31 章鱼(10)
After several fruitless attempts, the crew managed to slip a noose around the mollusk's body. This noose slid as far as the caudal fins and came to a halt. Then they tried to haul the monster on board, but its weightwas so considerable that when they tugged on the rope, the animal parted company with its tail; and deprivedof this adornment, it disappeared beneath the waters."
好几次无果的尝试之后，船员终于用绳结扣在这只软体动物的身上。这个绳结一直滑一到尾鳍就停了下来。于是人们尝试着把这只怪物拉到船上，但它重得吓人，以致于在绳子的拉力下，把尾巴揪断了，它就拉着没尾巴的身一体消失在水中。”
"Finally, an actual event," Ned Land said. "An indisputable event, my gallant Ned. Accordingly, people ha一ve proposed naming this devilfish Bouguer's Squid."
“这总算是个事实。”尼德·兰说。 “一个无可争议的事实，我老实的尼德。因此人们建议把章鱼名做‘布格尔的一槍一乌贼’。”
"And how long was it?" the Canadian asked.
“那它有多长？”加拿大人问。
"Didn't it measure about six meters?" said Conseil, who was stationed at the window and examining anew the crevices in the cliff.
“它不是长约6米吗？”康塞尔靠到玻璃窗上说，重新审视着那凹凸不平的悬崖。
"Precisely," I replied. "Wasn't its head," Conseil went on, "crowned by eight tentacles that quivered in thewater like a nest of snakes?" "Precisely."
“准确无误，”我回答。“它的头，”康塞尔回答说，“上面不是长着八根在水中犹如蛇一群一般的触须吗？”“准确无误。”
"Weren't its eyes prominently placed and considerably enlarged?" "Yes, Conseil."
“它的眼睛长在花丛般的脑袋上，而巨眼睛很大，是吗？”“是的，康塞尔。”
"And wasn't its mouth a real parrot's beak but of fearsome size?" "Correct, Conseil."
“它的嘴巴，不是真的一只鹦鹉嘴，而是大得吓人，是吗？”“确实如此，康塞尔。”
"Well, with all due respect to master," Conseil replied serenely, "if this isn't Bouguer's Squid, it's at least one of his close relatives!"
“那好！请先生原谅，”康塞尔平静地回答说，“如果这不是‘布格尔的一槍一乌贼’，那至少是它的兄弟。”
I stared at Conseil. Ned Land rushed to the window.
我看了看康塞尔。尼德·兰急忙跑到玻璃前。
"What an awful animal!" he exclaimed.
“吓人的怪物！”他喊道。