20 托列斯海峡(16)
He spotted a coconut palm, beat down some of its fruit, broke them open, and we drank their milk and ate their meat with a pleasure that was a protest against our standard fare on the Nautilus.
他看见一棵椰子树，打下树上好几个椰子，劈开来，我们喝了里面的汁、吃了里面的肉, 心中感到满意，这正说明了我们对于诺第留斯号船上家常饭食的不满。
Excellent! Ned Land said.
好吃得很！尼德·兰说。
Exquisite! Conseil replied.
味道真美！康塞尔回答。
And I don't think, the Canadian said, that your Nemo would object to us stashing a cargo of coconuts aboard his vessel?
我想，加拿大人说，我们把这些果品带回船上去，您那个尼摩不至于反对吧？
I imagine not, I replied, but he won't want to sample them.
我想他不至于反对，我回答，不过他一定不吃。
Too bad for him! Conseil said.
活该他没口福！康塞尔说。
And plenty good for us! Ned Land shot back. There'll be more left over!
我们倒可以多吃了！尼德·兰回答，因为那样剩下来的才更多。
A word of caution, Mr. Land, I told the harpooner, who was about to ra一vage another coconut palm. Coconuts are admirable things, but before we stuff the skiff with them, it would be wise to find out whether this island offers other substances just as useful. Some fresh vegetables would be well received in the Nautilus's pantry.
我告诉您一句话，尼德·兰师傅，我对这个鱼叉手说，他又要打另一棵椰子树了，椰子是好吃的东西，但不要马上把小艇都装满了椰子，先考察一下岛上是否还出产别的东西，一些又好吃又有用的东西，这才是聪明的办法。譬如新鲜的蔬菜，诺第留斯号船上的厨房一定很欢迎。
Master is right, Conseil replied, and I propose that we set aside three places in our longboat: one for fruit, another for vegetables, and a third for venison, of which I still ha一ven't glimpsed the tiniest specimen.
先生说得有理，康塞尔回答，我提议把我们小艇分成三部分，一部分放水果，一部分放蔬菜，一部分放猎物。可是一直到现在，连野味的影子还没有看见呢。
Don't give up so easily, Conseil, the Canadian replied.
康塞尔，都不应该失望。加拿大人回答。
So let's continue our excursion, I went on, but keep a sharp lookout. This island seems uninhabited, but it still might harbor certain inpiduals who aren't so finicky about the sort of game they eat!
那么，我们继续走吧，我说，不过眼睛要留神，要四处张望。虽然岛上看来没有人居住，但很可能有些生人，他们对于猪物一性一质的看法可能跟我们不同！
Hee hee! Ned put in, with a meaningful movement of his jaws.
嘻：嘻! 尼德·兰发出怪声，摆一动着上下两颚的牙床，作出意义明显的表示。