英语听书《白鲸记》第527期

 　　Nevertheless, so potent¹ an influence did this thing have on those seamen² in the Pequod who came to the full knowledge of it,  虽然这事情对于那些终于完全知道得清清楚楚的“裴廓德号”的水手说来，的确有了非常重大的影响，

　　and by such a strange delicacy³, to call it so, were they governed in this matter,  可是，他们控制这件事情却可以说是巧妙得出奇，

　　that they kept the secret among themselves so that it never transpired⁴ abaft⁵ the Pequod's main-mast.  而且他们之间都能保守秘密，所以从来没有传到“裴廓德号”的主桅以后的地方去。

　　Interweaving in its proper place this darker thread with the story as publicly narrated⁶ on the ship, 等到这个故事在船上公开出来的时候，人们把一些隐秘的线索给织进原来的故事里，

　　the whole of this strange affair I now proceed to put on lasting⁷ record. 我现在打算把这整个奇特的故事弄成一种垂之久远的记录。

　　Footnote：Town-Ho—The ancient whale-cry upon first sighting a whale from the mast-head, still used by whalemen in hunting the famous Gallipagos terrapin⁸. End of footnote. （原注：这是古代捕鲸者在桅顶上一看到大鲸就叫出来的呼号，迄今仍为那些捕著名的卡利巴哥斯鳖的捕鲸船所应用。）

　　For my humor's sake, I shall preserve the style in which I once narrated it at Lima,  为了我的幽默，我还是保持我某回在利马所讲的那种方式，

　　to a lounging circle of my Spanish friends, one saint's eve, smoking upon the thick-gilt tiled piazza⁹ of the Golden Inn. 当时是在某一圣节的前夕，在幸福客店那重镶金色瓦片的。 烟雾缭绕的走廊上，对我那些懒洋洋的坐在一圈的西班牙朋友讲的。

　　Of those fine cavaliers, the young Dons, Pedro and Sebastian, were on the closer terms with me;  在这些漂亮的骑士中，有两个青年绅士，佩德罗和塞瓦斯蒂安，是我的至交；

　　and hence the interluding questions they occasionally put, and which are duly answered at the time. 因此，他们偶尔插进一些问题来，我也随时给以适当的答复。

　　Qoute: Some two years prior to my first learning the events which I am about rehearsing to you, gentlemen, “各位先生，在我初次得知这故事——也就是我现在要向你们讲的这个故事——约两年前左右，那时候，

　　the Town-Ho, Sperm¹⁰ Whaler of Nantucket, was cruising in your Pacific here, not very many days' sail eastward¹¹ from the eaves of this good Golden Inn.  那艘叫做‘大鲸出来了号’的南塔开特捕抹香鲸船，正在你们这里的太平洋巡游，也就是从这个讨人喜欢的幸福客店的门口，坐船向西驶上不消几天就可到达的地方。

1 potent   

adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的

参考例句：

• The medicine had a potent effect on your disease.这药物对你的病疗效很大。
• We must account of his potent influence.我们必须考虑他的强有力的影响。

2 seamen   

n.海员

参考例句：

• Experienced seamen will advise you about sailing in this weather. 有经验的海员会告诉你在这种天气下的航行情况。
• In the storm, many seamen wished they were on shore. 在暴风雨中，许多海员想，要是他们在陆地上就好了。

3 delicacy   

n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴

参考例句：

• We admired the delicacy of the craftsmanship.我们佩服工艺师精巧的手艺。
• He sensed the delicacy of the situation.他感觉到了形势的微妙。

4 transpired   

（事实，秘密等）被人知道( transpire的过去式和过去分词 )； 泄露； 显露； 发生

参考例句：

• It transpired that the gang had had a contact inside the bank. 据报这伙歹徒在银行里有内应。
• It later transpired that he hadn't been telling the truth. 他当时没说真话，这在后来显露出来了。

5 abaft   

prep.在…之后；adv.在船尾，向船尾

参考例句：

• Abaft every acknowledged man,there is a woman.每个成功男人的背地,都有一个女人。
• The captain ordered the crews to stand abaft the main deck.船长命令船员们站在主甲板后面。

6 narrated   

v.故事( narrate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Some of the story was narrated in the film. 该电影叙述了这个故事的部分情节。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Defoe skilfully narrated the adventures of Robinson Crusoe on his desert island. 笛福生动地叙述了鲁滨逊·克鲁索在荒岛上的冒险故事。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

8 terrapin   

n.泥龟；鳖

参考例句：

• The diamondback terrapin in this undated photo has two heads.这张未标日期的图片上的钻纹龟有两个头。
• He also owns a two-headed goat,a two-headed terrapin and the world's only living three-headed turtle.他还拥有双头山羊、淡水龟，以及世上现存唯一的三头乌龟。

9 piazza   

n.广场；走廊

参考例句：

• Siena's main piazza was one of the sights of Italy.锡耶纳的主要广场是意大利的名胜之一。
• They walked out of the cafeteria,and across the piazzadj.他们走出自助餐厅,穿过广场。

10 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。

11 eastward   

adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部

参考例句：

• The river here tends eastward.这条河从这里向东流。
• The crowd is heading eastward,believing that they can find gold there.人群正在向东移去，他们认为在那里可以找到黄金。