海底兩萬里 第49期 第5章 冒險活動(4)

In an instant the frigate's deck would become densely populated.

戰(zhàn)艦的甲板上馬上就擠滿了人，水手和軍官像水流一般地從布棚下涌出來了。

The cowls over the companionways would vomit a torrent of sailors and officers.With panting chests and anxious eyes, we each would observe the cetacean's movements.

人人都心頭跳動，眼光閃爍，注視著鯨魚的行動。

I stared; I stared until I nearly went blind from a worn-out retina, while Conseil, as stoicas ever, kept repeating to me in a calm tone:

我非常注意地看著，看得眼睛發(fā)黑，簡直要變成瞎子了。但康塞爾總是若無其事的，用安靜的語氣一再對我說：

If master's eyes would kindly stop bulging master will see farther!

如果先生愿意少費些目力，眼睛不要睜得大大，先生也許能看得更清楚一些!

But what a waste of energy! The Abraham Lincoln would change course and race after the animal sighted,

但是，空歡喜了一場!林肯號轉(zhuǎn)了方向，向發(fā)現(xiàn)的動物沖去，原來是一條平常的長須鯨，

only to find an ordinary baleen whale or a common sperm whale that soon disappeared amid a chorus of curses!

或一條普通的大頭鯨，不多時就在大家的咒罵聲中不見了!

However, the weather held good. Our voyage was proceeding under the most favorable conditions.

可是天氣很好。船在良好的情況中航行，這正是南半球天氣惡劣的季節(jié)，

By then it was the bad season in these southernmost regions, because July in this zone corresponds to our January in Europe;

而這一帶的七月卻和我們歐洲的一月差不多。

but the sea remained smooth and easily visible over a vast perimeter.

不過海是平靜的，人們一眼可以看得很遠(yuǎn)。