評論
打印
After several fruitless attempts, the crew managed to slip a noose around the mollusk's body. This noose slid as far as the caudal fins and came to a halt. Then they tried to haul the monster on board, but its weightwas so considerable that when they tugged on the rope, the animal parted company with its tail; and deprivedof this adornment, it disappeared beneath the waters."
好幾次無果的嘗試之后，船員終于用繩結扣在這只軟體動物的身上。這個繩結一直滑到尾鰭就停了下來。于是人們嘗試著把這只怪物拉到船上，但它重得嚇人，以致于在繩子的拉力下，把尾巴揪斷了，它就拉著沒尾巴的身體消失在水中。”
"Finally, an actual event," Ned Land said. "An indisputable event, my gallant Ned. Accordingly, people have proposed naming this devilfish Bouguer's Squid."
“這總算是個事實。”尼德·蘭說。 “一個無可爭議的事實，我老實的尼德。因此人們建議把章魚名做‘布格爾的槍烏賊’。”
"And how long was it?" the Canadian asked.
“那它有多長？”加拿大人問。
"Didn't it measure about six meters?" said Conseil, who was stationed at the window and examining anew the crevices in the cliff.
“它不是長約6米嗎？”康塞爾靠到玻璃窗上說，重新審視著那凹凸不平的懸崖。
"Precisely," I replied. "Wasn't its head," Conseil went on, "crowned by eight tentacles that quivered in thewater like a nest of snakes?" "Precisely."
“準確無誤，”我回答。“它的頭，”康塞爾回答說，“上面不是長著八根在水中猶如蛇群般的觸須嗎？”“準確無誤。”
"Weren't its eyes prominently placed and considerably enlarged?" "Yes, Conseil."
“它的眼睛長在花叢般的腦袋上，而巨眼睛很大，是嗎？”“是的，康塞爾。”
"And wasn't its mouth a real parrot's beak but of fearsome size?" "Correct, Conseil."
“它的嘴巴，不是真的一只鸚鵡嘴，而是大得嚇人，是嗎？”“確實如此，康塞爾。”
"Well, with all due respect to master," Conseil replied serenely, "if this isn't Bouguer's Squid, it's at least one of his close relatives!"
“那好！請先生原諒，”康塞爾平靜地回答說，“如果這不是‘布格爾的槍烏賊’，那至少是它的兄弟。”
I stared at Conseil. Ned Land rushed to the window.
我看了看康塞爾。尼德·蘭急忙跑到玻璃前。
"What an awful animal!" he exclaimed.
“嚇人的怪物！”他喊道。
