英语听书《海底两万里》第286期 第21章 在陆地上的两天(17)

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　　However, I'm opposed to being devoured², even in all decency³, so I'll keep on my guard, especially since the Nautilus's commander seems to be taking no precautions.  不过我不想被他们吞食，即使是老老实实的吞食，我也不愿意。我要时时警戒，十分小心，因为诺第留斯号的船长好像一点不注意，不加防范。

　　And now let's get to work! 现在我们动手捞吧。

　　For two hours our fishing proceeded energetically but without bringing up any rarities.  在两个钟头内，我们打鱼进行得相当活跃，但没有打到罕见的珍品。

　　Our dragnet was filled with Midas abalone, harp⁴ shells, obelisk⁵ snails⁶, and especially the finest hammer shells I had seen to that day.  打捞器里面装满了驴耳贝、竖琴贝、河贝子，特别又打到了我今天才看见的最好看的糙鱼，

　　We also gathered in a few sea cucumbers, some pearl oysters⁷, and a dozen small turtles that we saved for the ship's pantry. 我们又打了一些海参，产珍珠的牡蛎和一打左右的小鳖，这些都打来作为船上的食用品。

　　But just when I least expected it, I laid my hands on a wonder, a natural deformity I'd have to call it, something very seldom encountered.  但是，在绝对的无意中，我却找到一件珍奇品，我应该说，找到一件自然变形的珍品，这种东西最不容易碰见。

　　Conseil had just made a cast of the dragnet, and his gear had come back up loaded with a variety of fairly ordinary seashells,  康塞尔把打捞器放下去又捞起来的时候，器中装满很平常的各种贝类，他忽然看见我的胳膊很快伸进网里面去，

　　when suddenly he saw me plunge⁸ my arms swiftly into the net, pull out a shelled animal, and give a conchological yell,  取出一个贝壳来，发出贝类学家的喊声，

　　in other words, the most piercing yell a human throat can produce. 即是说，发出人类喉咙可以发出的最尖锐的喊声。

　　Eh? What happened to master? Conseil asked, very startled. Did master get bitten? 哎！先生怎么啦？康塞尔问，他非常惊怪，先生被咬了吗？

　　No, my boy, but I'd gladly have sacrificed a finger for such a find! 没有，老实人，我实在愿意用我的一个指头来换取我：的发现呢。

　　What find? 什么发现呢？

　　This shell, I said, displaying the subject of my triumph. 就是这个贝壳。我手指着我的战利品说。

　　But that's simply an olive shell of the 'tent olive' species, genus Oliva, order Pectinibranchia, class Gastropoda, branch Mollusca-- 但这不过是一个普通的斑红橄榄贝,橄榄贝属，节鳃图，腹足纲，软体类门…

　　Yes, yes, Conseil! But instead of coiling from right to left, this olive shell rolls from left to right! 对，康塞尔，但这个橄榄贝纹跟普通的不一样，不是从右往左卷过来，而是从左往右转过去。

　　It can't be! Conseil exclaimed. 可能吗？康塞尔喊道。

　　Yes, my boy, it's a left-handed shell! 一点不错，老实人，这是一个左卷贝！

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