We stayed on the alert until daylight, getting ready for action. Whaling gear was set up along the railings. 大家一直警戒到天亮，每个人都在准备战斗。

Our chief officer loaded the blunderbusses, which can launch harpoons as far as a mile,

各种打鱼的器械都摆在船栏杆边。二副装好了大口径短铰，这短铣能把鱼叉射出一英里远，

and long duck guns with exploding bullets that can mortally wound even the most powerful animals.

又装好了打开花弹的长沧，一击中就是致命伤，哪怕最强大的动物也不能例外。

Ned Land was content to sharpen his harpoon, a dreadful weapon in his hands.

尼德·兰本人只是在那里磨他的鱼叉，鱼叉在他的手里就是件可怕的武器。

At six o'clock day began to break, and with the dawn's early light, the narwhale's electric glow disappeared.

六点，天亮起来了，晨曦的微光把独角鲸的电光俺没了。

At seven o'clock the day was well along, but a very dense morning mist shrank the horizon, and our best spyglasses were unable to pierce it.

七点，天大亮了，但浓厚的朝雾缩小了视野，最好的望远镜也不济事，

The outcome: disappointment and anger.

因此大家又产生了失望和懊恼的情绪。

I hoisted myself up to the crosstrees of the mizzen sail. Some officers were already perched on the mastheads.

我一直攀上尾桅，有些军官早就在桅上面站着。

At eight o'clock the mist rolled ponderously over the waves, and its huge curls were lifting little by little. The horizon grew wider and clearer all at once.

八点，浓雾沉重地在海面上滚动，它那巨大的气团渐渐地散开了。天际也渐渐扩大，渐渐明朗。