Never before had I been given the chance to glimpse these animals alive and at large in their native element.

我从没有像现在这样的机会，可以任意观看这些动物，活生生的，自由自在的，在它们本来生长的海水中游来游去。

I wanted to preserve a few specimens of these delicate zoophytes, but they were merely clouds, shadows, illusions, melting and evaporating outside their native element.

我很想保留起这种精美植虫动物的一些品种，但它们不过是烟云、光影、空架，一离开原来的海水，就消敝得无影无踪。