英语听书《白鲸记》第669期

 In short, he is what the fishermen technically¹ call a "grey-headed whale." 总之，它就是捕鱼人特称为"白头鲸"的东西。

Let us now note what is least dissimilar in these heads— namely, the two most important organs, the eye and the ear. 现在我们不妨来看看这两只头的最为相似的地方吧——那就是，那两种最主要的器官：眼睛和耳朵。

Far back on the side of the head, and low down, near the angle of either whale's jaw², 在鲸头的极后边，还要下面一些，在靠近嘴角的左右两边，

if you narrowly search, you will at last see a lashless³ eye, which you would fancy to be a young colt's eye; 如果你仔细地找一找，最后就可以看到一只没有睫毛的眼睛，你也许会把它当做一只小马的眼睛，

so out of all proportion is it to the magnitude of the head. 因为眼睛之小跟那头颅之大竟是如此极不相称。

Now, from this peculiar⁴ sideway position of the whale's eyes, 那么，从大鲸的眼睛这样长在侧方的特殊位置上看来，

it is plain that he can never see an object which is exactly ahead, no more than he can one exactly astern. 它显然是决不可能看到正前方的东西，也同样看不到正后方的东西了。

In a word, the position of the whale's eyes corresponds to that of a man's ears; 总括一句，鲸眼的位置正相当于人类的耳朵的位置。

and you may fancy, for yourself, how it would fare with you, did you sideways survey objects through your ears. 那么，你可以想一想，换了是你，你该怎么办，你曾经用你的耳朵往斜里看过东西么？

You would find that you could only command some thirty degrees of vision in advance of the straight side-line of sight; and about thirty more behind it. 你准会发觉你只能控制正斜方前后三十度的视力。

If your bitterest foe⁵ were walking straight towards you, with dagger⁶ uplifted in broad day, 因此，如果你的最狠心的敌人，在大白天里，手里举起一把匕首，直冲着你走过来的时候，

you would not be able to see him, any more than if he were stealing upon you from behind. 你一定无法看到他，正如你无法看到他从背后蹑手蹑脚来攻击你一样。

In a word, you would have two backs, so to speak; 总之，仿佛你就该长两个背脊，

but, at the same time, also, two fronts (side fronts): for what is it that makes the front of a man— what, indeed, but his eyes? 而且，同时，也得长有两个面孔（侧脸），因为构成一个人的面孔的是什么呀——不正是一对眼睛吗？

1 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。

2 jaw   

n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训

参考例句：

• He delivered a right hook to his opponent's jaw.他给了对方下巴一记右钩拳。
• A strong square jaw is a sign of firm character.强健的方下巴是刚毅性格的标志。

3 lashless   

adj.无睫毛的

参考例句：

• As she spoke, India's pale lashless eyes met hers piercingly. 当她这样说时，她发现英迪亚那双没有睫毛的眼睛正犀利地盯着她。 来自飘（部分）

4 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。

5 foe   

n.敌人，仇敌

参考例句：

• He knew that Karl could be an implacable foe.他明白卡尔可能会成为他的死敌。
• A friend is a friend;a foe is a foe;one must be clearly distinguished from the other.敌是敌，友是友，必须分清界限。

6 dagger   

n.匕首，短剑，剑号

参考例句：

• The bad news is a dagger to his heart.这条坏消息刺痛了他的心。
• The murderer thrust a dagger into her heart.凶手将匕首刺进她的心脏。