英语听书《白鲸记》第737期

 Because the greatest necessity for so doing would seem to be, when in feeding he accidentally takes in water. 因为，它之所以要这样排水，最大的原因倒似乎是因为它在吃东西的时候，偶然吸进了水的缘故。

But the Sperm¹ Whale's food is far beneath the surface, and there he cannot spout² even if he would. 可是抹香鲸的食物都远藏在海底里，即使它要喷水，也无从喷了。

Besides, if you regard him very closely, and time him with your watch, you will find that when unmolested, 再说，如果你一边很仔细地注意它，一边用你的表来记数，那么，在正常情况下，你就可以发现，

there is an undeviating rhyme between the periods of his jets and the ordinary periods of respiration³. 它的喷水期间和通常的呼吸期间都有一种毫无偏差的规律。

But why pester⁴ one with all this reasoning on the subject? Speak out! 但是，为什么要对这问题用这么滔滔不绝的大道理来烦人呢？你就老老实实地说出来吧！

You have seen him spout; then declare what the spout is; can you not tell water from air? 你曾经看到过它喷水，那么，就说喷水究竟是一种什么东西好啦；难道你连水跟气都分不清吗？

My dear sir, in this world it is not so easy to settle these plain things. 我的亲爱的先生呀，在这个世界上，要弄清这些平凡的事情，可不是那么容易呀。

I have ever found your plain things the knottiest⁵ of all. 我向来认为你们所提出的这些平凡的事情，就是最疙瘩的问题。

And as for this whale spout, you might almost stand in it, and yet be undecided as to what it is precisely⁶. 至于说到鲸的喷水，你简直是花了九牛二虎之力，还是决定不了它究竟是什么东西。

The central body of it is hidden in the snowy sparkling mist enveloping⁷ it; 喷水的中心本来就隐藏在那把它四周围住的雪白晃亮的雾气里；

and how can you certainly tell whether any water falls from it, 叫人怎能准确地辨别出是否有水喷出来呢，

when, always, when you are close enough to a whale to get a close view of his spout,  而且，往往当你尽量要靠拢一条鲸，想把它的喷水瞧个明白的时候，

he is in a prodigious⁸ commotion⁹, the water cascading¹⁰ all around him. 它却正是处于极端乱糟糟、四周的水有如奔泻的小瀑布之际。

And if at such times you should think that you really perceived drops of moisture in the spout, 如果在这样的时分，你自以为真正看到了喷水里有几滴湿气，

how do you know that they are not merely condensed from its vapor¹¹; 可你又焉知它不过是水气所凝结起来的呢；

or how do you know that they are not those identical drops superficially lodged¹² in the spout-hole fissure¹³, 你焉知那几滴高挂在喷水孔的裂缝里的东西，

which is countersunk into the summit of the whale's head?  就一定不是反落在鲸头顶上的水？

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 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 respiration   

n.呼吸作用；一次呼吸；植物光合作用

参考例句：

• They tried artificial respiration but it was of no avail.他们试做人工呼吸，可是无效。
• They made frequent checks on his respiration,pulse and blood.他们经常检查他的呼吸、脉搏和血液。

4 pester   

v.纠缠，强求

参考例句：

• He told her not to pester him with trifles.他对她说不要为小事而烦扰他。
• Don't pester me.I've got something urgent to attend to.你别跟我蘑菇了，我还有急事呢。

5 knottiest   

adj.（指木材）多结节的( knotty的最高级 )；多节瘤的；困难的；棘手的

参考例句：

• Unemployment, being the knottiest issue of all, has been relegated for now to the back burner. 失业是最棘手的问题，暂时已搁置起来，以后再议。 来自互联网

6 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

7 enveloping   

v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Always the eyes watching you and the voice enveloping you. 那眼睛总是死死盯着你，那声音总是紧紧围着你。 来自英汉文学
• The only barrier was a mosquito net, enveloping the entire bed. 唯一的障碍是那顶蚊帐罩住整个床。 来自辞典例句

8 prodigious   

adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的

参考例句：

• This business generates cash in prodigious amounts.这种业务收益丰厚。
• He impressed all who met him with his prodigious memory.他惊人的记忆力让所有见过他的人都印象深刻。

9 commotion   

n.骚动，动乱

参考例句：

• They made a commotion by yelling at each other in the theatre.他们在剧院里相互争吵，引起了一阵骚乱。
• Suddenly the whole street was in commotion.突然间，整条街道变得一片混乱。

10 cascading   

流注( cascade的现在分词 )； 大量落下； 大量垂悬； 梯流

参考例句：

• First of all, cascading menus are to be avoided at all costs. 首先，无论如何都要避免使用级联菜单。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Her sounds began cascading gently. 他的声音开始缓缓地低落下来。

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 lodged   

v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属

参考例句：

• The certificate will have to be lodged at the registry. 证书必须存放在登记处。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Our neighbours lodged a complaint against us with the police. 我们的邻居向警方控告我们。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 fissure   

n.裂缝；裂伤

参考例句：

• Though we all got out to examine the fissure,he remained in the car.我们纷纷下车察看那个大裂缝，他却呆在车上。
• Ground fissure is the main geological disaster in Xi'an city construction.地裂缝是西安市主要的工程地质灾害问题。