英语听书《白鲸记》第671期

 Nevertheless, any one's experience will teach him, that though he can take in an undiscriminating sweep of things at one glance, 话虽如此，任何一个人的经验都会告诉他，尽管他一眼就可以无差别地看到一切事物，

it is quite impossible for him, attentively¹, and completely, to examine any two things, 然而，要他同时一下子全神贯注而完整地细看任何两件东西，

however large or however small— at one and the same instant of time; never mind if they lie side by side and touch each other. 不管是大是小——哪怕这两件东西是并列在一起，彼此靠得很拢，都是完全不可能的。

But if you now come to separate these two objects, and surround each by a circle of profound darkness; 不过，如果你现在要把这两样东西给分别开来，而且各给加上漆黑的一圈，

then, in order to see one of them, in such a manner as to bring your mind to bear on it, 并且为了要看清这两件东西中的一件，你就这样一心一意只想看到这件东西，

the other will be utterly² excluded from your contemporary consciousness. 那么，另外那样东西一定会因你的暂时的感觉而完全看不到了。

How is it, then, with the whale? 这样说来，大鲸又是怎么一种情况呢？

True, both his eyes, in themselves, must simultaneously³ act; 不错，鲸的两只眼睛，就眼睛本身说来，一定是同时行动的；

but is his brain so much more comprehensive, combining, and subtle than man's, 可是，难道它的头脑会远比人类更具有理解力、组合力而且更为敏感，

that he can at the same moment of time attentively examine two distinct prospects⁴, 能够同时专注地看到两样不同的东西：

one on one side of him, and the other in an exactly opposite direction? 一件在它这边，一件却在正相反的一方吗？

If he can, then is it as marvellous a thing in him, as if a man were able simultaneously to go through the demonstrations⁵ of two distinct problems in Euclid. 如果它能够，那么，这就象一个人能够同时解决欧几里得两个不同的论证问题一样的不可思议了。

Nor, strictly⁶ investigated, is there any incongruity⁷ in this comparison. 不过，严格地考查一下，这种比喻也并不是毫不适当的。

It may be but an idle whim⁸, but it has always seemed to me, 说起来，这也许是个迹近毫无根据的狂想，可是，我总觉得，

that the extraordinary vacillations of movement displayed by some whales when beset⁹ by three or four boats; 有一些鲸，在遭到三四只小艇围攻时，它们表现出来的那种格外踌躇不定的动作，

the timidity and liability to queer frights, so common to such whales;  那种畏缩而易陷于异乎寻常的惊骇的态度，正是它们的通性。

1 attentively   

adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神

参考例句：

• She listened attentively while I poured out my problems. 我倾吐心中的烦恼时，她一直在注意听。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She listened attentively and set down every word he said. 她专心听着，把他说的话一字不漏地记下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 utterly   

adv.完全地，绝对地

参考例句：

• Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
• I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

3 simultaneously   

adv.同时发生地，同时进行地

参考例句：

• The radar beam can track a number of targets almost simultaneously.雷达波几乎可以同时追着多个目标。
• The Windows allow a computer user to execute multiple programs simultaneously.Windows允许计算机用户同时运行多个程序。

4 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

5 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

6 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

7 incongruity   

n.不协调，不一致

参考例句：

• She smiled at the incongruity of the question.面对这样突兀的问题，她笑了。
• When the particular outstrips the general,we are faced with an incongruity.当特别是超过了总的来讲，我们正面临着一个不协调。

8 whim   

n.一时的兴致，突然的念头；奇想，幻想

参考例句：

• I bought the encyclopedia on a whim.我凭一时的兴致买了这本百科全书。
• He had a sudden whim to go sailing today.今天他突然想要去航海。

9 beset   

v.镶嵌；困扰，包围

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• The plan was beset with difficulties from the beginning.这项计划自开始就困难重重。