英语听书《白鲸记》第7期

  By reason of these things,then,the whaling voyage was welcome;the great flood gates of the wonder world swung open, 

 and in the wild conceits¹ that swayed me to my purpose, 

 two and two there floated into my inmost soul,endless processions of the whale, 

 and,mid most of them all,one grand hooded² phantom,like a snow hill in the air. 

 CHAPTER 2.The Carpet Bag. 

 I stuffed a shirt or two into my old carpet bag,tucked it under my arm,and started for Cape³ Horn and the Pacific. 

 Quitting the good city of old Manhatto,I duly arrived in New Bedford.It was a Saturday night in December. 

 Much was I disappointed upon learning that the little packet for Nantucket had already sailed, 

 and that no way of reaching that place would offer,till the following Monday. 

 As most young candidates for the pains and penalties of whaling stop at this same New Bedford, 

 thence to embark⁴ on their voyage,it may as well be related that I,for one,had no idea of so doing. 

 For my mind was made up to sail in no other than a Nantucket craft,because there was a fine, 

 boisterous something about everything connected with that famous old island,which amazingly pleased me. 

 Besides though New Bedford has of late been gradually monopolising the business of whaling,and though in this matter poor old Nantucket is now much behind her, 

 yet Nantucket was her great originalthe Tyre of this Carthage;the place where the first dead American whale was stranded⁵. 

 Where else but from Nantucket did those aboriginal⁶ whalemen,the Red Men, 

 first sally out in canoes to give chase to the Leviathan?And where but from Nantucket,too,did that first adventurous⁷ little sloop⁸ put forth, 

 partly laden⁹ with imported cobblestonesso goes the storyto throw at the whales, 

 in order to discover when they were nigh enough to risk a harpoon¹⁰ from the bowsprit? 

 Now having a night,a day,and still another night following before me in New Bedford, 

 ere I could embark for my destined¹¹ port,it became a matter of concernment where I was to eat and sleep meanwhile. 

 It was a very dubious¹² looking,nay,a very dark and dismal¹³ night,bitingly cold and cheerless. 

 I knew no one in the place.With anxious grapnels I had sounded my pocket,and only brought up a few pieces of silver, 

 So,wherever you go,Ishmael,said I to myself,as I stood in the middle of a dreary¹⁴ street shouldering my bag, 

 and comparing the gloom towards the north with the darkness towards the southwherever in your wisdom you may conclude to lodge¹⁵ for the night, 

 my dear Ishmael,be sure to inquire the price,and do not be too particular. 

 With halting steps I paced the streets,and passed the sign of The Crossed Harpoonsbut it looked too expensive and jolly there. 

 Further on,from the bright red windows of the Sword Fish Inn,there came such fervent rays, 

 that it seemed to have melted the packed snow and ice from before the house, 

 for everywhere else the congealed frost lay ten inches thick in a hard,asphaltic pavement, undefined

1 conceits   

高傲( conceit的名词复数 )； 自以为； 巧妙的词语； 别出心裁的比喻

参考例句：

• He jotted down the conceits of his idle hours. 他记下了闲暇时想到的一些看法。
• The most grotesque fantastic conceits haunted him in his bed at night. 夜晚躺在床上的时候，各种离奇怪诞的幻想纷至沓来。

2 hooded   

adj.戴头巾的；有罩盖的；颈部因肋骨运动而膨胀的

参考例句：

• A hooded figure waited in the doorway. 一个戴兜帽的人在门口等候。
• Black-eyed gipsy girls, hooded in showy handkerchiefs, sallied forth to tell fortunes. 黑眼睛的吉卜赛姑娘，用华丽的手巾包着头，突然地闯了进来替人算命。 来自辞典例句

3 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

4 embark   

vi.乘船，着手，从事，上飞机

参考例句：

• He is about to embark on a new business venture.他就要开始新的商业冒险活动。
• Many people embark for Europe at New York harbor.许多人在纽约港乘船去欧洲。

5 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

6 aboriginal   

adj.（指动植物）土生的，原产地的，土著的

参考例句：

• They managed to wipe out the entire aboriginal population.他们终于把那些土著人全部消灭了。
• The lndians are the aboriginal Americans.印第安人是美国的土著人。

7 adventurous   

adj.爱冒险的；惊心动魄的，惊险的，刺激的　

参考例句：

• I was filled with envy at their adventurous lifestyle.我很羨慕他们敢于冒险的生活方式。
• He was predestined to lead an adventurous life.他注定要过冒险的生活。

8 sloop   

n.单桅帆船

参考例句：

• They heeled the sloop well over,skimming it along to windward.他们使单桅小船倾斜适当，让它顶着风向前滑去。
• While a sloop always has two sails,a cat-rigged boat generally has only one.一艘单桅帆船总是有两面帆，但一艘单桅艇通常只有一面帆。

9 laden   

adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的

参考例句：

• He is laden with heavy responsibility.他肩负重任。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat.将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。

10 harpoon   

n.鱼叉；vt.用鱼叉叉，用鱼叉捕获

参考例句：

• The harpoon drove deep into the body of the whale.渔叉深深地扎进鲸鱼体内。
• The fisherman transfixed the shark with a harpoon.渔夫用鱼叉刺住鲨鱼。

11 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

12 dubious   

adj.怀疑的，无把握的；有问题的，靠不住的

参考例句：

• What he said yesterday was dubious.他昨天说的话很含糊。
• He uses some dubious shifts to get money.他用一些可疑的手段去赚钱。

13 dismal   

adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的

参考例句：

• That is a rather dismal melody.那是一支相当忧郁的歌曲。
• My prospects of returning to a suitable job are dismal.我重新找到一个合适的工作岗位的希望很渺茫。

14 dreary   

adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的

参考例句：

• They live such dreary lives.他们的生活如此乏味。
• She was tired of hearing the same dreary tale of drunkenness and violence.她听够了那些关于酗酒和暴力的乏味故事。

15 lodge   

v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆

参考例句：

• Is there anywhere that I can lodge in the village tonight?村里有我今晚过夜的地方吗？
• I shall lodge at the inn for two nights.我要在这家小店住两个晚上。