"As the Great Geyser explodes only once in forty hours or more, it was, of course, necessary that we should wait his pleasure—in fact, our movements entirely depended on his.
“因为最大的间歇泉大概40多个小时才喷发一次,我们有必要耐心等待它的玩性大发——实际上,我们的一切行动都将取决于它。
For the next two or three days, therefore, like pilgrims round an ancient shrine, we patiently kept watch;
因此,接下来的两三天里,我们就像朝圣者围着古老的圣地朝拜一样,我们不厌其烦地看着它;
but he scarcely deigned to favour us with the slightest manifestation of his latent energies.
可是它却吝啬地不肯向我们展现它强大的潜能,哪怕只有一点点。
Two or three times the cannonading we had heard immediately after our arrival recommenced, and once an eruption to the height of about ten feet occurred;
有两三次,我们刚刚来到近处,立刻就听到了隆隆的声音,还有一次,甚至出现了高达十英尺左右的喷发;
but so brief was its duration, that by the time we were on the spot, although the tent was not eighty yards distant, all was over.
可是期间过程都很短暂,尽管我们的帐篷离它也不过才八十码远,等我们刚刚跑过去,它就停止了一切活动。
"At length, after three days' watching in languid expectation of the eruption, our desire was gratified.
“我们都期待着看到它的自主喷发,最后,经过三天的疲惫的守望,我们的愿望终于得到了满足。
A cry from the guides made us start to our feet and rush toward the basin.
导游的一声呼叫,我们立刻拔腿狂奔至那个盆地。
The usual underground thunders had already commenced; a violent agitation was disturbing the centre of the pool Suddenly a dome of water lifted itself to the height of eight or ten feet,
往常的地下雷声依然轰隆作响;池中央正如蛟龙狂舞,突然间,一个圆顶状的水柱拔地而起,升起到8或10英尺高,
then burst and fell; immediately after which a shining liquid column, or rather a sheaf of columns, wreathed in robes of vapour,
随后爆裂,落下;紧接着,一道银光闪闪的耀眼水柱至上云端,身披烟雾蒸汽做的长袍,
sprang about seventy feet into the air, and, in a succession of jerking leaps, each higher than the former, flung their silvery crests against the sky.
不断得向上冲击、跳跃,一浪比一浪高,挥舞着它的银冠直冲云霄。
For a few minutes the fountain held its own, then all at once it seemed to lose its ascending energy.
几分钟后,喷泉退却了,然后,突然像失去恶劣所有上升的能量一样,
The unstable waters faltered, drooped, fell, 'like a broken purpose,' back upon themselves, and were immediately sucked down into the recesses from which they had sprung."
动荡的泉水也摇摇欲坠,下落,下落,就像有点“粉粹的目标”,终于它重新恢复了往日的平静,被吸进了刚才跃起的那个深处。”