英语听书《海底两万里》第65期 第6章 开足马力(7)

 　　But to get near it, the commander went on, I'd have to put a whaleboat at your disposal?

　　不过你去挨近它的时候，舰长说，我得给一只捕鲸艇供您使用吧?

　　Certainly, sir.

　　当然要有一只，先生。

　　That would be gambling¹ with the lives of my men.

　　坐小船岂不是拿我的人员的生命去冒险？

　　And with my own! the harpooner² replied simply.

　　我的命不算命吗?这位鱼叉手干脆地回答。

　　Near two o'clock in the morning, the core of light reappeared, no less intense, five miles to windward of the Abraham Lincoln.

　　到早晨两点左右，这发光的焦点，在跟林肯号前面相距五海里远的海面，又发出同样强烈的光。

　　Despite the distance, despite the noise of wind and sea, we could distinctly hear the fearsome thrashings of the animal's tail, and even its panting breath.

　　虽然距离大，虽然有风声和浪声，我们还是清楚地听到这动物尾巴的搅水声。

　　Seemingly, the moment this enormous narwhale came up to breathe at the surface of the ocean,

　　并且听到它的喘息声。这只巨大的独角鲸到洋面上来呼吸的时候，

　　air was sucked into its lungs like steam into the huge cylinders³ of a 2,000-horsepower engine.

　　空气吸人它肺中，就像水蒸气送到两千马力机器的大圆筒里面去那样。

　　Hmm! I said to myself. A cetacean as powerful as a whole cavalry⁴ regiment-now that's a whale of a whale!

　　晤！我想，这强大得像一队骑兵的鲸鱼，一定是一条了不得的鲸鱼!

1 gambling   

n.赌博；投机

参考例句：

• They have won a lot of money through gambling.他们赌博赢了很多钱。
• The men have been gambling away all night.那些人赌了整整一夜。

2 harpooner   

参考例句：

• When a boat got close enough to the whale, the harpooner threw his harpoon at it. 等船非常接近鲸鱼时，鱼叉手就以鱼叉向它投射。 来自互联网

3 cylinders   

n.圆筒( cylinder的名词复数 )；圆柱；汽缸；（尤指用作容器的）圆筒状物

参考例句：

• They are working on all cylinders to get the job finished. 他们正在竭尽全力争取把这工作干完。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• That jeep has four cylinders. 那辆吉普车有4个汽缸。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 cavalry   

n.骑兵；轻装甲部队

参考例句：

• We were taken in flank by a troop of cavalry. 我们翼侧受到一队骑兵的袭击。
• The enemy cavalry rode our men down. 敌人的骑兵撞倒了我们的人。