海底兩萬里 第311期 第23章 珊瑚王國(10)
At a signal from Captain Nemo, one of his men stepped forward and, a few feet from this cross, detached a mattock from his belt and began to dig a hole.
尼摩船長做個手勢，一個船員走上前來，他在距十字架幾英尺遠(yuǎn)的地方，從腰間取下鐵锨，開始挖坑。
I finally understood! This clearing was a cemetery, this hole a grave, that oblong object the body of the man who must have died during the night!
我完全明白了！這空地是墓地，這坑是墳穴，這長形的東西是昨夜死去的人的尸體！
Captain Nemo and his men had come to bury their companion in this communal resting place on the inaccessible ocean floor!
尼摩船長和他的船員們來到這隔絕人世的海洋底下，這所公共的墓地，埋葬他們的同伴。
No! My mind was reeling as never before! Never had ideas of such impact raced through my brain! I didn't want to see what my eyes saw!
不！我的心從來沒有過這樣的激動，這樣的緊張！從來沒有過更動人的思想像現(xiàn)在這樣侵到我的腦中來！我簡直不想看我的眼睛所看見的東西了！
Meanwhile the grave digging went slowly. Fish fled here and there as their retreat was disturbed.
不過墳穴挖得很慢。魚類被驚動，到處亂跑。
I heard the pick ringing on the limestone soil, its iron tip sometimes giving off sparks when it hit a stray piece of flint on the sea bottom.
我聽到石灰質(zhì)的地上鐵锨叮叮作響，鐵锨有時碰到丟在水底下的火石，發(fā)出星星的火光。
The hole grew longer, wider, and soon was deep enough to receive the body.
墳穴漸漸加長，漸漸加大，不久便相當(dāng)深，可以容受尸體了。
Then the pallbearers approached. Wrapped in white fabric made from filaments of the fan mussel, the body was lowered into its watery grave.
這時抬尸體的便走近前來，尸體用白色的麻布裹著，放到濕潤的坑中去。
Captain Nemo, arms crossed over his chest, knelt in a posture of prayer, as did all the friends of him who had loved them.
尼摩船長兩手交叉在胸前，死者曾經(jīng)愛過的所有的朋友們，都跪下來，作祈禱的姿態(tài)。
My two companions and I bowed reverently.
我的兩個同伴和我也很虔誠地鞠躬敬禮。
The grave was then covered over with the rubble dug from the seafloor, and it formed a low mound.
墳穴于是被那地上挖出的土石掩蓋起來，地面形成微微的隆起。
When this was done, Captain Nemo and his men stood up; then they all approached the grave, sank again on bended knee, and extended their hands in a sign of final farewell.
當(dāng)墳穴填好了，尼摩船長和他的船員都站起來，然后走到墳前，大家屈膝，伸手，作最后告別的姿勢。
