英语听书《白鲸记》第605期

 　　and what it is to keep shouting at the top of one's compass,  可是，他还能够以最高的音量不停地高声叫嚷，

　　while all the other muscles are strained and half started—what that is none know but those who have tried it.  就算在尽量使用全身肌肉而有点疲累乏力的情况下——这个味道是怎么样，却是除了曾经亲受的人以外，谁都体会不出的。

　　For one, I cannot bawl¹ very heartily² and work very recklessly at one and the same time.  就我个人说来，我就无法同时既能尽情咆哮，又能拼命工作。

　　In this straining, bawling³ state, then, with his back to the fish, all at once the exhausted⁴ harpooneer hears the exciting cry, 这时，在这种又要使力，又要咆哮的境地里，这个背对着大鲸的精疲力竭的标枪手，一听到那声激动的叫喊，

　　"Stand up, and give it to him!" “站出来，给它尝一记！”

　　He now has to drop and secure his oar⁶, turn round on his centre half way,  就得放好他的桨子，佝偻地转过身来，

　　seize his harpoon⁵ from the crotch, and with what little strength may remain, he essays to pitch it somehow into the whale.  从叉柱上抓起他的标枪，使出他仅有的一点力气，设法把它投进大鲸身上。

　　No wonder, taking the whole fleet of whalemen in a body, that out of fifty fair chances for a dart⁷, not five are successful; 就整个捕鲸队说来，难怪在五十次投枪的好机会中，投准的总不到五枪了，

　　no wonder that so many hapless harpooneers are madly cursed and disrated;  难怪有那么许多倒霉的标枪手都被人狠狠地咒骂和揶揄；

　　no wonder that some of them actually burst their blood-vessels in the boat;  难怪有些标枪手在小艇里当场把血管都气炸了；

　　no wonder that some sperm⁸ whalemen are absent four years with four barrels; 难怪有一些捕抹香鲸船一年连一桶油都捞不到；

　　no wonder that to many ship owners, whaling is but a losing concern;  难怪在许多船老板们看来，捕鲸就是一宗赔本生意；

　　for it is the harpooneer that makes the voyage, and if you take the breath out of his body how can you expect to find it there when most wanted! 因为实际在干这航行的就是标枪手，而如果你把他全部精力都给榨尽，怎能盼望他在紧急关头还会有精力呢！

　　Again, if the dart be successful, then at the second critical instant, that is, when the whale starts to run,  再说，如果投枪投中了，那么紧要关头又来了，就是说，因为这时大鲸开始狂游，

　　the boatheader and harpooneer likewise start to running fore⁹ and aft, to the imminent¹⁰ jeopardy¹¹ of themselves and every one else.  指挥员和标枪手都得冒着他们自己和大家的大危险，在艇头艇尾奔赶着。

1 bawl   

v.大喊大叫，大声地喊，咆哮

参考例句：

• You don't have to bawl out like that. Eeverybody can hear you.你不必这样大声喊叫，大家都能听见你。
• Your mother will bawl you out when she sees this mess.当你母亲看到这混乱的局面时她会责骂你的。

2 heartily   

adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很

参考例句：

• He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿，就出去找他的马。
• The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手，热情地和我握手。

3 bawling   

v.大叫，大喊( bawl的现在分词 )；放声大哭；大声叫出；叫卖（货物）

参考例句：

• We heard the dulcet tones of the sergeant, bawling at us to get on parade. 我们听到中士用“悦耳”的声音向我们大喊，让我们跟上队伍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• "Why are you bawling at me? “你向我们吼啥子？ 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

4 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

5 harpoon   

n.鱼叉；vt.用鱼叉叉，用鱼叉捕获

参考例句：

• The harpoon drove deep into the body of the whale.渔叉深深地扎进鲸鱼体内。
• The fisherman transfixed the shark with a harpoon.渔夫用鱼叉刺住鲨鱼。

6 oar   

n.桨，橹，划手；v.划行

参考例句：

• The sailors oar slowly across the river.水手们慢慢地划过河去。
• The blade of the oar was bitten off by a shark.浆叶被一条鲨鱼咬掉了。

7 dart   

v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲

参考例句：

• The child made a sudden dart across the road.那小孩突然冲过马路。
• Markov died after being struck by a poison dart.马尔科夫身中毒镖而亡。

8 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。

9 fore   

adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部

参考例句：

• Your seat is in the fore part of the aircraft.你的座位在飞机的前部。
• I have the gift of fore knowledge.我能够未卜先知。

10 imminent   

adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的

参考例句：

• The black clounds show that a storm is imminent.乌云预示暴风雨即将来临。
• The country is in imminent danger.国难当头。

11 jeopardy   

n.危险；危难

参考例句：

• His foolish behaviour may put his whole future in jeopardy.他愚蠢的行为可能毁了他一生的前程。
• It is precisely at this juncture that the boss finds himself in double jeopardy.恰恰在这个关键时刻，上司发现自己处于进退两难的境地。