“Hurry with the soup, steward,” roared the captain.
“大厨,赶紧上菜!”船长朗声叫道。
“Coming, sir,” replied the steward.
“来了,先生们!”大厨连忙高声答道。
In a few moments the cook opened the door of his galley, and out came the delicious steam of the turtle.
须臾间,大厨推开厨房的门,美味浓黏的龟煲汤终于端上来了。
Then came the steward with a large covered tureen in his hand, towards the cabin gangway.
大厨手里捧着一个大号炖煲,朝着旋梯甬道走来,
I forgot the ship for a moment in looking at this precious cargo, the wheel slipped from my hands, the ship broached to with a sudden jerk;
我直盯盯地看着那锅馋人的宝贝,没想到轮盘突然从我手中滑落,船猛地一阵颠簸急扭;
the steward had got only one foot upon the stairs, when this unexpected motion threw him off his balance,
大厨刚将一只脚迈上台阶,始料不及的晃荡,使他脚下顿时失去平衡,
and down he went by the run, the tureen slipped from his hands,
他啪地摔倒在地,炖锅也脱了手,
and part of its contents flew into the lee scuppers, and the balance followed him in his fall.
锅里汤汤水水径直倾入避风道里的排水孔。转眼间,船又恢复了常态行驶。
I laughed outright. I enjoyed the turtle a thousand times more than I should have done if I had eaten the whole of it.
我畅快地大笑起来,在我看来,那种无数次观赏那只可爱绿毛龟的美妙感觉,应该超过独自喝完那锅炖汤。
But I was forced to restrain my mirth, for the next moment the steward ran upon deck,
不过,此刻我更需不露声色,因为那边大厨很快噌噌地跑上了甲板,
followed by the captain, in a furious rage, threatening if he caught him to throw him overboard.
暴怒万分的船长紧随身后,他边跑边叫,一旦抓住那可恶家伙,就要把他扔进海里。
Not a spoonful of the soup had been left in the coppers, for the steward had taken it all away at once to keep it warm.
可惜煲里汤水一点亦没剩下,可大厨还是边跑边抱着煲钵不松手,好像唯恐那汤凉了。
In about an hour afterwards the passengers came upon deck,
大约一个时辰后,游客们才纷纷来到甲板,
looking more sober than I had seen them since we left Liverpool. They had dined upon cold ham.
看来,他们比游船起航离开利物浦港口时清醒多了,离岸以来,他们一直以凉咸肉佐餐。