海底兩萬里 第76期 第6章 開足馬力(18)

　　He gave his orders. The Abraham Lincoln stayed at half steam, advancing cautiously so as not to awaken its adversary.

　　他發(fā)出命令。為了不至把敵方驚醒，林肯號減低速度，小心謹(jǐn)慎地前進(jìn)。

　　In midocean it's not unusual to encounter whales so sound asleep they can successfully be attacked, and Ned Land had harpooned more than one in its slumber.

　　在大海中碰到睡著了的鯨魚，因而勝利地攻擊它們，這并不是希奇的事情，尼德·蘭也不止一次在鯨魚昏睡的時候叉中了它們。

　　The Canadian went to resume his post on the bobstays under the bowsprit.

　　加拿大人又到了船頭斜桅下，走上了他原來的崗位。

　　The frigate approached without making a sound, stopped two cable lengths from the animal and coasted.

　　戰(zhàn)艦慢慢地前進(jìn)著，一點(diǎn)聲息也沒有，離這動物三百七十米左右的時候關(guān)了氣門，船現(xiàn)在只憑本身余下的氣力走動。

　　Not a soul breathed on board. A profound silence reigned over the deck.

　　船上連呼吸聲也聽不到。甲板上絕對沉寂。

　　We were not 100 feet from the blazing core of light, whose glow grew stronger and dazzled the eyes.

　　人們距白熱的焦點(diǎn)不到一百英尺了，光度更強(qiáng)起來，照得我們的眼睛發(fā)昏。

　　Just then, leaning over the forecastle railing, I saw Ned Land below me, one hand grasping the martingale, the other brandishing his dreadful harpoon.

　　這時候，我伏在船頭前面的欄桿上，看見尼德。蘭在我下面，一手拉著帆索，一手揮動他鋒利的魚叉。

　　Barely twenty feet separated him from the motionless animal.

　　就和這睡著的動物距離不過二十英尺了。