英语听书《白鲸记》第736期

 Furthermore, as his windpipe solely¹ opens into the tube of his spouting³ canal, 而且，因为它的气管是单独通向它那喷水道的管子的，

and as that long canal—like the grand Erie Canal— is furnished with a sort of locks (that open and shut) 同时，因为那根长长的水道——象伊利大运河一样——还装有两扇水闸似的东西（可开可关），

for the downward retention⁴ of air or the upward exclusion⁵ of water, therefore the whale has no voice; 向下可以扣住空气，向上可以排泄水量，因此大鲸也没有声音；

unless you insult him by saying, that when he so strangely rumbles⁶, he talks through his nose. 除非你侮辱它，说它在非常奇特地发出咕噜声来时，是靠鼻子说话的。

But then again, what has the whale to say? 那么请问，大鲸会有什么可说的呢？

Seldom have I known any profound being that had anything to say to this world, 我就不大听到任何城府很深的人会对世人公开说些什么，

unless forced to stammer⁷ out something by way of getting a living. 除非为了偷生苟活，这才不得不结结巴巴地哼出些什么来。

Oh! happy that the world is such an excellent listener! 呵，幸而人间是一个如此卓越的倾听者！

Now, the spouting canal of the Sperm⁸ Whale, chiefly intended as it is for the conveyance⁹ of air, 说到抹香鲸的喷水道，它生来主要就是要传递空气的，

and for several feet laid along, horizontally, just beneath the upper surface of his head, and a little to one side; 它刚好长在它头部上层的下端，稍微靠边一点的地方，平平地伸展几英尺。

this curious canal is very much like a gas-pipe laid down in a city on one side of a street. 这条希奇古怪的水道，极象一根铺设在城市街旁的煤气管。

But the question returns whether this gas-pipe is also a water-pipe; 但是问题又来了，这根煤气管究竟是否也就是一根自来水管，

in other words, whether the spout² of the Sperm Whale is the mere¹⁰ vapor¹¹ of the exhaled¹² breath, 换句话说，抹香鲸的喷口究竟只是呼出来的一阵气呢，

or whether that exhaled breath is mixed with water taken in at the mouth, and discharged through the spiracle. 还是呼出的气跟嘴里吸进去的水混在一起，又通过那喷水孔排泄出来呢。

It is certain that the mouth indirectly¹³ communicates with the spouting canal; 嘴巴肯定是间接跟那支喷水道互通声气的，

but it cannot be proved that this is for the purpose of discharging water through the spiracle.  只是不能由此而得出结论说：这是为了要通过喷水孔排水而设的。

1 solely   

adv.仅仅，唯一地

参考例句：

• Success should not be measured solely by educational achievement.成功与否不应只用学业成绩来衡量。
• The town depends almost solely on the tourist trade.这座城市几乎完全靠旅游业维持。

2 spout   

v.喷出，涌出；滔滔不绝地讲；n.喷管；水柱

参考例句：

• Implication in folk wealth creativity and undertaking vigor spout.蕴藏于民间的财富创造力和创业活力喷涌而出。
• This acts as a spout to drain off water during a rainstorm.在暴风雨季，这东西被用作喷管来排水。

3 spouting   

n.水落管系统v.（指液体）喷出( spout的现在分词 )；滔滔不绝地讲；喋喋不休地说；喷水

参考例句：

• He's always spouting off about the behaviour of young people today. 他总是没完没了地数落如今年轻人的行为。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Blood was spouting from the deep cut in his arm. 血从他胳膊上深深的伤口里涌出来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 retention   

n.保留，保持，保持力，记忆力

参考例句：

• They advocate the retention of our nuclear power plants.他们主张保留我们的核电厂。
• His retention of energy at this hour is really surprising.人们惊叹他在这个时候还能保持如此旺盛的精力。

5 exclusion   

n.拒绝，排除，排斥，远足，远途旅行

参考例句：

• Don't revise a few topics to the exclusion of all others.不要修改少数论题以致排除所有其他的。
• He plays golf to the exclusion of all other sports.他专打高尔夫球，其他运动一概不参加。

6 rumbles   

隆隆声，辘辘声( rumble的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• If I hear any rumbles I'll let you know. 我要是听到什么风声就告诉你。
• Three blocks away train rumbles by. 三个街区以外，火车隆隆驶过。

7 stammer   

n.结巴，口吃；v.结结巴巴地说

参考例句：

• He's got a bad stammer.他口吃非常严重。
• We must not try to play off the boy troubled with a stammer.我们不可以取笑这个有口吃病的男孩。

8 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。

9 conveyance   

n.(不动产等的)转让，让与；转让证书；传送；运送；表达；（正）运输工具

参考例句：

• Bicycles have become the most popular conveyance for Chinese people.自行车已成为中国人最流行的代步工具。
• Its another,older,usage is a synonym for conveyance.它的另一个更古老的习惯用法是作为财产转让的同义词使用。

10 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

11 vapor   

n.蒸汽，雾气

参考例句：

• The cold wind condenses vapor into rain.冷风使水蒸气凝结成雨。
• This new machine sometimes transpires a lot of hot vapor.这部机器有时排出大量的热气。

12 exhaled   

v.呼出，发散出( exhale的过去式和过去分词 )；吐出（肺中的空气、烟等），呼气

参考例句：

• He sat back and exhaled deeply. 他仰坐着深深地呼气。
• He stamped his feet and exhaled a long, white breath. 跺了跺脚，他吐了口长气，很长很白。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子

13 indirectly   

adv.间接地，不直接了当地

参考例句：

• I heard the news indirectly.这消息我是间接听来的。
• They were approached indirectly through an intermediary.通过一位中间人，他们进行了间接接触。