英语听书《白鲸记》第197期

 The liquor soon mounted into their heads, as it generally does even with the arrantest topers newly landed from sea, and they began capering¹ about most obstreperously². 不久,那伙人便发起酒疯来,因为刚上岸的水手,哪怕是酒量十足的人,也总是这样。他们开始跳跳蹦蹦得非常吵人。

I observed, however, that one of them held somewhat aloof³, and though he seemed desirous not to spoil the hilarity⁴ of his shipmates by his own sober face,  但是,我看出其中有一个人,不大跟他们搅在一起,虽则他表面上不愿意摆出一副庄重的脸色来扫他的船友们的兴,

yet upon the whole he refrained from making as much noise as the rest.  然而,总的说来,他尽量不象其他那些人闹得那样厉害。

This man interested me at once; and since the sea-gods had ordained⁵ that he should soon become my shipmate  这个人立即引起我的注意;既然那些海神已经决定,他就要做我的船友

(though but a sleeping partner one, so far as this narrative⁶ is concerned), I will here venture upon a little description of him.  (虽然就这个故事来说,不过是个同榻睡伴),我想冒昧地在这里将他描摹一番。

He stood full six feet in height, with noble shoulders, and a chest like a coffer-dam. I have seldom seen such brawn⁷ in a man.  他身长足足有六英尺,双肩阔大,胸部象个潜水箱.我过去很少见到一个人这样强壮过。

His face was deeply brown and burnt, making his white teeth dazzling by the contrast;  一张深棕色的脸晒成黧黑,衬出一嘴耀眼白牙;

while in the deep shadows of his eyes floated some reminiscences that did not seem to give him much joy.  但在他那双眼睛的两道阴影中,却浮现出一种似乎是使他惆怅的回忆。

1 capering   

v.跳跃，雀跃( caper的现在分词 )；蹦蹦跳跳

参考例句：

• The lambs were capering in the fields. 羊羔在地里欢快地跳跃。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The boy was Capering dersively, with obscene unambiguous gestures, before a party of English tourists. 这个顽童在一群英国旅游客人面前用明显下流的动作可笑地蹦蹦跳跳着。 来自辞典例句

2 obstreperously   

参考例句：

• Edward came in like a country wind, obstreperously healthy, jovial, large and rather bald. 爱德华象一阵乡野的风刮了进来，带着顽强的健康，快活，奔放和相当的直率。 来自辞典例句
• Obstreperously, he demanded to get service. 他吵闹着要求别人为他服务。 来自互联网

3 aloof   

adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的

参考例句：

• Never stand aloof from the masses.千万不可脱离群众。
• On the evening the girl kept herself timidly aloof from the crowd.这小女孩在晚会上一直胆怯地远离人群。

4 hilarity   

n.欢乐；热闹

参考例句：

• The announcement was greeted with much hilarity and mirth.这一项宣布引起了热烈的欢呼声。
• Wine gives not light hilarity,but noisy merriment.酒不给人以轻松的欢乐，而给人以嚣嚷的狂欢。

5 ordained   

v.任命（某人）为牧师( ordain的过去式和过去分词 )；授予（某人）圣职；（上帝、法律等）命令；判定

参考例句：

• He was ordained in 1984. 他在一九八四年被任命为牧师。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He was ordained priest. 他被任命为牧师。 来自辞典例句

6 narrative   

n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的

参考例句：

• He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
• Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。

7 brawn   

n.体力

参考例句：

• In this job you need both brains and brawn.做这份工作既劳神又费力。
• They relied on brains rather than brawn.他们靠的是脑力，而不是体力。