英语听书《白鲸记》第72期

 Bildad, cried Captain Peleg, at it again, Bildad, eh? Ye have been studying those Scriptures¹, now, for the last thirty years, to my certain knowledge.  嗨，比勒达，又念上啦！研究你的圣书都三十年了，

How far ye got, Bildad?  如今研究到什么地方啦？ 

As if long habituated to such profane² talk from his old shipmate, Bildad, without noticing his present irreverence³,  比勒达似乎已经习惯了他的老朋友的调侃，

quietly looked up, and seeing me, glanced again inquiringly towards Peleg.  他只是抬起头来，面无表情地看了看法勒船长，然后又带着一丝疑问看了看我。 

He says he's our man, Bildad, said Peleg, he wants to ship.  啊，他想上咱们的船，让咱们雇他。 

Dost thee? said Bildad, in a hollow tone, and turning round to me.  你要他雇你？比勒达毫无生气地问了一声。 

I dost, said I unconsciously, he was so intense a Quaker.  是的。 

What do ye think of him, Bildad? said Peleg.  比勒达，你觉得他怎么样？ 

He'll do, said Bildad, eyeing me, and then went on spelling away at his book in a mumbling⁴ tone quite audible.  行。 他应了一声，又低头念他的书去了。这个古怪的老桂克！ 

1 scriptures   

经文，圣典( scripture的名词复数 )； 经典

参考例句：

• Here the apostle Peter affirms his belief that the Scriptures are 'inspired'. 使徒彼得在此表达了他相信《圣经》是通过默感写成的。
• You won't find this moral precept in the scriptures. 你在《圣经》中找不到这种道德规范。

2 profane   

adj.亵神的，亵渎的；vt.亵渎，玷污

参考例句：

• He doesn't dare to profane the name of God.他不敢亵渎上帝之名。
• His profane language annoyed us.他亵渎的言语激怒了我们。

3 irreverence   

n.不尊敬

参考例句：

• True irreverence is disrespect for another man's god.真正的大不敬是不尊重别人的神。
• Mark Twain said irreverence is the champion of liberty,if not its only defender.马克·吐温说过，不敬若不是自由唯一的捍卫者，也会是它的拥护者。

4 mumbling   

含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• I could hear him mumbling to himself. 我听到他在喃喃自语。
• He was still mumbling something about hospitals at the end of the party when he slipped on a piece of ice and broke his left leg. 宴会结束时，他仍在咕哝着医院里的事。说着说着，他在一块冰上滑倒，跌断了左腿。