Rob was standing in the stern, near Captain Jim, who held the rudder.
罗布站在船尾,吉姆船长在旁边掌舵。
Quickly he saw that the escaping blackfish would pass close to the stern of the boat,
很快,他就看到那条逃跑的黑鲸从船尾的附近经过,
and that the boat could not be stopped in time to head them off.
船无法及时停下来引这些鱼。
In a flash it all happened. Rob leaped out almost in front of the fish! He sank out of sight, but came up at once.
这一切太突然了,忽然,罗布跳到鱼的前面!罗布消失不见了,但马上又出现了。
Keeping himself afloat with one hand, he splashed the water with the other.
他一只手浮在水面上,另一只手拍打着水花。
The great blackfish, frightened by the noise, turned again toward the shore, and the gap between the two boats was quickly closed.
大黑鲸被这声音吓了一跳,又转向岸边,两只船之间的空隙很快就被堵住了。
Captain Jim stopped to pick up Rob and hauled him into the boat. He was not in the least hurt—wettings did not count at such times;
吉姆船长停下车来接住罗布,把他拉上船。他一点也不沮丧——这种时候,淋湿算不了什么;
it was midsummer, and there was yet plenty of work ahead that would dry him off.
现在是仲夏时节,还有许多活等着他干。
Captain Jim looked at the boy for a moment, but all he said was,
吉姆船长看了男孩一会儿,但他只说:
"Remember, Son, that you haven't any father, and that your mother has only one boy." Not another word did he say.
“记住,孩子,你没有父亲,你母亲只有一个儿子。”其它什么话也没说。
The other boats had been slowly closing in on the blackfish, which were now swimming about in the shallow water near the shore.
其他几艘船慢慢地靠近黑鲸,黑鲸现在正在近岸的浅水里游着。
"Start the work!"someone cried; and the killing of the fish began. Round and round went the frightened blackfish.
“开始工作!”有人叫道,于是黑鲸就被宰杀了,受惊的黑鲸一圈又一圈地游来游去。
As their tails lashed the water into foam, some of the smaller boats were nearly upset.
当黑鲸在海岸无力地拍打着尾巴时,一些小船几乎要翻了。
At last all the blackfish lay motionless.
最后,黑鲸一动不动地躺在那里。
The men and the boys tied ropes to them and pulled the fish out of the water to the beach.
男人和孩子们把绳子绑在黑鲸身上,把它从水里拉到海滩上。
Hundreds of the small whales now lay upon the sand. The blackfish drive was over.
现在数以百计的小鲸躺在沙滩上,黑鲸行动结束。