Its oblong body ended in a very long caudal fin and its lateral fins in actual fingers.  它的长方身体后边是拉得很长的尾巴，它两侧的绪尖端就是指爪。

It differs from the manatee in that its upper jaw is armed with two long, pointed teeth that form diverging tusks on either side. 它跟海牛不同的地方是它的上颚有两枚很长很长的牙齿，作为分在两旁的防御武器。

This dugong that Ned Land was preparing to attack was of colossal dimensions, easily exceeding seven meters in length.  尼德兰准备攻打的这条海马身躯巨大，身长至少超过七米。

It didn't stir and seemed to be sleeping on the surface of the waves, a circumstance that should have made it easier to capture. 它在水面上躺着不动，好像睡着了，这种情况就比较容易猎龋小艇小心地挨近海马，只有五六米远了。

The skiff approached cautiously to within three fathoms of the animal. The oars hung suspended above their rowlocks.  所有的桨都、挂在铁圈子上不动。我身子站起一半。

I was crouching. His body leaning slightly back, Ned Land brandished his harpoon with expert hands. 尼德·兰全身有些往后仰，老练的手挥动鱼叉，把叉找出。

Suddenly a hissing sound was audible, and the dugong disappeared. Although the harpoon had been forcefully hurled, it apparently had hit only water. 忽然听到一声呼啸，海马沉下不见了。龟叉用力过猛，可能是打在水中了。

Damnation! exclaimed the furious Canadian. I missed it! 鬼怪东西！愤怒的加拿大人喊道，我没有打中它！

No, I said, the animal's wounded, there's its blood; but your weapon didn't stick in its body. 打中了，我说，那东西受伤了，瞧，那不是它的血？：不过你的叉并没有钉在它的身上。

My harpoon! Get my harpoon! Ned Land exclaimed. 我的鱼叉！我的鱼叉！尼德·兰喊。

The sailors went back to their sculling, and the coxswain steered the longboat toward the floating barrel.  水手们又划起来，小艇艇长让小艇向浮桶划去。

We fished up the harpoon, and the skiff started off in pursuit of the animal. 鱼叉收回来，小艇就追赶那海马。

The latter returned from time to time to breathe at the surface of the sea.  海马时时浮出海面上来呼吸。

Its wound hadn't weakened it because it went with tremendous speed.  它受到的伤没有使它的…气力削弱，因为它跑得非常快。

Driven by energetic arms, the longboat flew on its trail.  小艇由健壮的胳膊划着，迅速追上去。

Several times we got within a few fathoms of it, and the Canadian hovered in readiness to strike; but then the dugong would steal away with a sudden dive, and it proved impossible to overtake the beast. 好几次只相距儿米了，加拿大人就要投叉了，但海马立即沉下，躲开了，简直不可能打中它。