Several times the animal let us approach. 这动物有几次让人接近它。

We're overhauling it! the Canadian would shout.

我们追上它了!我们追上它了：加拿大人喊。

Then, just as he was about to strike, the cetacean would steal off with a swiftness I could estimate at no less than thirty miles per hour.

可是，在他准备投叉的时候，这条鲸鱼立即逃开了，它行动敏捷，照我来看，它的速度每小时至少是三十海里。

And even at our maximum speed, it took the liberty of thumbing its nose at the frigateby running a full circle around us! A howl of fury burst from every throat!

甚至在我们的船以最快速度航行的时候，它竟然能够绕船一周，似乎跟我们开玩笑呢!愤怒的喊声从大家的胸膛中迸发出来!

By noon we were no farther along than at eight o'clock in the morning.

中午，我们跟早晨八点一样，一点没有进展。

Commander Farragut then decided to use more direct methods.

法拉古舰长决定采取更为直接的办法。

Bah! he said. So that animal is faster than the Abraham Lincoln. All right, we'll see if it can outrun our conical shells! Mate, man the gun in the bow!

呵!他说，这东西比林肯号走得还快!好吧j我们看看它是不是能躲开我们的锥形炮弹。水手长，叫炮手都到船前头的炮边来。

Our forecastle cannon was immediately loaded and leveled. The cannoneer fired a shot, but his shell passed some feet above the cetacean, which stayed half a mile off.

船前头的炮立即装上炮弹，发出去了。炮是放了，可是炮弹在距半海里之远的动物上面掠过去，没有打中。

Over to somebody with better aim! the commander shouted.

换一名好炮手!舰长喊，