英语听书《白鲸记》第697期

 It is moreover declared in his pyramidical silence. 而且是表现在它那种莫测高深的缄默上。

And this reminds me that had the great Sperm¹ Whale been known to the young Orient World, he would have been deified by their child-magian thoughts. 说到这里，教我想起如果年轻的东方人看到过大抹香鲸的话，那么，在他们那童稚未开的思想中，一定会把它奉为神明。

They deified the crocodile of the Nile, because the crocodile is tongueless; 他们因为鳄鱼没有舌头，而把尼罗河的鳄鱼奉为神明，

and the Sperm Whale has no tongue, or at least it is so exceedingly small, as to be incapable² of protrusion³. 抹香鲸就正是没有舌头，或者至少可以说是舌头极小，小得伸都伸不出来。

If hereafter any highly cultured, poetical⁴ nation shall lure⁵ back to their birth-right, the merry May-day gods of old; 如果此后有任何一个文化发达、富有诗趣的民族要诱人回复到他们的生得权上去，去过那古代的快活的五朔群神节，

and livingly enthrone them again in the now egotistical sky; in the now unhaunted hill; 兴致勃勃地想再把他们升到现在这个自私自利的天上；安到现在这个人迹罕到的小丘里；

then be sure, exalted⁶ to Jove's high seat, the great Sperm Whale shall lord it. 那么，即使把他们捧到约芙的高座上，大抹香鲸还是高出于他们的。

Champollion deciphered the wrinkled granite⁷ hieroglyphics⁸. 尚波利翁认得出那些曲曲皱皱的花岗岩上的象形文字。

But there is no Champollion to decipher the Egypt of every man's and every being's face. 但是，却没有一个尚波利翁能从一切人类，一切生物的面孔中辨认出埃及来。

Physiognomy, like every other human science, is but a passing fable⁹. 相术这东西，正如其它各种人间的学问一样，只不过是一种传说而已。

If then, Sir William Jones, who read in thirty languages, 于是，如果说是懂得了三十种语言的威廉·琼斯爵士，

could not read the simplest peasant's face in its profounder and more subtle meanings, 连在最简单的农民的面孔上，都还看不出那种比较奥妙、难解的意义来，

how may unlettered Ishmael hope to read the awful Chaldee of the Sperm Whale's brow? 那么，怎能希望一个目不识丁的以实玛利懂得抹香鲸的额头上那种可怕的预言呢？

I but put that brow before you. 我只不过是把那只额头摆在你的面前。

Read if it if you can. 你如力能胜任，就去研究它吧。

1 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。

2 incapable   

adj.无能力的，不能做某事的

参考例句：

• He would be incapable of committing such a cruel deed.他不会做出这么残忍的事。
• Computers are incapable of creative thought.计算机不会创造性地思维。

3 protrusion   

n.伸出，突出

参考例句：

• a protrusion on the rock face 岩石表面的突起部分
• Thumb-sucking can cause protrusion of the teeth. 经常吮吸拇指能使牙齿向外突出。 来自辞典例句

4 poetical   

adj.似诗人的；诗一般的；韵文的；富有诗意的

参考例句：

• This is a poetical picture of the landscape. 这是一幅富有诗意的风景画。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• John is making a periphrastic study in a worn-out poetical fashion. 约翰正在对陈腐的诗风做迂回冗长的研究。 来自辞典例句

5 lure   

n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引

参考例句：

• Life in big cities is a lure for many country boys.大城市的生活吸引着许多乡下小伙子。
• He couldn't resist the lure of money.他不能抵制金钱的诱惑。

6 exalted   

adj.(地位等)高的，崇高的；尊贵的，高尚的

参考例句：

• Their loveliness and holiness in accordance with their exalted station.他们的美丽和圣洁也与他们的崇高地位相称。
• He received respect because he was a person of exalted rank.他因为是个地位崇高的人而受到尊敬。

7 granite   

adj.花岗岩，花岗石

参考例句：

• They squared a block of granite.他们把一块花岗岩加工成四方形。
• The granite overlies the older rocks.花岗岩躺在磨损的岩石上面。

8 hieroglyphics   

n.pl.象形文字

参考例句：

• Hieroglyphics are carved into the walls of the temple. 寺庙的墙壁上刻着象形文字。
• His writing is so bad it just looks like hieroglyphics to me. 他写的糟透了，对我来说就像天书一样。

9 fable   

n.寓言；童话；神话

参考例句：

• The fable is given on the next page. 这篇寓言登在下一页上。
• He had some motive in telling this fable. 他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。