英语听书《白鲸记》第489期

 Chapter 48 The First Lowering 第四十八章 第一次放下小艇

The phantoms¹, for so they then seemed, were flitting on the other side of the deck, 这些幽灵（因为当时看来他们就象幽灵）在甲板的另一边轻轻地走过来走过去，

and, with a noiseless celerity, were casting loose the tackles and bands of the boat which swung there. 正在悄无声息而神速地解掉那只吊在那里的艇子的绳索。

This boat had always been deemed one of the spare boats, 这只小艇一向被当做几只备用艇之一，

though technically² called the captain's, on account of its hanging from the starboard quarter. 而且因为它就吊在右舷的船尾，所以被专门称为船长小艇。

The figure that now stood by its bows was tall and swart, 这时，那个站在艇头旁边的是个身材高大、面孔黝黑的人，

with one white tooth evilly protruding³ from its steel-like lips. 在那两片似钢的嘴唇中间，恶形恶状地突出一只白牙齿来。

A rumpled⁴ Chinese jacket of black cotton funereally⁵ invested him, 他象是戴孝一般穿着一件皱皱褶褶的中国式黑布上衣，

with wide black trowsers of the same dark stuff. 一条同样色料的宽大裤子。

But strangely crowning this ebonness was a glistening⁶ white plaited turban, 可是，在这种浑身是黑中，最奇特的是缚着一条闪闪发光的、兜来盘去的白头巾，

the living hair braided and coiled round and round upon his head. 乌黑的头发辫起后又一圈圈地盘在头顶。

Less swart in aspect, the companions of this figure were of that vivid, 这个人的几个同伴，面色好象不很黝黑，

tiger-yellow complexion⁷ peculiar⁸ to some of the aboriginal⁹ natives of the Manillas; 却都具有马尼拉土人那种特有的闪亮的褐色

A race notorious for a certain diabolism of subtilty, 这是一个以阴险如恶魔而著名的种族，

and by some honest white mariners¹⁰ supposed to be the paid spies and secret confidential¹¹ agents on the water of the devil, 一些正派的白种水手，都把他们看做是海魔王所雇用的谍探和特工人员，

Their lord, whose counting-room they suppose to be elsewhere. 因为这些人是有奶便是娘，到处都有他们的主子。

While yet the wondering ship's company were gazing upon these strangers, 正当惊奇不置的船员们都还在瞪眼望着这些陌生人的时候，

Ahab cried out to the white-turbaned old man at their head, "All ready there, Fedallah?" 亚哈对那个领头的包白头巾的老头子叫道："都准备好了吗，费达拉（作者在本书中写亚哈与费达拉的关系，是将费达拉作为一个恶魔处理的，犹如弥尔顿的《失乐园》中之撒旦，歌德的《浮士德》中之靡菲斯特。）？"

"Ready," was the half-hissed reply. "准备好啦，"他有点嘶嘶作声地回答道。

"Lower away then; d'ye hear?" "那么，放下去吧；你们可都听到？

shouting across the deck. "Lower away there, I say." "他在甲板对面大声叫着。"放下去呀，喂。"

Such was the thunder of his voice, that spite of their amazement¹² the men sprang over the rail; 他的声音就象打雷，大家都不顾得惊骇，一跃就翻过了栏杆。

the sheaves whirled round in the blocks; 滑轳在滑车里辘辘滚动，

with a wallow, the three boats dropped into the sea; 一阵翻滚，三只小艇都落到了海里。

while, with a dexterous¹³, off-handed daring, unknown in any other vocation¹⁴, the sailors, goat-like, 那些水手以一种为别种行业所没有的熟练手法，一触即发的勇敢，象山羊一般，

leaped down the rolling ship's side into the tossed boats below. 从那起伏的船边，跳进下面那几只东摇西荡的小艇。

1 phantoms   

n.鬼怪，幽灵( phantom的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They vanished down the stairs like two phantoms. 他们像两个幽灵似的消失在了楼下。 来自辞典例句
• The horrible night that he had passed had left phantoms behind it. 他刚才度过的恐布之夜留下了种种错觉。 来自辞典例句

2 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

3 protruding   

v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的现在分词 )；凸

参考例句：

• He hung his coat on a nail protruding from the wall. 他把上衣挂在凸出墙面的一根钉子上。
• There is a protruding shelf over a fireplace. 壁炉上方有个突出的架子。 来自辞典例句

4 rumpled   

v.弄皱，使凌乱( rumple的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She rumpled his hair playfully. 她顽皮地弄乱他的头发。
• The bed was rumpled and strewn with phonograph records. 那张床上凌乱不堪，散放着一些唱片。 来自辞典例句

5 funereally   

adj.送葬的，悲哀的，适合葬礼的

参考例句：

• He addressed the group in funereal tones. 他语气沉痛地对大家讲话。 来自辞典例句
• The mood of the music was almost funereal. 音乐的调子几乎像哀乐。 来自辞典例句

6 glistening   

adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼里闪着晶莹的泪花。
• Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼睛中的泪水闪着柔和的光。 来自《用法词典》

7 complexion   

n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格

参考例句：

• Red does not suit with her complexion.红色与她的肤色不协调。
• Her resignation puts a different complexion on things.她一辞职局面就全变了。

8 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

9 aboriginal   

adj.（指动植物）土生的，原产地的，土著的

参考例句：

• They managed to wipe out the entire aboriginal population.他们终于把那些土著人全部消灭了。
• The lndians are the aboriginal Americans.印第安人是美国的土著人。

10 mariners   

海员，水手（mariner的复数形式）

参考例句：

• Mariners were also able to fix their latitude by using an instrument called astrolabe. 海员们还可使用星盘这种仪器确定纬度。
• The ancient mariners traversed the sea. 古代的海员漂洋过海。

11 confidential   

adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的

参考例句：

• He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
• We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。

12 amazement   

n.惊奇，惊讶

参考例句：

• All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
• He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。

13 dexterous   

adj.灵敏的；灵巧的

参考例句：

• As people grow older they generally become less dexterous.随着年龄的增长，人通常会变得不再那么手巧。
• The manager was dexterous in handling his staff.那位经理善于运用他属下的职员。

14 vocation   

n.职业，行业

参考例句：

• She struggled for years to find her true vocation.她多年来苦苦寻找真正适合自己的职业。
• She felt it was her vocation to minister to the sick.她觉得照料病人是她的天职。