海底兩萬里 第45期 第4章 尼德蘭(14)

But if they don't exist, my stubborn harpooner, how do you explain the accident that happened to the Scotia?

可是，固執(zhí)的魚叉手、如果海底下沒有這樣的動物，您怎樣說明斯各脫亞號所遭遇到的事故呢?

It's maybe . . . , Ned said, hesitating.

這或者…尼德·蘭遲疑地說。

Go on!

你說下去吧!

Because...it just couldn't be true! the Canadian replied, unconsciously echoing a famous catchphrase of the scientist Arago.

因為…這不是真的!這位加拿大人回答，他無意中背出阿拉哥的這句有名的對話。

But this reply proved nothing, other than how bullheaded the harpooner could be.

但這個回答不能說明什么，只不過說明了這位魚叉手的固執(zhí)罷了。

That day I pressed him no further. The Scotia's accident was undeniable.

這一天我不再追問他，斯各脫亞號的事故是不可否認(rèn)的。

Its hole was real enough that it had to be plugged up, and I don't think a hole's existence can be more emphatically proven.

船底上的洞是實實在在有的，而且這洞非堵住不可，當(dāng)然我并不認(rèn)為有一個洞就能說明問題，

Now then, this hole didn't make itself, and since it hadn't resulted from underwater rocks or underwater machines,

可是這洞決不是毫無原因就會有的。既然它不是暗礁撞的，

it must have been caused by the perforating tool of some animal.

那必然是某一種動物的尖利武器鉆的了。

Now, for all the reasons put forward to this point, I believed that this animal was a member of the branch Vertebrata, class Mammalia, group Pisciforma, and finally, order Cetacea.

那么，把以上所舉的理由歸納一下，我認(rèn)為這個動物是屬于脊椎動物門，哺乳動物綱，魚類，鯨魚目。

As for the family in which it would be placed, the genus to which it belonged, and the species in which it would find its proper home, these questions had to be left for later.

它所屬的科，是長須鯨、大頭鯨、海豚的那一科;至于它應(yīng)列入的屬，應(yīng)歸人的種，那要等將來才能弄清楚。

To answer them called for dissecting this unknown monster; to dissect it called forcatching it; to catch it called for harpooning it-which was Ned Land's business; toharpoon it called for sighting it-which was the crew's business; and to sight it called for encountering it-which was a chancy business.

如果我們想解決這個問題，必須解剖這個神秘的怪物。要解剖它，就得捉住它;要捉住它，就得叉住它。要叉住它，就得看見它;要看見它，就得碰見它。