31 章鱼(14)
Yes, sir. Our propeller is jammed. I think the horn-covered mandibles of one of these squid are entangled inthe blades. That's why we aren't moving.
“是的，先生。推进器不动了。我想是一条一槍一乌贼的下颚骨绞进了轮叶中，使我们走不动了。”
And what are you going to do?
“那您想怎么做呢？”
Rise to the surface and slaughter the vermin.
“浮出一水面，宰了这些害人虫。”
A difficult undertaking.
“这不好办。”
Correct. Our electric bullets are ineffective against such soft flesh, where they don't meet enough resistance to go off. But we'll attack the beasts with axes.
“确实如此。电气弹对于这堆软一绵绵的肉来说毫无办法，因为打在上面，没有足够的阻力来引发爆炸。但我们可以用斧子砍它。”
And harpoons, sir, the Canadian said, "if you don't turn down my help."
“用鱼叉，先生，”加拿大人说，“请您别拒绝我的帮助。”
I accept it, Mr. Land.
“我接受您的帮助，兰师傅。”
We'll go with you, I said. And we followed Captain Nemo, heading to the central companionway.
“我们陪你们去，”我说着，跟着尼摩船长走向中一央扶梯。
There some ten men were standing by for the assault, armed with boarding axes. Conseil and I picked up two more axes. Ned Land seized a harpoon.
在中一央扶梯那里，已经有十几个人手里握着斧子，准备出击。我和康塞尔也拿了两把斧子，尼德·兰抓着一把鱼叉。
By then the Nautilus had returned to the surface of the wa一ves. Stationed on the top steps, one of the seamenundid the bolts of the hatch. But he had scarcely unscrewed the nuts when the hatch flew up with tremendous violence, obviously pulled open by the suckers on a devilfish's arm.
于是“鹦鹉螺号”浮出一水面。一个水手站在最上面一级台阶上，他正在把嵌板上的螺丝拧开。但螺母刚刚被拧开，嵌板就猛地一下子被掀一开了，显然是被章鱼的一只爪子上的吸盘拉开的。
Instantly one of those long arms glided like a snake into the opening, and twenty others were quivering above. With a sweep of the ax, Captain Nemo chopped off this fearsome tentacle, which slid writhing down the steps.
立刻，一条像蛇一样的长爪子从开口处滑了进来，其他二十几只爪子在上面蠕一动着。尼摩船长一挥斧子，把这条可怕的触须斩断，被斩断的触须卷成了一一团一滑在阶梯上。
Just as we were crowding each other to reach the platform, two more arms lashed the air, swooped on the seaman stationed in front of Captain Nemo, and carried the fellow away with irresistible violence.
当我们正争先恐后挤上平台时，另外两根须爪从空中打过来，缠在了尼摩船长面前的水手身上，猛地把他卷走。