英语听书《白鲸记》第416期

 Hark ye yet again-the little lower layer. All visible objects, man, are but as pasteboard masks.  你再听着...你这小不点儿的拆账者。朋友,一切眼所能见到的东西,都不过是硬纸板做的面具。

But in each event-in the living act, the undoubted deed--there, some unknown but still reasoning thing puts forth¹ the mouldings of its features from behind the unreasoning mask.  但是,在每一件事中...在人的行动中,在无可置疑的事实中...却有若干未被发现然而却是有根有据的事物,在无根无据的面具底下表现出它的面型来的。

If man will strike, strike through the mask!  如果人类会戳穿,戳穿那面具就好啦!

How can the prisoner reach outside except by thrusting through the wall?  囚犯除了打穿墙壁怎能跑到外面来呢?

To me, the white whale is that wall, shoved near to me.  对我说来,那条白鲸就是那堵墙,那堵紧逼着我的墙。

Sometimes I think there's naught² beyond.  有时候,我认为外边什么也没有。

But it's enough. He tasks me; he heaps me; I see in him outrageous³ strength, with an inscrutable malice⁴ sinewing it.  但是,这就够了。它使我作苦役;它尽给我增加份量;我在它身上看到一股凶暴的力量,有一种不可思议的恶念支持着那种力量。

That inscrutable thing is chiefly what I hate; and be the white whale agent, or be the white whale principal, I will wreak⁵ that hate upon him.  那种不可思议的东西就是我所憎恨的主要的东西;不管白鲸是走狗,还是主犯,我都要向它泄恨雪仇。

Talk not to me of blasphemy⁶, man; I'd strike the sun if it insulted me.  别对我说什么亵渎神明,朋友,如果太阳侮辱我,我也要戳穿它。

For could the sun do that, then could I do the other; since there is ever a sort of fair play herein, jealousy⁷ presiding over all creations.  因为如果太阳会这样做,我也会那样做;自从世上有一种光明正大的竞争以来,妒忌一直在主宰天地万物。

But not my master, man, is even that fair play. Who's over me? Truth hath no confines.  可是,朋友,甚至那种光明正大也控制不了我,那么,是谁在控制我?真理是没有边的。

Take off thine eye! more intolerable than fiends' glarings is a doltish⁸ stare!  别盯住我吧,比刻毒的瞪眼还要难受的就是一种傻里傻气的凝视!

1 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。

2 naught   

n.无，零 [=nought]

参考例句：

• He sets at naught every convention of society.他轻视所有的社会习俗。
• I hope that all your efforts won't go for naught.我希望你的努力不会毫无结果。

3 outrageous   

adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的

参考例句：

• Her outrageous behaviour at the party offended everyone.她在聚会上的无礼行为触怒了每一个人。
• Charges for local telephone calls are particularly outrageous.本地电话资费贵得出奇。

4 malice   

n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋

参考例句：

• I detected a suggestion of malice in his remarks.我觉察出他说的话略带恶意。
• There was a strong current of malice in many of his portraits.他的许多肖像画中都透着一股强烈的怨恨。

5 wreak   

v.发泄；报复

参考例句：

• She had a burning desire to wreak revenge.她复仇心切。
• Timid people always wreak their peevishness on the gentle.怯懦的人总是把满腹牢骚向温和的人发泄。

6 blasphemy   

n.亵渎，渎神

参考例句：

• His writings were branded as obscene and a blasphemy against God.他的著作被定为淫秽作品，是对上帝的亵渎。
• You have just heard his blasphemy!你刚刚听到他那番亵渎上帝的话了！

7 jealousy   

n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌

参考例句：

• Some women have a disposition to jealousy.有些女人生性爱妒忌。
• I can't support your jealousy any longer.我再也无法忍受你的嫉妒了。

8 doltish   

adj.愚蠢的

参考例句：