英语听书《白鲸记》第629期

 　　You would have thought we were offering up ten thousand red oxen to the sea gods. 人们准会以为我们正在用一万只血淋淋的大公牛祭海神。

　　In the first place, the enormous cutting tackles, among other ponderous¹ things comprising a cluster of blocks generally painted green, 首先要提到的就是那两架割油的复滑车，它除了有各种笨重的东西，还有一大串通常漆着绿色的滑轳，

　　and which no single man can possibly lift—this vast bunch of grapes was swayed up to the main-top and firmly lashed² to the lower mast-head, 这不是单人独力能够把它吊起的——得把这一大串葡萄扯到主桅楼上，紧紧地缚在下桅顶，

　　the strongest point anywhere above a ship's deck. 也就是缚在船上最牢靠的地方。

　　The end of the hawser-like rope winding³ through these intricacies, was then conducted to the windlass, 那根似大缆的索端打这些错综复杂的东西弯弯曲曲地穿过后，就给拉上绞车，

　　and the huge lower block of the tackles was swung over the whale; 而把复滑车上最低下的一只大滑轳转到鲸身上，

　　to this block the great blubber hook, weighing some one hundred pounds, was attached. 达只滑轳挂有一只重约一百磅的、吊鲸脂用的大钩。

　　And now suspended in stages over the side, Starbuck and Stubb, the mates, armed with their long spades, 这时，大副斯达巴克和二副斯塔布，手里拿着长长的铲子，站在船边的小挂梯上，

　　began cutting a hole in the body for the insertion of the hook just above the nearest of the two side-fins. 便开始在鲸身上最靠近两鳍的上端割出一个洞孔，以便挂搭钩子。

　　This done, a broad, semicircular line is cut round the hole, the hook is inserted, 这样割开后，又在洞孔四周划了一条粗大的半圆形的纹路，就把钩子搭上去。

　　and the main body of the crew striking up a wild chorus, now commence heaving in one dense⁴ crowd at the windlass. 接着，那一大群水手突然粗野地唱起一阵大合唱，开始密挤在绞车边，绞起来了。

　　When instantly, the entire ship careens over on her side; 这时，整个船身立刻都侧向一边，

　　every bolt in her starts like the nailheads of an old house in frosty weather; 每一绞动，船身便猛地一颤，有如严冬时节一间有钉头状装饰的古老房屋。

　　she trembles, quivers, and nods her frighted mast-heads to the sky. 船身震颤一番，抖动一下，它那些受吓似的桅顶也朝天叩一下头。

　　More and more she leans over to the whale, while every gasping⁵ heave of the windlass is answered by a helping⁶ heave from the billows; 船身越来越倾向大鲸那一边，绞车每一急剧地绞转，浪涛也帮衬似的冲击一阵。

　　till at last, a swift, startling snap is heard; 最后，听到了一阵迅疾的，可怕的啪嗒声，哗啦啦的一声巨响，

1 ponderous   

adj.沉重的，笨重的，(文章)冗长的

参考例句：

• His steps were heavy and ponderous.他的步伐沉重缓慢。
• It was easy to underestimate him because of his occasionally ponderous manner.由于他偶尔现出的沉闷的姿态，很容易使人小看了他。

2 lashed   

adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥

参考例句：

• The rain lashed at the windows. 雨点猛烈地打在窗户上。
• The cleverly designed speech lashed the audience into a frenzy. 这篇精心设计的演说煽动听众使他们发狂。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 winding   

n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈

参考例句：

• A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。
• The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。

4 dense   

a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的

参考例句：

• The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。
• The path was completely covered by the dense foliage. 小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。

5 gasping   

adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词

参考例句：

• He was gasping for breath. 他在喘气。
• "Did you need a drink?""Yes, I'm gasping!” “你要喝点什么吗？”“我巴不得能喝点！”

6 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。