英语听书《海底两万里》第359期 第23章 珊瑚王国(56)

 Aha! the Canadian put in. This beast offers the added luxury of being good to eat? 啊！加拿大人喊道，这东西原来还是好吃的珍品吗？

Yes, Mr. Land. Its flesh is actual red meat, highly prized, and set aside throughout Malaysia for the tables of aristocrats¹.  是的，兰师傅。它的肉是真正好吃的肉，极端被重视，在马来群岛，人们都把它保留起来作为全公餐桌上的食品。

Accordingly, this excellent animal has been hunted so bloodthirstily that, like its manatee² relatives, it has become more and more scarce. 所以人们对这种好东西要拼命猎取，对它的同类海牛也是一样，因此就弄得这类动物日渐稀少了。

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，船长，康塞尔很正经地说，如果这条海马竟是它种族中的最后一条，为科学的利益起见，放过它，不是比、较好些吗？

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，不过为膳食的利益起见，那还是打它好些。

Then proceed, Mr. Land, Captain Nemo replied. 兰师傅，您打吧。尼摩船长回答道。

Just then, as mute and emotionless as ever, seven crewmen climbed onto the platform.  这个时候，船上的七个船员，老是不作声和无知觉似的，到平台上来。

One carried a harpoon³ and line similar to those used in whale fishing. Its deck paneling opened, the skiff was wrenched⁴ from its socket⁵ and launched to sea.  一个人拿一支鱼叉和一根跟钓鲸鱼用的相同的钩竿。小艇松开来，从它的窝中拉出，放到海中去。

Six rowers sat on the thwarts⁶, and the coxswain took the tiller. Ned, Conseil, and I found seats in the stern. 六个桨手坐在横木板上，小艇艇长手把着舵。尼德，兰、康塞尔和我，我们三人坐在后面。

Aren't you coming, captain? I asked. 船长，您不来吗？我问。

No, sir, but I wish you happy hunting. 不，先生，我祝你们打海马胜利。

The skiff pulled clear, and carried off by its six oars⁷, it headed swiftly toward the dugong, which by then was floating two miles from the Nautilus. 小艇离开大船，六支桨把它划走，很快向海马驶去，那时海马正在距诺第留斯号二海里的海而上游来游去。

Arriving within a few cable lengths of the cetacean, our longboat slowed down, and the sculls dipped noiselessly into the tranquil⁸ waters.  到了距离这鲸科动物还有几盲米远的时候，小艇就慢慢地走，奖没有声息地放到平静的水中去。

Harpoon in hand, Ned Land went to take his stand in the skiff's bow.  尼德兰手拎鱼叉，站在小艇前端。

Harpoons⁹ used for hunting whales are usually attached to a very long rope that pays out quickly when the wounded animal drags it with him.  用来打鲸鱼的鱼叉，通常是结在一条很长的绳索一端，受伤的动物把叉带走的时候，绳索就很快地放出去。

But this rope measured no more than about ten fathoms¹⁰, and its end had simply been fastened to a small barrel that, while floating, would indicate the dugong's movements beneath the waters. 但现在这根索只有二十米左右长，它的另一端结在一个小木桶上面，小木桶浮着，指示海马在水里面走的道路。

1 aristocrats   

n.贵族( aristocrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Many aristocrats were killed in the French Revolution. 许多贵族在法国大革命中被处死。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• To the Guillotine all aristocrats! 把全部贵族都送上断头台！ 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

2 manatee   

n.海牛

参考例句：

• We watched dolphin,manatee,sea lion and whale shows.我们看了海豚、海牛、海狮和鲸的表演。
• One of the most extraordinary river creatures is Amazonian manatee.其中河里最特别的生物之一要数亚马孙海牛。

3 harpoon   

n.鱼叉；vt.用鱼叉叉，用鱼叉捕获

参考例句：

• The harpoon drove deep into the body of the whale.渔叉深深地扎进鲸鱼体内。
• The fisherman transfixed the shark with a harpoon.渔夫用鱼叉刺住鲨鱼。

4 wrenched   

v.（猛力地）扭( wrench的过去式和过去分词 )；扭伤；使感到痛苦；使悲痛

参考例句：

• The bag was wrenched from her grasp. 那只包从她紧握的手里被夺了出来。
• He wrenched the book from her hands. 他从她的手中把书拧抢了过来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 socket   

n.窝，穴，孔，插座，插口

参考例句：

• He put the electric plug into the socket.他把电插头插入插座。
• The battery charger plugs into any mains socket.这个电池充电器可以插入任何类型的电源插座。

6 thwarts   

阻挠( thwart的第三人称单数 )； 使受挫折； 挫败； 横过

参考例句：

• Matcham steady and alert, at a sign from Dick, ran along the thwarts and leaped ashore. 麦青机警、镇静地照着狄克向他做的手势，急急地沿着船上的座板，跳到岸上。
• He laid himself down under the thwarts and waited, panting. 躺在坐板下面，气喘吁吁地等着开船。

7 oars   

n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He pulled as hard as he could on the oars. 他拼命地划桨。
• The sailors are bending to the oars. 水手们在拼命地划桨。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 tranquil   

adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的

参考例句：

• The boy disturbed the tranquil surface of the pond with a stick. 那男孩用棍子打破了平静的池面。
• The tranquil beauty of the village scenery is unique. 这乡村景色的宁静是绝无仅有的。

9 harpoons   

n.鱼镖，鱼叉( harpoon的名词复数 )v.鱼镖，鱼叉( harpoon的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Greenpeace hopes to position its boats between the harpoons and the whales. 绿色和平希望他们的船能开到港口与鲸鱼群之间的地方。 来自互联网
• NIV Can you fill his hide with harpoons or his head with fishing spears? 7[和合]你能用倒钩枪扎满它的皮，能用鱼叉叉满它的头吗？ 来自互联网

10 fathoms   

英寻( fathom的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The harbour is four fathoms deep. 港深为四英寻。
• One bait was down forty fathoms. 有个鱼饵下沉到四十英寻的深处。