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But the shells are closed fast.
不過，貝殼合得很緊。
The oyster is yet alive, and to force the shell open with violence might injure the pearl that lies hidden within.
牡蠣還活著，用蠻力強行打開貝殼可能會傷到隱藏在里面的珍珠。
The pearl shells are put into pits dug in the earth, where mats are spread to receive them.
于是，要把含有珍珠的貝殼放到在土里挖好的坑中，在貝殼下面的土層上再墊一層墊子。
They are left there till the creatures within them die, when the shells, opening of themselves, allow of the pearls being safely removed.
一直把它們放在坑里，直到貝殼里的牡蠣死掉。于是，貝殼會自動打開，這樣就能安全地取出珍珠了。
The chemist and the microscope have shown the secret of the composition of the pearl.
化學家使用顯微鏡已經向我們展示出珍珠的化學成分：
It is formed of alternate layers of membrane (animal substance), and carbonate of lime (mineral substance),
它由一層一層的細胞膜（動物成分）和石灰的碳酸鹽（礦物成分）組成，
in the same way as the lustrous internal coating of the shell.
這也是貝殼那層光亮內壁的組成部分。
These layers are slowly and successively produced by the animal itself.
這一層一層的物質都是住在貝殼里的牡蠣自己生成的。所以，珍珠形成得十分緩慢。
Some injury, probably, has happened to the outside of the shell, and the hole must be filled up;
一旦貝殼的外部受損，就必須盡快修補好貝殼上破損的洞；
or a grain of sand or other irritating substance has entered inside the shell (sometimes by the cunning design of man),
要么就是一粒沙子，或其他具有刺激性的物質不小心進到貝殼里（有時是人類有意把它們漏進去的）。
and this must be covered over, that it may no longer wound. —and lo, the result!
這些東西都必須被包裹起來，直到它們對牡蠣的身體不再具有傷害性。珍珠，就是這樣產生的。
By a creature ranking amongst the lowest in the scale of creation is produced a marvel of beauty—an incomparable gem,
在生物進化史上幾乎位于最底層的動物牡蠣，居然能夠創造出如此驚人美麗的寶石！
to glisten in a monarch's diadem, and to be the poet's symbol for all that is most precious and most pure!
它們在帝王的皇冠上閃耀光芒，也被詩人們用來比喻最珍貴、純潔的事物。
