《在大海的最远处》，1855 年

In the Uttermost parts of the Sea, 1855

几年前，几艘大船被派往北极，去探索遥远的海岸，试试人类能深入那些未知区域多远。

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艰难前行了一年多，水手们忍受了许多艰难困苦；直到冬天终于来临，太阳完全消失了；连续好几个星期都是无尽的黑夜。

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，除了冰原什么也看不见，船就被困在这片冰原之中。

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

雪堆积成了大堆，水手们用这些雪堆建成了蜂巢形状的小屋，有些小屋像 “匈奴人的坟墓” 一样又大又宽敞，而其他的小屋只够容纳三四个人。

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.

天并不是完全黑的；北极光喷射出红蓝相间的火焰，就像持续不断的烟火，雪闪闪发光，反射着光线，所以这里的夜晚是长长的黄昏。

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.

当月亮最亮的时候，当地人成群结队地来看望水手们。

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

他们穿着粗糙的、毛茸茸的皮衣，坐着雪橇在冰面上滑行，样子十分奇特。

they had a very singular appearance in their rough, hairy dresses of fur, and riding in sledges over the ice.

他们带来了大量的皮毛，于是雪屋很快就铺上了暖和的地毯，而且当水手们在雪屋顶下睡觉时，这些皮毛也能用来裹在身上，而外面的严寒比我们这里的冬天要冷得多。

they brought with them furs and skins in great abundance, so that the snow-houses were soon provided with warm carpets, and the furs also served for the sailors to wrap themselves in, when they slept under the roofs of snow, while outside it was freezing with a cold far more severe than in the winter with us.

在我们的国家，此时虽已入秋末，但仍是秋季；身处遥远流放之地的他们想起了这点，还常常在脑海中勾勒出家乡树上的黄叶。

In our country it was still autumn, though late in the season; and they thought of that in their distant exile, and often pictured to themselves the yellow leaves on the trees at home.

他们的手表指向了晚上该睡觉的时间，尽管在这片区域现在一直都是黑夜。

their watches pointed to the hours of evening, and time to go to sleep, although in these regions it was now always night.

在其中一间小屋里，两名男子躺下来休息。

In one of the huts, two of the men laid themselves down to rest.

这两人中较年轻的那个从家乡带来了他最宝贵、最珍爱的宝贝 —— 一本《圣经》，那是他出发时祖母送给他的。

the younger of these men had brought with him from home his best, his dearest treasure — a bible, which his grandmother had given him on his departure.

每晚这本圣书都放在他头下，而且他从小就知道书里写了什么。

Every night the sacred volume rested under his head, and he had known from his childhood what was written in it.

每天他都会读这本书，当躺在冰冷的床铺上时，他学过的那些神圣话语就会浮现在脑海中：“我若展开清晨的翅膀，飞到海极居住，就是在那里，你也与我同在，你的右手也必扶持我。” 在这些神圣话语所激发的信念影响下，他进入了梦乡，还做起了梦，梦是上帝向灵魂的显现。

Every day he read in the book, and while stretched on his cold couch, the holy words he had learnt would e into his mind: “If I take the wings of the morning, and fly to the uttermost parts of the sea, even there thou art with me, and thy right hand shall uphold me;” and under the influence of that faith which these holy words inspired, sleep came upon him, and dreams, which are the manifestations of God to the spirit.

灵魂在身体休息时依然存活并活动着。