英语听书《白鲸记》第470期

 And portions of it are presented in the circular.  通报中还附有部分的图式。

This chart divides the ocean into districts of five degrees of latitude¹ by five degrees of longitude²; perpendicularly³ through each of which districts are twelve columns for the twelve months;  "这份移栖图将海洋分成经纬各五度的许多区;每区垂直地划分代表十二个月份的十二栏;

and horizontally through each of which districts are three lines; one to show the number of days that have been spent in each month in every district, and the two others to show the number of days in which whales, sperm⁴ or right, have been seen. 每区再横分为三行;其中一行用以表示每月在每区所花的日数,另外两行则表示在这些日数中所发现的抹香鲸或者露脊鲸。")。

Besides, when making a passage from one feeding-ground to another, the sperm whales, guided by some infallible instinct-say, rather, secret intelligence from the Deity-mostly swim in veins⁶, as they are called;  此外,当抹香鲸从一个食料场移到另一个食料场去的时候,是受了一种必然的本能的指引...也可说是得到了上帝的秘密情报...

continuing their way along a given ocean-line with such undeviating exactitude, that no ship ever sailed her course, by any chart, with one tithe⁷ of such marvellous precision.  像人们所说的,大都是借血管游水的,它沿着特定的海洋线,那么笔直正确的继续向前,游程之惊人的准确,是使用任何海图的船只都未能及其什一的。

Though, in these cases, the direction taken by any one whale be straight as a surveyor's parallel, and though the line of advance be strictly⁸ confined to its own unavoidable, straight wake, yet the arbitrary vein⁵ in which at these times he is said to swim, generally embraces some few miles in width. 在这些情况下,虽则任何一只大鲸所取的方向直得象测量员的平行线,虽则前进的路线是严格地局限于它自己的不然而然的。笔直的航迹,然而,据说它在这时向前游去的那条变化不定的"管道",一般总有几英里阔。

(more or less, as the vein is presumed to expand or contract);  (大小得视血管的胀缩程度而定);

but never exceeds the visual sweep from the whale-ship's mast-heads, when circumspectly⁹ gliding¹⁰ along this magic zone.  而且在它谨慎地沿着这个不可思议的地带游去的时候,它决不会超出捕鲸船的桅顶望人的视觉范围。

The sum is, that at particular seasons within that breadth and along that path, migrating whales may with great confidence be looked for. 总之,在特定的季节中,在那种宽度里,循着那种游径,是可以很有把握地找到移栖的大鲸的。

1 latitude   

n.纬度，行动或言论的自由(范围)，(pl.)地区

参考例句：

• The latitude of the island is 20 degrees south.该岛的纬度是南纬20度。
• The two cities are at approximately the same latitude.这两个城市差不多位于同一纬度上。

2 longitude   

n.经线，经度

参考例句：

• The city is at longitude 21°east.这个城市位于东经21度。
• He noted the latitude and longitude,then made a mark on the admiralty chart.他记下纬度和经度，然后在航海图上做了个标记。

3 perpendicularly   

adv. 垂直地, 笔直地, 纵向地

参考例句：

• Fray's forehead was wrinkled both perpendicularly and crosswise. 弗雷的前额上纹路纵横。
• Automatic resquaring feature insures nozzle is perpendicularly to the part being cut. 自动垂直功能，可以确保刀头回到与工件完全垂直的位置去切割。

4 sperm   

n.精子，精液

参考例句：

• Only one sperm fertilises an egg.只有一个精子使卵子受精。
• In human reproduction,one female egg is usually fertilized by one sperm.在人体生殖过程中，一个精子使一个卵子受精。

5 vein   

n.血管，静脉；叶脉，纹理；情绪；vt.使成脉络

参考例句：

• The girl is not in the vein for singing today.那女孩今天没有心情唱歌。
• The doctor injects glucose into the patient's vein.医生把葡萄糖注射入病人的静脉。

6 veins   

n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理

参考例句：

• The blood flows from the capillaries back into the veins. 血从毛细血管流回静脉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I felt a pleasant glow in all my veins from the wine. 喝过酒后我浑身的血都热烘烘的，感到很舒服。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 tithe   

n.十分之一税；v.课什一税，缴什一税

参考例句：

• It's not Christ plus your tithe.这不是基督再加上你的什一税。
• The bible tells us that the tithe is the lords.圣经说十分之一是献给主的。

8 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

9 circumspectly   

adv.慎重地，留心地

参考例句：

• He paid for two tickets as circumspectly as possible. 他小心翼翼地付了两张票的钱。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

10 gliding   

v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的

参考例句：

• Swans went gliding past. 天鹅滑行而过。
• The weather forecast has put a question mark against the chance of doing any gliding tomorrow. 天气预报对明天是否能举行滑翔表示怀疑。