16 The Hunt

CHAPTER 16 The Hunt As the days went by and Ned's plan to escape never happened, I began to grow more and more sorry for my friend. Very little interested him. He didn't study the seas like the captain and I did. There was hardly anything that excited him. But on this one particular day, an event occurred that, be it good or bad, did cause the man much excitement. About eleven in the morning, as we were

日子一天天过去，尼德逃跑的计划没有实现，我开始越来越为我的朋友感到难过。 他不怎么感兴趣。 他不像船长和我那样研究海洋。 几乎没有什么能让他兴奋。 但就在这一天，发生了一件事，不管它是好是坏，确实让这个人非常兴奋。 和我们一样，大约早上十一点

seated on the platform, the Nautilus fell in with a troop of whales. "Ah!" exclaimed Ned, "if I were on board a whaler boat now, it would be so great! That whale is so large! See the air and steam coming up through its blow-holes? Why do I have to be here? Why?" I watched my friend as he walked around the platform, following the sights on the horizon. "They are coming nearer!" Ned exclaimed. "I can see twenty—maybe more! Oh, I am not able to do anything!" "Ned," I said, stepping up to watch the whales. "Why don't you just ask Captain Nemo if you could chase them?" For the first time in a long time, I saw a sparkle in Ned's eyes. Before I could say another word he had lowered himself through the panel to find the captain. A few minutes later, they both appeared on the platform. "I see. They are southern whales," the

诺第留斯号站在平台上，跟一大群大鲸撞在一起。 “啊！”尼德-兰喊道，“如果我现在是在捕鲸船上，那该多好啊！那条鲸鱼好大啊！看到空气和蒸汽从它的气孔里冒出来了吗？ 我为什么要在这里？为什么?”我看着我的朋友沿着地平线上的风景绕着平台走着。 “他们越来越近了！”Ned喊道。 “我能看到20个，也许更多！”哦，我什么也做不了！”“尼德-兰，”我说，一面走上前看鲸鱼。 “您为什么不问问尼摩船长，您能不能去追他们呢？”这么长时间以来，我第一次看到奈德眼中的光芒。 我还没来得及说一句话，他就从嵌板里探下去找船长了。 几分钟后，他们俩都出现在站台上。 “我明白了。它们是南鲸

captain said. "Can I chase them? It would remind me so much of my days of harpooning!" Ned was almost begging the captain. "For what?" Captain Nemo asked. "Just to destroy them? We have nothing to do with whale-oil on board. It would be killing for killing's sake." The captain went on about the endangered animals of the world, those killed for pleasure only. I could see Ned, his back turned, trying to tune out his voice. It was easy to see he was hurt. He knew what the captain was saying was true. And yet he still wanted to continue the sport. He was a man wishing at this moment he was anywhere but here. "Wait!" the captain said, changing the tone in his voice. "Do you see, behind the whales, about eight miles or so, there is something moving?" "Yes, Captain," I replied. "Those are cachalots—terrible animals. They

队长说。“我能追他们吗？” 它会使我想起许多我用鱼叉的日子！”尼德-兰几乎是在乞求船长。 “为了什么?”尼摩船长问。 “就为了摧毁他们？”船上的鲸油与我们毫无关系。 这是为了杀戮而杀戮。” 船长继续讲述着世界上濒临灭绝的动物，那些被猎杀只是为了取乐的动物。 我能看见奈德，他正背过身去，试图不去理会他的声音。 很容易看出他受伤了。 他知道船长说的是真的。 然而，他仍然想继续这项运动。 此时此刻，他真希望自己身在别处，而不是这里。 “等等！”船长说，改变了语气。 “你看见了吗，在鲸鱼后面，大约八英里左右，有个东西在动？”“是的，船长。”我回答。 “那些是恶鬼——可怕的动物。 他们

are mean and cruel beasts. It would only be right to kill them." Ned turned quickly at his words. "Can we.?" "The Nautilus will take care of them," the captain said. "We have a steel spear that will match any of your harpoons, Mr. Land." The two men talked back and forth, then agreed to go to the whales' assistance. The Nautilus went underwater. Conseil, Ned, and I took our places in front of the window in the saloon. Captain Nemo joined his pilot to work the engine. The battle between the whales and their enemies had already started. But when our vessel joined in—what a battle! The steel blade of the ship wiped out the animals one by one. A few of the nasty-mouthed beasts tried to attack the Nautilus. Ned shouted at them as they struck the side of our vessel over and over. Within a short amount of time, though, the animals were all left

是卑鄙残忍的野兽。 只有杀了他们才是对的。” 奈德听了这话，连忙转过身来。 “我们能。”“诺第留斯号会照顾他们的。”船长说。 “尼德-兰师傅，我们有一根钢枪，可以和您的任何标枪相媲美。” 这两个人来来回回地谈了一会儿，然后同意去帮助鲸鱼。 诺第留斯号潜入水中。 康塞尔、尼德-兰和我在客厅的窗前坐下。 尼摩船长和领航员一起操作发动机。 鲸鱼和它们的敌人之间的战斗已经开始了。 但是当我们的船加入——多么激烈的战斗啊！船的钢刃把动物一个接一个地消灭了。 有几只嘴很凶的动物想攻击诺第留斯号。 尼德-兰对他们喊道，因为他们一次又一次地撞击我们的船舷。 然而，在很短的时间内，动物们都离开了

for dead. "This was hunting?" Ned said in anger. "This was more like a butcher using his knife. I like my harpoon better." "To each his own," the captain said. From that day forward, I saw in Ned a new sense of hate for our leader. I hoped daily that a fight would not break out. I made it my job to keep my friend under control.

为死亡。“这是打猎？”奈德生气地说。 “这更像是一个屠夫在用刀。 我更喜欢我的鱼叉。” “各人有各人的看法，”船长说。 从那天起，我看到尼德对我们的领袖有了一种新的憎恨。 我每天都希望不要打起来。 我把控制我的朋友作为我的职责。