三個(gè)月來,林肯號跑遍了太平洋北部所有的海面,
racing after whales sighted, abruptly veering off course, swerving sharply from one tack to another, stopping suddenly,
有時(shí)向著看到的鯨魚沖去,有時(shí)忽然離開航線,有時(shí)突然掉轉(zhuǎn)船頭,有時(shí)一下子停住…
putting on steam and reversing engines in quick succession, at the risk of stripping its gears,
它不惜弄壞機(jī)器,不惜浪費(fèi)動(dòng)力,
and it didn't leave a single point unexplored from the beaches of Japan to the coasts of America.
從日本海岸到美洲海岸,沒有一處不曾搜索過。
And we found nothing! Nothing except an immenseness of deserted waves!
但是,什么也沒有看見!看見的只是那浩瀚無邊的大海!
Nothing remotely resembling a gigantic narwhale, or an underwater islet, or a derelictshipwreck, or a runaway reef, or anything the least bit unearthly!
至于什么巨大的獨(dú)角鯨、潛在水中的海島,沉沒的破船、飛走的暗礁,以及什么神秘的東西,卻都沒有看見!
So the reaction set in.
因此,反響發(fā)生了。
At first, discouragement took hold of people's minds, opening the door to disbelief.
首先是人心失望,給懷疑的心理打開一個(gè)缺口。
A new feeling appeared on board, made up of three-tenths shame and seven-tenths fury.
船上產(chǎn)生了另一種情緒,造成這情緒的因素是三分羞愧,七分惱怒。
The crew called themselves out-and-out fools for being hoodwinked by a fairy tale, then grewsteadily more furious!
死盯住一個(gè)空想,自然是愚蠢,但更多的是惱怒!