英语听书《白鲸记》第376期

 Under this head I reckon a monster which, by the various names of Fin¹-Back, Tall-Spout, and Long-John,  在这个项目下,我不禁想起一种有着许多名称的巨兽来:脊鳍鲸,高喷鲸,长约翰鲸,

has been seen almost in every sea and is commonly the whale whose distant jet is so often descried² by passengers crossing the Atlantic, in the New York packet-tracks.  这种鲸几乎在各大海洋都可以见到,并且也是很普通的一种鲸,它那长距离的喷水就经常为坐在纽约邮船横渡大西洋的旅客们所老远地发现的。

In the length he attains³, and in his baleen⁴, the Fin-back resembles the right whale, but is of a less portly girth, and a lighter⁵ color, approaching to olive.  按照它的身长和鲸须说来,脊鳍鲸与露脊鲸相仿,不过,它的腰围不那么肥大,色泽稍淡,近于棕榄色。

His great lips present a cable-like aspect, formed by the intertwisting, slanting⁶ folds of large wrinkles.  它的大嘴,由于有着交错。歪斜的大皱结,样子很象一根锚链。

His grand distinguishing feature, the fin, from which he derives⁷ his name, is often a conspicuous⁸ object.  它那硕大非凡的体躯,它那由此而得名的大鳍,往往就是个显眼目标。

This fin is some three or four feet long, growing vertically⁹ from the hinder part of the back, of an angular shape, and with a very sharp pointed¹⁰ end.  那大鳍约有三四英尺长,垂直地长在背上的后部,成一种角形,而且有个很尖的顶峰。

Even if not the slightest other part of the creature be visible, this isolated¹¹ fin will, at times, be seen plainly projecting from the surface. 即使在这家伙的其它最细小部分也看不到的时候,也往往能够很清楚地看到耸出海面的那只孤零零的大鳍来。

When the sea is moderately calm, and slightly marked with spherical¹² ripples¹³, and this gnomon-like fin stands up and casts shadows upon the wrinkled surface,  每当海面相当平静,微露圆形的涟漪,而这只竖起的日晷似的大鳍,在微波的海面上投下一阵阴影的这个时候,那个围着大鳍的水圈,

it may well be supposed that the watery¹⁴ circle surrounding it somewhat resembles a dial, with its style and wavy¹⁵ hour-lines graved on it.  很可以说有点象只日晷,它有日晷针,又有刻在上面的水波微展的指针。

On that Ahaz-dial the shadow often goes back.  在那只亚哈斯的日晷上,阴影往往是在后边。

The Fin-Back is not gregarious¹⁶.  脊鳍鲸是不爱群居的。

1 fin   

n.鳍；(飞机的)安定翼

参考例句：

• They swim using a small fin on their back.它们用背上的小鳍游动。
• The aircraft has a long tail fin.那架飞机有一个长长的尾翼。

2 descried   

adj.被注意到的，被发现的，被看到的

参考例句：

• He descried an island far away on the horizon. 他看到遥远的地平线上有个岛屿。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• At length we descried a light and a roof. 终于，我们远远看见了一点灯光，一所孤舍。 来自辞典例句

3 attains   

（通常经过努力）实现( attain的第三人称单数 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况）

参考例句：

• This is the period at which the body attains maturity. 这是身体发育成熟的时期。
• The temperature a star attains is determined by its mass. 恒星所达到的温度取决于它的质量。

4 baleen   

n.鲸须

参考例句：

• Other baleen whales have splash guards too,but not like this.一些须鲸物种头顶也有护住喷水孔的构造，但并不长成这样。
• Baleen whales often appear in this region. Be careful!这一带经常有须鲸出没，要注意安全啊。

5 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

6 slanting   

倾斜的，歪斜的

参考例句：

• The rain is driving [slanting] in from the south. 南边潲雨。
• The line is slanting to the left. 这根线向左斜了。

7 derives   

v.得到( derive的第三人称单数 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取

参考例句：

• English derives in the main from the common Germanic stock. 英语主要源于日耳曼语系。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He derives his income from freelance work. 他以自由职业获取收入。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 conspicuous   

adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的

参考例句：

• It is conspicuous that smoking is harmful to health.很明显，抽烟对健康有害。
• Its colouring makes it highly conspicuous.它的色彩使它非常惹人注目。

9 vertically   

adv.垂直地

参考例句：

• Line the pages for the graph both horizontally and vertically.在这几页上同时画上横线和竖线，以便制作图表。
• The human brain is divided vertically down the middle into two hemispheres.人脑从中央垂直地分为两半球。

10 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

11 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

12 spherical   

adj.球形的；球面的

参考例句：

• The Earth is a nearly spherical planet.地球是一个近似球体的行星。
• Many engineers shy away from spherical projection methods.许多工程师对球面投影法有畏难情绪。

13 ripples   

逐渐扩散的感觉( ripple的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The moon danced on the ripples. 月亮在涟漪上舞动。
• The sea leaves ripples on the sand. 海水在沙滩上留下了波痕。

14 watery   

adj.有水的，水汪汪的；湿的，湿润的

参考例句：

• In his watery eyes there is an expression of distrust.他那含泪的眼睛流露出惊惶失措的神情。
• Her eyes became watery because of the smoke.因为烟熏，她的双眼变得泪汪汪的。

15 wavy   

adj.有波浪的，多浪的，波浪状的，波动的，不稳定的

参考例句：

• She drew a wavy line under the word.她在这个词的下面画了一条波纹线。
• His wavy hair was too long and flopped just beneath his brow.他的波浪式头发太长了，正好垂在他的眉毛下。

16 gregarious   

adj.群居的，喜好群居的

参考例句：

• These animals are highly gregarious.这些动物非常喜欢群居。
• They are gregarious birds and feed in flocks.它们是群居鸟类，会集群觅食。