Off Topic: Need help citing Jaques Cousteau

I'm looking for the english version of a text passage from Jacques Cousteaus "The Silent World" that i want to cite on my new dive page.

Translating the german version, the english one should read something like that:

"I put my head under water and with that one small movement the whole civilization dissapeared. I found myself in a jungle ...."

Maybe one of the english speaking members here could help me ?

Thanks in advance - Sabine

Sabine,

Could you tell me (more or less) where in the book is that passage? I might be able to help you.

Hi Laz,

if i remember correctly it is from his time in the Marine (in 1936) - it describes the first time he is able to see something under water, wearing a Fernez mask while swimming (no diving yet) in the Mediterrenian - in Le Mourillon. I don't have the book anymore (time to get one again) so i took the german text fom a book by David Doubillet (the German title is Magie der Meere - i guess it is called something linke magic of the seas and the Cousteau text is cited there on page 11)

Thanks - Sabine

'I was a Naval officer at Toulon when I was introduced to the small goggles made in Japan for pearl divers. The first time I put them on and swam in the Mediterranean, very close to the city of Toulon, I saw fish. I raised my head and saw a streetcar, then descended again and saw a jungle of fish. It was like an electric shock to me. I had to bring back to the surface testimonies of the sea."

Thanks a lot.

Obviously, the english version is a bit less poetic than the french and german versions are ....

Sabine

"Sometimes we are lucky enough to know that our lives have been changed, to discard the old, embrace the new, and run headlong down an ummutable course.

It happened to me... on that summer's day when my eyes were opened to the sea."

That says it all!

Richard

Richard,

i really like this one. And it is perfect for the start of my dive page.

Could you please tell me the source (book, film interview ?).

Sabine

Sabine, I don't remember where I found it... somewhere on the web when I was doing research for one of my first sites.

I just did a Google search on part of the quote, and only came up with the site where I used it, but you might try some of the other search engines, as Google didn't exist at the time I built the site.

It's been a few years, but I know I didn't make it up....

Richard