23 珊瑚王国(60)
It took pulleys of great strength to hoist this dugong onto the platform. The beast weighed 5,000 kilograms. It was carved up in sight of the Canadian, who remained to watch every detail of the operation. At dinner the same day, my steward served me some slices of this flesh, skillfully dressed by the ship's cook. I found it excellent, even better than veal if not beef.
把这条海马拉到大船的乎台上，必须使用力量很大的起重滑车。它重五千公斤。人们就在加拿大人面前把它宰割了，他一定要看人宰割时的所有动作。当天，管事人在午餐时，就把船上厨师做得很好的这种肉拿出几片来给我吃。我觉得这肉味道很好，甚至于赛过小牛肉，虽然不一定：胜过大牛肉。
The next morning, February 11, the Nautilus's pantry was enriched by more dainty game. A covey of terns alighted on the Nautilus. They were a species of Sterna nilotica unique to Egypt: beak black, head gray and stippled, eyes surrounded by white dots, back, wings, and tail grayish, belly and throat white, feet red. Also caught were a couple dozen Nile duck, superior-tasting wildfowl whose neck and crown of the head are white speckled with black.
第二天，2月11日，诺第留斯号的食物储藏室又增加了一种美味的猎物。一一群一海燕落到诺第留斯号上面，被我们捕获了。那是埃及特产的尼罗河海燕，嘴是黑的，头灰黑，有斑点，眼睛周围有白点的圈，脊背、两翼和尾巴是灰黑一色一，肚腹和一胸一颈白一色一，脚爪红一色一。我们另外还捉到十来个尼罗河的鸭子，这是很美味的野乌，脖子和头上是白一色一，并且带有黑班点。
By then the Nautilus had reduced speed. It moved ahead at a saunter, so to speak. I observed that the Red Sea's water was becoming less salty the closer we got to Suez.
诺第留斯号的速度那时很缓慢。可以说，它是慢步溜达着前进。我注意到，红海的水愈接近苏伊士，愈少威味了。
Near five o'clock in the afternoon, we sighted Cape Ras Mohammed to the north. This cape forms the tip of Arabia Petraea, which lies between the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba.
下午五点左右，我们测定北方是拉斯一穆罕默德角，这角是石区阿拉伯的极端，在苏伊士湾和亚喀巴湾中间。
The Nautilus entered the Strait of Jubal, which leads to the Gulf of Suez. I could clearly make out a high mountain crowning Ras Mohammed between the two gulfs. It was Mt. Horeb, that biblical Mt. Sinai on whose summit Moses met God face to face, that summit the mind's eye always pictures as wreathed in lightning.
诺第留斯号进入尤巴尔海峡，这海峡通到苏伊士湾。我清楚地望见一座高山，山在两湾之间俯瞰拉斯一穆罕默德角。那是何烈山、西奈山，山顶上就是摩西当年曾与上帝面面相对的地方，人们心中想象这山头是不断有闪电笼罩着。