英语听书《白鲸记》第464期

 Yet with me, as with the colt, somewhere those things must exist.  但是,这种咒文似的白色,我们还没有把它弄清楚,

Though in many of its aspects this visible world seems formed in love, the invisible spheres were formed in fright. 白色为什么对人类具有如此魔力,也还没有弄明白;

But not yet have we solved the incantation of this whiteness, and learned why it appeals with such power to the soul;  而且,更其奇特而越发凶兆重重的是,如同我们已经说过了的,白色为什么同时就是最具有意义的神力的象征,又是基督教的神的面具;

and more strange and far more portentous-why, as we have seen, it is at once the most meaning symbol of spiritual things, nay¹, the very veil of the Christian's Deity²; and yet should be as it is, the intensifying³ agent in things the most appalling⁴ to mankind. 而且事实上也是如此:一切事物中的强化了的神力,就是最使人类惊吓的东西。

Is it that by its indefiniteness it shadows forth⁵ the heartless voids and immensities of the universe, and thus stabs us from behind with the thought of annihilation, when beholding⁶ the white depths of the milky⁷ way?  我们看到银河的白色深渊时,是不是可以说它是借着它的无定量性来遮掩宇宙的无底的空虚和无垠的空间,又暗地里怀着消灭我们的恶意来伤害我们呢?

Or is it, that as in essence whiteness is not so much a color as the visible absence of color; and at the same time the concrete of all colors;  还是说,就本质说来,白色与其说是一种颜色,不如说是明显的没有颜色,同时又是各种颜色的凝结物,

is it for these reasons that there is such a dumb blankness, full of meaning, in a wide landscape of snows-a colorless, all-color of atheism⁸ from which we shrink?  是不是说,因此我们就认为,在一片茫茫的雪景中,就有这样一片意义深长的,没有光彩的空白...一种我们所害怕的毫无色彩的,而又非常具有色彩的无神论呢?

And when we consider that other theory of the natural philosophers, that all other earthly hues-every stately or lovely emblazoning-the sweet tinges⁹ of sunset skies and woods;  不过,当我们来细思自然哲学家们的另一种理论时,就发现世间各种色彩...各种壮丽的或者可爱的美饰...夕阳西下的天际和树林里的可爱的色调;

yea, and the gilded¹⁰ velvets of butterflies, and the butterfly cheeks of young girls. 而且还有涂着金色丝绒似的蝴蝶,和少女的蝴蝶似的面孔;

1 nay   

adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者

参考例句：

• He was grateful for and proud of his son's remarkable,nay,unique performance.他为儿子出色的，不，应该是独一无二的表演心怀感激和骄傲。
• Long essays,nay,whole books have been written on this.许多长篇大论的文章，不，应该说是整部整部的书都是关于这件事的。

2 deity   

n.神，神性；被奉若神明的人(或物)

参考例句：

• Many animals were seen as the manifestation of a deity.许多动物被看作神的化身。
• The deity was hidden in the deepest recesses of the temple.神藏在庙宇壁龛的最深处。

3 intensifying   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的现在分词 )；增辉

参考例句：

• The allies are intensifying their air campaign. 联军部队正加大他们的空战强度。 来自辞典例句
• The rest of the European powers were in a state of intensifying congestion. 其余的欧洲强国则处于越来越拥挤的状态。 来自英汉非文学 - 历史

4 appalling   

adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的

参考例句：

• The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions.恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。
• Nothing can extenuate such appalling behaviour.这种骇人听闻的行径罪无可恕。

5 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。

6 beholding   

v.看，注视( behold的现在分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟

参考例句：

• Beholding, besides love, the end of love,/Hearing oblivion beyond memory! 我看见了爱，还看到了爱的结局，／听到了记忆外层的哪一片寂寥！ 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
• Hence people who began by beholding him ended by perusing him. 所以人们从随便看一看他开始的，都要以仔细捉摸他而终结。 来自辞典例句

7 milky   

adj.牛奶的，多奶的；乳白色的

参考例句：

• Alexander always has milky coffee at lunchtime.亚历山大总是在午餐时喝掺奶的咖啡。
• I like a hot milky drink at bedtime.我喜欢睡前喝杯热奶饮料。

8 atheism   

n.无神论，不信神

参考例句：

• Atheism is the opinion that there is no God.无神论是认为不存在上帝的看法。
• Atheism is a hot topic.无神论是个热门话题。

9 tinges   

n.细微的色彩，一丝痕迹( tinge的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Tinges of green apple, citric fruits and a slight mineral touch. 萦绕着青苹果，柠檬和矿物质的芳香。 来自互联网
• Tinges the landscape with a golden hue. 它们给这片风景染上一片金色。 来自互联网

10 gilded   

a.镀金的，富有的

参考例句：

• The golden light gilded the sea. 金色的阳光使大海如金子般闪闪发光。
• "Friends, they are only gilded disks of lead!" "朋友们，这只不过是些镀金的铅饼！ 来自英汉文学 - 败坏赫德莱堡