海底两万里 第311期 第23章 珊瑚王国(10)
At a signal from Captain Nemo, one of his men stepped forward and, a few feet from this cross, detached a mattock from his belt and began to dig a hole.
尼摩船长做个手势，一个船员走上前来，他在距十字架几英尺远的地方，从腰间取下铁锨，开始挖坑。
I finally understood! This clearing was a cemetery, this hole a grave, that oblong object the body of the man who must have died during the night!
我完全明白了！这空地是墓地，这坑是坟穴，这长形的东西是昨夜死去的人的尸体！
Captain Nemo and his men had come to bury their companion in this communal resting place on the inaccessible ocean floor!
尼摩船长和他的船员们来到这隔绝人世的海洋底下，这所公共的墓地，埋葬他们的同伴。
No! My mind was reeling as never before! Never had ideas of such impact raced through my brain! I didn't want to see what my eyes saw!
不！我的心从来没有过这样的激动，这样的紧张！从来没有过更动人的思想像现在这样侵到我的脑中来！我简直不想看我的眼睛所看见的东西了！
Meanwhile the grave digging went slowly. Fish fled here and there as their retreat was disturbed.
不过坟穴挖得很慢。鱼类被惊动，到处乱跑。
I heard the pick ringing on the limestone soil, its iron tip sometimes giving off sparks when it hit a stray piece of flint on the sea bottom.
我听到石灰质的地上铁锨叮叮作响，铁锨有时碰到丢在水底下的火石，发出星星的火光。
The hole grew longer, wider, and soon was deep enough to receive the body.
坟穴渐渐加长，渐渐加大，不久便相当深，可以容受尸体了。
Then the pallbearers approached. Wrapped in white fabric made from filaments of the fan mussel, the body was lowered into its watery grave.
这时抬尸体的便走近前来，尸体用白色的麻布裹着，放到湿润的坑中去。
Captain Nemo, arms crossed over his chest, knelt in a posture of prayer, as did all the friends of him who had loved them.
尼摩船长两手交叉在胸前，死者曾经爱过的所有的朋友们，都跪下来，作祈祷的姿态。
My two companions and I bowed reverently.
我的两个同伴和我也很虔诚地鞠躬敬礼。
The grave was then covered over with the rubble dug from the seafloor, and it formed a low mound.
坟穴于是被那地上挖出的土石掩盖起来，地面形成微微的隆起。
When this was done, Captain Nemo and his men stood up; then they all approached the grave, sank again on bended knee, and extended their hands in a sign of final farewell.
当坟穴填好了，尼摩船长和他的船员都站起来，然后走到坟前，大家屈膝，伸手，作最后告别的姿势。
