海底兩萬(wàn)里 第502期 第31章 章魚(9)
Aristotle put the dimensions of one squid at five cubits, or 3.1 meters. Our fishermen frequently see specimens over 1.8 meters long. The museums in Trieste and Montpellier have preserved some devilfish carcasses measuring two meters. Besides, according to the calculations of naturalists, one of these animpas only six feet long would have tentacles as long as twenty-seven. Which is enough to make a fearsome monster."
亞歷士多德曾經(jīng)確證過(guò)一條長(zhǎng)3.1米的槍烏賊。我們現(xiàn)在的漁夫也經(jīng)?？吹揭恍╅L(zhǎng)超過(guò)1.8米的槍烏賊。特里艾斯特和蒙特普利的博物館，里就收藏著一些長(zhǎng)2米的章魚骨胳。此外，按博物學(xué)家的推算，一只這樣的動(dòng)物，長(zhǎng)只有6英尺，它的觸須就可能長(zhǎng)達(dá)27英尺。這就足以讓它成為可怕的怪物。”
Does anybody fish for 'em nowadays? the Canadian asked.
“現(xiàn)在有人捕捉過(guò)嗎？”加拿大人問(wèn)。
If they don't fish for them, sailors at least sight them. A friend of mine, Captain Paul Bos of Le Havre, has often sworn to me that he encountered one of these monsters of colossal size in the seas of the East Indies. But the most astonishing event, which proves that these gigantic animals undeniably exist, took place a few years ago in 1861.
“即使沒人捕捉過(guò)，水手至少也會(huì)看過(guò)。我的一個(gè)朋友，哈夫爾港的保羅·保斯船長(zhǎng)，他經(jīng)常向我肯定說(shuō)他在印度海里碰到一只身體巨大的怪物。但最令人吃驚、最讓人不能否認(rèn)這種怪物存在的事實(shí)，是發(fā)生在幾年前1861年?！?/p>
What event was that? Ned Land asked.
“什么事實(shí)？”尼德·蘭問(wèn)。
Just this. In 1861, to the northeast of Tenerife and fairly near the latitude where we are right now, the crewof the gunboat Alecto spotted a monstrous squid swimming in their waters. Commander Bouguer approached the animal and attacked it with blows from harpoons and blasts from rifles, but without much success because bullets and harpoons crossed its soft flesh as if it were semiliquid jelly.
“是這樣。1861年，在特內(nèi)里夫島東北方，與我們現(xiàn)在所處差不多的緯度上，護(hù)衛(wèi)艦‘阿利敦號(hào)’船上的一個(gè)船員看到了一只巨大的槍烏賊在海水中游動(dòng)，他用魚叉和槍去打它，但沒什么大用，因?yàn)轸~叉和子彈穿進(jìn)它軟綿綿的肉里，就像穿進(jìn)松軟的果凍中一樣。
