of the tens of thousands of ships on the ocean bottom, only a handful, less than 1 percent, contain negotiable treasure, such as gold and jewels.most give us a different priceless treasure -- history.a sunken ship lies in trust, preserved in the airless environment of the sea and those in deep water are especially well protected.no dry land sites anywhere -- except perhaps egyptian tombs -- are in a better state of preservation than a vessel deep in the ocean.a sunken ship, therefore, can be a rare window through which a moment in time is glimpsed.

　　在数以万计的海底沉船中，只有极少数，不到百分之一的沉船上有可流通的财富，如黄金和珠宝。多数沉船提供给我们的是另一种无价的财富--历史。沉船被海洋中没有空气的环境保管起来，躺在深水中的船只被保存得尤其完好。大概除了埃及金字塔外，陆地上没有哪些遗迹比深海沉船保存得更完好了。因此，每一只沉船便成为我们探视历史的一扇难得的窗户。