海底兩萬里 第357期 第23章 珊瑚王國(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，在馬來群島，人們都把它保留起來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.

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

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，康塞爾很正經(jīng)地說，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，放過它，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，不過為膳食的利益起見，那還是打它好些。

Then proceed, Mr. Land, Captain Nemo replied.

蘭師傅，您打吧。尼摩船長回答道。

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

這個時候，船上的七個船員，老是不作聲和無知覺似的，到平臺上來。

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.

一個人拿一支魚叉和一根跟釣鯨魚用的相同的鉤竿。小艇松開來，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.

六個槳手坐在橫木板上，小艇艇長手把著舵。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，您不來嗎？我問。

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.

小艇離開大船，六支槳把它劃走，很快向海馬駛?cè)?，那時海馬正在距諾第留斯號二海里的海而上游來游去。

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

到了距離這鯨科動物還有幾盲米遠(yuǎn)的時候，小艇就慢慢地走，獎沒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.

用來打鯨魚的魚叉，通常是結(jié)在一條很長的繩索一端，受傷的動物把叉帶走的時候，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，它的另一端結(jié)在一個小木桶上面，小木桶浮著，指示海馬在水里面走的道路。