英语听书《白鲸记》第440期

 It is a thing well known to both American and English whale-ships, and as well a thing placed upon authoritative¹ record years ago by Scoresby, that some whales have been captured far north in the Pacific, in whose bodies have been found the barbs² of harpoons³ darted⁴ in the Greenland seas.  有一件为英美捕鲸船所深知熟闻的事,也是多年以前载入斯哥斯比的权威性史册的事,那就是:若干在太平洋的极北地区所捕获的鲸,在它们身上都发现有许多是在格陵兰海上所带上的标枪钩。

Nor is it to be gainsaid⁵, that in some of these instances it has been declared that the interval⁶ of time between the two assaults could not have exceeded very many days.  这倒不是要否认过去那种认为前后两次打击,时间不可能相隔很久的说法,

Hence, by inference, it has been believed by some whalemen, that the Nor'West Passage, so long a problem to man, was never a problem to the whale.  而是说,若干捕鲸者们相信,这个对于人类已是久成问题的西北航线,如今就推论上说来,对于大鲸却绝对不成为问题了。

So that here, in the real living experience of living men, the prodigies⁷ related in old times of the inland Strello mountain in Portugal (near whose top there was said to be a lake in which the wrecks⁸ of ships floated up to the surface);  所以,这里说明着,那种关于古代葡萄牙内地的斯特列洛山的奇迹(据说在那山顶附近,本来有个湖,其中有些浮在湖面的破船),

and that still more wonderful story of the Arethusa fountain near Syracuse (whose waters were believed to have come from the Holy Land by an underground passage);  以及关于叙拉古喷泉的水,大家都认为是通过地道来自圣地的)等等无稽的传说,

these fabulous⁹ narrations¹⁰ are almost fully¹¹ equalled by the realities of the whalemen. 就当代人类的真实的生活经验说来,简直就跟捕鲸者的实际情形完全相同了。

Forced into familiarity, then, with such prodigies as these; and knowing that after repeated, intrepid¹² assaults, the White Whale had escaped alive; 那么,既然类似的一些传说,已经成为众所熟知的事情,人们也知道白鲸被一再猛攻后,还是能够逃得了生命,

it cannot be much matter of surprise that some whalemen should go still further in their superstitions¹³;  这就难怪有些捕鲸人越来越趋迷信,宣称莫比－迪克不只是无处不在的,

declaring Moby Dick not only ubiquitous, but immortal¹⁴ (for immortality¹⁵ is but ubiquity in time);  而且是不朽的(因为不朽就刚好是无处不在的);

that though groves¹⁶ of spears should be planted in his flanks, he would still swim away unharmed;  认为尽管它身上插遍了簇簇的枪头,它还能无恙地游走了,

or if indeed he should ever be made to spout¹⁷ thick blood, such a sight would be but a ghastly deception¹⁸;  或者万一它确会弄得浓血猛射,这种情景也不过是一种鬼蜮伎俩而已,

for again in unensanguined billows hundreds of leagues away, his unsullied jet would once more be seen. 因为再一会儿,它那洁白的喷水,又会在几百英里外的毫无血迹的波涛中再度出现。

1 authoritative   

adj.有权威的，可相信的；命令式的；官方的

参考例句：

• David speaks in an authoritative tone.大卫以命令的口吻说话。
• Her smile was warm but authoritative.她的笑容很和蔼，同时又透着威严。

2 barbs   

n.（箭头、鱼钩等的）倒钩( barb的名词复数 )；带刺的话；毕露的锋芒；钩状毛

参考例句：

• She slung barbs at me. 她说了些讥刺我的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I would no longer uncomplainingly accept their barbs or allow their unaccountable power to go unchallenged. 我不会再毫无怨言地洗耳恭听他们带刺的话，或让他们的不负责任的权力不受到挑战。 来自辞典例句

3 harpoons   

n.鱼镖，鱼叉( harpoon的名词复数 )v.鱼镖，鱼叉( harpoon的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Greenpeace hopes to position its boats between the harpoons and the whales. 绿色和平希望他们的船能开到港口与鲸鱼群之间的地方。 来自互联网
• NIV Can you fill his hide with harpoons or his head with fishing spears? 7[和合]你能用倒钩枪扎满它的皮，能用鱼叉叉满它的头吗？ 来自互联网

4 darted   

v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔

参考例句：

• The lizard darted out its tongue at the insect. 蜥蜴伸出舌头去吃小昆虫。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了，瞪了我一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 gainsaid   

v.否认，反驳( gainsay的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Its logical reasoning cannot be gainsaid. 合乎逻辑的推理是不容否定的。 来自互联网

6 interval   

n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息

参考例句：

• The interval between the two trees measures 40 feet.这两棵树的间隔是40英尺。
• There was a long interval before he anwsered the telephone.隔了好久他才回了电话。

7 prodigies   

n.奇才，天才（尤指神童）( prodigy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• It'seldom happened that a third party ever witnessed any of these prodigies. 这类壮举发生的时候，难得有第三者在场目睹过。 来自辞典例句
• She is by no means inferior to other prodigies. 她绝不是不如其他神童。 来自互联网

8 wrecks   

n.沉船( wreck的名词复数 )；（事故中）遭严重毁坏的汽车（或飞机等）；（身体或精神上）受到严重损伤的人；状况非常糟糕的车辆（或建筑物等）v.毁坏[毁灭]某物( wreck的第三人称单数 )；使（船舶）失事，使遇难，使下沉

参考例句：

• The shores are strewn with wrecks. 海岸上满布失事船只的残骸。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• My next care was to get together the wrecks of my fortune. 第二件我所关心的事就是集聚破产后的余财。 来自辞典例句

9 fabulous   

adj.极好的；极为巨大的；寓言中的，传说中的

参考例句：

• We had a fabulous time at the party.我们在晚会上玩得很痛快。
• This is a fabulous sum of money.这是一笔巨款。

10 narrations   

叙述事情的经过，故事( narration的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There is very little disk space available for storing narrations. Do you want to continue? 只有很少的磁盘空间供保存旁白。您仍想继续吗？
• There is very little space available for storing narrations. Do you want to continue? 只有很少的空隙供保存旁白。您仍想继续吗？

11 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

12 intrepid   

adj.无畏的，刚毅的

参考例句：

• He is not really satisfied with his intrepid action.他没有真正满意他的无畏行动。
• John's intrepid personality made him a good choice for team leader.约翰勇敢的个性适合作领导工作。

13 superstitions   

迷信，迷信行为( superstition的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Old superstitions seem incredible to educated people. 旧的迷信对于受过教育的人来说是不可思议的。
• Do away with all fetishes and superstitions. 破除一切盲目崇拜和迷信。

14 immortal   

adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的

参考例句：

• The wild cocoa tree is effectively immortal.野生可可树实际上是不会死的。
• The heroes of the people are immortal!人民英雄永垂不朽！

15 immortality   

n.不死，不朽

参考例句：

• belief in the immortality of the soul 灵魂不灭的信念
• It was like having immortality while you were still alive. 仿佛是当你仍然活着的时候就得到了永生。

16 groves   

树丛，小树林( grove的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The early sun shone serenely on embrowned groves and still green fields. 朝阳宁静地照耀着已经发黄的树丛和还是一片绿色的田地。
• The trees grew more and more in groves and dotted with old yews. 那里的树木越来越多地长成了一簇簇的小丛林，还点缀着几棵老紫杉树。

17 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。

18 deception   

n.欺骗，欺诈；骗局，诡计

参考例句：

• He admitted conspiring to obtain property by deception.他承认曾与人合谋骗取财产。
• He was jailed for two years for fraud and deception.他因为诈骗和欺诈入狱服刑两年。