凡爾納編著的《南極之謎》是美國作家愛倫·坡的小說《阿瑟·皮姆歷險記》的續集，繼續了這個充滿冒險與奇幻的故事。
本書是中文導讀英文名著繫列叢書中的一種，是為準備參加英語**留學考試的學生提供學習素材。可以使讀者在欣賞世界原版名著的同時，了解西方的歷史、文化、傳統、價值觀等，並提高英語閱讀速度、閱讀水平和寫作能力，從而在TOEFL、雅思、SSAT、SAT、GRE、GMAT等考試中取得好的成績，進而幫助讀者成功申請到*好的國外學校。

美國作家愛倫·坡的小說《阿瑟·皮姆歷險記》 講述了阿瑟·皮姆與同伴德克·彼得斯在經歷了一場 海難後，因為饑餓殺死了一名水手充饑，營救了他們 的珍妮號在前往南極探險的過程中遭到了土著人的襲 擊，船員們下落不明。凡爾納編著的《南極之謎》作 為它的續集繼續了這個充滿冒險與奇幻的故事。十一 年後，一塊從南極漂來的浮冰帶著一具尸體被哈勒布 雷那號的船長蘭·蓋伊發現，這具尸體正是失蹤的珍 妮號的大副帕特森。命運是如此的巧合，哈勒布雷那 號的船長正是珍妮號船長威廉·蓋伊的弟弟，為了尋 找失蹤的同胞，這艘雙桅帆船開啟了充滿冒險的遠航 。他們艱難地穿越了極地浮冰圈，看到了遭遇地震襲 擊而面目全非的土著人的島嶼，在航行的途中帆船又 不幸在一座翻轉的冰山上擱淺。當他們近乎絕望的時 候，一艘遠方飄來的小船卻攜帶著威廉·蓋伊以一種 離奇的方式與他們相遇了。在返航的路上，在一座酷 似斯芬克斯的白色的磁鐵山上，他們發現了阿瑟·皮 姆的遺骸。整個旅程跌宕起伏，在南極這片純潔而又 神秘的土地上上演著一幕幕驚心動魄的傳奇。 該書至今已被譯成世界上多種文字。書中所展現 的神奇故事伴隨了一代又一代人的美麗童年、少年直 至成年。無論作為語言學習的課本，還是作為通俗的 文學和科普讀本，本書對當代中國的青少年都將產生 積極的影響。為了使讀者能夠了解英文故事概況，進 而提高閱讀速度和閱讀水平，在每章的開始部分增加 了中文導讀。同時，為了讀者更好地理解故事內容， 書中加入了大量插圖。

第一章 克爾格倫群島
Chapter 1 The Kerguelen Islands
第二章 哈勒布雷那號雙桅帆船
Chapter 2 The Schooner Halbrane
第三章 逆轉
Chapter 3 Captain Len Guy
第四章 從克爾格倫群島到愛德華王子島
Chapter4 From The Kerguelen Isles To Prince Edward Island
第五章 埃德加·坡的冒險故事
Chapter 5 Edgar Poe’s Romance
第六章 海洋的信使
Chapter 6 An Ocean Waif
第七章 抵達特裡斯坦-達庫尼亞群島
Chapter 7 Tristan D’Acunha
第八章 向福克蘭群島進發
Chapter 8 Bound For The Falklands
第九章 哈勒布雷那號吹響遠航的號角
Chapter 9 Fitting Out The Halbrane
第十章 冒險開始
Chapter 10 The Outset Of The Enterprise
第十一章 駛向極圈
Chapter 11 From The Sandwich Islands To The Polar Circle
第十二章 從極圈到冰障
Chapter 12 Between The Polar Circle And The Ice Wall
第十三章 斷裂的浮冰層
Chapter 13 Along The Front Of The Icebergs
第十四章 夢話
Chapter 14 A Voice In A Dream
第十五章 貝內特島的發現
Chapter 15 Bennet Islet
第十六章 到達目的地扎拉爾島
Chapter 16 Tsalal Island
第十七章 皮姆在哪裡？
Chapter 17 And Pym
第十八章 被揭露的真相
Chapter 18 A Revelation
第十九章 陸地
Chapter 19 Land
第二十章 殘酷的災難
Chapter 20 Unmerciful Disaster
第二十一章 霧中
Chapter 21 Amid The Mists
第二十二章 建立營地
Chapter 22 In Camp
第二十三章 *後時刻的發現
Chapter 23 Found At Last
第二十四章 往事十一年
Chapter 24 Eleven Years In A Few Pages
第二十五章 “我們是**個”
Chapter 25 “We Were The First”
第二十六章 尾聲
Chapter 26 A Little Remnant

第一章 克爾格倫群島 一個離奇的冒險故事往往有著一個平常的開 端，當傑奧林先生登上克爾格倫群島進行地質研究 的時候，他並不知道未來留給他的是一個怎樣巨大 的謎題。坐落在東經69°6’、南緯49°45’的克爾 格倫群島有著另一個*為貼切的名字——荒涼島。
它像一位沉默的巨人，佇立在無垠的蔚藍色的海洋 中，斷裂的海岸線猶如一串粗獷的項鏈，任憑海浪 呼嘯著擊打那由火山噴發而形成的藍黑色的岩石。
在這裡生命以一種寂靜的姿態生長著，當夏季來臨 的時候，整個海島被苔蘚與地衣染成了灰綠色。企 鵝、海豹、海像的叫聲偶爾會打破這種沉靜，但是海 浪有規律的拍打聲很 快會淹沒這種喧囂。到了鼕季，海洋由於低溫而被凍 結，白雪仿佛鋪天蓋 地的棉被，守護著這孤獨的海島的沉夢。
但是這裡並不是了無人煙的荒島，一位來自康涅 狄格洲的美國人阿特 金斯在這裡經營著一家小小的旅店。他猶如這個荒涼 的小島上的一株橡 樹，因為偶然的原因扎根在這裡，頑強地汲取著生命 的饋贈，樂觀地看待 著人生的沉浮。阿特金斯在聖誕港經營著一家叫做綠 色鸕鹚的旅店，盡管 現在隻有傑奧林一位旅客，略微顯得有些冷清，但是 到了捕鯨船接踵而至 的時候，這裡將是一番熱鬧非凡的景像，各種必要的 補給將源源不斷地從 旅店運到來往的船隻上。綠色鸕鹚旅店是輪船賴以生 存的供給站，是經歷 了無數枯燥而單一的海上旅程的水手們可以放松的溫 床。
不過傑奧林先生並不適應克爾格倫群島上枯燥的 生活，在完成了對群 島為期兩個月的考察後，他急於回到原有的生活軌道 Ae。阿特金斯老板 熱情地為他推薦了哈勒布雷那號雙桅縱帆船，因為這 艘船的船長蘭·蓋伊 是阿特金斯的老朋友，他是一位有著高超航海技術的 正直高尚的人。傑奧 林開始了漫長的等待，他常常遙望天際，渴望著在信 天翁飛翔的方向看到 回程的希望。
No doubt the following narrative will be received: with entire incredulity, but I think it well that the public should be put in possession of the facts narrated in "An Antarctic Mystery." The public is free to believe them or not, at its good pleasure. No more appropriate scene for the wonderful and terrible adventures which I am about to relate could be imagined than the Desolation Islands, so called, in 1779, by Captain Cook. I lived there for several weeks, and I can affirm, on the evidence of my own eyes and my own experience, that the famous English explorer and navigator was happily inspired when he gave the islands that significant name. Geographical nomenclature, however, insists on the name of Kerguelen, which is generally adopted for the group which lies in 49~ 45' south latitude, and 69 o 6' east longitude. This is just, because in 1772, Baron Kerguelen, a Frenchman, was the first to discover those islands in the southern part of the Indian Ocean. Indeed, the commander of the squadron on that voyage believed that he had found a new continent on the limit of the Antarctic seas, but in the course of a second expedition he recognized his error. There was only an archipelago. I may be believed when I assert that Desolation Islands is the only suitable name for this group of three hundred isles or islets in the midst of the vast expanse of ocean, which is constantly disturbed by austral storms. Nevertheless, the group is inhabited, and the number of Europeans and Americans who formed the nucleus of the Kerguelen population at the date of the 2nd of August, 1839, had been augmented for two months past by a unit in my person. Just then I was waiting for an opportunity of leaving the place, having completed the geological and mineralogical studies which had brought me to the group in general and to Christmas Harbour in particular. Christmas Harbour belongs to the most important islet of the archipelago, one that is about half as large as Corsica. It is safe, and easy, and free of access. Your ship may ride securely at single anchor in its waters, while the bay remains free from ice. The Kerguelens possess hundreds of other fiords. Their coasts are notched and ragged, especially in the parts between the north and the south-east, where little islets abound. The soil, of volcanic origin, is composed of quartz, mixed with a bluish stone. In summer it is covered with green mosses, grey lichens, various hardy plants, especially wild saxifrage. Only one edible plant grows there, a kind of cabbage, not found anywhere else, and very bitter of flavour. Great flocks of royal and other penguins people these islets, finding good lodging on their rocky and mossy surface. These stupid birds, in their yellow and white feathers, with their heads thrown back and their wings like the sleeves of a monastic habit, look, at a distance, like monks in single file walking in procession along the beach. The islands afford refuge to numbers of sea-calves, seals, and sea-elephants. The taking of those amphibious animals either on land or from the sea is profitable, and may lead to a trade which will bring a large number of vessels into these waters. On the day already mentioned, I was accosted while strolling on the port by mine host of mine inn. "Unless I am much mistaken, time is beginning to seem very long to you, Mr. Jeorling?" The speaker was a big tall American who kept the only inn on the port. "If you will not be offended, Mr. Atkins, I will acknowledge that I do find it long." "Of course I won't be offended. Am I not as well used to answers of that kind as the rocks of the Cape to the rollers?"