英语听书《白鲸记》第226期

 They are mostly young, of stalwart frames; fellows who have felled forests, and now seek to drop the axe¹ and snatch the whale-lance.  他们大都是一些体格魁梧的小伙子;都是一些砍过了山林,现在却想放下斧头.抓起捕鲸枪的人。

Many are as green as the Green Mountains whence they came. In some things you would think them but a few hours old.  有许多人就跟他们所来自的青山一样嫩。在某些事情上,人们也许会把他们看成不过是刚生下来的婴孩。

Look there! that chap strutting² round the corner. He wears a beaver³ hat and swallow-tailed coat, girdled with a sailor-belt and a sheath-knife.  瞧那个在那边角落里装模作样地踱着方步的家伙!他戴了一顶獭皮帽,穿着一件燕尾服,束着一根水手用的腰带,还佩着一把带鞘的刀。

Here comes another with a sou'-wester and a bombazine cloak. 喏,这边又来了一个戴着风帽.穿着羽纱大氅的家伙。

No town-bred dandy will compare with a country-bred one-I mean a downright bumpkin dandy-a fellow that,  随便哪一个城里的阔少都比不上一个乡下土少爷...

in the dog-days, will mow⁴ his two acres in buckskin gloves for fear of tanning his hands.  我指的是一种道地的乡下阔少爷...这种人物,因为怕太阳晒黑他的双手,竟在三伏天里戴起鹿皮手套,去割他那两英亩地的草。

Now when a country dandy like this takes it into his head to make a distinguished⁵ reputation, and joins the great whale-fishery,  现在当这样一个乡下土少爷,突然心血来潮,想一举而功成名遂,跑来干这种伟大的捕鲸业时,那么,他一到这个海港,准教你可以看到他做出许多有趣的事儿来。

you should see the comical things he does upon reaching the seaport⁶. In bespeaking⁷ his sea-outfit, he orders bell-buttons to his waistcoats; straps⁸ to his canvas trowsers.  拿他的海上服装来说吧,他教裁缝师傅在他的背心上装起铃式揿钮;在帆布裤子上加吊带。

Ah, poor Hay-Seed! how bitterly will burst those straps in the first howling gale⁹, when thou art driven, straps, buttons, and all, down the throat of the tempest. 可怜的乡下佬呵!等到你连人带揿钮,吊带都一股脑儿给狂风暴雨扣住了的时候,头一阵呼啸的大风,就会把那些吊带都给吹崩得多惨。

But think not that this famous town has only harpooneers, cannibals, and bumpkins to show her visitors.  可是,别以为旅客们在这个名城里只能看到一些标枪手。生番和乡下佬。

Not at all. Still New Bedford is a queer place. Had it not been for us whalemen,  全然不是这样。新贝德福究竟是个奇妙的地方。不过,如果没有我们这些捕鲸者,

that tract¹⁰ of land would this day perhaps have been in as howling condition as the coast of Labrador.  那么,这片地方也许直到现在还是跟拉布拉多海岸一样荒僻。

As it is, parts of her back country are enough to frighten one, they look so bony. The town itself is perhaps the dearest place to live in, in all New England. 事实上,它那些边远地区就荒凉贫瘠得怕人.虽然就整个新英格兰说来,这城市本身也许是个最适宜于居住的可爱的地方。

1 axe   

n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减

参考例句：

• Be careful with that sharp axe.那把斧子很锋利，你要当心。
• The edge of this axe has turned.这把斧子卷了刃了。

2 strutting   

加固，支撑物

参考例句：

• He, too, was exceedingly arrogant, strutting about the castle. 他也是非常自大，在城堡里大摇大摆地走。
• The pompous lecturer is strutting and forth across the stage. 这个演讲者在台上趾高气扬地来回走着。

3 beaver   

n.海狸，河狸

参考例句：

• The hat is made of beaver.这顶帽子是海狸毛皮制的。
• A beaver is an animals with big front teeth.海狸是一种长着大门牙的动物。

4 mow   

v.割（草、麦等），扫射，皱眉；n.草堆，谷物堆

参考例句：

• He hired a man to mow the lawn.他雇人割草。
• We shall have to mow down the tall grass in the big field.我们得把大田里的高草割掉。

5 distinguished   

adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的

参考例句：

• Elephants are distinguished from other animals by their long noses.大象以其长长的鼻子显示出与其他动物的不同。
• A banquet was given in honor of the distinguished guests.宴会是为了向贵宾们致敬而举行的。

6 seaport   

n.海港，港口，港市

参考例句：

• Ostend is the most important seaport in Belgium.奥斯坦德是比利时最重要的海港。
• A seaport where ships can take on supplies of coal.轮船能够补充煤炭的海港。

7 bespeaking   

v.预定( bespeak的现在分词 )；订（货）；证明；预先请求

参考例句：

• Every voice in nature was unanimous in bespeaking change. 自然界的各种迹象都在表明要变天了。 来自辞典例句
• Research results showed that this new scheme is very valid for bespeaking and demodulating M-ary communication. 理论研究结果表明：此方案对高速扩频通信系统的解扩解调是行之有效的。 来自互联网

8 straps   

n.带子( strap的名词复数 )；挎带；肩带；背带v.用皮带捆扎( strap的第三人称单数 )；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带

参考例句：

• the shoulder straps of her dress 她连衣裙上的肩带
• The straps can be adjusted to suit the wearer. 这些背带可进行调整以适合使用者。

9 gale   

n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等）

参考例句：

• We got our roof blown off in the gale last night.昨夜的大风把我们的房顶给掀掉了。
• According to the weather forecast,there will be a gale tomorrow.据气象台预报，明天有大风。

10 tract   

n.传单，小册子，大片(土地或森林)

参考例句：

• He owns a large tract of forest.他拥有一大片森林。
• He wrote a tract on this subject.他曾对此写了一篇短文。