英语听书《白鲸记》第739期

 And besides other reasons, to this conclusion I am impelled¹, 撇开其它一切理由，

by considerations touching² the great inherent dignity and sublimity³ of the Sperm⁴ Whale; 我是由于考虑到抹香鲸本身具有无限威严与雄壮的气概，而不得不下这个结论的；

I account him no common, shallow being, 我认为它不是普通浅薄的东西，

inasmuch as it is an undisputed fact that he is never found on soundings, or near shores; all other whales sometimes are. 因为，无可争辩的，它决不象其它一般鲸那样，可以在水深的地方或者在岸边让人们发现到。

He is both ponderous⁵ and profound. 它是既稳重又具有深谋远虑的动物。

And I am convinced that from the heads of all ponderous profound beings, such as Plato, Pyrrho, the Devil, Jupiter, Dante, and so on, 我认为，在一切既稳重而又有深谋远虑的人们的脑袋里，象柏拉图，皮洛（怀疑主义的始创者），阎王，天神，但丁（意大利诗人）等等，

there always goes up a certain semi-visible steam, while in the act of thinking deep thoughts. 当他们正在思索奥妙的问题时，总会冒起一股隐约可见的雾气来。

While composing a little treatise⁶ on Eternity⁷, I had the curiosity to place a mirror before me; 我在构思一篇《论灵魂不灭》的小文章的时候，就曾经好奇地在我面前摆着一面镜子；

and ere long saw reflected there, a curious involved worming and undulation in the atmosphere over my head. 于是，不久就看到那里面反映出：一阵古怪的烟气在我头顶四周缭绕起伏。

The invariable moisture of my hair, while plunged⁸ in deep thought, after six cups of hot tea in my thin shingled⁹ attic¹⁰, of an August noon; 我在八月的正午，在我那间简陋的阁楼里，喝了六大杯热茶后沉思苦想时，头发里就一定是湿漉漉的；

this seems an additional argument for the above supposition. 这似乎又为上边的假设增添一个论据了。

And how nobly it raises our conceit¹¹ of the mighty¹², misty¹³ monster, to behold¹⁴ him solemnly sailing through a calm tropical sea; 看到大鲸威风十足地游过热带那种风平浪静的海洋时，这只魁梧而迷蒙蒙的巨兽，可一下子教我们激起了多么壮丽的幻想。

his vast, mild head overhung by a canopy¹⁵ of vapor¹⁶, engendered¹⁷ by his incommunicable contemplations, 在它那硕大、柔和的头顶，由于它那无法言传的沉思默想而挂着一顶雾气重重的华盖，

and that vapor— as you will sometimes see it—glorified by a rainbow, as if Heaven itself had put its seal upon his thoughts.  而那种雾气——你有时看得到——又被虹彩照耀得光辉灿烂，仿佛上天已经批准它的思想似的。

1 impelled   

v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He felt impelled to investigate further. 他觉得有必要作进一步调查。
• I feel impelled to express grave doubts about the project. 我觉得不得不对这项计划深表怀疑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

3 sublimity   

崇高，庄严，气质高尚

参考例句：

• It'suggests no crystal waters, no picturesque shores, no sublimity. 这决不会叫人联想到晶莹的清水，如画的两岸，雄壮的气势。
• Huckleberry was filled with admiration of Tom's facility in writing, and the sublimity of his language. 对汤姆流利的书写、响亮的内容，哈克贝利心悦诚服。

4 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。

5 ponderous   

adj.沉重的，笨重的，(文章)冗长的

参考例句：

• His steps were heavy and ponderous.他的步伐沉重缓慢。
• It was easy to underestimate him because of his occasionally ponderous manner.由于他偶尔现出的沉闷的姿态，很容易使人小看了他。

6 treatise   

n.专著；(专题)论文

参考例句：

• The doctor wrote a treatise on alcoholism.那位医生写了一篇关于酗酒问题的论文。
• This is not a treatise on statistical theory.这不是一篇有关统计理论的论文。

7 eternity   

n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷

参考例句：

• The dull play seemed to last an eternity.这场乏味的剧似乎演个没完没了。
• Finally,Ying Tai and Shan Bo could be together for all of eternity.英台和山伯终能双宿双飞，永世相随。

8 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

9 shingled   

adj.盖木瓦的；贴有墙面板的v.用木瓦盖(shingle的过去式和过去分词形式)

参考例句：

• They shingled the roof. 他们用木瓦盖屋顶。 来自互联网

10 attic   

n.顶楼，屋顶室

参考例句：

• Leakiness in the roof caused a damp attic.屋漏使顶楼潮湿。
• What's to be done with all this stuff in the attic?顶楼上的材料怎么处理？

11 conceit   

n.自负，自高自大

参考例句：

• As conceit makes one lag behind,so modesty helps one make progress.骄傲使人落后，谦虚使人进步。
• She seems to be eaten up with her own conceit.她仿佛已经被骄傲冲昏了头脑。

12 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

13 misty   

adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的

参考例句：

• He crossed over to the window to see if it was still misty.他走到窗户那儿，看看是不是还有雾霭。
• The misty scene had a dreamy quality about it.雾景给人以梦幻般的感觉。

14 behold   

v.看，注视，看到

参考例句：

• The industry of these little ants is wonderful to behold.这些小蚂蚁辛勤劳动的样子看上去真令人惊叹。
• The sunrise at the seaside was quite a sight to behold.海滨日出真是个奇景。

15 canopy   

n.天篷，遮篷

参考例句：

• The trees formed a leafy canopy above their heads.树木在他们头顶上空形成了一个枝叶茂盛的遮篷。
• They lay down under a canopy of stars.他们躺在繁星点点的天幕下。

16 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。

17 engendered   

v.产生（某形势或状况），造成，引起( engender的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The issue engendered controversy. 这个问题引起了争论。
• The meeting engendered several quarrels. 这次会议发生了几次争吵。 来自《简明英汉词典》