英语听书《白鲸记》第75期

 And I did not know but what the stingy old Bildad might have a mighty¹ deal to say about shipping² hands,  而我不清楚 比勒达可能对于运营有很强的能力,

especially as I now found him on board the Pequod, quite at home there in the cabin, and reading his Bible as if at his own fireside.  尤其是在这,现在我发现现在他好像在自家一样摆弄着本《圣经》。

Now while Peleg was vainly trying to mend a pen with his jack-knife, old Bildad, to my no small surprise, considering that he was such an interested party in these proceedings³;  这时候，法勒船长找出一枝铅笔吃力地削着，

Bildad never heeded⁴ us, but went on mumbling⁵ to himself out of his book,  而比勒达依然悠哉悠哉地读他的《圣经》。  

Well, Captain Bildad, interrupted Peleg, what d'ye say, what lay shall we give this young man?  我说比勒达船长，给这小伙子多少拆账？法勒船长这样问。

Thou knowest best, was the sepulchral⁶ reply, the seven hundred and seventy-seventh wouldn't be too much, would it? 这你比我在行，我想七百七十七分之一就差不多了吧…

where moth⁷ and rust⁸ do corrupt⁹, but LAY'  七百七十七分之一，好大的拆账！

LAY, indeed, thought I, and such a lay! the seven hundred and seventy-seventh!  诸位陆地上的朋友也许觉得七百七十七不小吧，可这是把它放在分母的位置上啊！ 

1 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

2 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

3 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

4 heeded   

v.听某人的劝告，听从( heed的过去式和过去分词 )；变平，使（某物）变平( flatten的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She countered that her advice had not been heeded. 她反驳说她的建议未被重视。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I heeded my doctor's advice and stopped smoking. 我听从医生的劝告，把烟戒了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 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。

6 sepulchral   

adj.坟墓的，阴深的

参考例句：

• He made his way along the sepulchral corridors.他沿着阴森森的走廊走着。
• There was a rather sepulchral atmosphere in the room.房间里有一种颇为阴沉的气氛。

7 moth   

n.蛾，蛀虫

参考例句：

• A moth was fluttering round the lamp.有一只蛾子扑打着翅膀绕着灯飞。
• The sweater is moth-eaten.毛衣让蛀虫咬坏了。

8 rust   

n.锈；v.生锈；(脑子)衰退

参考例句：

• She scraped the rust off the kitchen knife.她擦掉了菜刀上的锈。
• The rain will rust the iron roof.雨水会使铁皮屋顶生锈。

9 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。