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LESSON 24 Iceland,and the Geysers
第二十四课 冰岛和间歇泉
Iceland is an island somewhat larger than Ireland. It is situated in the Atlantic Ocean, on the confines of the Arctic Circle, amid regions of ice and snow; yet it gives abundant evidence of the volcanic fires which are slum bering beneath its surface.
冰岛是比爱尔兰岛稍大一点的岛屿，它位于大西洋，在北极圈内冰雪覆盖的区域内；然而，也有大量的证据显示其表面下隐藏着火山岩。
Among its most remarkable features are its hot springs, which in some places throw up a column of water to the height of a hundred feet. These springs abound on many parts of the coast, as well as in the interior of the island; and in some cases the waters of the ocean are sensibly heated by their action.
它的最显著的特点之一就是温泉，在某些地方的喷水甚至能够高达一百英尺。许多地方的海岸线及岛屿的内陆地区等，都充斥着丰富的温泉，在某些情况下，海水明显是由它们的活动加热的。
The most celebrated of these hot springs are the Geysers, situated in the north of the island, where, within the space of a few acres, more than fifty of them may be seen.
其中，最著名的温泉是间歇喷泉，位于冰岛北部，在那里方圆几英亩之内，可能会看到五十多个温泉。
The Great Geyser rises from a mound of flinty earth, deposited by the water, about thirty feet in height, and extending about two hundred feet across. On the top of this mound is a basin sixty feet wide and seven feet deep, in the centre of which is the opening through which the water rises.
约有三十英尺高、两百英尺宽的最大间歇泉，在一块坚硬的地表上突起，里面存着大量的水。这块高地的顶端是一个六十英尺宽、七英尺深的盆地，里面的水通过中心的开口处喷涌而出。
A visit to the Geysers is thus described by Lord Dufferin in his book entitled "Letters from High Latitudes," giving an account of a voyage and visit to Iceland:—
徳菲林勋爵在其著作《高纬度的来信》中描述了去间歇泉和去冰岛旅行的全过程：
"As the baggage-horses with our tents and beds had not yet arrived, we sat quietly down to coffee brewed in Geysers' water, when suddenly it seemed as if, beneath our very feet, a number of cannon were going off under ground. The whole earth shook. We set off at full speed toward the Great Geyser, expecting to see the grand water explosion. By the time we reached its brim, however, the noise had ceased, and all we could see was a slight trembling movement in the centre.
“因为驮着帐篷和床垫的马还没有到达，我们静静地坐下来，用间歇泉的水煮咖啡喝，突然间，我们脚下好像传来了地底下许多大炮的爆炸声。整个大地都在颤抖。我们立刻朝着最大的温泉全速奔去，希望能看到地下水的喷发过程。但是，当我们刚刚赶到泉边，轰隆声立刻就停止了，我们所能看到的只不过是中间区域的一点轻微颤动。
