海底兩萬里 第64期 第6章 開足馬力(6)

By then Commander Farragut, Ned Land, and I were on the afterdeck, peering eagerly into the profound gloom.

法拉古艦長、尼德·蘭和我當(dāng)時都在尾樓上，聚精會神地凝視著深沉的黑暗。

Ned Land, the commander asked, you've often heard whales bellowing?

尼德·蘭，艦長問，您聽到鯨魚叫過嗎?

Often, sir, but never a whale like this, whose sighting earned me 2,000.00.

時常聽到，先生，但我從沒有聽過像現(xiàn)在這條使我獲得二千美元獎金的鯨魚那樣的叫聲。

Correct, the prize is rightfully yours. But tell me, isn't that the noise cetaceans make when they spurt water from their blowholes?

不錯，您應(yīng)獲得這筆獎金。不過，請您告訴我，這聲音是不是那鯨魚類動物鼻孔吐水時所發(fā)出來的聲音呢?

The very noise, sir, but this one's way louder. So there can be no mistake. There's definitely a whale lurking in our waters.

正是那聲音，先生，不過現(xiàn)在這聲音不知要大多少倍。所以誰也不會弄錯.我們面前海里的東西無疑是一條鯨魚類動物。

With your permission, sir, the harpooner added, tomorrow at daybreak we'll have words with it.

這位魚叉手又說，請您容許我，先生，明天天亮?xí)r，我們對它說幾句話。

If it's in a mood to listen to you, Mr. Land, I replied in a tone far from convinced.

恐怕它不會有那樣的耐心聽您的話，尼德·蘭師傅。汐我用半信半疑的聲調(diào)回答。

Let me get within four harpoon lengths of it, the Canadian shot back, and it had better listen!

假使我離它只有四魚叉那么遠(yuǎn)，這位加拿大人答，那時候它非聽我的話不可!