英语听书《海底两万里》第162期 第11章 诺第留斯号(13)

 　　An excitable conchologist would surely have fainted dead away before other, more numerous glass cases in which were classified specimens² from the mollusk³ branch.

　　一位神经稍微锐敏一点的贝壳类专家，到了另一些陈列软体类动物标本的玻璃柜面前，一定要高兴得发昏了。

　　There I saw a collection of incalculable value that I haven't time to describe completely.

　　我这里看见的这一套标本，简直是无价之宝，时间不允许我一一加以描写。

　　Among these exhibits I'll mention, just for the record:

　　在这些珍品中，我仅仅为了备忘起见举出数种：

　　an elegant royal hammer shell from the Indian Ocean, whose evenly spaced white spots stood out sharply against a base of red and brown;

　　首先是美丽的印度洋的王槌贝，贝身上的规律白点衬着红棕色的底子，鲜明突出。

　　an imperial spiny⁴ oyster⁵, brightly colored, bristling⁶ with thorns, a specimen¹ rare to European museums, whose value I estimated at 20,000 francs;

　　其次，棘皮王风，颜色鲜艳，全身长着棘刺，是欧洲博物馆中罕有的品种，我估计它的价值为两万法郎。

　　a common hammer shell from the seas near Queensland, very hard to come by;

　　其次，新荷兰岛海中的普通糙贝，这种贝很不容易捕获。

　　exotic cockles from Senegal, fragile white bivalve shells that a single breath could pop like a soap bubble;

　　其次，塞内加尔岛的奇异唇贝，这贝的两片脆酥白壳好像是肥皂泡，一吹就要消散似的。

　　several varieties of watering-pot shell from Java, a sort of limestone⁷ tube fringed with leafy folds and much fought over by collectors.

　　其次，几种爪哇伪喷水壶形贝，这种贝像是边缘有叶状皱纹的石灰质的管子，最为爱好贝壳的人所欢迎。

1 specimen   

n.样本，标本

参考例句：

• You'll need tweezers to hold up the specimen.你要用镊子来夹这标本。
• This specimen is richly variegated in colour.这件标本上有很多颜色。

2 specimens   

n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人

参考例句：

• Astronauts have brought back specimens of rock from the moon. 宇航员从月球带回了岩石标本。
• The traveler brought back some specimens of the rocks from the mountains. 那位旅行者从山上带回了一些岩石标本。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 mollusk   

n.软体动物

参考例句：

• I swear I have never seen such a mollusk with thorns all over its body.我敢发誓我从来没有见过这种全身长满棘刺的软体动物。
• The colour varies with the mollusk and its environment.颜色因母体及其环境的不同而异。

4 spiny   

adj.多刺的，刺状的；n.多刺的东西

参考例句：

• This is the Asiatic ornamental shrub with spiny branches and pink blossoms.这就是亚洲的一种观赏灌木，具有多刺的枝和粉红色的花。
• Stay away from a spiny cactus.远离多刺仙人掌。

5 oyster   

n.牡蛎；沉默寡言的人

参考例句：

• I enjoy eating oyster; it's really delicious.我喜欢吃牡蛎，它味道真美。
• I find I fairly like eating when he finally persuades me to taste the oyster.当他最后说服我尝尝牡蛎时，我发现我相当喜欢吃。

6 bristling   

a.竖立的

参考例句：

• "Don't you question Miz Wilkes' word,'said Archie, his beard bristling. "威尔克斯太太的话，你就不必怀疑了。 "阿尔奇说。他的胡子也翘了起来。
• You were bristling just now. 你刚才在发毛。

7 limestone   

n.石灰石

参考例句：

• Limestone is often used in building construction.石灰岩常用于建筑。
• Cement is made from limestone.水泥是由石灰石制成的。