The year 1866 was signalised by a remarkable incident, a mysterious and puzzling phenomenon, which doubtless no one has yet forgotten.

1866年因一起引人注目的事件而闻名，一个神秘且令人困惑的现象，无疑至今仍无人忘记。

For some time past, vessels had been met by 'an enormous thing,' a long object, spindle-shaped, occasionally phosphorescent, and infinitely larger and more rapid in its movements than a whale.

一段时间以来，船只遇到了一个'巨大的东西'，一个细长的物体，有时发出磷光，其大小和速度都远远超过鲸鱼。