That same ocean rolls now; that same ocean destroyed the wrecked ships of last year. Yea, foolish mortals, Noah's flood is not yet subsided; two thirds of the fair world it yet covers.
现在这个白浪滔滔的海洋,却就是上一年毁掉了许多失事船只的同一个海洋。是呀,愚蠢的人类,挪亚的洪水(挪亚的洪水——《旧约·创世记》上称在挪亚整六百岁时,正值洪水泛滥。)可还没有消退;这个美好的世界还有三分之二是它的领域呢。
Where in differ the sea and the land, that a miracle upon one is not a miracle upon the other? Preternatural terrors rested upon the Hebrews, when under the feet of Korah and his company the live ground opened and swallowed them up for ever; yet not a modern sun ever sets, but in precisely the same manner the live sea swallows up ships and crews.
难道说因为海跟陆有所不同,所以前者的奇迹就未必也是后者的奇迹吗?当不可思议的恐怖降临在希伯来人的身上时,可拉和他的属下们脚下的地面就开了口,把他们全都永远吞掉了(指可拉和其属下要攻击摩西而受罚,事见《旧约·民数记》第十六章。);现代的太阳虽然从来没有沉落过,可是海洋恰恰是以同样的方法把船只和水手都吞掉了。
But not only is the sea such a foe to man who is an alien to it, but it is also a fiend to its own off-spring; worse than the Persian host who murdered his own guests; sparing not the creatures which itself hath spawned. Like a savage tigress that tossing in the jungle overlays her own cubs, so the sea dashes even the mightiest whales against the rocks, and leaves them there side by side with the split wrecks of ships. No mercy, no power but its own controls it. Panting and snorting like a mad battle steed that has lost its rider, the masterless ocean overruns the globe.
但是,海洋不仅是那跟它敌对的人类的仇人,而且也是它自己的子孙的死对头;它比之那个谋害了他的贵宾的波斯主人还要坏(据百周年纪念版注:作者可能指古波斯吕底亚的统治者奥里奥底斯,他在公元前五一五年,诱骗萨摩斯的暴君波利克拉底斯来到宫中,然后把他处以磔刑。),对它自己所生的生物也不肯饶命。它象一只野性勃发的雌老虎,在丛林里翻翻腾腾地把它自己的小老虎压死了一样,海洋也是这样汹涌奔腾,连最有威力的大鲸也给冲得撞上礁石,跟四分五裂的破船并排撇在那里。除了它才能控制自己以外,谁都支配不了它,控制不了它。它象一匹发疯的战马,呼呼喘喘地使它的骑手丧命,这个无主的海洋蹂躏了地球。