海底兩萬(wàn)里 第357期 第23章 珊瑚王國(guó)(56)

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Aha! the Canadian put in. This beast offers the added luxury of being good to eat?

??！加拿大人喊道，這東西原來(lái)還是好吃的珍品嗎？

Yes, Mr. Land. Its flesh is actual red meat, highly prized, and set aside throughout Malaysia for the tables of aristocrats.

是的，蘭師傅。它的肉是真正好吃的肉，極端被重視，在馬來(lái)群島，人們都把它保留起來(lái)作為全公餐桌上的食品。

Accordingly, this excellent animal has been hunted so bloodthirstily that, like its manatee relatives, it has become more and more scarce.

所以人們對(duì)這種好東西要拼命獵取，對(duì)它的同類海牛也是一樣，因此就弄得這類動(dòng)物日漸稀少了。

In that case, captain, Conseil said in all seriousness, on the offchance that this creature might be the last of its line, wouldn't it be advisable to spare its life, in the interests of science?

那么，船長(zhǎng)，康塞爾很正經(jīng)地說(shuō)，如果這條海馬竟是它種族中的最后一條，為科學(xué)的利益起見(jiàn)，放過(guò)它，不是比、較好些嗎？

Maybe, the Canadian answered, it would be better to hunt it down, in the interests of mealtime.

或者好些，加拿大人回答，不過(guò)為膳食的利益起見(jiàn)，那還是打它好些。

Then proceed, Mr. Land, Captain Nemo replied.

蘭師傅，您打吧。尼摩船長(zhǎng)回答道。

Just then, as mute and emotionless as ever, seven crewmen climbed onto the platform.

這個(gè)時(shí)候，船上的七個(gè)船員，老是不作聲和無(wú)知覺(jué)似的，到平臺(tái)上來(lái)。

One carried a harpoon and line similar to those used in whale fishing. Its deck paneling opened, the skiff was wrenched from its socket and launched to sea.

一個(gè)人拿一支魚(yú)叉和一根跟釣鯨魚(yú)用的相同的鉤竿。小艇松開(kāi)來(lái)，從它的窩中拉出，放到海中去。

Six rowers sat on the thwarts, and the coxswain took the tiller. Ned, Conseil, and I found seats in the stern.

六個(gè)槳手坐在橫木板上，小艇艇長(zhǎng)手把著舵。尼德，蘭、康塞爾和我，我們?nèi)俗诤竺妗?/p>

Aren't you coming, captain? I asked.

船長(zhǎng)，您不來(lái)嗎？我問(wèn)。

No, sir, but I wish you happy hunting.

不，先生，我祝你們打海馬勝利。

The skiff pulled clear, and carried off by its six oars, it headed swiftly toward the dugong, which by then was floating two miles from the Nautilus.

小艇離開(kāi)大船，六支槳把它劃走，很快向海馬駛?cè)?，那時(shí)海馬正在距諾第留斯號(hào)二海里的海而上游來(lái)游去。

Arriving within a few cable lengths of the cetacean, our longboat slowed down, and the sculls dipped noiselessly into the tranquil waters.

到了距離這鯨科動(dòng)物還有幾盲米遠(yuǎn)的時(shí)候，小艇就慢慢地走，獎(jiǎng)沒(méi)有聲息地放到平靜的水中去。

Harpoon in hand, Ned Land went to take his stand in the skiff's bow.

尼德蘭手拎魚(yú)叉，站在小艇前端。

Harpoons used for hunting whales are usually attached to a very long rope that pays out quickly when the wounded animal drags it with him.

用來(lái)打鯨魚(yú)的魚(yú)叉，通常是結(jié)在一條很長(zhǎng)的繩索一端，受傷的動(dòng)物把叉帶走的時(shí)候，繩索就很快地放出去。

But this rope measured no more than about ten fathoms, and its end had simply been fastened to a small barrel that, while floating, would indicate the dugong's movements beneath the waters.

但現(xiàn)在這根索只有二十米左右長(zhǎng)，它的另一端結(jié)在一個(gè)小木桶上面，小木桶浮著，指示海馬在水里面走的道路。