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These were the keys which unlocked the treasures of the antediluvian world for me.
對我而言，這些知識猶如開啟上古世界寶藏的一把把鑰匙。
With trembling fingers I listened to Miss Sullivan's descriptions of the terrible beasts, with uncouth, unpronounceable names,
伴隨著顫抖的手指，我“聽”蘇立文小姐講述猛獸的故事。這些兇殘、叫不出名字的野獸，
which once went tramping through the primeval forests, tearing down the branches of gigantic trees for food,
曾經穿梭在廣袤的原始森林里，它們折斷巨樹的枝椏用來果腹。
and died in the dismal swamps of an unknown age.
最終，在一個古老的未知年代，這些猛獸消亡在昏暗的沼澤之中。
For a long time these strange creatures haunted my dreams,
當時，這些古怪的生物常常縈繞在我的夢境里。
and this gloomy period formed a somber background to the joyous Now, filled with sunshine and roses and echoing with the gentle beat of my pony's hoof.
如今，我的世界充滿了陽光和盛開的玫瑰，小馬駒的蹄子發出輕柔的節拍聲，同快樂的生活相比，這段陰郁的記憶變成了留在心底的前塵往事。
Another time a beautiful shell was given me,
還有一次，有人給了我一個美麗的螺殼，
and with a child's surprise and delight I learned how a tiny mollusk had built the lustrous coil for his dwelling place,
伴隨著一個小孩子的驚喜和好奇，我了解到了一個微小的軟體動物是如何在它們的棲息地建造環形洞穴的。
and how on still nights, when there is no breeze stirring the waves, the Nautilus sails on the blue waters of the Indian Ocean in his "ship of pearl."
我還知道了它們在晚上活動的情形，夜間，不會有風卷起波浪，在“珍珠船”的搭載下，鸚鵡螺會航行在印度洋的藍色海面上。
After I had learned a great many interesting things about the life and habits of the children of the sea
我學習了很多關于海洋生物習性的知識，這些知識趣味無窮。
how in the midst of dashing waves the little polyps build the beautiful coral isles of the Pacific,
比如，在涌動的波浪之中，微小的珊瑚蟲是如何在太平洋上建造美麗的珊瑚島的；
and the foraminifera have made the chalk-hills of many a land—my teacher read me "The Chambered Nautilus,"
有孔蟲類又是如何形成陸地上的石灰巖山體的。我的老師為我讀《背著房間的鸚鵡螺》，
and showed me that the shell-building process of the mollusks is symbolical of the development of the mind.
并且告訴我，可以把軟體動物外殼的形成過程，視做一種心智發展的象征。
Just as the wonder-working mantle of the Nautilus changes the material it absorbs from the water and makes it a part of itself,
就是說，鸚鵡螺身上的罩子是神奇工作的結果，它把從海水中吸收的物質轉化成了它身體的一部分。
so the bits of knowledge one gathers undergo a similar change and become pearls of thought.
同樣，人類汲取知識也要經過類似的轉化過程，直至知識變成“思想的珍珠”。
