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The Chassepot rifle led to the torpedo, and the torpedo has led to this underwater battering ram,
机枪之后有水雷，水雷之后有潜水冲击机，
which in turn will lead to the world putting its foot down. At least I hope it will.
然后一又是各种互相克制的武器，至少我自己心中是这样想的。
But this hypothesis of a war machine collapsed in the face of formal denials from the various governments.
但是这个“潜水艇”的假设，由于各国欧府的声明又站不住了、
Since the public interest was at stake and transoceanic travel was suffering, the sincerity of these governments could not be doubted.
因为这是有关公共利益的问题，既然海洋交通受到了破坏，各国政府的真诚，当然不容有所怀疑。
Besides, how could the assembly of this underwater boat have escaped public notice?
并且，怎么能说这只“潜水艇”的建造竟可以逃避公众的耳目呢？
Keeping a secret under such circumstances would be difficult enough for an individual,
在这种情形下，就是拿个人来说，要想保守秘密，也十分困难，
and certainly impossible for a nation whose every move is under constant surveillance by rival powers.
对于一国政府，它的行动经常受到敌对国家的注意，那当然更是不可能的了。
So, after inquiries conducted in England, France, Russia, Prussia, Spain, Italy, America, and even Turkey,
所以，根据在英国，在法国，在俄国，在普鲁士,在西班吁，在意大利，在美国，甚至于在土耳其
the hypothesis of an underwater Monitor was ultimately rejected.
所做的调查，“潜水艇”的假设，也终于不能不放弃。
And so the monster surfaced again, despite the endless witticisms heaped on it by the popular press,
这个怪物尽管当时一些报刊对它不断加以嘲笑，
and the human imagination soon got caught up in the most ridiculous ichthyological fantasies.
但它又出现在波涛上了，于是人们的想象就从鱼类这一方面打主意而造出种种最荒诞不经的传说来。
