All at once the reporter sprang up, and telling the sailor that he would rejoin them at that same place, he climbed the cliff in the direction which the Negro Neb had taken a few hours before. —
记者立刻站起来，告诉水手他会在同一地点等他们，然后沿着尼格罗人内布几个小时前走过的方向爬上悬崖。 —

Anxiety hastened his steps, for he longed to obtain news of his friend, and he soon disappeared round an angle of the cliff. —
焦急加快了他的步伐，因为他渴望得到关于他的朋友的消息，很快便在悬崖的一个拐角处消失了。 —

Herbert wished to accompany him.
赫伯特希望陪他一起去。

“Stop here, my boy,” said the sailor; “we have to prepare an encampment, and to try and find rather better grub than these shell-fish. —
“孩子，停在这儿，”水手说；”我们得准备搭个营地，再试着找点更好吃的东西，不能光吃这些贝壳。 —

Our friends will want something when they come back. —
我们的朋友回来时会想要点东西。 —

There is work for everybody.”
这活儿得大家一起做。”

“I am ready,” replied Herbert.
“我准备好了，”赫伯特回答。

“All right,” said the sailor; “that will do. We must set about it regularly. —
“好了，”水手说；”那就行了。我们要有条不紊地搞事情。 —

We are tired, cold, and hungry; therefore we must have shelter, fire, and food. —
我们累了、冷了、饿了，所以得有庇护所、火和食物。 —

There is wood in the forest, and eggs in nests; —
森林里有木头，鸟巢里有鸟蛋； —

we have only to find a house.”
我们只需找个房子。”

“Very well,” returned Herbert, “I will look for a cave among the rocks, and I shall be sure to discover some hole into which we can creep.”
“好的，”赫伯特回答，”我去在岩石间找个洞，肯定能找到个我们可以爬进去的窟窿。”

“All right,” said Pencroft; “go on, my boy.”
“行，” 潘克罗夫说；”去吧，孩子。”

They both walked to the foot of the enormous wall over the beach, far from which the tide had now retreated; —
他们两个走到了远离潮汐现在已经退去的海滩的巨大墙的脚下； —

but instead of going towards the north, they went southward. —
但他们没有朝北走，而是往南走。 —

Pencroft had remarked, several hundred feet from the place at which they landed, a narrow cutting, out of which he thought a river or stream might issue. —
彭克罗夫注意到，距离他们登陆的地方有几百英尺，有一个狭窄的裂口，他认为可能会有一条河流或溪流从那里涌出。 —

Now, on the one hand it was important to settle themselves in the neighborhood of a good stream of water, and on the other it was possible that the current had thrown Cyrus Harding on the shore there.
现在，一方面，在一个有好水源的附近安定下来很重要，另一方面，也有可能把赛勒斯·哈丁的尸体冲上了那边的岸边。

The cliff, as has been said, rose to a height of three hundred feet, but the mass was unbroken throughout, and even at its base, scarcely washed by the sea, it did not offer the smallest fissure which would serve as a dwelling. —
如前所述，悬崖高达三百英尺，但整体没有裂缝，甚至基座也几乎没有被海水冲刷，而且根本找不到任何可以做居所的缝隙。 —

It was a perpendicular wall of very hard granite, which even the waves had not worn away. —
那是非常坚硬的花岗岩组成的垂直墙面，甚至连海浪都没有侵蚀。 —

Towards the summit fluttered myriads of sea-fowl, and especially those of the web-footed species with long, flat, pointed beaks–a clamorous tribe, bold in the presence of man, who probably for the first time thus invaded their domains. —
在顶部飞动着数以百计的海鸟，特别是那些长嘴扁嘴的足蹼物种——一个喧闹的部落，在人类面前很大胆，可能是第一次有人这样入侵它们的领地。 —

Pencroft recognized the skua and other gulls among them, the voracious little sea-mew, which in great numbers nestled in the crevices of the granite. —
彭克罗夫认出了其中的海鹗和其他海鸥，以及大量栖息在花岗岩裂缝中的贪婪小海鸥。 —

A shot fired among this swarm would have killed a great number, but to fire a shot a gun was needed, and neither Pencroft nor Herbert had one; —
一枪在这群鸟中开枪会杀死很多，但要开枪需要一支枪，彭克罗夫和赫伯特都没有； —

besides this, gulls and sea-mews are scarcely eatable, and even their eggs have a detestable taste. —
此外，海鸥和海鸥几乎没什么可吃的，甚至它们的蛋也有一种可憎的味道。 —

However, Herbert, who had gone forward a little more to the left, soon came upon rocks covered with sea-weed, which, some hours later, would be hidden by the high tide. —
然而，走得更靠左一点的赫伯特很快就发现了岩石上长满海藻，几个小时后这些岩石将被涨潮掩盖。 —

On these rocks, in the midst of slippery wrack, abounded bivalve shell-fish, not to be despised by starving people. —
在这些岩石上，滑滑的海草间遍布着双壳贝类贝壳，饥饿的人也不能看不起它们。 —

Herbert called Pencroft, who ran up hastily.
赫伯特叫来了彭克罗夫，海员急忙跑了过来。

“Here are mussels!” cried the sailor; “these will do instead of eggs!”
“这里有贻贝！”海员喊道；“这些可以代替鸡蛋！”

“They are not mussels,” replied Herbert, who was attentively examining the molluscs attached to the rocks; —
“这不是贻贝”，赫伯特说，他在仔细检查着附着在岩石上的软体动物； —

“they are lithodomes.”
“这是石螺。”

“Are they good to eat?” asked Pencroft.
“能吃吗？”彭克罗夫问道。

“Perfectly so.”
“完全如此。”

“Then let us eat some lithodomes.”
“那就让我们吃一些石蛏。”

The sailor could rely upon Herbert; the young boy was well up in natural history, and always had had quite a passion for the science. —
水手可以依靠赫伯特；这个年轻男孩对自然历史了解很多，而且对这门科学总是很热衷。 —

His father had encouraged him in it, by letting him attend the lectures of the best professors in Boston, who were very fond of the intelligent, industrious lad. —
他的父亲鼓励他，让他去波士顿最好的教授的讲座上学习，这些教授们非常喜欢这位聪明、勤奋的小伙子。 —

And his turn for natural history was, more than once in the course of time, of great use, and he was not mistaken in this instance. —
他对自然历史的兴趣，在很多时候都派上了用场，在这个情况下他也没有错。 —

These lithodomes were oblong shells, suspended in clusters and adhering very tightly to the rocks. —
这些石蛏是长方形的贝壳，聚集在一起紧紧地附着在岩石上。 —

They belong to that species of molluscous perforators which excavate holes in the hardest stone; —
它们属于那种在最坚硬的石头中挖洞的软体动物； —

their shell is rounded at both ends, a feature which is not remarked in the common mussel.

Pencroft and Herbert made a good meal of the lithodomes, which were then half opened to the sun. —
它们的贝壳两端是圆的，这个特征在普通的青口贝中是找不到的。 —

They ate them as oysters, and as they had a strong peppery taste, they were palatable without condiments of any sort.
潘克洛夫和赫伯特吃了好多石蛏，然后晒干一半。

Their hunger was thus appeased for the time, but not their thirst, which increased after eating these naturally-spiced molluscs. —
他们把它们当作牡蛎吃，因为它们有浓烈的辣味，所以不需要任何调味料就很可口。 —

They had then to find fresh water, and it was not likely that it would be wanting in such a capriciously uneven region. —
他们的饥饿得到了暂时的缓解，但口渴却在吃了这些自然香料贝类之后加剧了。 —

Pencroft and Herbert, after having taken the precaution of collecting an ample supply of lithodomes, with which they filled their pockets and handkerchiefs, regained the foot of the cliff.
他们接下来需要找到淡水，在这样一个地势崎岖多变的地区，水源应该不会缺乏。

Two hundred paces farther they arrived at the cutting, through which, as Pencroft had guessed, ran a stream of water, whether fresh or not was to be ascertained. —
潘克洛夫和赫伯特小心翼翼地收集了大量石蛏，装满了口袋和手绢，然后返回到悬崖脚下。 —

At this place the wall appeared to have been separated by some violent subterranean force. —
再走两百步，他们来到了峡谷口，潘克洛夫猜想后面可能有水流，无论是淡水还是咸水都有待验证。 —

At its base was hollowed out a little creek, the farthest part of which formed a tolerably sharp angle. —
在它的基础上挖出了一个小溪，最远处形成了一个相当锐利的角度。 —

The watercourse at that part measured one hundred feet in breadth, and its two banks on each side were scarcely twenty feet high. —
那部分水道宽度达一百英尺，两侧的河岸高度几乎只有二十英尺。 —

The river became strong almost directly between the two walls of granite, which began to sink above the mouth; —
河水几乎直接在上面开始减弱，两侧的花岩墙壁之间变得很深； —

it then suddenly turned and disappeared beneath a wood of stunted trees half a mile off.
然后突然转向，消失在半英里外的一片矮树林下。

“Here is the water, and yonder is the wood we require!” —
“这里是水，那边是我们需要的树林！” —

said Pencroft. “Well, Herbert, now we only want the house.”
说道潘克罗夫。 “好了，赫伯特，现在我们只需要房子了。”

The water of the river was limpid. The sailor ascertained that at this time–that is to say, at low tide, when the rising floods did not reach it –it was sweet. —
河水清澈见底。 水手查明，此时——也就是说在退潮时，涨潮不会触及它时——是甜的。 —

This important point established, Herbert looked for some cavity which would serve them as a retreat, but in vain; —
确认了这个重要点之后，赫伯特寻找着一个可以作为他们避难所的洞穴，但却徒劳无功; —

everywhere the wall appeared smooth, plain, and perpendicular.
到处都是光滑、平整、垂直的墙壁。

However, at the mouth of the watercourse and above the reach of the high tide, the convulsions of nature had formed, not a grotto, but a pile of enormous rocks, such as are often met with in granite countries and which bear the name of “Chimneys.”
然而，在水道的入口和高潮位之上，大自然的震荡形成了一个堆积如山的巨大岩石，这种岩石在花岗岩地区经常见到，被称为“烟囱”。

Pencroft and Herbert penetrated quite far in among the rocks, by sandy passages in which light was not wanting, for it entered through the openings which were left between the blocks, of which some were only sustained by a miracle of equilibrium; —
潘克罗夫和赫伯特通过沙石通道深入到岩石中间，透过石块之间留下的缝隙，光线并不欠缺; —

but with the light came also air–a regular corridor-gale–and with the wind the sharp cold from the exterior. —
随着光线而来的是空气–一阵阵走廊狂风–随风而来的是室外的刺骨寒冷。 —

However, the sailor thought that by stopping-up some of the openings with a mixture of stones and sand, the Chimneys could be rendered habitable. —
然而，海员认为通过用一些石头和沙子堵塞一些缝隙，可以使烟囱变得适合居住。 —

Their geometrical plan represented the typographical sign “&,” which signifies “et cetera” abridged, but by isolating the upper mouth of the sign, through which the south and west winds blew so strongly, they could succeed in making the lower part of use.
它们的几何图显示了“&”符号，表示“等等”缩写，但通过隔离符号的上口，从那里南风和西风劲吹，他们可以成功地利用下部。

“Here’s our work,” said Pencroft, “and if we ever see Captain Harding again, he will know how to make something of this labyrinth.”
“这就是我们的工作,” 潘克罗夫说道，“如果我们能再见到哈丁船长的话，他会知道怎么利用这个迷宫。”

“We shall see him again, Pencroft,” cried Herbert, “and when be returns he must find a tolerable dwelling here. —
“我们会再见到他的，潘克罗夫，” 赫伯特喊道，“他回来时必须在这里找到一个可以住的地方。 —

It will be so, if we can make a fireplace in the left passage and keep an opening for the smoke.”
如果我们在左通道建一个火炉并留一个冒烟的开口的话，就能成功。

“So we can, my boy,” replied the sailor, “and these Chimneys will serve our turn. —
“没错，我的小伙子，” 海员回答说，“这些烟囱会对我们有用。 —

Let us set to work, but first come and get a store of fuel. —
让我们开始工作，但首先去准备一些燃料。 —

I think some branches will be very useful in stopping up these openings, through which the wind shrieks like so many fiends.”
我认为一些树枝将在堵塞这些风口上很有用，从那里风呼啸着像很多恶魔一样。”

Herbert and Pencroft left the Chimneys, and, turning the angle, they began to climb the left bank of the river. —
赫伯特和潘克罗夫离开了烟囱，转过拐角，开始攀登河岸的左侧。 —

The current here was quite rapid, and drifted down some dead wood. —
这里的水流相当迅速，漂来一些枯木。 —

The rising tide–and it could already be perceived–must drive it back with force to a considerable distance. —
潮水正在涨–它已经可以感觉到–必须用力将它推回相当远的地方。 —

The sailor then thought that they could utilize this ebb and flow for the transport of heavy objects.
水手随后想到他们可以利用这个涨落来运输重物。

After having walked for a quarter of an hour, the sailor and the boy arrived at the angle which the river made in turning towards the left. —
在走了四分之一小时后，水手和男孩来到了河流向左拐弯的角落。 —

From this point its course was pursued through a forest of magnificent trees. —
从这一点开始，沿着一片华丽树木的森林继续前行。 —

These trees still retained their verdure, notwithstanding the advanced season, for they belonged to the family of “coniferae,” which is spread over all the regions of the globe, from northern climates to the tropics. —
这些树尽管已经是深秋了，但仍然保持着翠绿，因为它们属于遍布全球各地区的“针叶树科”，从寒冷气候到热带都有分布。 —

The young naturalist recognized especially the “deedara,” which are very numerous in the Himalayan zone, and which spread around them a most agreeable odor. —
这位年轻的博物学家特别认出了“白杉”，它们在喜马拉雅山区非常常见，并四周散发出一种非常宜人的气味。 —

Between these beautiful trees sprang up clusters of firs, whose opaque open parasol boughs spread wide around. —
这些美丽的树木之间还长满了一簇簇的冷杉，它们浓密的伞形树枝围绕得很宽。 —

Among the long grass, Pencroft felt that his feet were crushing dry branches which crackled like fireworks.
普恩克罗夫特感觉到他的脚踩在长草中，踩断的枯枝发出像焰火一样的爆裂声。

“Well, my boy,” said he to Herbert, “if I don’t know the name of these trees, at any rate I reckon that we may call them ‘burning wood,’ and just now that’s the chief thing we want.”
“好啊，孩子，”他对赫伯特说，“就算我不知道这些树的名字，至少我们可以叫它们‘燃烧树’，而现在这是我们最需要的东西。”

“Let us get a supply,” replied Herbert, who immediately set to work.
“那我们就搞点吧。”赫伯特回答道，并立刻开始工作。

The collection was easily made. It was not even necessary to lop the trees, for enormous quantities of dead wood were lying at their feet; —
采集很容易。甚至不需要砍树，因为大量的枯木就躺在它们脚下； —

but if fuel was not wanting, the means of transporting it was not yet found. —
但是如果缺乏燃料就无法运输，这个问题还没有找到解决方法。 —

The wood, being very dry, would burn rapidly; —
这些树木非常干燥，燃烧速度很快； —

it was therefore necessary to carry to the Chimneys a considerable quantity, and the loads of two men would not be sufficient. —
因此需要将大量木材运送到烟囱，两个人的负载是不够的。 —

Herbert remarked this.
赫伯特注意到了这一点。

“Well, my boy,” replied the sailor, “there must be some way of carrying this wood; —
“好，我的孩子，”水手回答道，“一定有一种方法可以搬运这些木头； —

there is always a way of doing everything. —
办任何事情总有办法。 —

If we had a cart or a boat, it would be easy enough.”
如果我们有一辆马车或一只船，那就很容易了。”

“But we have the river,” said Herbert.
“但我们有河流，”赫伯特说道。

“Right,” replied Pencroft; “the river will be to us like a road which carries of itself, and rafts have not been invented for nothing.”
“对，”彭克罗夫回答道，“这条河对我们来说就像是一条自己运送东西的道路，筏子不是白发明的。”

“Only,” observed Herbert, “at this moment our road is going the wrong way, for the tide is rising!”
“只是，”赫伯特观察道，“此刻我们的道路走错了方向，因为潮水正在涨！”

“We shall be all right if we wait till it ebbs,” replied the sailor, “and then we will trust it to carry our fuel to the Chimneys. —
“如果我们等潮水落后，就没问题了，”水手回答道，“那时我们可以相信它把我们的燃料带到烟囱那里。 —

Let us get the raft ready.”
让我们准备筏子。”

The sailor, followed by Herbert, directed his steps towards the river. —
水手带着赫伯特朝河边走去。 —

They both carried, each in proportion to his strength, a load of wood bound in fagots. —
他们每人按自己的力量搬运着一捆捆绑成的木柴。 —

They found on the bank also a great quantity of dead branches in the midst of grass, among which the foot of man had probably never before trod. —
他们在岸边还发现了一大堆死枝，长在草丛之间，很可能人类的脚在此之前从未踏过。 —

Pencroft began directly to make his raft. —
彭克罗夫开始制作筏子。 —

In a kind of little bay, created by a point of the shore which broke the current, the sailor and the lad placed some good-sized pieces of wood, which they had fastened together with dry creepers. —
在一个小海湾里，被一块岸边的尖断岩石挡住了水流，水手和小男孩放上了一些规模不小的木块，用枯藤将它们系在一起。 —

A raft was thus formed, on which they stacked all they had collected, sufficient, indeed, to have loaded at least twenty men. —
于是组成了一只筏子，他们将收集到的所有木料都堆积在上面，足以至少装载二十个人。 —

In an hour the work was finished, and the raft moored to the bank, awaited the turning of the tide.
一个小时后，工作完成，筏子系在岸边，等待潮水的转向。

There were still several hours to be occupied, and with one consent Pencroft and Herbert resolved to gain the upper plateau, so as to have a more extended view of the surrounding country.
还有几个小时需要度过，潘克罗夫和赫伯特一致决定爬上高原，以便更广泛地观看周围的地区。

Exactly two hundred feet behind the angle formed by the river, the wall, terminated by a fall of rocks, died away in a gentle slope to the edge of the forest. —
在河流形成的角的后方正好两百英尺处，围墙在岩石瀑布的结束处以一个温和的坡度延伸到森林边缘。 —

It was a natural staircase. Herbert and the sailor began their ascent; —
这是一条自然的阶梯。赫伯特和水手开始攀登； —

thanks to the vigor of their muscles they reached the summit in a few minutes; —
由于他们肌肉韧劲，他们在几分钟内抵达了山顶； —

and proceeded to the point above the mouth of the river.
然后继续到河口上方。

On attaining it, their first look was cast upon the ocean which not long before they had traversed in such a terrible condition. —
当达到那里时，他们首先看向了头顶上不久前他们遭遇过可怕情况的海洋。 —

They observed, with emotion, all that part to the north of the coast on which the catastrophe had taken place. —
他们激动地注意到了灾难发生的海岸北部的那一部分。 —

It was there that Cyrus Harding had disappeared. —
那就是赛勒斯·哈丁失踪的地方。 —

They looked to see if some portion of their balloon, to which a man might possibly cling, yet existed. —
他们寻找着看看是否还有气球的一部分，可能有人可以抓住。 —

Nothing! The sea was but one vast watery desert. As to the coast, it was solitary also. —
没有！海洋只是一个巨大的荒漠。至于海岸，也是孤独的。 —

Neither the reporter nor Neb could be anywhere seen. —
记者和内布不见了。 —

But it was possible that at this time they were both too far away to be perceived.
但可能这时候他们都离得太远，看不见。

“Something tells me,” cried Herbert, “that a man as energetic as Captain Harding would not let himself be drowned like other people. —
“有些东西告诉我,“赫伯特叫道,“像哈丁船长这样有活力的人不会像其他人一样被淹死。 —

He must have reached some point of the shore; —
他一定到达了海岸的某个地方； —

don’t you think so, Pencroft?”
潘克罗夫，你不这么认为吗?”

The sailor shook his head sadly. He little expected ever to see Cyrus Harding again; —
船员悲伤地摇了摇头。他几乎没有想到会再见到西里斯·哈定； —

but wishing to leave some hope to Herbert: “Doubtless, doubtless,” said he; —
但为了给赫伯特留下一些希望: “毫无疑问，毫无疑问，”他说; —

“our engineer is a man who would get out of a scrape to which any one else would yield.”
“我们的工程师是一个别人放弃的困境中也能摆脱的人。”

In the meantime he examined the coast with great attention. —
与此同时，他非常仔细地审视着海岸。 —

Stretched out below them was the sandy shore, bounded on the right of the river’s mouth by lines of breakers. —
在他们下方是一片沙滩，右边是河口处被破裂的浪潮所包围。 —

The rocks which were visible appeared like amphibious monsters reposing in the surf. —
可见的岩石看起来像是在浪涛中休憩的两栖怪物。 —

Beyond the reef, the sea sparkled beneath the sun’s rays. —
在礁石的后面，海面在阳光下闪闪发光。 —

To the south a sharp point closed the horizon, and it could not be seen if the land was prolonged in that direction, or if it ran southeast and southwest, which would have made this coast a very long peninsula. —
在南边，一个尖锐的点封闭了地平线，无法确定陆地是否延伸到那个方向，或者是向东南和西南延伸，这将使这片海岸成为一个非常长的半岛。 —

At the northern extremity of the bay the outline of the shore was continued to a great distance in a wider curve. —
在海湾的北端，岸边的轮廓向更远处延伸，呈现出一个更宽的曲线。 —

There the shore was low, flat, without cliffs, and with great banks of sand, which the tide left uncovered. —
在那里，岸边低矮，平坦，没有悬崖，有大片的沙坑，被涨潮露出来。 —

Pencroft and Herbert then returned towards the west. —
彭克罗夫特和赫伯特随后朝西返回。 —

Their attention was first arrested by the snow-topped mountain which rose at a distance of six or seven miles. —
他们首先注意到了距离六七英里处耸立的被白雪覆盖的山峰。 —

From its first declivities to within two miles of the coast were spread vast masses of wood, relieved by large green patches, caused by the presence of evergreen trees. —
从山脚开始延伸到距海岸两英里处的地方，散布着巨大的树木群，由于常青树的存在而形成了大片绿色区域。 —

Then, from the edge of this forest to the shore extended a plain, scattered irregularly with groups of trees. —
然后，从这片森林边缘延伸到海岸的是一片平原，不规则地散布着树木群。 —

Here and there on the left sparkled through glades the waters of the little river; —
在左边的空地上，那里的水晶莹发光，还能看到那条小河的蜿蜒曲线，向回追溯到山脊之间，看起来像是从那里涌出。 —

they could trace its winding course back towards the spurs of the mountain, among which it seemed to spring. —
当水手留下他的木筏的地方，河流开始穿过两高的花岗岩山壁。 —

At the point where the sailor had left his raft of wood, it began to run between the two high granite walls; —
但如果在左岸，岩石保持清晰陡峭的话，相反地，在右岸，它却逐渐下降，厚实的侧面转变成孤立的岩石，岩石又变成石头，石头最终延伸到尽头的滩石。 —

but if on the left bank the wall remained clear and abrupt, on the right bank, on the contrary, it sank gradually, the massive sides changed to isolated rocks, the rocks to stones, the stones to shingle running to the extremity of the point.
“我们是在一个岛上吗？”水手喃喃道。

“Are we on an island?” murmured the sailor.
“无论如何，这似乎足够大了，”小伙子回答道。

“At any rate, it seems to be big enough,” replied the lad.
“一个再大的岛屿，也仍然是一个岛屿！”彭克罗夫特说。

“An island, ever so big, is an island all the same!” said Pencroft.
但这个重要的问题还不能回答。

But this important question could not yet be answered. —
“An island, ever so big, is an island all the same!” said Pencroft. —

A more perfect survey had to be made to settle the point. —
需要进行更完善的调查，以解决这个问题。 —

As to the land itself, island or continent, it appeared fertile, agreeable in its aspect, and varied in its productions.
就土地本身而言，无论是岛屿还是大陆，它都显得肥沃，景色宜人，生产物种多样。

“This is satisfactory,” observed Pencroft; “and in our misfortune, we must thank Providence for it.”
“这很令人满意，” 彭克罗夫观察到，“在我们的不幸中，我们必须感谢上帝。”

“God be praised!” responded Herbert, whose pious heart was full of gratitude to the Author of all things.
“感谢上帝！”赫伯特回应道，他那虔诚的心充满对一切事物的创造者的感激之情。

Pencroft and Herbert examined for some time the country on which they had been cast; —
彭克罗夫和赫伯特花了一些时间检查他们所被投放的土地； —

but it was difficult to guess after so hasty an inspection what the future had in store for them.
但在经过如此匆忙的检查后，很难猜测未来对他们将有怎样的安排。

They then returned, following the southern crest of the granite platform, bordered by a long fringe of jagged rocks, of the most whimsical shapes. —
他们随后返回，沿着花岗岩平台的南部山脊前进，这片山脊被长长的一排古怪形状的尖石所围绕。 —

Some hundreds of birds lived there nestled in the holes of the stone; —
几百只鸟儿生活在那些岩石的洞穴里； —

Herbert, jumping over the rocks, startled a whole flock of these winged creatures.
赫伯特跃过岩石，惊起了一整群这些有翅膀的生物。

“Oh!” cried he, “those are not gulls nor sea-mews!”
“哦！” 他叫道，“那些不是海鸥或海鸥类鸟！”

“What are they then?” asked Pencroft.
“那它们是什么？” 彭克罗夫问道。

“Upon my word, one would say they were pigeons!”
“老实说，人们似乎会认为它们是鸽子！”

“Just so, but these are wild or rock pigeons. —
“没错，但这些是野生或岩鸽。 —

I recognize them by the double band of black on the wing, by the white tail, and by their slate- colored plumage. —
从它们翅膀上的双道黑带、白色尾巴和石板色羽毛来看，我认出了它们。 —

But if the rock-pigeon is good to eat, its eggs must be excellent, and we will soon see how many they may have left in their nests!”
但如果岩鸽肉好吃，那它们的蛋肯定也很美味，我们很快就会看到它们的巢里还剩下多少蛋！”

“We will not give them time to hatch, unless it is in the shape of an omelet!” —
“我们不会让它们孵化的时间，除非是用来做煎蛋卷！” —

replied Pencroft merrily.
彭克罗夫开心地回答道。

“But what will you make your omelet in?” asked Herbert; “in your hat?”
“那你打算用什么容器做煎蛋卷呢？”赫伯特问道;“用你的帽子吗？”

“Well!” replied the sailor, “I am not quite conjuror enough for that; —
“唔！”水手回答道，“我可还不是那么会变戏法的； —

we must come down to eggs in the shell, my boy, and I will undertake to despatch the hardest!”
我们只能用蛋壳，我接下来要尽量努力击碎这最难打开的！”

Pencroft and Herbert attentively examined the cavities in the granite, and they really found eggs in some of the hollows. —
彭克罗夫和赫伯特认真地检查了花岗岩中的洞穴，他们真的在一些凹洞里找到了蛋。 —

A few dozen being collected, were packed in the sailor’s handkerchief, and as the time when the tide would be full was approaching, Pencroft and Herbert began to redescend towards the watercourse. —
几十个被收集起来，被塞在水手的手绢里，当潮汐将满时，彭克罗夫和赫伯特开始往下走，朝水道走去。 —

When they arrived there, it was an hour after midday. The tide had already turned. —
当他们到达那里时，已经中午过后一个小时。潮水已经开始退了。 —

They must now avail themselves of the ebb to take the wood to the mouth. —
他们现在必须利用退潮将木头带到河口。 —

Pencroft did not intend to let the raft go away in the current without guidance, neither did he mean to embark on it himself to steer it. —
彭克罗夫不打算让筏子在水流中没有指引的情况下漂走，也不打算自己登上去操控。 —

But a sailor is never at a loss when there is a question of cables or ropes, and Pencroft rapidly twisted a cord, a few fathoms long, made of dry creepers. —
但是当涉及到电缆或绳索时，水手永远不会手足无措，彭克罗夫很快地编织了一根丝瓜藤制成的数码长的绳索。 —

This vegetable cable was fastened to the after-part of the raft, and the sailor held it in his hand while Herbert, pushing off the raft with a long pole, kept it in the current. —
这根植物绳系在筏子的尾部，水手拿在手中，而赫伯特则用一根长杆推开筏子，让它顺着水流前行。 —

This succeeded capitally. The enormous load of wood drifted down the current. —
这十分成功。木头的巨大负荷顺流而下。 —

The bank was very equal; there was no fear that the raft would run aground, and before two o’clock they arrived at the river’s mouth, a few paces from the Chimneys.
岸边很平坦;没有担心筏子会搁浅，不到两点，他们就到达了河口，离烟囱只有几步之遥。