喂，康塞尔，我跟他说，现在是获得两千美元奖金的最后一次机会了。

　　If master will permit my saying so, Conseil replied, I never expected to win that prize, and the Union government could have promised 100,000.00 and been none the poorer.

　　请先生容许我对这件事说句话，康塞尔答，我从不想获得这笔奖金，合众国政府可以答应给十万美元，它也并不因此就穷了。

　　You're right, Conseil, it turned out to be a foolish business after all, and we jumped into it too hastily.

　　你说得对，康塞尔；总之，这是一件愚蠢的事情，我们没怎么考虑就参加进来了。

　　What a waste of time, what a futile expense of emotion! Six months ago we could have been back in France.

　　白费了多少时间，消耗了多少精神！要不，六个月以前，我们已经回到法国了…

　　In master's little apartment, Conseil answered. In master's museum! And by now I would have classified master's fossils.

　　在先生的小房子里！康塞尔答道，在先生的博物馆里！我早已把先生的生物化石分类了！

　　And master's babirusa would be ensconced in its cage at the zoo in the Botanical Gardens, and it would have attracted every curiosity seeker in town!

　　先生的野猪也早就养在植物园的笼中，吸引着巴黎全城所有好奇的人来参观了!

　　Quite so, Conseil, and what's more, I imagine that people will soon be poking fun at us!

　　正跟你所说的一样，康塞尔，并且，我想，我们还没有估计到人家会怎样嘲笑我们呢！

　　To be sure, Conseil replied serenely, I do think they'll have fun at master's expense. And must it be said...?

　　可不是，康塞尔安然回答，我想，人们一定会嘲笑您先生。我该不该说…？

　　It must be said, Conseil.

　　你说下去，康塞尔。

　　Well then, it will serve master right!

　　好，那就是先生应得的报酬！

　　How true!

　　确是这样！

　　When one has the honor of being an expert as master is, one mustn't lay himself open to.

　　一个人如果有幸能和先生一样是一位学者，他就决不该冒昧从事…

　　Conseil didn't have time to complete the compliment. In the midst of the general silence, a voice became audible. It was Ned Land's voice, and it shouted:

　　康塞尔没有说完他的恭维话。在全船的沉默当中，大家听到了一个人的声音，那是尼德·兰的声音，他喊着：

　　Ahoy! There's the thing in question, abreast of us to leeward!

　　看哪！我们寻找了多时的那家伙就在那里，正斜对着我们呢！