19 万尼科罗群岛(15)

The second, stranded to leeward, held up for some days. The natives gave the castaways a fair enough welcome. The latter took up residence on the island and built a smaller craft with rubble from the two large ones. A few seamen stayed voluntarily in Vanikoro. The others, weak and ailing, set sail with the Count de La Perouse. They headed to the Solomon Islands, and they perished with all hands on the westerly coast of the chief island in that group, between Cape Deception and Cape Satisfaction!"

第二只船浑天仪号搁浅在下方,仍然支持了好几天。当地土人对遇难船员相当欢迎,善意招待。遇难船员便住在岛上,利用两艘破损的大船,把材料拼凑起来,建造了一只较小的船。有些水手愿意居住在万尼科罗岛上, 不想走了。别的船员,体弱有病,跟拉?白鲁斯一同出发.他们向所罗门岛开去,他们所有的一切,身体和财物,都在这岛的主岛的西部海岸,失望呷和满意呷之间沉没了。

"And how do you know all this?" I exclaimed.

“您怎么知道呢?”我喊道。

"Here's what I found at the very site of that final shipwreck!"

“这不是我在那最后遇难失事的地方所找到的文件吗!”

Captain Nemo showed me a tin box, stamped with the coat of arms of France and all corroded by salt water. He opened it and I saw a bundle of papers, yellowed but still legible.

尼摩船长给我看一个白铁盒,上面印有法国国徽的标记,全都被盐水所侵蚀了。他打开铁盒,我看见一卷公文,虽然纸发黄,但字迹还清楚可读。

They were the actual military orders given by France's Minister of the Navy to Commander La Perouse, with notes along the margin in the handwriting of King Louis XVI!

这公文是法国海军大臣给拉,白鲁斯船长的训令,边缘还有路易十六亲笔的批语呢!

"Ah, what a splendid death for a seaman!" Captain Nemo then said. "A coral grave is a tranquil grave, and may Heaven grant that my companions and I rest in no other!"

“啊!”尼摩船长于是说,“对于一位海员来说,这真是死得漂亮:这座珊瑚坟墓实在是太幽静了!愿上天让我的同伴和我不要葬在别样的坟墓中!”