《在大海的最遠處》，1855 年

In the Uttermost parts of the Sea, 1855

幾年前，幾艘大船被派往北極，去探索遙遠的海岸，試試人類能深入那些未知區域多遠。

Some years ago, large ships were sent towards the north pole, to explore the distant coasts, and to try how far men could penetrate into those unknown regions.

其中一艘船在冰雪之中向北艱難前行了一年多，水手們忍受了許多艱難困苦；直到冬天終於來臨，太陽完全消失了；連續好幾個星期都是無盡的黑夜。

For more than a year one of these ships had been pushing its way northward, amid snow and ice, and the sailors had endured many hardships; till at length winter set in, and the sun entirely disappeared; for many weeks there would be constant night.

放眼望去，目之所及，除了冰原什麼也看不見，船就被困在這片冰原之中。

All around, as far as the eye could reach, nothing could be seen but fields of ice, in which the ship remained stuck fast.

雪堆積成了大堆，水手們用這些雪堆建成了蜂巢形狀的小屋，有些小屋像 “匈奴人的墳墓” 一樣又大又寬敞，而其他的小屋只夠容納三四個人。

the snow lay piled up in great heaps, and of these the sailors made huts, in the form of bee-hives, some of them as large and spacious as one of the “huns’ graves,” and others only containing room enough to hold three or four men.

天並不是完全黑的；北極光噴射出紅藍相間的火焰，就像持續不斷的煙火，雪閃閃發光，反射著光線，所以這裡的夜晚是長長的黃昏。

It was not quite dark; the northern lights shot forth red and blue flames, like continuous fireworks, and the snow glittered, and reflected back the light, so that the night here was one long twilight.

當月亮最亮的時候，當地人成群結隊地來看望水手們。

when the moon was brightest, the natives came in crowds to see the sailors.

他們穿著粗糙的、