英语听书《海底两万里》第344期 第23章 珊瑚王国(41)

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　　With reasonable accuracy, they lived up to their nicknames of basket sponges, chalice¹ sponges, distaff sponges, elkhorn sponges, lion's paws, peacock's tails,  看见这些形状的海绵，诗人意味比学者意味重的渔人们给它们取的名字很美妙，例如花篮、花枣、羚羊角、狮子蹄、孔雀尾、

　　and Neptune's gloves-designations bestowed² on them by fishermen, more poetically³ inclined than scientists.  海王手套等等…，都是非常恰当的。

　　A gelatinous, semifluid substance coated the fibrous tissue of these sponges, and from this tissue there escaped a steady trickle⁴ of water that, after carrying sustenance⁵ to each cell, was being expelled by a contracting movement.  从它们附有半液体胶质的纤维组织中，不断流出线一样的水，这线水把生命带进了每一个细胞中，成后就被收缩的运动排除出来。

　　This jellylike substance disappears when the polyp dies, emitting ammonia as it rots.  这种半液体胶质在水熄死后便不再分泌，它同时腐烂了，发出阿摩尼亚气体来。这时候就只剩下那日用海绵所有的角质纤维或胶质纤维了。

　　Finally nothing remains⁶ but the fibers⁷, either gelatinous or made of horn, that constitute your household sponge, which takes on a russet hue⁸ and is used for various tasks depending on its degree of elasticity⁹, permeability, or resistance to saturation¹⁰. 刀用海绵是茶褐色，根据它的弹力、渗透力或抵抗浸渍力的程度大小，可以安排它作各种不同的用途。

　　These polyparies were sticking to rocks, shells of mollusks, and even the stalks of water plants.  这些水螅丛附在岩石上，软体动物的介壳上，并且附在蛇婆茎上。

　　They adorned¹¹ the smallest crevices¹², some sprawling¹³, others standing¹⁴ or hanging like coral outgrowths.  它们把最轻微的凹凸都铺平了，有的是摆开来）有的是竖起或垂下，像珊瑚形成的瘤一样。

　　I told Conseil that sponges are fished up in two ways, either by dragnet or by hand.  我告诉了康塞尔，海绵可用两种方法来采取，或用打捞机，或用手。

　　The latter method calls for the services of a diver, but it's preferable because it spares the polypary's tissue, leaving it with a much higher market value. 后一种方法要使用潜水的采绵人，这种方法比较好，因为不损伤水螅丛的纤维，可以给它保留了很高的使用价值。

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