海底两万里 第286期 第21章 在陆地上的两天(18)

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A left-handed shell! Conseil repeated, his heart pounding.

一个左卷贝！康塞尔重复说，他心跳动着。

Look at its spiral!

你看一看这贝壳的螺旋纹便明白了。

Oh, master can trust me on this, Conseil said, taking the valuable shell in trembling hands, but never have I felt such excitement!

啊！先生可以相信我，康塞尔说，用发抖的手拿着这珍贵的贝壳，我从没有感到像现在这样的一种情绪呢！

And there was good reason to be excited! In fact, as naturalists have ventured to observe, dextrality is a well-known law of nature. In their rotational and orbital movements, stars and their satellites go from right to left. Man uses his right hand more often than his left, and consequently his various instruments and equipment (staircases, locks, watch springs, etc.) are designed to be used in a right-to-left manner. Now then, nature has generally obeyed this law in coiling her shells. They're right-handed with only rare exceptions, and when by chance a shell's spiral is left-handed, collectors will pay its weight in gold for it.

这实在是可以使人情绪激动的！正是，像生物学家所观察到的一样，由右向左是自然的法则。天体的行星和它们的卫星公转和自转的运动，都是从右向左转。人类使用右手的机会比使用左手为多，因此，人类的工具和器械、楼梯、锁钥、钟表的法条等，都配合成由右向左来使用的。大自然对于贝类的卷旋螺纹，通常也是按照这个法则。贝类纹基本是右转的，很少有例外，偶然有贝纹是左转的。，爱好的人便以黄金的重阶来收买了。

So Conseil and I were deep in the contemplation of our treasure, and I was solemnly promising myself to enrich the Paris Museum with it, when an ill-timed stone, hurled by one of the islanders, whizzed over and shattered the valuable object in Conseil's hands.

康塞尔和我因此都在欣赏我们所得的宝贝，完全陶醉了，我正欣幸我们的博物馆又可以多一件珍品了；忽然一个土人投来一个石子，不幸地把康塞尔手中的珍品打碎了。

I gave a yell of despair! Conseil pounced on his rifle and aimed at a savage swinging a sling just ten meters away from him. I tried to stop him, but his shot went off and shattered a bracelet of amulets dangling from the islander's arm.

我发出了一声绝望的喊声！康塞尔拿起我的枪，对准在十米外挥动投石机的一个土人，就要打。我正要阻止他，但他的枪弹已经放出去了，粉碎了挂在土人胳膊上的护身灵镯。

Conseil! I shouted. Conseil!

康塞尔！康塞尔！我喊。

Eh? What? Didn't master see that this man-eater initiated the attack?

怎么啦！先生没有看见这个土人开始攻击了吗？

A shell isn't worth a human life! I told him.

一个贝壳不能跟一个人的性命相比！我对他说。

Oh, the rascal! Conseil exclaimed. I'd rather he cracked my shoulder!

啊！混蛋东西！康塞尔喊，他就是打碎我的肩骨，我觉得也比打碎这贝壳好一些！