英语听书《海底两万里》第505期 第31章 章鱼(12)

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passing successively from bluish gray to reddish brown. 从灰白色一直变到红褐色。

What was irritating this mollusk²?  是什么激恼了这只软体动物呢？

No doubt the presence of the Nautilus, even more fearsome than itself,  可能是由于比它更巨大的“鹦鹉螺号” 的出现，

and which it couldn't grip with its mandibles or the suckers on its arms.  而且它的吸盘或者下颚又抓不住这只船的缘故吧。

And yet what monsters these devilfish are, what vitality³ our Creator has given them, 然而，这些章鱼是怎样的怪物啊！造物主赋予了它们怎样的生命力，

what vigor⁴ in their movements, thanks to their owning a triple heart! 它们竟然有三个心脏，它们的动作是多么的有力啊！

Sheer chance had placed us in the presence of this squid,  偶遇把我们带到这只枪乌贼面前，

and I didn't want to lose this opportunity to meticulously⁵ study such a cephalopod specimen⁶. 我不想失去一次对这一种头足类动物，种类进行仔细研究的机会。

I overcame the horror that its appearance inspired in me, picked up a pencil, and began to sketch⁷ it. 我克服了由于它的外貌而引起的心理恐惧，拿起，一只铅笔，开始画下它的样子。

Perhaps this is the same as the Alecto's, Conseil said. “这可能是那艘‘阿利敦号’船只遇到的那只章鱼，”康塞尔说。

"Can't be," the Canadian replied, "because this one's complete while the other one lost its tail!"  “不是，”加拿大人回答说，“那只失去了尾巴，而这只身体完整。” 

"That doesn't necessarily follow," I said.  “这不是个理由，”我回答说，

"The arms and tails of these animals grow back through regeneration, and in seven years the tail on Bouguer's Squid has surely had time to sprout⁸ again." “这类动物的爪子和尾巴能慢慢重新长出来，已经七年了，‘布格尔的枪乌贼’的尾巴大概有时间重新长出来的。”

"Anyhow," Ned shot back, "if it isn't this fellow, maybe it's one of those!" “再说，”尼德接着说，“如果这只不是‘布格尔的枪乌贼’，那么那些里面可能有一只是它。” 

Indeed, other devilfish had appeared at the starboard window.  果然，在船右舷的玻璃窗前又出现了另一些章鱼。

I counted seven of them.  我数了一下，共七条。

They provided the Nautilus with an escort, and I could hear their beaks⁹ gnashing on the sheet-iron hull¹⁰. 它们在给“鹦鹉螺号”护航呢，我听到了它们的嘴巴啃着船壳的铁皮发出的，咯咯声。

We couldn't have asked for a more devoted¹¹ following. 我们成了它们希望中的食物了。

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