Eyes and spyglasses didn't remain at rest for an instant. Day and night we observed the surface of the ocean,
真的,眼睛和望远镜好象被二千美元奖金的远景所眩惑,一刻也不愿休息。
and those with nyctalopic eyes, whose ability to see in the dark increased their chances by fifty percent, had an excellent shot at winning the prize.
白天黑夜,人人都留心洋面,患昼盲症的人因在黑暗中能看得清。比别人要多百分之五十的机会获得这笔奖金。
As for me, I was hardly drawn by the lure of money and yet was far from the least attentive on board.
我个人是不受金钱引诱的,但我在船上也同样注意观察海面。
Snatching only a few minutes for meals and a few hours for sleep, come rain or come shine, I no longer left the ship's deck.
除了用餐的几分钟,睡眠的几小时,不管日晒也好,雨淋也好,我总不离开甲板。
Sometimes bending over the forecastle railings, sometimes leaning against the sternrail,
有时伏在船头围板上,有时扶着船尾的栏杆,我目不转晴,
I eagerly scoured that cotton-colored wake that whitened the ocean as far as the eye could see!
死盯着一望无际、白练般的浪涛!
And how many times I shared the excitement of general staff and crew when some unpredictable whale lifted its blackish back above the waves.
有好几次,一条任性的鲸鱼把灰黑的脊背露在波涛上的时候,我跟船上全体职工人员一样马上就激动起来。