英语听书《白鲸记》第483期

 Chapter 46 Surmises¹ 第四十六章 臆测

Though, consumed with the hot fire of his purpose, Ahab in all his thoughts and actions ever had in view the ultimate capture of Moby Dick; 亚哈虽然给他那目的的热火弄得心劳神疲，可他整个思想和行动总是指望最后能够捉住莫比－迪克。

though he seemed ready to sacrifice all mortal interests to that one passion; 虽然他为了要达到那个热望，似乎准备随时牺牲一切重大的利益，

nevertheless it may have been that he was by nature and long habituation far too wedded² to a fiery³ whaleman's ways, 然而，他的天性和积习也许太过于墨守强悍的捕鲸者的旧规，

altogether to abandon the collateral⁴ prosecution⁵ of the voyage. 因而无法放弃这趟航程的附带工作。

Or at least if this were otherwise, there were not wanting other motives⁶ much more influential⁷ with him. 或者至少如果不是这样，那就是他心里还萦绕着更多的其它一些意图。

It would be refining too much, perhaps, even considering his monomania, 不过，即使就他那种偏热症说来，

to hint that his vindictiveness⁸ towards the White Whale might have possibly extended itself in some degree to all sperm⁹ whales, 说他对于白鲸的报复心理可能会多少扩大到一切抹香鲸，

and that the more monsters he slew¹⁰ by so much the more he multiplied the chances 说他越多杀巨兽，就越增加机会，

that each subsequently encountered whale would prove to be the hated one he hunted. 因为这样一条条的杀下去，最后的一条鲸就会是他所要猎击的可恨的鲸了，这种说法，也许未免太过分了些。

But if such an hypothesis be indeed exceptionable,  但是，如果这样的假定确实是可加非议的，

there were still additional considerations which, though not so strictly¹¹ according with the wildness of his ruling passion, 那么还可以另外提出许多值得考虑的事实来，这些事实虽不能说是跟他那带有狂性的主要激情完全一致，

yet were by no means incapable¹² of swaying him. 然而，也决不是不能左右他的。

To accomplish his object Ahab must use tools, and of all tools used in the shadow of the moon, men are most apt to get out of order. 为了达到目的，亚哈就必须使用工具，而在世间所能使用的一切工具中，人却是最会出乱子的。

He knew, for example, that however magnetic his ascendency in some respects was over Starbuck, 比如说，他知道，尽管在某些方面说来，他对斯达巴克具有很大的驾驭魅力，

yet that ascendency did not cover the complete spiritual man any more than mere¹³ corporeal¹⁴ superiority involves intellectual mastership; 然而，那种驾驭力，并未能控制一个人的整个精神，正如光靠肉体上的优势并不就等于可以在智力上控制别人一样。

for to the purely¹⁵ spiritual, the intellectual but stand in a sort of corporeal relation. 因为就纯粹的精神说来，智力不过是同肉体有关的一种东西而已。

Starbuck's body and Starbuck's coerced¹⁶ will were Ahab's, so long as Ahab kept his magnet at Starbuck's brain; 斯达巴克的身体，斯达巴克的受到强制的意志便都是亚哈的了。只要亚哈的魅力能够始终存在斯达巴克的脑子里，

still he knew that for all this the chief mate, in his soul, abhorred¹⁷ his captain's quest, 然而，他也知道，尽管是这样，这个大副，在灵魂深处，是嫌恶他的船长这种搜索鲸鱼的计划的，

and could he, would joyfully¹⁸ disintegrate¹⁹ himself from it, or even frustrate²⁰ it. 如果他办得到的话，他一定极愿意摆脱这种计划，或者甚至会破坏这种计划。

It might be that a long interval²¹ would elapse ere the White Whale was seen. 等到发现白鲸还得有一大段时间，

During that long interval Starbuck would ever be apt to fall into open relapses of rebellion against his captain's leadership, 在这漫长的时间中，他准会随时公开反抗他的船长的领导。  

unless some ordinary, prudential, circumstantial influences were brought to bear upon him.  如果不给斯达巴克一种正常的，小心细致的，相机而行的影响，他准会随时公开反抗他的船长的领导。

1 surmises   

v.臆测，推断( surmise的第三人称单数 )；揣测；猜想

参考例句：

• The detective is completely correct in his surmises. 这个侦探所推测的完全正确。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• As the reader probably surmises, a variety of interest tables exists. 正如读者可能推测的那样，存在着各种各样的利息表。 来自辞典例句

2 wedded   

adj.正式结婚的；渴望…的，执著于…的v.嫁，娶，（与…）结婚( wed的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She's wedded to her job. 她专心致志于工作。
• I was invited over by the newly wedded couple for a meal. 我被那对新婚夫妇请去吃饭。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 fiery   

adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的

参考例句：

• She has fiery red hair.她有一头火红的头发。
• His fiery speech agitated the crowd.他热情洋溢的讲话激动了群众。

4 collateral   

adj.平行的；旁系的；n.担保品

参考例句：

• Many people use personal assets as collateral for small business loans.很多人把个人财产用作小额商业贷款的抵押品。
• Most people here cannot borrow from banks because they lack collateral.由于拿不出东西作为抵押，这里大部分人无法从银行贷款。

5 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

6 motives   

n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• to impeach sb's motives 怀疑某人的动机
• His motives are unclear. 他的用意不明。

7 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

8 vindictiveness   

恶毒；怀恨在心

参考例句：

• I was distressed to find so much vindictiveness in so charming a creature. 当我发现这样一个温柔可爱的女性报复心居然这么重时，我感到很丧气。 来自辞典例句
• Contradictory attriButes of unjust justice and loving vindictiveness. 不公正的正义和报复的相矛盾的特点。 来自互联网

9 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。

10 slew   

v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多

参考例句：

• He slewed the car against the side of the building.他的车滑到了大楼的一侧，抵住了。
• They dealt with a slew of other issues.他们处理了大量的其他问题。

11 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。

12 incapable   

adj.无能力的，不能做某事的

参考例句：

• He would be incapable of committing such a cruel deed.他不会做出这么残忍的事。
• Computers are incapable of creative thought.计算机不会创造性地思维。

13 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

14 corporeal   

adj.肉体的，身体的；物质的

参考例句：

• The body is the corporeal habitation of the soul.身体为灵魂之有形寓所。
• He is very religious;corporeal world has little interest for him.他虔信宗教，对物质上的享受不感兴趣。

15 purely   

adv.纯粹地，完全地

参考例句：

• I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。
• This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。

16 coerced   

v.迫使做( coerce的过去式和过去分词 )；强迫；（以武力、惩罚、威胁等手段）控制；支配

参考例句：

• They were coerced into negotiating a settlement. 他们被迫通过谈判解决。
• He was coerced into making a confession. 他被迫招供。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 abhorred   

v.憎恶( abhor的过去式和过去分词 )；（厌恶地）回避；拒绝；淘汰

参考例句：

• He abhorred the thoughts of stripping me and making me miserable. 他憎恶把我掠夺干净，使我受苦的那个念头。 来自辞典例句
• Each of these oracles hated a particular phrase. Liu the Sage abhorred "Not right for sowing". 二诸葛忌讳“不宜栽种”，三仙姑忌讳“米烂了”。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

18 joyfully   

adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地

参考例句：

• She tripped along joyfully as if treading on air. 她高兴地走着，脚底下轻飘飘的。
• During these first weeks she slaved joyfully. 在最初的几周里，她干得很高兴。

19 disintegrate   

v.瓦解，解体，（使）碎裂，（使）粉碎

参考例句：

• The older strata gradually disintegrate.较老的岩层渐渐风化。
• The plane would probably disintegrate at that high speed.飞机以那么高速飞行也许会四分五裂。

20 frustrate   

v.使失望；使沮丧；使厌烦

参考例句：

• But this didn't frustrate Einstein.He was content to go as far as he could.但这并没有使爱因斯坦灰心，他对能够更深入地研究而感到满意。
• They made their preparations to frustrate the conspiracy.他们作好准备挫败这个阴谋。

21 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。