海底兩萬(wàn)里》第21期 第2章 正與反(10)

But, as it always happens, just when a decision had been made to chase the monster, the monster put in no further appearances.

事情往往就是這樣，等人們決定要追趕這怪物的時(shí)候。怪物再也不出現(xiàn)了。

For two months nobody heard a word about it. Not a single ship encountered it.

在兩個(gè)月的時(shí)間內(nèi)，誰(shuí)都沒(méi)有得到怪物的消息，也沒(méi)有海船碰見(jiàn)它。

Apparently the unicorn had gotten wise to these plots being woven around it.

好像這條海麒麟已經(jīng)得到了人們準(zhǔn)備進(jìn)攻它的情報(bào)。

People were constantly babbling about the creature, even via the Atlantic Cable!

因?yàn)榇蠹艺f(shuō)得大多了，甚至于用大西洋的海底電線(xiàn)來(lái)說(shuō)!

Accordingly, the wags claimed that this slippery rascal had waylaid some passing telegram and was making the most of it.

所以，喜歡說(shuō)笑話(huà)的人說(shuō)，這個(gè)精靈的東西一定在中途偷聽(tīng)了電報(bào)，現(xiàn)在它啟己有了防備。

So the frigate was equipped for a far-off voyage and armed with fearsome fishing gear, but nobody knew where to steer it.

不再隨便出來(lái)。因此，這艘用作遠(yuǎn)征而且裝有強(qiáng)大打魚(yú)機(jī)的二級(jí)戰(zhàn)艦,現(xiàn)在不知道向哪里開(kāi)才好。

And impatience grew until, on June 2, word came that the Tampico, a steamer on the San Francisco line sailing from California to Shanghai, had sighted the animal again, three weeks before in the northerly seas of the Pacific.

大家越來(lái)越不耐煩了，忽然，7月2日，舊金山輪船公司從加利福尼亞開(kāi)往上海的一只汽船唐比葛號(hào)，三星期前在太平洋北部的海面上又看見(jiàn)了這個(gè)東西。

This news caused intense excitement. Not even a 24-hour breather was granted to Commander Farragut. His provisions were loaded on board.

這消息引起了極大的騷動(dòng)。