美国语文第五册 第238期：龟煲汤（02）
It happened to be my turn at the wheel the hour before dinner,
聚餐前一小时，刚好轮到我在驾驶室里值班，
and I had the tantalizing misery of hearing them laughing and talking about their turtle, while I was hungry from want of dry bread and salt meat.
听到那些谈论龟汤的诙谐逗趣不时传来，饥肠辘辘的我，只想弄点面包干夹点咸肉打发肚子。
I had resolutely kept my thoughts from the cabin during all the passage but once,
那种痛苦难捱实在饱含诱惑，我身在驾驶舱，尽量努力地克制自己，
and now I found my ideas clustering round a tureen of turtle in spite of all my philosophy.
可一晃眼，发觉眼前飘动的全是那碗美味的龟煲汤。
Confound them, if they had gone out of my hearing with their exulting smacks, I should not have envied their soup,
倘若能逃离这种过大节的嘈杂热闹，恐怕我不会过多计较这些家伙开心的手足舞蹈，
but their hungry glee so excited my imagination that I could see nothing through the glazing of the binnacle but a white plate with a slice of lemon on the rim,
不过，他们坐立不安的等待的确勾起我太多联想。当我仔细看着那块镀釉罗盘箱，突然发现里面另有一番天地，白色餐盘上切有一片柠檬摆盘，
a loaf of delicate bread, a silver spoon, a napkin, two or three wine glasses of different hues and shapes,
数片切法精致面包，一枚银汤匙，一方餐巾，三两只不同色彩、形状各异的酒杯，
and a water goblet clustering round it, and a stream of black, thick, and fragrant turtle pouring into the plate.
一只高脚杯，统统逐位摆好，最后，那道黑色浓稠、香味扑鼻的龟煲汤优雅地倒入素白瓷盘。
By and by it was four bells: they dined at three.
进餐原定三点开始，时间一分一秒地过去，现在已经四点，
And all the gentlemen, with the captain at their head, darted below into the cabin,
在船长带领下，一群人一窝蜂冲到舷下餐厅。
where their mirth increased when they caught sight of the soup plates.
一看见汤盘，他们戏谑调侃，热闹成团。
