在大厅中间，有一个喷泉。水受电光的照耀，重又落在单由一片大贝壳制成的环形水池中。

　　The delicately festooned rim of this shell, supplied by the biggest mollusk in the class Acephala, measured about six meters in circumference.

　　这个最大的无头软体类动物的贝壳，从它镶有精细花纹的边缘上量，周边约有六米长；

　　so it was even bigger than those fine giant clams given to King Franois I by the Republic of Venice.

　　这贝壳比威尼斯共和国送给佛朗索瓦一世的那些美丽贝壳还要大得多，

　　and which the Church of Saint-Sulpice in Paris has made into two gigantic holy-water fonts.

　　巴黎圣修佩斯教堂曾用这种贝壳做了两个巨大的圣水池。

　　Around this basin, inside elegant glass cases fastened with copper bands.

　　在这环形水池周围，红铜架子的玻璃柜中，

　　there were classified and labeled the most valuable marine exhibits ever put before the eyes of a naturalist. My professorial glee may easily be imagined.

　　最珍贵的海产物品都分了类，并贴着标签，这些都是一个生物学家很难得看见的东西。作为教授的我所感到的喜悦，是谁都不难想象到的。

　　The zoophyte branch offered some very unusual specimens from its two groups, the polyps and the echinoderms.

　　植虫动物门的两类，腔肠类和棘皮类，在柜中有根奇异的品种。