英语听书《白鲸记》第372期

 Next: how shall we define the whale, by his obvious externals, so as conspicuously¹ to label him for all time to come.  第二　我们该怎样就它那显而易见的外形来给鲸下定义,从而永远给它以明显的标志呢?

To be short, then, a whale is a spouting² fish with a horizontal tail. There you have him.  那么,简单说来,就是,鲸是一种会喷水,有平尾的鱼。这样人们就明白了。

However contracted, that definition is the result of expanded meditation⁴.  这个定义不管是怎样被压缩了,它可是经过广泛思考的结果。

A walrus⁵ spouts⁶ much like a whale, but the walrus is not a fish, because he is amphibious.  海象也象鲸一样很会喷水,可是海象并不是鱼,因为它是两栖动物。

But the last term of the definition is still more cogent⁷, as coupled with the first.  不过,这个定义的后半段,一跟前半段连在一起,就变得更为使人信服了。

Almost any one must have noticed that all the fish familiar to landsmen have not a flat, but a vertical⁸, or up-and-down tail.  几乎任何人都会注意到,陆地人所熟见的鱼都没有平尾,只有一根垂直的,或者向上向下的尾巴。

Whereas, among spouting fish the tail, though it may be similarly shaped, invariably assumes a horizontal position. 反之,在一切会喷水的鱼中,它们的尾巴,虽然形状可能相似,却都一定有一种平面的形态。

By the above definition of what a whale is,  我在上面对鲸所下的定义,

I do by no means exclude from the leviathanic brotherhood⁹ any sea creature hitherto identified with the whale by the best informed Nantucketers;  可决不是想借此而把鲸类跟任何海族都隔绝起来,因为一般见多识广的南塔开特人迄今仍把海族与鲸一视同仁;

nor, on the other hand, link with it any fish hitherto authoritatively¹⁰ regarded as alien. 同时,另一方面,也并不企图把那种迄今仍被权威地认为是异类的任何鱼类拿来跟鲸联系起来

Hence, all the smaller, spouting and horizontal tailed fish must be included in this ground-plan of Cetology. Now, then, come the grand divisions of the entire whale host. 于是,一切身材较小的。会喷水而又有平尾的鱼类都必须包括在这个鲸类学的平面图中。那么,现在就来把整个鲸群分成六大类吧。

But as these pig-fish are a noisy, contemptible¹¹ set, mostly lurking¹² in the mouths of rivers, and feeding on wet hay, and especially as they do not spout³, I deny their credentials¹³ as whales; and have presented them with their passports to quit the Kingdom of Cetology. 但是,说到这种咸水火鱼,它却是一种吵吵闹闹,十分无聊的鱼,大多潜伏在河口,赖湿草为生,尤其是它们并不会喷水,因此,我吊销了它们作为鲸的国籍证,签发给它们一张离开鲸类学王国的护照。

1 conspicuously   

ad.明显地，惹人注目地

参考例句：

• France remained a conspicuously uneasy country. 法国依然是个明显不太平的国家。
• She figured conspicuously in the public debate on the issue. 她在该问题的公开辩论中很引人注目。

2 spouting   

n.水落管系统v.（指液体）喷出( spout的现在分词 )；滔滔不绝地讲；喋喋不休地说；喷水

参考例句：

• He's always spouting off about the behaviour of young people today. 他总是没完没了地数落如今年轻人的行为。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Blood was spouting from the deep cut in his arm. 血从他胳膊上深深的伤口里涌出来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 spout   

v.喷出，涌出；滔滔不绝地讲；n.喷管；水柱

参考例句：

• Implication in folk wealth creativity and undertaking vigor spout.蕴藏于民间的财富创造力和创业活力喷涌而出。
• This acts as a spout to drain off water during a rainstorm.在暴风雨季，这东西被用作喷管来排水。

4 meditation   

n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录

参考例句：

• This peaceful garden lends itself to meditation.这个恬静的花园适于冥想。
• I'm sorry to interrupt your meditation.很抱歉，我打断了你的沉思。

5 walrus   

n.海象

参考例句：

• He is the queer old duck with the knee-length gaiters and walrus mustache.他穿着高及膝盖的皮护腿，留着海象般的八字胡，真是个古怪的老家伙。
• He seemed hardly to notice the big walrus.他几乎没有注意到那只大海象。

6 spouts   

n.管口( spout的名词复数 )；（喷出的）水柱；（容器的）嘴；在困难中v.（指液体）喷出( spout的第三人称单数 )；滔滔不绝地讲；喋喋不休地说；喷水

参考例句：

• A volcano spouts flame and lava. 火山喷出火焰和岩浆。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The oil rushes up the tube and spouts up as a gusher. 石油会沿着钢管上涌，如同自喷井那样喷射出来。 来自辞典例句

7 cogent   

adj.强有力的，有说服力的

参考例句：

• The result is a cogent explanation of inflation.结果令人信服地解释了通货膨胀问题。
• He produced cogent reasons for the change of policy.他对改变政策提出了充分的理由。

8 vertical   

adj.垂直的，顶点的，纵向的；n.垂直物，垂直的位置

参考例句：

• The northern side of the mountain is almost vertical.这座山的北坡几乎是垂直的。
• Vertical air motions are not measured by this system.垂直气流的运动不用这种系统来测量。

9 brotherhood   

n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊

参考例句：

• They broke up the brotherhood.他们断绝了兄弟关系。
• They live and work together in complete equality and brotherhood.他们完全平等和兄弟般地在一起生活和工作。

10 authoritatively   

命令式地，有权威地，可信地

参考例句：

• "If somebody'll come here and sit with him," he snapped authoritatively. “来个人到这儿陪他坐着。”他用发号施令的口吻说。
• To decide or settle(a dispute, for example) conclusively and authoritatively. 判定结论性、权威性地决定或解决（纠纷等）

11 contemptible   

adj.可鄙的，可轻视的，卑劣的

参考例句：

• His personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible.他气貌不扬，言语粗俗。
• That was a contemptible trick to play on a friend.那是对朋友玩弄的一出可鄙的把戏。

12 lurking   

潜在

参考例句：

• Why are you lurking around outside my house? 你在我房子外面鬼鬼祟祟的，想干什么？
• There is a suspicious man lurking in the shadows. 有一可疑的人躲在阴暗中。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

13 credentials   

n.证明，资格，证明书，证件

参考例句：

• He has long credentials of diplomatic service.他的外交工作资历很深。
• Both candidates for the job have excellent credentials.此项工作的两个求职者都非常符合资格。