英语听书《海底两万里》第405期 第25章 地中海四十八小时(31)

 Just then we went around the highest ridge¹ of these rocky foothills that supported the vault².  这个时候，我们绕过这些前列岩石的最高尖峰，它们把穹窿圆顶支起。

Then I saw that bees weren't the animal kingdom's only representatives inside this volcano.  我那时看到一些东西，在这火山内部，动物的代表又不单是蜂了。

Here and in the shadows, birds of prey³ soared and whirled, flying away from nests perched on tips of rock.  那是一些蛰鸟在黑影中盘旋，飞来飞去，或者从它们筑在石尖上的巢中飞出来。

There were sparrow hawks⁴ with white bellies⁵, and screeching⁶ kestrels.  那是一类肚腹白色的鹞，及鸣声刺耳的鹰。

With all the speed their stiltlike legs could muster⁷, fine fat bustards scampered⁸ over the slopes.  在斜坡上，又有高矫疾走的，美丽又肥胖的钨。

I'll let the reader decide whether the Canadian's appetite was aroused by the sight of this tasty game, and whether he regretted having no rifle in his hands.  谁都可以想到，加拿大人看见这美味的猎物是怎样的发馋，他很悔恨他没有带枪。

He tried to make stones do the work of bullets, and after several fruitless attempts, he managed to wound one of these magnificent bustards.  他想法拿石头来替代铅弹，投了好几次都没有成功，后来他居然打伤了一只这种美丽的乌。

To say he risked his life twenty times in order to capture this bird is simply the unadulterated truth; but he fared so well, the animal went into his sack to join the honeycombs. 说他不惜冒二十次险，一定要把这鸟弄到手，那是完全确实的事；凭着他的灵巧，他终于把这只鸨塞人口袋中，跟一块块的蜡蜜放在一起了。

By then we were forced to go back down to the beach because the ridge had become impossible.  我们这时要下堤岸来，因为这山脊没法过去。

Above us, the yawning crater⁹ looked like the wide mouth of a well.  在我们上面，那张开的火山口像阔大的井口一般现出来。

From where we stood, the sky was pretty easy to see, and I watched clouds race by, disheveled by the west wind, letting tatters of mist trail over the mountain's summit.  从这地方望，天空可以相当清楚的看出，我又看见一堆乱云，被西风吹送，一直把云雾的细丝碎片带到这山峰上。

Proof positive that those clouds kept at a moderate altitude, because this volcano didn't rise more than 1,800 feet above the level of the ocean. 这是很确实的证据，就是这些云停在不很高的空中，因为火山高出海洋的水平面仅仅不过八百英尺。

1 ridge   

n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭

参考例句：

• We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
• The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。

2 vault   

n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室

参考例句：

• The vault of this cathedral is very high.这座天主教堂的拱顶非常高。
• The old patrician was buried in the family vault.这位老贵族埋在家族的墓地里。

3 prey   

n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨

参考例句：

• Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
• The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。

4 hawks   

鹰( hawk的名词复数 )； 鹰派人物，主战派人物

参考例句：

• Two hawks were hover ing overhead. 两只鹰在头顶盘旋。
• Both hawks and doves have expanded their conditions for ending the war. 鹰派和鸽派都充分阐明了各自的停战条件。

5 bellies   

n.肚子( belly的名词复数 )；腹部；（物体的）圆形或凸起部份；腹部…形的

参考例句：

• They crawled along on their bellies. 他们匍匐前进。
• starving children with huge distended bellies 鼓着浮肿肚子的挨饿儿童

6 screeching   

v.发出尖叫声( screech的现在分词 )；发出粗而刺耳的声音；高叫

参考例句：

• Monkeys were screeching in the trees. 猴子在树上吱吱地叫着。
• the unedifying sight of the two party leaders screeching at each other 两党党魁狺狺对吠的讨厌情景

7 muster   

v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册

参考例句：

• Go and muster all the men you can find.去集合所有你能找到的人。
• I had to muster my courage up to ask him that question.我必须鼓起勇气向他问那个问题。

8 scampered   

v.蹦蹦跳跳地跑，惊惶奔跑( scamper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The cat scampered away. 猫刺棱一下跑了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The rabbIt'scampered off. 兔子迅速跑掉了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

9 crater   

n.火山口，弹坑

参考例句：

• With a telescope you can see the huge crater of Ve-suvius.用望远镜你能看到巨大的维苏威火山口。
• They came to the lip of a dead crater.他们来到了一个死火山口。