在大廳中間,有一個噴泉。水受電光的照耀,重又落在單由一片大貝殼制成的環(huán)形水池中。
The delicately festooned rim of this shell, supplied by the biggest mollusk in the class Acephala, measured about six meters in circumference.
這個最大的無頭軟體類動物的貝殼,從它鑲有精細花紋的邊緣上量,周邊約有六米長;
so it was even bigger than those fine giant clams given to King Franois I by the Republic of Venice.
這貝殼比威尼斯共和國送給佛朗索瓦一世的那些美麗貝殼還要大得多,
and which the Church of Saint-Sulpice in Paris has made into two gigantic holy-water fonts.
巴黎圣修佩斯教堂曾用這種貝殼做了兩個巨大的圣水池。
Around this basin, inside elegant glass cases fastened with copper bands.
在這環(huán)形水池周圍,紅銅架子的玻璃柜中,
there were classified and labeled the most valuable marine exhibits ever put before the eyes of a naturalist. My professorial glee may easily be imagined.
最珍貴的海產物品都分了類,并貼著標簽,這些都是一個生物學家很難得看見的東西。作為教授的我所感到的喜悅,是誰都不難想象到的。
The zoophyte branch offered some very unusual specimens from its two groups, the polyps and the echinoderms.
植蟲動物門的兩類,腔腸類和棘皮類,在柜中有根奇異的品種。