英语听书《白鲸记》第326期

 And all this seemed natural enough; especially as in the merchant service many captains never show themselves on deck for a considerable time after heaving up the anchor,  所有这一切看来都是很自然的;尤其是在商船里,船只拔锚启碇后,许多船长都好久不在甲板上露面,

but remain over the cabin table, having a farewell merry-making with their shore friends, before they quit the ship for good with the pilot. 而是呆在船长室里的桌旁,跟他们的岸上亲友作愉快的告别,之后,亲友们才跟领港人一起离开船只回去。

But there was not much chance to think over the matter, for Captain Peleg was now all alive. He seemed to do most of the talking and commanding, and not Bildad. 要仔细想这些事情可也机会不多了,因为法勒船长现在正精神抖擞,好象大部分的发言和命令都得由他来,而不是比勒达。

Aft here, ye sons of bachelors, he cried, as the sailors lingered at the main-mast. Mr. Starbuck, drive aft. 到船梢来,你们这些个私生子,看到水手们还在主桅边徘徊,他就嚷道。斯达巴克先生,把他们赶到船梢来。

Strike the tent there!-was the next order. As I hinted before, this whalebone marquee was never pitched except in port;  把那边的篷帐拆掉!这是第二道命令。我已在前面说过,这只鲸骨大篷帐,船一开行就要拆掉;

and on board the Pequod, for thirty years, the order to strike the tent was well known to be the next thing to heaving up the anchor. 而在裴廓德号上,三十年来,拆掉篷帐的命令已经成为除了起锚以外的第二道有名的命令。

Man the capstan! Blood and thunder!-jump!-was the next command, and the crew sprang for the handspikes. 转绞车!赶快呀!跳呀!又是一道命令,水手们都纵身一跳去抓木梃。

Now in getting under weigh, the station generally occupied by the pilot is the forward part of the ship.  且说船在开行的时候,船只的前端总是领港人站着的。

And here Bildad, who, with Peleg, be it known, in addition to his other offices, was one of the licensed¹ pilots of the port 不过,事实上,比勒达跟法勒,除了各自担任其它职务,又都是这里的领有执照的领港人之一。

he being suspected to have got himself made a pilot in order to save the Nantucket pilot-fee to all the ships he was concerned in, for he never piloted any other craft-Bildad,  人家还疑心比勒达所以要做领港人,是因为他要为那些跟他有关系的船只节省一笔领港费的缘故,因为他从来不担任任何其它船只的领港人。

I say, might now be seen actively² engaged in looking over the bows for the approaching anchor, and at intervals³ singing what seemed a dismal⁴ stave of psalmody,  我说,现在可以看到比勒达在全神贯注地望着船头那只拉拢来的锚了,他还不时地唱起一种好象是凄凉的赞美诗,

to cheer the hands at the windlass, who roared forth⁵ some sort of a chorus about the girls in Booble Alley⁶, with hearty⁷ good will.  给那些弄绞车的人打气。他们都劲头十足。快快活活地吼唱着一种关于布布港那些姑娘的合唱。

1 licensed   

adj.得到许可的v.许可，颁发执照(license的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The new drug has not yet been licensed in the US. 这种新药尚未在美国获得许可。
• Is that gun licensed? 那支枪有持枪执照吗？

2 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

3 intervals   

n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息

参考例句：

• The forecast said there would be sunny intervals and showers. 预报间晴，有阵雨。
• Meetings take place at fortnightly intervals. 每两周开一次会。

4 dismal   

adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的

参考例句：

• That is a rather dismal melody.那是一支相当忧郁的歌曲。
• My prospects of returning to a suitable job are dismal.我重新找到一个合适的工作岗位的希望很渺茫。

5 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。

6 alley   

n.小巷，胡同；小径，小路

参考例句：

• We live in the same alley.我们住在同一条小巷里。
• The blind alley ended in a brick wall.这条死胡同的尽头是砖墙。

7 hearty   

adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的

参考例句：

• After work they made a hearty meal in the worker's canteen.工作完了，他们在工人食堂饱餐了一顿。
• We accorded him a hearty welcome.我们给他热忱的欢迎。