under the sea

sous les mers

There's a lot going on under the sea. It's not just for fish or divers. If you are a science fiction enthusiast and a lover of extraordinary voyages then it's for you, too.

Sous-marin, the Nautilus of Jules Verne's imagination covers 20,000 leagues or 60,000 nautical miles of Captain Nemo's adventures. Sur terre, countless readers of all ages around the world are discovering this French novelist's work everyday, in their own language. He remains the most translated novelist in the world, according to UNESCO statistics.

But if you do like history and diving as well– then go to the Island of San Telmo on the coast of Panama. Standing on the beach at low tide you can already see one of only five existing submersible crafts that were built before 1870. Dive in to get a closer look at the Sub Marine Explorer invented by Julius Koehler and imagine yourself vingt mille lieues sous les mers . . .


sous-marin = undersea; submersible; submarine
sur terre = on land
vingt mille lieues sous les mers = 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (published in 1870)

L'illustration: Unter dem Meer
Illustrateur: The nephew's imagination covers a Din A4 page. He unknowingly accepted the challenge of this week's IllustrationFriday theme.