英语听书《白鲸记》第718期

 But a few strokes, full of sparks, were given, when the exceeding strain effected the rest. 有几下子，由于用力过猛，火星迸发。

With a terrific snap, every fastening went adrift; the ship righted, the carcase sank. 可怕的啪嗒一声，紧缚着的绳索都散开了；船身也平正过来了，尸体就沉了下去。

Now, this occasional inevitable¹ sinking of the recently killed Sperm² Whale is a very curious thing; nor has any fisherman yet adequately accounted for it. 这种不得不把刚杀死的抹香鲸拿来沉掉的意外事件，倒真十分希奇；而且直到现在也是任何一个捕鱼人都说不明白的。

Usually the dead Sperm Whale floats with great buoyancy, with its side or belly³ considerably⁴ elevated above the surface. 一只死了的抹香鲸，通常总是很有浮力，它们的侧腹，或者肚皮会胀鼓鼓地浮在水面上。

If the only whales that thus sank were old, meagre, and broken-hearted creatures, their pads of lard diminished and all their bones heavy and rheumatic; 只有那种上了年纪，身体瘦弱，伤心透顶，全身无油，骨头很重，又患风湿症的鲸才会这样沉下去；

then you might with some reason assert that this sinking is caused by an uncommon⁵ specific gravity in the fish so sinking, 这样，你就可以有若干理由强调说，它之所以下沉是因为有一种不同凡响的比重，

consequent upon this absence of buoyant matter in him. 是由于它缺乏这种浮力的缘故。

But it is not so. 然而，却又不然。

For young whales, in the highest health, and swelling⁶ with noble aspirations⁷, 因为年青的鲸，在其年富力强、趾高气扬的时候，

prematurely⁸ cut off in the warm flush and May of life, with all their panting lard about them! 如遇盛年夭折，却是浑身是油的！

even these brawny⁹, buoyant heroes do sometimes sink. 可是，哪怕这种结结实实、富有浮力的英雄，有时也不免要沉下去。

Be it said, however, that the Sperm Whale is far less liable to this accident than any other species. 不过，实际上，抹香鲸远不象任何其它鲸类那样会经常发生这种意外。

Where one of that sort go down, twenty Right Whales do. 有一条抹香鲸沉下去，就有二十条露脊鲸沉下去。

This difference in the species is no doubt imputable¹⁰ in no small degree to the greater quantity of bone in the Right Whale; 这种差别毫无疑问，大都得归之于露脊鲸有更大量的骨头；

his Venetian blinds alone sometimes weighing more than a ton; 因为光是它那些细长窗帘，有时称起来就不止一吨重；

from this incumbrance the Sperm Whale is wholly free.  抹香鲸可就完全没有这种拖累。

1 inevitable   

adj.不可避免的，必然发生的

参考例句：

• Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
• The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

2 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。

3 belly   

n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛

参考例句：

• The boss has a large belly.老板大腹便便。
• His eyes are bigger than his belly.他眼馋肚饱。

4 considerably   

adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上

参考例句：

• The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
• The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。

5 uncommon   

adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的

参考例句：

• Such attitudes were not at all uncommon thirty years ago.这些看法在30年前很常见。
• Phil has uncommon intelligence.菲尔智力超群。

6 swelling   

n.肿胀

参考例句：

• Use ice to reduce the swelling. 用冰敷消肿。
• There is a marked swelling of the lymph nodes. 淋巴结处有明显的肿块。

7 aspirations   

强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音

参考例句：

• I didn't realize you had political aspirations. 我没有意识到你有政治上的抱负。
• The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。

8 prematurely   

adv.过早地，贸然地

参考例句：

• She was born prematurely with poorly developed lungs. 她早产，肺部未发育健全。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His hair was prematurely white, but his busy eyebrows were still jet-black. 他的头发已经白了，不过两道浓眉还是乌黑乌黑的。 来自辞典例句

9 brawny   

adj.强壮的

参考例句：

• The blacksmith has a brawny arm.铁匠有强壮的胳膊。
• That same afternoon the marshal appeared with two brawny assistants.当天下午，警长带着两名身强力壮的助手来了。

10 imputable   

adj.可归罪的，可归咎的，可归因的

参考例句：

• No blame is imputable to him. 他无任何责任。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The oversight is not imputable to him. 这一疏忽不能怪他。 来自辞典例句