But even so, was the man going to let us die of starvation, locked up in this crampedprison,

但是，他把我们关在这狭小的牢房里，不给我们饭吃。

exposed to those horrible temptations to which people are driven by extreme hunger?

听任我们因此链而走险，是不是存心要饿死我们呢，

This grim possibility took on a dreadful intensity in my mind, and fired by my imagination,

这个可怕的念头在我心中是这样强烈，我感到有一种莫名其妙的恐惧侵袭着我。

I felt an unreasoning terror run through me. Conseil stayed calm. Ned Land bellowed.

康塞尔还是若无其事。尼德。兰就像猛虎般在吼叫。

Just then a noise was audible outside. Footsteps rang on the metal tiling.

这个时候，外面传来了声响。金属地板上发出脚步声。

The locks were turned, the door opened, the steward appeared.

门锁转动了，门开了，侍者进来了。

Before I could make a single movement to prevent him, the Canadian rushed at the poor man,

我还没来得及冲上去阻止他，加拿大人已经猛扑过去，抓住这个不幸的侍者，

threw him down, held him by the throat. The steward was choking in the grip of those powerful hands.

把他按倒，扼住他的喉咙。侍者被他那有力的大手掐得都不能透气了。

Conseil was already trying to loosen the harpooner's hands from his half-suffocated victim,

康塞尔正要从鱼叉手的双手中把这个上气不接下气的侍者拉过来，

and I had gone to join in the rescue, when I was abruptly nailed to the spot by these words pronounced in French:

我也正要去尽我的力量帮着他的时候，忽然我听到下面用法语说的几句话，我呆在那里不动了：

Calm down, Mr. Land! And you, professor, kindly listen to me!

您不要急，尼德·兰师傅;您，教授先生，请听我说!