海底兩萬里第 69期 第6章 開足馬力(11)

The crew were waiting impatiently for orders from their leader. The latter, after carefully observing the animal, called for his engineer. The engineer raced over.

船上人員等他們首長的命令等得不耐煩了。艦長注意地觀察了這個動物后，叫來了工程師。工程師跑來了。

Sir, the commander said, are you up to pressure?

艦長問:先生，氣壓足了嗎?

Aye, sir, the engineer replied.

足了，先生。工程師答。

Fine. Stoke your furnaces and clap on full steam!

好，增大火力，全力駛?cè)?

Three cheers greeted this order. The hour of battle had sounded.

大家歡呼三聲來迎接這道命令。戰(zhàn)斗的號角響了。

A few moments later, the frigate's two funnels vomited torrents of black smoke, and its deck quaked from the trembling of its boilers.

過了一些時候，戰(zhàn)艦上兩個煙囪吐出一道一道的黑煙，甲板在汽鍋的震動下震動起來。

Driven forward by its powerful propeller, the Abraham Lincoln headed straight for the animal.

林肯號在機(jī)輪的猛力推送下，一直向這怪物沖去，這怪物一點(diǎn)也不在意，

Unconcerned, the latter let us come within half a cable length; then, not bothering to dive, it got up a little speed, retreated, and was content to keep its distance.

戰(zhàn)艦離它半錨鏈左右的時候，它還不潛入水中，僅略作逃避的樣子，不走遠(yuǎn)，只是保持著這樣的距離。

This chase dragged on for about three-quarters of an hour without the frigate gaining twofathoms on the cetacean.

這樣若即若離的追逐，延長了三刻鐘左右，就是戰(zhàn)艦想多接近這條鯨魚四米也不可能。

At this rate, it was obvious that we would never catch up with it.很明白，這樣迫下去，永遠(yuǎn)追不上它。