His dad explained that the earth is like a big magnet that's always pulling on the compass's magnetic needle.

他爸爸解释说， 地球就像一块大磁铁， 一直在吸引着指南针的磁针。

And navigating on land was almost impossible without a compass – an instrument for finding directions that uses a magnetic needle which moves to always point north.

如果没有指南针，在陆地上导航几乎是不可能的指南针是一种用磁针指示方向的仪器。磁针总是指向北方。

He broke into the long easy lope, and went on, hour after hour, never at loss for the tangled way, heading straight home through strange country with a certitude of direction that put man and his magnetic needle to shame.

他又奔跑起来, 继续以他从前稳步前进的姿态, 而且一跑就是数个小时, 也不会迷失在地形复杂的路上。他穿过这片陌生的土地笔直地往家跑去, 他对方向的把握足以使人类和人类的罗盘针自愧不如。

On Earth you can use a compass – an instrument with a magnetic needle that moves to point north, that is towards to the magnetic pole – a point near the North or South Poles where Earth's magnetic field is strongest.

在地球上，你可以使用指南针“compass”，即一种带有磁针的仪器。磁针永远指向北方，也就是指向磁极“magnetic pole”。地球的磁极在北极和南极附近，那里磁场最强。