海底兩萬(wàn)里 第39期 第4章 尼德蘭(8)

That's just where you're mistaken, professor, Ned replied.

教授;這是因?yàn)槟沐e(cuò)了。尼德蘭說(shuō)。

The common man may still believe in fabulous comets crossing outer space, or inprehistoric monsters living at the earth's core,

一般的人相信有橫過(guò)天空的非常特殊的慧星，有住在地球內(nèi)部的太古時(shí)代的侄物，那還可以，

but astronomers and geologists don't swallow such fairy tales. It's the same with whalers.

但天文學(xué)家，地質(zhì)學(xué)家，決不承認(rèn)有這類荒唐古怪的東西存在。打鯨魚(yú)的人也一樣。

I've chased plenty of cetaceans, I've harpooned a good number, I've killed several.

鯨科動(dòng)物，我追逐過(guò)許多，我用魚(yú)叉叉過(guò)很多，我也殺死過(guò)好幾條，

But no matter how powerful and well armed they were, neither their tails or their tuskscould puncture the sheet-iron plates of a steamer.

可是，不論那些鯨魚(yú)力量怎樣大，怎樣兇，它們的尾巴也好它們的長(zhǎng)牙也好，決不能弄壞一艘汽船的鋼板。

Even so, Ned, people mention vessels that narwhale tusks have run clean through.

尼德蘭，可是，獨(dú)角鯨的牙齒把船底鉆通了的傳說(shuō)并不少。

Wooden ships maybe, the Canadian replied. But I've never seen the like.

木頭船，那是可能的，加拿大人回答，不過(guò)，就是這樣的事我也沒(méi)有親眼見(jiàn)過(guò)。

So till I have proof to the contrary, I'll deny that baleen whales, sperm whales, orunicorns can do any such thing.

所以，在沒(méi)有真憑實(shí)據(jù)之前，我不能承認(rèn)長(zhǎng)須鯨、大頭鯨、獨(dú)角鯨可以穿透鋼板。

Listen to me, Ned.

尼德蘭，您好好聽(tīng)我說(shuō)……

No, no, professor. I'll go along with anything you want except that. Some gigantic devilfish maybe...?

不，教授，什么都可以聽(tīng)您，這個(gè)可不能。也許這是一條巨大的章魚(yú)吧?……