英语听书《海底两万里》第329期 第23章 珊瑚王国(26)

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　　Its fine-grained sand was followed by a genuine causeway of smooth crags covered by a carpet of mollusks and zoophytes.  细沙地之后，接着是突起的岩石路，路上铺着一层软体动物和植虫动物形成的地毯。

　　Among other specimens² in these two branches, I noted³ some windowpane oysters⁴ with thin valves of unequal size, a type of ostracod unique to the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean,  在这两门动物的品种中间，我看到壳很薄的大小不一致的胎盘贝，这是红海和印度洋特有的一种牡蛎；

　　then orange-hued lucina with circular shells, awl-shaped auger⁵ shells, some of those Persian murex snails⁶ that supply the Nautilus with such wonderful dye,  介壳圆形的橙色满月贝；突锥形贝；一些波斯朱红贝，诺第留斯号的美丽色彩就由这种贝供应的；

　　spiky⁷ periwinkles fifteen centimeters long that rose under the waves like hands ready to grab you, turban snails with shells made of horn and bristling⁸ all over with spines,  多角岩石贝，长十五厘米，在水底下竖起来，像要抓人的手似的；角形螺贝，全身长着尖刺；

　　lamp shells, edible⁹ duck clams¹⁰ that feed the Hindu marketplace, subtly luminous¹¹ jellyfish of the species Pelagia panopyra, and finally some wonderful Oculina flabelliforma,  张口舌形贝，鸭子贝，这是供应印度斯但市场的可以食用的蝇贝；带甲水母，发出微弱伪亮光；

　　magnificent sea fans that fashion one of the most luxuriant tree forms in this ocean. 最后还看到使人赞美的扇形圆眼贝，像很美丽的扇子，是这一带海中最易繁殖的树枝形动物之一。

　　In the midst of this moving vegetation, under arbors of water plants, there raced legions of clumsy articulates,  在这些活的植物中间，这些水甲虫的摇篮下面，有无数从伍不整齐的节肢动物跑动，

　　in particular some fanged¹² frog crabs¹⁴ whose carapaces¹⁵ form a slightly rounded triangle, robber crabs exclusive to these waterways,  特别多的是齿形蛙类，身上的甲壳作弯曲的三角形；有这一带海中特产的卑格鱼；

　　and horrible parthenope crabs whose appearance was repulsive¹⁶ to the eye.  有那可怕的单性鱼，形状非常难看。

　　One animal no less hideous¹⁷, which I encountered several times, was the enormous crab¹³ that Mr.Darwin observed, to which nature has given the instinct and requisite¹⁸ strength to eat coconuts¹⁹;  我好几次碰见了那种跟单性鱼一样难看的动物，就是达尔文曾经观察过的大蟹，大自然给了它一种本能和力量，可以吃椰子。

　　it scrambles²⁰ up trees on the beach and sends the coconuts tumbling;  它爬上海岸，爬到椰子树上把椰子弄下来，椰子掉下来的时候跌破了，

　　they fracture in their fall and are opened by its powerful pincers. 它拿它的有力的钳把椰子剥开来吃。在这里明亮的水底下，这种蟹在走动的时候非常灵便不可比拟。

　　Here, under these clear waves, this crab raced around with matchless agility²¹, while green turtles from the species frequenting the Malabar coast moved sluggishly²² among the crumbling²³ rocks. 同时又有自由自在的鱼鳖类，就是常到马拉巴海岸的那一类，在动摇的岩石中间慢慢地爬走。

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