Suddenly, just as on the previous evening, Ned Land's voice was audible.
突然,像昨晚那樣,尼德·蘭叫起來了。
There's the thing in question, astern to port! the harpooner shouted.
我們找的那個東西,在船左舷后面!”魚叉手喊著。
Every eye looked toward the point indicated.
大家的眼光都轉向他手指的地方。
There, a mile and a half from the frigate, a long blackish body emerged a meter above the waves. Quivering violently, its tail was creating a considerable eddy.
在那邊,距戰艦一海里半左右,一個長長的黑色軀體浮出水上一未來。它的尾巴,激動著水,攪成很大的一個漩渦。
Never had caudal equipment thrashed the sea with such power. An immense wake of glowing whiteness marked the animal's track, sweeping in a long curve.
任何東西的尾巴都不能這樣有力地擊打海水。這個動物走過,尾后留下一行巨大、雪白耀眼的水紋,并且描成一條長長的曲線。
Our frigate drew nearer to the cetacean. I examined it with a completely open mind.
我們的戰艦埃近了這個鯨魚類動物。
Those reports from the Shannon and the Helvetia had slightly exaggerated its dimensions, and I put its length at only 250 feet.
我隨便地觀察了一下。山農號和海爾維地亞號兩船的報告對它的體積有些夸張,我估計一下,它不過二百五十英尺長。
Its girth was more difficult to judge, but all in all, the animal seemed to be wonderfully proportioned in all three dimensions.
至于寬,我很難估量;總之,這個動物在我看來:長寬高三方面的比例都十分勻稱。