In assessing the merits of such tales, it's probably wise to keep in mind that old sailor's saw that the only difference between a fairytale and a sea story is a fairytale begins, "Once upon a time," and a sea story begins, "This ain't no shit."  Every fish that gets away grows with every telling of the tale.
在评估这样的故事的真实性时， 聪明的做法也许是谨记着老水手 对童话和海洋传说的区别的看法 是童话往往这样开始：“很久以前……” 而一个海洋传说会这样开始：“这不是胡扯。” 每次讲一个关于跑掉的鱼的故事时， 这条鱼都会随着故事讲的次数而变大。