英语听书《白鲸记》第673期

 then, ascending¹ by a ladder to the summit, have a peep down the mouth; 然后，用一架梯子爬到那峰巅去，往下瞧一瞧它的嘴巴。

and were it not that the body is now completely separated from it, 如果它那身体现在不是已跟脑袋分家了的话，

with a lantern we might descend² into the great Kentucky Mammoth³ Cave of his stomach. 我们还可以拿一只灯笼，直跨进它那肯塔基的大钟乳洞一般的肚皮里去呢。

But let us hold on here by this tooth, and look about us where we are. 不过，我们就停在它这只牙齿上，看看我们是在什么地方吧！

What a really beautiful and chaste-looking mouth! 啊，这只嘴巴真是多么漂亮多么雅致呀！

from floor to ceiling, lined, or rather papered with a glistening⁴ white membrane⁵, glossy⁶ as bridal satins. 从地板到天花板都有镶里，或者不如说是用一层白色薄膜裱褙的，光辉闪烁，宛如新娘穿的缎子。

But come out now, and look at this portentous⁷ lower jaw⁸, 那么，现在请走出来，看看这只可怕的下巴颏，

which seems like the long narrow lid of an immense snuff-box, with the hinge at one end, instead of one side. 它似乎很象一只大鼻烟盒的狭长盖子，开关的铰链是装在一端而不是装在边上的。

If you pry⁹ it up, so as to get it overhead, and expose its rows of teeth, it seems a terrific portcullis;  如果你把它往上一撬，好教它张在你的头顶上，露出它那许多牙齿，它真象是城门上的一排可怕的格子吊闸。

and such, alas¹⁰! it proves to many a poor wight in the fishery, upon whom these spikes¹¹ fall with impaling¹² force. 哟，那些个牙齿！这些象尖铁一般的东西，一经使起打桩一样的力气，对谁敲将下来，可要叫捕鱼业中多少个可怜虫一命归西啊！

But far more terrible is it to behold¹³, when fathoms¹⁴ down in the sea, 可是，更教人看得胆战心惊的是，

you see some sulky whale, floating there suspended, with his prodigious¹⁵ jaw, some fifteen feet long, 你看到一只满面怒容的鲸，在海里张起十五英尺长的大下巴颏，翻浮在水面上，

hanging straight down at right-angles with his body; for all the world like a ship's jibboom. 下巴垂挂得跟身体成为一只直角，随你怎样看，都跟一艘船的第二桅樯一模一样。

This whale is not dead; he is only dispirited; 这种鲸可不是死的；它只是没有精神；

out of sorts, perhaps; hypochondriac; and so supine, that the hinges of his jaw have relaxed, 也许是有点不舒服，患了忧郁症，这才仰躺在那里，连下巴的铰链也松脱了，

leaving him there in that ungainly sort of plight¹⁶, a reproach to all his tribe, who must, no doubt, imprecate lock-jaws upon him. 落得一副惨相，成为它全族类的唾骂对象，它的族类毫无疑问一定会祈求上天使它害牙关紧闭症。

1 ascending   

adj.上升的，向上的

参考例句：

• Now draw or trace ten dinosaurs in ascending order of size.现在按照体型由小到大的顺序画出或是临摹出10只恐龙。

2 descend   

vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降

参考例句：

• I hope the grace of God would descend on me.我期望上帝的恩惠。
• We're not going to descend to such methods.我们不会沦落到使用这种手段。

3 mammoth   

n.长毛象；adj.长毛象似的，巨大的

参考例句：

• You can only undertake mammoth changes if the finances are there.资金到位的情况下方可进行重大变革。
• Building the new railroad will be a mammoth job.修建那条新铁路将是一项巨大工程。

4 glistening   

adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼里闪着晶莹的泪花。
• Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼睛中的泪水闪着柔和的光。 来自《用法词典》

5 membrane   

n.薄膜，膜皮，羊皮纸

参考例句：

• A vibrating membrane in the ear helps to convey sounds to the brain.耳膜的振动帮助声音传送到大脑。
• A plastic membrane serves as selective diffusion barrier.一层塑料薄膜起着选择性渗透屏障的作用。

6 glossy   

adj.平滑的；有光泽的

参考例句：

• I like these glossy spots.我喜欢这些闪闪发光的花点。
• She had glossy black hair.她长着乌黑发亮的头发。

7 portentous   

adj.不祥的，可怕的，装腔作势的

参考例句：

• The present aspect of society is portentous of great change.现在的社会预示着重大变革的发生。
• There was nothing portentous or solemn about him.He was bubbling with humour.他一点也不装腔作势或故作严肃，浑身散发着幽默。

8 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。

9 pry   

vi.窥(刺)探，打听；vt.撬动(开，起)

参考例句：

• He's always ready to pry into other people's business.他总爱探听别人的事。
• We use an iron bar to pry open the box.我们用铁棍撬开箱子。

10 alas   

int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)

参考例句：

• Alas!The window is broken!哎呀！窗子破了！
• Alas,the truth is less romantic.然而，真理很少带有浪漫色彩。

11 spikes   

n.穗( spike的名词复数 )；跑鞋；（防滑）鞋钉；尖状物v.加烈酒于( spike的第三人称单数 )；偷偷地给某人的饮料加入（更多）酒精（ 或药物）；把尖状物钉入；打乱某人的计划

参考例句：

• a row of iron spikes on a wall 墙头的一排尖铁
• There is a row of spikes on top of the prison wall to prevent the prisoners escaping. 监狱墙头装有一排尖钉，以防犯人逃跑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 impaling   

钉在尖桩上( impale的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The detective sat down facing John, his eyes impaling the young man. 侦探面对约翰坐下，犀利的目光逼视着这个年轻人。

13 behold   

v.看，注视，看到

参考例句：

• The industry of these little ants is wonderful to behold.这些小蚂蚁辛勤劳动的样子看上去真令人惊叹。
• The sunrise at the seaside was quite a sight to behold.海滨日出真是个奇景。

14 fathoms   

英寻( fathom的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The harbour is four fathoms deep. 港深为四英寻。
• One bait was down forty fathoms. 有个鱼饵下沉到四十英寻的深处。

15 prodigious   

adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的

参考例句：

• This business generates cash in prodigious amounts.这种业务收益丰厚。
• He impressed all who met him with his prodigious memory.他惊人的记忆力让所有见过他的人都印象深刻。

16 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。