英语听书《白鲸记》第244期

 Terrors upon terrors run shouting through his soul.  他整个心灵真是吓上加吓闹个不停。

In all his cringing¹ attitudes, the God-fugitive is now too plainly known.  从他那畏畏缩缩的态度上,这个上帝的逃亡者现在是教人一看就看出来了。

The sailors mark him; more and more certain grow their suspicions of him, and at last, fully² to test the truth,  水手们都注意着他,对他的怀疑越来越肯定,最后,为了彻底弄清这个真相,

by referring the whole matter to high Heaven, they all-outward to casting lots, to see for whose cause this great tempest was upon them.  他们就把这整个事情都交给上天去解决了,他们掷着签,看看这场降临在他们身上的灾祸是谁惹出来的。

The lot is Jonah's; that discovered, then how furiously they mob him with their questions.  结果竟掷中了约拿;这样一来,真相大白,他们可多么气愤呀,大家都用一连串的问题来围攻他,

What is thine occupation? Whence comest thou? Thy country? What people?  你以何事为业,你从哪里来,你是哪国人,属于哪一族?

But mark now, my shipmates,the behavior of poor Jonah. The eager mariners³ but ask him who he is, and where from;  不过,我的船友呀,现在请你们注意可怜的约拿的行为。

whereas, they not only receive an answer to those questions,  那些热切的水手不过是问他是什么人,从哪里来的;

but likewise another answer to a question not put by them, but the unsolicited answer is forced from Jonah by the hard hand of God that is upon him. 可他们不但得到了这些问题的回答,还得到了他们根本没有问他的问题的回答,不过,这些不打自招的回答却是上帝对约拿采取严厉手段迫出来的。

I am a Hebrew,he cries-and then-I fear the Lord the God of Heaven who hath made the sea and the dry land! 我是希伯来人,他哭了,接着又说我敬畏耶和华那创造沧海旱地之天上的上帝!

Fear him, O Jonah? Aye, well mightest thou fear the Lord God then! Straightway, he now goes on to make a full confession⁴;  约拿呵,你敬畏他吗?哼,这么说来,你倒是很敬畏耶和华的了!于是,他直截了当地说下去,和盘托出了;

whereupon the mariners became more and more appalled⁵, but still are pitiful.  这时水手们虽然越来越惊吓,却还是可怜他。

For when Jonah, not yet supplicating⁶ God for mercy, since he but too well knew the darkness of his deserts,when wretched Jonah cries out to them to take him and cast him forth⁷ into the sea, for he knew that for his sake this great tempest was upon them;  因为当时约拿虽然已经自知他那逃亡的罪恶,却还没有祈求上帝宽恕之意。等到可怜的约拿知道这场大风是因他而起,他对他们哭哭啼啼,要他们把他抛到海里去的时候,

they mercifully turn from him, and seek by other means to save the ship.  他们这才对他动了恻隐之心,想用别的办法来挽救这只船。

But all in vain; the indignant gale⁸ howls louder; then, with one hand raised invokingly to God, with the other they not unreluctantly lay hold of Jonah. 但是,一切都是徒劳的;愤怒的大风号啸得更厉害了;于是,他们一方面仰天祈求上帝,一方面不无勉强地抓住约拿。

1 cringing   

adj.谄媚，奉承

参考例句：

• He had a cringing manner but a very harsh voice.他有卑屈谄媚的神情，但是声音却十分粗沙。
• She stepped towards him with a movement that was horribly cringing.她冲他走了一步，做出一个低三下四，令人作呕的动作。

2 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

3 mariners   

海员，水手（mariner的复数形式）

参考例句：

• Mariners were also able to fix their latitude by using an instrument called astrolabe. 海员们还可使用星盘这种仪器确定纬度。
• The ancient mariners traversed the sea. 古代的海员漂洋过海。

4 confession   

n.自白，供认，承认

参考例句：

• Her confession was simply tantamount to a casual explanation.她的自白简直等于一篇即席说明。
• The police used torture to extort a confession from him.警察对他用刑逼供。

5 appalled   

v.使惊骇，使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的；丧胆的

参考例句：

• The brutality of the crime has appalled the public. 罪行之残暴使公众大为震惊。
• They were appalled by the reports of the nuclear war. 他们被核战争的报道吓坏了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 supplicating   

v.祈求，哀求，恳求( supplicate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She stammered a few supplicating words. 她吞吞吐吐说了一些求情的话。 来自互联网

7 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

8 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。