海底兩萬里 第286期 第21章 在陸地上的兩天(18)

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A left-handed shell! Conseil repeated, his heart pounding.

一個左卷貝！康塞爾重復說，他心跳動著。

Look at its spiral!

你看一看這貝殼的螺旋紋便明白了。

Oh, master can trust me on this, Conseil said, taking the valuable shell in trembling hands, but never have I felt such excitement!

?。∠壬梢韵嘈盼?，康塞爾說，用發(fā)抖的手拿著這珍貴的貝殼，我從沒有感到像現(xiàn)在這樣的一種情緒呢！

And there was good reason to be excited! In fact, as naturalists have ventured to observe, dextrality is a well-known law of nature. In their rotational and orbital movements, stars and their satellites go from right to left. Man uses his right hand more often than his left, and consequently his various instruments and equipment (staircases, locks, watch springs, etc.) are designed to be used in a right-to-left manner. Now then, nature has generally obeyed this law in coiling her shells. They're right-handed with only rare exceptions, and when by chance a shell's spiral is left-handed, collectors will pay its weight in gold for it.

這實在是可以使人情緒激動的！正是，像生物學家所觀察到的一樣，由右向左是自然的法則。天體的行星和它們的衛(wèi)星公轉(zhuǎn)和自轉(zhuǎn)的運動，都是從右向左轉(zhuǎn)。人類使用右手的機會比使用左手為多，因此，人類的工具和器械、樓梯、鎖鑰、鐘表的法條等，都配合成由右向左來使用的。大自然對于貝類的卷旋螺紋，通常也是按照這個法則。貝類紋基本是右轉(zhuǎn)的，很少有例外，偶然有貝紋是左轉(zhuǎn)的。，愛好的人便以黃金的重階來收買了。

So Conseil and I were deep in the contemplation of our treasure, and I was solemnly promising myself to enrich the Paris Museum with it, when an ill-timed stone, hurled by one of the islanders, whizzed over and shattered the valuable object in Conseil's hands.

康塞爾和我因此都在欣賞我們所得的寶貝，完全陶醉了，我正欣幸我們的博物館又可以多一件珍品了；忽然一個土人投來一個石子，不幸地把康塞爾手中的珍品打碎了。

I gave a yell of despair! Conseil pounced on his rifle and aimed at a savage swinging a sling just ten meters away from him. I tried to stop him, but his shot went off and shattered a bracelet of amulets dangling from the islander's arm.

我發(fā)出了一聲絕望的喊聲！康塞爾拿起我的槍，對準在十米外揮動投石機的一個土人，就要打。我正要阻止他，但他的槍彈已經(jīng)放出去了，粉碎了掛在土人胳膊上的護身靈鐲。

Conseil! I shouted. Conseil!

康塞爾！康塞爾！我喊。

Eh? What? Didn't master see that this man-eater initiated the attack?

怎么啦！先生沒有看見這個土人開始攻擊了嗎？

A shell isn't worth a human life! I told him.

一個貝殼不能跟一個人的性命相比！我對他說。

Oh, the rascal! Conseil exclaimed. I'd rather he cracked my shoulder!

??！混蛋東西！康塞爾喊，他就是打碎我的肩骨，我覺得也比打碎這貝殼好一些！