

Cyrus Harding, after mature consideration, decided to manufacture a very simple battery, resembling as nearly as possible that invented by Becquerel in 1820, and in which zinc only is employed. The other substances, azotic acid and potash, were all at his disposal.

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2月6日，开始在通往畜栏的道路上竖立电线杆，电线杆上并装有拉电线用的玻璃绝缘器。几天以后，电线架好了，随时准备输送每秒钟十万公里的电流，地则作为这种电流的回路。

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工程师一共制造了两套电池，一套放在“花岗石宫”，一套放在畜栏；因为这样畜栏有事就可以通知“花岗石宫”，“花岗石宫”有事就可以通知畜栏，这是有很大的好处。

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美好的季节在日常工作中度过了。小队的资源，特别是蔬菜和粮食，一天天在增加，从达抱岛带回来的植物长得很好。

在这期间，这小岛非常繁荣。

在这期间，他们深入远西森林，进行了几次探险。探险家们到那里去倒用不着担心受暑，因为阳光很难穿透他们头顶上的浓密的枝叶。他们视察了整个慈悲河的左岸，沿岸就是从畜栏通往瀑布河口的道路。

箱子里的照相器材始终没有用过，这期间，吉丁·史佩莱在赫伯特的帮助下，用它在荒岛上风景最好的地方，照了许多相片。

摄影师们也没有忘记给岛上的全体居民照相，他们一个也没有遗漏。

“照相使我们分身了。”潘克洛夫说。