英语听书《白鲸记》第368期

 Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored harborless immensities.  我们已经勇猛地奔驶在大海上;而且我们就要消失在大海的无依无傍的一望无垠中。

Ere that come to pass; ere the Pequod's weedy hull¹ rolls side by side with the barnacled hulls² of the leviathan;  在这以前,趁裴廓德号那长满杂草的船壳跟大海兽的藤壶似的身体并驾齐驱之前,先来做好一件可说是必不可少的事:

at the outset it is but well to attend to a matter almost indispensable to a thorough appreciative³ understanding of the more special leviathanic revelations and allusions⁴ of all sorts which are to follow. 彻底了解我们就要研究的各种有关大海兽的比较特殊的材料与典故,这是再好也没有的了。

It is some systematized exhibition of the whale in his broad genera, that I would now fain put before you.  我现在所乐于告诉你们的,就是按照鲸的大类,把它有系统地罗列出来。

Yet is it no easy task.  然而,这可不是一桩轻而易举的工作。

The classification of the constituents⁵ of a chaos⁶, nothing less is here essayed. Listen to what the best and latest authorities have laid down. 这里所提出的分类,其中有不少混乱之处。请听近代那些最优秀的权威者是怎样说的。

No branch of Zoology⁷ is so much involved as that which is entitled Cetology, says Captain Scoresby, A.D. 1820. 在动物学的分科中,牵涉之广,应该算是鲸类学这一名称了,公元一八二○年斯哥斯比船长这样说。

It is not my intention, were it in my power, to enter into the inquiry⁸ as to the true method of dividing the cetacea into groups and families....  我如果力所能及的话,那我就不想研究关于鲸类分成群和族的这种方法...

Utter confusion exists among the historians of this animal (sperm whale), says Surgeon Beale, A.D. 1839. 在研究这种动物(抹香鲸)的考据家中,存在有极大的混乱。公元一八三九年外科医生比尔这样说。

Unfitness to pursue our research in the unfathomable waters. Impenetrable veil covering our knowledge of the cetacea.  在无底的大海中从事我们的研究工作是不适当的。难以穿透的帷幕把我们对于鲸类的知识都给遮住了。

A field strewn with thorns. All these incomplete indications but serve to torture us naturalists⁹. 一个满布荆棘的园地。所有这些不完全的迹象只是徒增我们博物学家的苦恼而已。

1 hull   

n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳

参考例句：

• The outer surface of ship's hull is very hard.船体的外表面非常坚硬。
• The boat's hull has been staved in by the tremendous seas.小船壳让巨浪打穿了。

2 hulls   

船体( hull的名词复数 )； 船身； 外壳； 豆荚

参考例句：

• Hulls may be removed by aspiration on screens. 脱下的种皮，可由筛子上的气吸装置吸除。
• When their object is attained they fall off like empty hulls from the kernel. 当他们的目的达到以后，他们便凋谢零落，就象脱却果实的空壳一样。

3 appreciative   

adj.有鉴赏力的，有眼力的；感激的

参考例句：

• She was deeply appreciative of your help.她对你的帮助深表感激。
• We are very appreciative of their support in this respect.我们十分感谢他们在这方面的支持。

4 allusions   

暗指，间接提到( allusion的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We should not use proverbs and allusions indiscriminately. 不要滥用成语典故。
• The background lent itself to allusions to European scenes. 眼前的情景容易使人联想到欧洲风光。

5 constituents   

n.选民( constituent的名词复数 )；成分；构成部分；要素

参考例句：

• She has the full support of her constituents. 她得到本区选民的全力支持。
• Hydrogen and oxygen are the constituents of water. 氢和氧是水的主要成分。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

7 zoology   

n.动物学，生态

参考例句：

• I would like to brush up my zoology.我想重新温习一下动物学。
• The library didn't stock zoology textbooks.这家图书馆没有动物学教科书。

8 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

9 naturalists   

n.博物学家( naturalist的名词复数 )；（文学艺术的）自然主义者

参考例句：

• Naturalists differ much in determining what characters are of generic value. 自然学者对于不同性状决定生物的属的含义上，各有各的见解。 来自辞典例句
• This fact has led naturalists to believe that the Isthmus was formerly open. 使许多自然学者相信这个地蛱在以前原是开通的。 来自辞典例句