In New York preparations were under way for an expedition designed to chase this narwhale.

要在纽约作准备，组织清除独角鲸的远征队。

The crew sided with him unanimously. Indeed, were we likely to encounter the narwhale in such a cramped strait?

全体船员一致赞成他的主张。的确，我们哪能在这狭窄的海峡里碰到那条独角鲸呢？

The narwhale seemed motionless. Was it asleep perhaps, weary from its workday, just riding with the waves?

那条独角鲸好像是停着不动。也许白天跑得累了。它睡着了，它随着海水荡漾。

Or in other words, on our gigantic narwhale.

或者更正确地说，是站在你的那只巨大的独角鲸上。

Why not? Conseil replied. We sincerely believed in master's narwhale.

“为什么不信？”康塞尔回答说，“我们就很相信先生说的独角鲸。”

Oh, bravo! Bravo three times over, captain! That explains the phosphorescent glow from this so-called narwhale that so puzzled us scientists!

啊！了不起，真是了不起！船长。我现在明白那种所谓独角鲸的磷光现象了，它真叫学者们迷离惊叹！

Even so, Ned, people mention vessels that narwhale tusks have run clean through.

尼德兰，可是，独角鲸的牙齿把船底钻通了的传说并不少。

With all due respect to master, they've discovered the narwhale and they're cannonading the same.

先生别生气，他们以为这是一头独角鲸，他们在炮轰独角鲸呢。”

At six o'clock day began to break, and with the dawn's early light, the narwhale's electric glow disappeared.

六点，天亮起来了，晨曦的微光把独角鲸的电光俺没了。

Yet everyone still felt confident of success, and not a sailor on board would have bet against the narwhale appearing, and soon.

不过，对于事情的成功，还没有人加以怀疑，船上没有一名水手敢打赌，说没有独角鲸，说它不会出现。

Nothing remotely resembling a gigantic narwhale, or an underwater islet, or a derelict shipwreck, or a runaway reef, or anything the least bit unearthly!

至于什么巨大的独角鲸、潜在水中的海岛，沉没的破船、飞走的暗礁，以及什么神秘的东西，却都没有看见！

Good! he said. That explains perfectly all that bellowing we heard, when our so-called narwhale lay in sight of the Abraham Lincoln.

对！他说，这就完全说明了我们在林肯号上看到这条所谓独角鲸的时候所听到的那种吼声了。

For its part, the narwhale mimicked the frigate, simply rode with the waves, and seemed determined not to forsake the field of battle.

而独角鲸也模仿战舰，在波涛上随意摆动者，好象还不打算离开这个比武场。

Off the Falkland Islands on June 30, the frigate came in contact with a fleet of American whalers, and we learned that they hadn't seen the narwhale.

6月30日，在马露因海面上，林肯号向美国的捕鲸船打听那条独角鲸的消息，这些捕鲸船都说役碰见。