英语听书《白鲸记》第258期

 I was only alive to the condensed confidential¹ comfortableness of sharing a pipe and a blanket with a real friend.  我的兴趣完全集中在跟一个知心朋友共吸一支烟斗。共盖一条毯子的这种精诚的舒适上了。

With our shaggy jackets drawn² about our shoulders,  我们肩上披着两件毛茸茸的外套,

we now passed the Tomahawk from one to the other,till slowly there grew over us a blue hanging tester of smoke, illuminated³ by the flame of the new-lit lamp. 就这么彼此互递着那支烟斗斧,直吸得我的头顶慢慢结挂起一个青烟的天盖,被刚点燃的灯光照耀着。

Whether it was that this undulating tester rolled the savage⁴ away to far distant scenes, I know not, but he now spoke⁵ of his native island;  究竟是不是这个起伏缭绕的天盖把这个野人直腾驾到那老远的地方,我可不知道,总之,他谈起他的故乡来了;

and, eager to hear his history, I begged him to go on and tell it.  我由于急想听听他的来历,就要求他说下去,说给我听。

He gladly complied.  他欣然同意了。

Though at the time I but ill comprehended not a few of his words, yet subsequent disclosures,  虽然一时间我还懂不了他多少话,然而,从陆续说出来的话里,

when I had become more familiar with his broken phraseology, now enable me to present the whole story such as it may prove in the mere⁶ skeleton I give. 我已比较能熟悉他那乱七八糟的语法,使我现在能够把整个故事轮廓如实地勾勒出来。

1 confidential   

adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的

参考例句：

• He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
• We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。

2 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

3 illuminated   

adj.被照明的；受启迪的

参考例句：

• Floodlights illuminated the stadium. 泛光灯照亮了体育场。
• the illuminated city at night 夜幕中万家灯火的城市

4 savage   

adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人

参考例句：

• The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs.那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。
• He has a savage temper.他脾气粗暴。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。