英语听书《白鲸记》第677期

 The edges of these bones are fringed with hairy fibres, through which the Right Whale strains the water, 这些须骨的四边都结有许多毛茸茸的筋筋，它就通过这些筋筋来滤水，

and in whose intricacies he retains the small fish, when openmouthed he goes through the seas of brit in feeding time. 当露脊鲸张开了口，向小鱼群游去捕捉食物的时候，把那些小鱼给留住在这些机关里。

In the central blinds of bone, as they stand in their natural order, there are certain curious marks, curves, hollows, and ridges¹, 在这些细长窗帘的须骨中间，按照它们那天生的情况，有一些奇怪的记号，有弧形的，有凹空的，有山脊形的，

whereby some whalemen calculate the creature's age, as the age of an oak by its circular rings. 捕鲸人就靠这些东西来计算它的年龄，一如判断橡树的年龄，是靠它外边一圈圈的树轮一样。

Though the certainty of this criterion is far from demonstrable, yet it has the savor² of analogical probability. 虽然这种标准的准确性很不可靠，然而，也有几分相近的可能性。

At any rate, if we yield to it, we must grant a far greater age to the Right Whale than at first glance will seem reasonable. 总之，如果我们相信这个算法的话，那我们就得比初眼一看时，给露脊鲸再加很多的岁数，才似乎比较合理。

In old times, there seem to have prevailed the most curious fancies concerning these blinds. 在古代，对于这些细长窗帘，似乎曾流行过一些最为奇特的想法。

One voyager in Purchas calls them the wondrous³ "whiskers" inside of the whale's mouth; another, "hogs⁴' bristles"; 在柏查斯的著作中，有一个旅客管它们叫做鲸嘴里的"胡须"；又有人管它叫"猪鬃"；

a third old gentleman in Hackluyt uses the following elegant language: 此外，还有一个在哈克鲁特的著作中的老先生，以下列这些文雅的话来说明：

Quote: "There are about two hundred and fifty fins⁵ growing on each side of his upper chop, which arch over his tongue on each side of his mouth." End quote. 引用："在它上颚两边，各长有约二百五十根鳍状物，各从一边拱罩着它的舌头。"结束引用。

Footnote: This reminds us that the Right Whale really has a sort of whisker, or rather a moustache, 脚注：这使我们想到，露脊鲸确实有胡须，或者是类似于短髭这样的东西，

consisting of a few scattered⁶ white hairs on the upper part of the outer end of the lower jaw⁷. 那就是在它下颚外端的顶上部地方，有稀稀落落的几根白毛。

Sometimes these tufts impart a rather brigandish expression to his otherwise solemn countenance⁸. End of footnote. 这些胡子，往往给它本来很是威严的外貌，增添了一种土匪气。脚注完。

1 ridges   

n.脊( ridge的名词复数 )；山脊；脊状突起；大气层的)高压脊

参考例句：

• The path winds along mountain ridges. 峰回路转。
• Perhaps that was the deepest truth in Ridges's nature. 在里奇斯的思想上，这大概可以算是天经地义第一条了。

2 savor   

vt.品尝，欣赏；n.味道，风味；情趣，趣味

参考例句：

• The soup has a savor of onion.这汤有洋葱味。
• His humorous remarks added a savor to our conversation.他幽默的话语给谈话增添了风趣。

3 wondrous   

adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地

参考例句：

• The internal structure of the Department is wondrous to behold.看一下国务院的内部结构是很有意思的。
• We were driven across this wondrous vast land of lakes and forests.我们乘车穿越这片有着湖泊及森林的广袤而神奇的土地。

4 hogs   

n.（尤指喂肥供食用的）猪( hog的名词复数 )；（供食用的）阉公猪；彻底地做某事；自私的或贪婪的人

参考例句：

• 'sounds like -- like hogs grunting. “像——像是猪发出的声音。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险
• I hate the way he hogs down his food. 我讨厌他那副狼吞虎咽的吃相。 来自辞典例句

5 fins   

[医]散热片；鱼鳍；飞边；鸭掌

参考例句：

• The level of TNF-α positively correlated with BMI,FPG,HbA1C,TG,FINS and IRI,but not with SBP and DBP. TNF-α水平与BMI、FPG、HbA1C、TG、FINS和IRI呈显著正相关，与SBP、DBP无相关。 来自互联网
• Fins are a feature specific to fish. 鱼鳍是鱼类特有的特征。 来自辞典例句

6 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

7 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。

8 countenance   

n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同

参考例句：

• At the sight of this photograph he changed his countenance.他一看见这张照片脸色就变了。
• I made a fierce countenance as if I would eat him alive.我脸色恶狠狠地，仿佛要把他活生生地吞下去。