英语听书《白鲸记》第238期

 As with all sinners among men, the sin of this son of Amittai was in his wilful¹ disobedience of the command of God-never mind now what that command was, or how conveyed-which he found a hard command.  跟人类一切犯罪者一样,这个亚米太的儿子的犯罪乃是由于他任性地违抗了上帝的命令...这里我们且不管那是一种什么命令,也不管那命令具有什么意义...他认为那是一个难以做到的命令。

But all the things that God would have us do are hard for us to do-remember that-and hence, he oftener commands us than endeavors to persuade.  可是,凡是上帝要我们做的事情,都是不容易做的...得记住这一点...他一向总是命令我们,而不是想来劝说我们。

And if we obey God, we must disobey ourselves; and it is in this disobeying ourselves, wherein the hardness of obeying God consists. 所以如果我们遵从上帝,我们就得违反我们自己;正是在这种违反我们自己中,包含有遵从上帝的困难。

With this sin of disobedience in him, Jonah still further flouts² at God, by seeking to flee from Him.  约拿犯了这一抗命之罪,他还设法逃避上帝,还进一步藐视上帝。

He thinks that a ship made by men, will carry him into countries where God does not reign³ but only the Captains of this earth. 他认为人类造出来的船只,可以把他带到那些没有上帝.只有一群人间的船长在统治着的国度里去。

He skulks⁴ about the wharves⁵ of Joppa, and seeks a ship that's bound for Tarshish.  他在约帕各处码头躲躲闪闪,找到了一只要开往他施的船。

There lurks⁶, perhaps, a hitherto unheeded meaning here. By all accounts Tarshish could have been no other city than the modern Cadiz.  这里也许还隐藏有一个迄今还没有受到注意的意义.因为谁都明白,他施明明就是现代的加的斯城。

That's the opinion of learned men. And where is Cadiz, shipmates? Cadiz is in Spain; as far by water, from Joppa, as Jonah could possibly have sailed in those ancient days, when the Atlantic was an almost unknown sea.  这是有学问的人都这么说的。那么,加的斯在哪里呢,船友们?加的斯在西班牙;在古代那个时候,大西洋差不多还是一个未被发现的海洋,约拿从约帕循水路到那地方,可以说是航行了最远的路程。

Because Joppa, the modern Jaffa, shipmates, is on the most easterly coast of the Mediterranean⁷, the Syrian; and Tarshish or Cadiz more than two thousand miles to the westward⁸ from that, just outside the Straits of Gibraltar.  因为,船友们,约帕就是现代的扎发,它在地中海的极东的海边,是在叙利亚那里的;而要到他施或者加的斯去,却须从约帕往西走二千多英里,就正在直布罗陀海峡外边。

1 wilful   

adj.任性的，故意的

参考例句：

• A wilful fault has no excuse and deserves no pardon.不能宽恕故意犯下的错误。
• He later accused reporters of wilful distortion and bias.他后来指责记者有意歪曲事实并带有偏见。

2 flouts   

v.藐视，轻视( flout的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

3 reign   

n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势

参考例句：

• The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。
• The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。

4 skulks   

v.潜伏，偷偷摸摸地走动，鬼鬼祟祟地活动( skulk的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The lonely man skulks down the main street all day. 这个孤独的人整天在这条大街上躲躲闪闪。 来自互联网

5 wharves   

n.码头，停泊处( wharf的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They are seaworthy and can stand rough handling on the wharves? 适用于海运并能经受在码头上的粗暴装卸。 来自外贸英语口语25天快训
• Widely used in factories and mines, warehouses, wharves, and other industries. 广泛用于厂矿、仓库、码头、等各种行业。 来自互联网

6 lurks   

n.潜在，潜伏；（lurk的复数形式）vi.潜伏，埋伏（lurk的第三人称单数形式）

参考例句：

• Behind his cool exterior lurks a reckless and frustrated person. 在冷酷的外表背后，他是一个鲁莽又不得志的人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Good fortune lies within Bad, Bad fortune lurks within good. 福兮祸所倚，祸兮福所伏。 来自互联网

7 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

8 westward   

n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西

参考例句：

• We live on the westward slope of the hill.我们住在这座山的西山坡。
• Explore westward or wherever.向西或到什么别的地方去勘探。