In my viewing the sea from that hill where I stood, I perceived a strong, and indeed, a most furious current, which run to the east, and even came close to the point;
从我所站的小山上向海上放眼望去,有一股急流向东流去,差不多一直流到那岬角附近。
and I took the more notice of it, because I saw there might be some danger; when I came into it, I might be carried out to sea by the strength of it, and not be able to make the island again;
我进一步仔细观察了一下,因为我发现,这股急流中隐藏着危险。如果我把船开进这股急流,船就会被它冲到外海去,可能再也回不到岛上了。
and indeed, had I not gotten first up upon this hill, 1 believe it would have been so; for there was the same current on the other side the island, only, that it set off at a farther distance;
说真的,假如我没有先爬上这座山观察到这股急流,我相信一定会碰到这种危险。因为岛那边也有一股同样的急流,不过离海岸较远。
and I saw there was a strong eddy under the shore; so I had nothing to do but to get out of the first current, and I should presently be in an eddy.
海岸底下还有一股猛烈的涡流;即使我能躲过第一股急流,也会被卷入涡流中去。
I lay here, however, two days; because the wind blowing pretty fresh at E.S.E. and that being just contrary to the said current, made a great breach of the sea upon the point;
我把船在这儿停了两天,因为那两天一直刮东南风,风向偏东,而且风向正好与我上面提到的那股急流的方向相反,因而在岬角附近的海面波涛汹涌。
so that it was not safe for me to keep too close to the shore for the breach, nor to go too far off because of the stream.
在这种情况下,如果我靠近海岸航行,就会碰到大浪,如果我远离海岸航行,又会碰到急流,所以怎么走都不安全。
The third day in the morning, the wind having abated over night, the sea was calm, and I ventured; but I am a warning to all rash and ignorant pilots;
第三天早晨,海上风平浪静,因为在夜里风已大大减小了。于是我又冒险前进。可是一开船,我又犯了个大错误,足以给那些鲁莽而无知的水手作为前车之鉴。
for no sooner was I come to the point, when I was not even my boat's length from the shore, but I found myself in a great depth of water, and a current like the sluice of a mill:
船刚走近那个岬角,离海岸还没有船本身的长度那么远,就开进了一片深水面,并且碰上一股激流,就像磨坊下的水流那么急。
It carried my boat along with it with such violence, that all I could do, could not keep her so much as on the edge of it; but I found it hurried me farther and farther out from the eddy, which was on my left hand.
这股激流来势凶猛,把我的船一直向前冲去。我费了九牛二虎之力,想让船沿着这股激流的边沿前进,可是毫无用处。结果,我的船远远冲离了我左边的那股回流。
There was no wind stirring to help me, and all I could do with my paddles signified nothing, and now I began to give myself over for lost;
这时又正好没有一点风。我只得拼命划桨,但还是无济于事。我感到自己这下子又要完蛋了。
for as the current was on both sides of the island, I knew in a few leagues distance they must join again, and then I was irrecoverably gone;
因为我知道,这岛的两头都各有一股急流,它们必然会在几海里以外汇合,到那时,我是必死无疑了,
nor did I see any possibility of avoiding it; so that I had no prospect before me but of perishing; not by the sea, for that was calm enough, but of starving for hunger.
而且我也看不出有什么办法可以逃过这场灭顶之灾。现在,除了死亡,我已没有任何希望--倒不是我会葬身鱼腹,因为这时海面上风平浪静,而是会活活饿死,因为没有东西吃。
I had indeed found a tortoise on the shore, as big almost as I could lift, and had tossed it into the boat; and I had a great jar of fresh water, that is to say, one of my earthen pots;
不错,我曾在岸上抓到一只大鳖,重得几乎拿都拿不动。我把鳖扔进了船里。此外,我还有一大罐子淡水。
but what was all this to being driven into the vast ocean, where to be sure, there was no shore, no mainland, or island, for a thousand leagues at least.
但是,如果我被冲进汪洋大海,周围没有海岸,没有大陆,也没有小岛,我这么一点点食物和淡水又有什么用呢?
And now I saw how easy it was for the providence of God to make even the most miserable condition of mankind worse.
现在我才明白,只要上帝有意安排,它可以把人类最不幸的境遇变得更加不幸。
Now I looked back upon my desolate solitary island, as the most pleasant place in the world, and all the happiness my heart could wish for, was to be but there again.
现在我感到,我那荒凉的孤岛是世上最可爱的地方,而我现在最大的幸福,就是重新回到我那荒岛上。
I stretched out my hands to it with eager wishes. "O happy desert," said I, "I shall never see thee more. O miserable creature, whether am I going?"
我怀着热切的心愿向它伸出双手:“幸福荒芜的小岛啊,我将永远看不到你了!我这倒霉的家伙将去往何方?”
Then I reproached myself with my unthankful temper, and that I had repined at my solitary condition; and now what would I give to be on shore there again.
我开始责备自己身在福中不知福的脾气,责备自己不应该抱怨孤独的生活。现在,我愿意付出任何代价,只要能让我重新回到岸上!
Thus we never see the true state of our condition, till it is illustrated to us by its contraries; nor know how to value what we enjoy, but by the want of it.
可是,我们一般凡人,不亲自经历更恶劣的环境,就永远看不到自己原来所处环境的优越性;不落到山穷水尽的地步,就不懂得珍惜自己原来享受的一切。
It is scarcely possible to imagine the consternation I was now in, being driven from my beloved island (for so it appeared to me now to be) into the wide ocean, almost two leagues, and in the utmost despair of ever recovering it again.
我眼看自己被冲进茫茫的大海,离开我那可爱的小岛有六海里多远--现在我从心底里感到我的小岛确实可爱无比。看到我已没有回岛的希望,内心的惶恐简直难以形容。
However, I worked hard, till indeed my strength was almost exhausted, and kept my boat as much to the northward, that is, towards the side of the current which the eddy lay on, as possibly I could;
但是,我还是竭力划桨,直到筋疲力尽为止。我尽量把船朝北面划去,也就是向那股急流和回流交汇的海面划去。
when about noon, as the sun passed the meridian, I thought I felt a little breeze of wind in my face, springing up from the S.S.E.
到了正午,太阳过了子午线,我忽然感到脸上似乎有了一点微风,风向东南偏南。
This cheered my heart a little, and especially when in about half an hour more, it blew a pretty gentle gale.
我心中悄悄燃起了希望;尤其令人振奋的是,过了半小时,风稍稍大起来。
By this time I had gotten at a frightful distance from the island, and had the least cloud or hazy weather intervened, I had been undone another way too;
这时我离岛已经很远了,要是这时有一点阴云或薄雾,那我也必完蛋无疑。
for I had no compass on board, and should never have known how to have steered towards the island, if I had but once lost sight of it;
因为我未带罗盘,只要我看不到海岛,我就会迷失方向无法回去。
but the weather continuing clear, I applied myself to get up my mast again and spread my sail, standing away to the north as much as possible to get out of the current.
幸好天气始终晴朗,我立即竖起桅杆,张帆向北驶去,尽量躲开那股急流。
Just as I had set my mast and sail, and the boat began to stretch away, I saw even by the clearness of the water, some alteration of the current was near;
我刚竖起桅杆张好帜,船就开始向前行驶了。我发现四周水色较清,知道那股急流在附近改变了方向。
for where the current was so strong, the water was foul; but perceiving the water clear, I found the current abate, and presently I found to the east, at about half a mile, a breach of the sea upon some rocks;
因为,水急水则浊,水缓水则清,我知道那股急流在这儿已成了强弩之末了。不久我果然发现,在半海里以外,海水打在一些礁石上,浪花四溅。