海底两万里 第134期 第10章 水中人(5)

I'll spare you the innumerable hypotheses with which we've tried to explain thisinexplicable phenomenon, whose secret is yours alone.

现在我不想告诉您，人们为了解释那唯有您才知道其中奥妙的神秘现象所做的无数假设。

But please understand that the Abraham Lincoln chased you over the Pacific high seas in the belief it was hunting some powerful marine monster, which had to be purged from the ocean at all cost.

但您要知道，林肯号一直追逐您到太平洋北部海面。仍然认为是追打一种海怪，非把它从海洋中清除掉不可呢。

A half smile curled the commander's lips; then, in a calmer tone:

船长的唇上浮现出微笑，

Professor Aronnax, he replied

然后语气比较温和地回答：

do you dare claim that your frigate wouldn't have chased and cannonaded an underwater boat as readily as a monster?

阿龙纳斯先生，您敢肯定你们的战舰不是去追击潜水艇而只是追击海怪吗?

This question baffled me, since Commander Farragut would certainly have shown no suchhesitation.

这个问题使我很难回答，因为，法拉古舰长肯定是不会迟疑的，

He would have seen it as his sworn duty to destroy a contrivance of this kind just aspromptly as a gigantic narwhale.

他一定相信，消灭这类潜水艇和打击巨大的独角鲸，同样是他的职责。

So you understand, sir, the stranger went on, that I have a right to treat you as my enemy.

先生，您要知道，这个人又说，我是有权利把你们当作敌人看待的。