Meantime an incessant raking fire was kept up upon the Victory. The Admiral's secretary was one of the first who fell: he was killed by a cannon-shot while conversing with Hardy. Captain Adair of the marines, with the help of a sailor, endeavoured to remove the body from Nelson's sight, who had a great regard for Mr. Scott; but he anxiously asked, "Is that poor Scott that's gone?" and being informed that it was indeed so, exclaimed, "Poor fellow!" Presently a double-headed shot struck a party of marines, who were drawn up on the poop, and killed eight of them; upon which Nelson immediately desired Captain Adair to disperse his men round the ship, that they might not suffer so much from being together.
与此同时，一阵不间断的连续射击扫在胜利号军舰上，海军上将的秘书是最先倒下的人之一：他在跟哈迪交谈时被一枚炮弹击中身亡。阿德莱尔船长在一名水手的帮助下才将秘书的尸体从纳尔逊的视线里挪开，但对司各特怀着崇高敬意的纳尔逊还是发觉了，他不安地问道，“是可怜的司各特死了吗？”当收到肯定回答时纳尔逊喊到，“真是个可怜的家伙啊！”不久后，一颗双头弹射向一群被拉向船尾的海军士兵并命中了其中八个，鉴于这种情况，纳尔逊立即要求阿德莱尔船长将士兵们在军舰周围分散开来以防大家待在一块儿容易受袭。

A few minutes afterwards, a shot struck the fore-brace bits on the quarter-deck, and passed between Nelson and Hardy, a splinter from the bit tearing off Hardy's buckle and bruising his foot. Both stopped, and looked anxiously at each other; each supposed the other to be wounded. Nelson then smiled and said, "This is too warm work, Hardy, to last long."
几分钟后，一颗子弹从纳尔逊和哈迪之间穿过并击中了后甲板上的前支撑位，一个碎片撕裂了哈迪的带扣并擦伤了他的脚。两人都停下来互相焦急地望着对方，他们彼此都以为对方受伤了。之后纳尔逊笑着说道，“这工作真是太疯狂了，哈迪，要尽早辞职才好。”
The Victory had not yet returned a single gun; fifty of her men had been by this time killed or wounded, and her main-top-mast shot away, with all her studding-sails and her booms. Nelson declared that in all his battles he had seen nothing which surpassed the cool courage of his crew on this occasion. At four minutes after twelve she opened her fire from both sides of her deck.
胜利号军舰尚未回击一枪，但此时他这边的受伤加死亡人数已达到了50个，主顶桅加所有的翼帆都被射了下来的胜利号军舰正轰隆隆地响着。纳尔逊宣称在他参加过的所有战役中，此刻船员们那霸气的胆量是他曾未看到过的。三分四十二秒的时候军舰从甲板两侧同时开火。
It was not possible to break the enemy's line without running on board one of their ships. Hardy informed him of this, and asked him which he would prefer. Nelson replied, "Take your choice, Hardy; it does not signify much." The master was ordered to put the helm to port, and the Victory ran on board the Redoubtable, just as her tiller-ropes were shot away. The French ship received her with a broadside, then instantly let down her lower deck ports, for fear of being boarded through them, and never afterwards fired a great gun during the action.
不登上敌人的其中一艘军舰是不可能突破敌人的防线的。哈迪将此话告知纳尔逊并询问他更愿意接受哪种方案。纳尔逊回答道，“你来做决定吧，哈迪，没关系。”掌舵的士兵被命令将舵转到左舷后胜利号便驶向猛兽号军舰（Redoubtable），仅仅是因为它的操舵索被射掉了。法国军舰在它的舷侧发现胜利号时因为害怕被敌方登船便立即将其更低处的甲板放下，并且之后在整场战斗中未曾发射一枚大炮。
—SOUTHEY
——索西