英语听书《白鲸记》第692期

 And thus, through the courage and great skill in obstetrics of Queequeg, the deliverance, or rather, delivery of Tashtego, 这样，靠了魁魁格的胆识和采用手段高明的产科学即接生法，

was successfully accomplished¹, in the teeth, too, of the most untoward² and apparently³ hopeless impediments; 也可以说，就在最不顺手，仿佛是最无希望的百般困难中，顺利地完成了对塔斯蒂哥的接生工作，

which is a lesson by no means to be forgotten. 这是一个决不能忘记的教训。

Midwifery should be taught in the same course with fencing and boxing, riding and rowing. 因此，教授助产学，同时还得教授击剑，拳击，骑术和划船这些课程才是。

I know that this queer adventure of the Gay-Header's will be sure to seem incredible to some landsmen, 我知道，这个该黑特佬这番奇遇，在某些陆地人看来，一定会被认为不足信的，

though they themselves may have either seen or heard of some one's falling into a cistern⁴ ashore⁵; an accident which not seldom happens, 虽然他们自己也许曾经耳闻目睹到有人掉进了岸上的水槽的事故；这倒并不是难得碰到的意外事件，

and with much less reason too than the Indian's, considering the exceeding slipperiness of the curb⁶ of the Sperm⁷ Whale's well. 可是，鉴于抹香鲸那只大井口非常之滑，况且过去所发生的也远不及这个印第安人这番遭遇更来得有根有据。

But, peradventure, it may be sagaciously urged, how is this? 但是，万一也许有人聪明地诘问，这是怎么一回事？

We thought the tissued, infiltrated⁸ head of the Sperm Whale, was the lightest and most corky part about him; 我们认为，抹香鲸那只薄绢似的。互为渗透的头颅，就是它身上最轻和最象软木体的部分；

and yet thou makest it sink in an element of a far greater specific gravity than itself. 你却说它会沉在一种比它本身比重更大的元素里。

We have thee there. 这你就输了。

Not at all, but I have ye;  且慢，完全不是这么回事，我还要告诉你；

for at the time poor Tash fell in, the case had been nearly emptied of its lighter⁹ contents, 因为可怜的塔斯蒂哥跌进去的时候，那只脑窝里的最轻的东西已经差不多被掏空了，

leaving little but the dense¹⁰ tendinous wall of the well—a double welded, hammered substance, as I have before said, 只留下一层厚密的腱质体井壁——一种连接在一起的双层体，我在前文已经提到，

much heavier than the sea water, and a lump of which sinks in it like lead almost. 这是比海水重的东西，把那东西放上一块在水里，它简直会象铅一般沉下去。

1 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

2 untoward   

adj.不利的，不幸的，困难重重的

参考例句：

• Untoward circumstances prevent me from being with you on this festive occasion.有些不幸的事件使我不能在这欢庆的时刻和你在一起。
• I'll come if nothing untoward happens.我要是没有特殊情况一定来。

3 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

4 cistern   

n.贮水池

参考例句：

• The cistern is empty but soon fills again.蓄水池里现在没水，但不久就会储满水的。
• The lavatory cistern overflowed.厕所水箱的水溢出来了

5 ashore   

adv.在(向)岸上，上岸

参考例句：

• The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前，孩子们就上岸了。
• He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。

6 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

7 sperm   

n.精子，精液

参考例句：

• Only one sperm fertilises an egg.只有一个精子使卵子受精。
• In human reproduction,one female egg is usually fertilized by one sperm.在人体生殖过程中，一个精子使一个卵子受精。

8 infiltrated   

adj.[医]浸润的v.（使）渗透，（指思想）渗入人的心中( infiltrate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The headquarters had been infiltrated by enemy spies. 总部混入了敌方特务。
• Many Chinese idioms have infiltrated into the Japanese language. 许多中国成语浸透到日语中。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

9 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

10 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。