海底兩萬里 第39期 第4章 尼德蘭(8)

That's just where you're mistaken, professor, Ned replied.

教授;這是因為您搞錯了。尼德蘭說。

The common man may still believe in fabulous comets crossing outer space, or inprehistoric monsters living at the earth's core,

一般的人相信有橫過天空的非常特殊的慧星，有住在地球內(nèi)部的太古時代的侄物，那還可以，

but astronomers and geologists don't swallow such fairy tales. It's the same with whalers.

但天文學(xué)家，地質(zhì)學(xué)家，決不承認有這類荒唐古怪的東西存在。打鯨魚的人也一樣。

I've chased plenty of cetaceans, I've harpooned a good number, I've killed several.

鯨科動物，我追逐過許多，我用魚叉叉過很多，我也殺死過好幾條，

But no matter how powerful and well armed they were, neither their tails or their tuskscould puncture the sheet-iron plates of a steamer.

可是，不論那些鯨魚力量怎樣大，怎樣兇，它們的尾巴也好它們的長牙也好，決不能弄壞一艘汽船的鋼板。

Even so, Ned, people mention vessels that narwhale tusks have run clean through.

尼德蘭，可是，獨角鯨的牙齒把船底鉆通了的傳說并不少。

Wooden ships maybe, the Canadian replied. But I've never seen the like.

木頭船，那是可能的，加拿大人回答，不過，就是這樣的事我也沒有親眼見過。

So till I have proof to the contrary, I'll deny that baleen whales, sperm whales, orunicorns can do any such thing.

所以，在沒有真憑實據(jù)之前，我不能承認長須鯨、大頭鯨、獨角鯨可以穿透鋼板。

Listen to me, Ned.

尼德蘭，您好好聽我說……

No, no, professor. I'll go along with anything you want except that. Some gigantic devilfish maybe...?

不，教授，什么都可以聽您，這個可不能。也許這是一條巨大的章魚吧?……