英语听书《白鲸记》第756期

 then, the harpooneers seemed more to grieve that the swift whales had been gaining upon the ship, 这时，标枪手们对于那些疾奔的大鲸之迫近船边所感到的忧伤，

than to rejoice that the ship had so victoriously¹ gained upon the Malays. 似乎远远超过这只船之这么胜利地超越于马来人所感到的欢乐。

But still driving on in the wake of the whales, at length they seemed abating² their speed; 不过，再继续紧跟在鲸群后边追赶一阵后，那些鲸好象终于也把速度降低下来，

gradually the ship neared them; and the wind now dying away, word was passed to spring to the boats. 船也逐渐逼近它们了；现在风已停息，船上也下令要跳下小艇了。

But no sooner did the herd³, by some presumed wonderful instinct of the Sperm⁴ Whale, 但是，这一大群鲸，好象出自抹香鲸的奇妙的本能，

become notified of the three keels that were after them,— though as yet a mile in their rear, than they rallied again,  一发觉后边有三只小艇在追赶他们——虽然相距还有一英里之遥，它们就又聚拢来，

and forming in close ranks and battalions⁵, so that their spouts⁶ all looked like flashing lines of stacked bayonets, moved on with redoubled velocity⁷. 列成紧密的队伍，所以它们的喷水完全象是一片闪光的枪林弹雨，以加倍的速力奋勇向前。

Stripped to our shirts and drawers, we sprang to the white-ash, 我们脱下衣服，只剩衬衫衬裤，把小艇一冲就冲到迷蒙的白雾里去，

and after several hours' pulling were almost disposed to renounce⁸ the chase, 经过了几个钟头的划桨，划得差不多叫人要放弃这个追逐了，

when a general pausing commotion⁹ among the whales gave animating¹⁰ tokens 这时，鲸群中却普遍呈现一片要停下来的骚乱，生动地显示出，

that they were now at last under the influence of that strange perplexity of inert¹¹ irresolution¹², 它们现在终于陷入失却自主，进退两难的古怪窘境，

which, when the fishermen perceive it in the whale, they say he is gallied. 这也就是捕鲸人在看到大鲸这种情况时，管它叫"吓怕了"的时候。

The compact martial¹³ columns in which they had been hitherto rapidly and steadily¹⁴ swimming, were now broken up in one measureless rout¹⁵; 这支紧密结合的勇武的队伍本来游得那么迅速稳定，如今却是七零八落，溃不成军了；

and like King Porus' elephants in the Indian battle with Alexander, they seemed going mad with consternation¹⁶. 它们象是古印度波拉斯王的象队跟亚历山大作战时那样，似乎都吓得要发疯了。

In all directions expanding in vast irregular circles,  到处都是杂乱无章的大圈圈，

and aimlessly swimming hither and thither¹⁷, by their short thick spoutings, they plainly betrayed their distraction¹⁸ of panic.  毫无目的地游来游去，从它们那种短促而浓密的喷水看来，教人清清楚楚地看出它们惊惶失措，走投无路了。

1 victoriously   

adv.获胜地，胜利地

参考例句：

• Our technical revolution is blazing its way forward through all the difficulties and advancing victoriously. 我们的技术革命正在披荆斩棘，胜利前进。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Ignace victoriously ascended the stairs and knocked on Kessler's door. 伊格内斯踌躇满志地登上楼梯，敲响了凯斯勒的房门。 来自辞典例句

2 abating   

减少( abate的现在分词 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼）

参考例句：

• The storm showed no signs of abating. 暴风雨没有减弱的迹象。
• The recent public anxiety about this issue may now be abating. 近来公众对这个问题的焦虑心情现在也许正在缓和下来。

3 herd   

n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见，只是人云亦云。

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 battalions   

n.（陆军的）一营（大约有一千兵士）( battalion的名词复数 )；协同作战的部队；军队；（组织在一起工作的）队伍

参考例句：

• God is always on the side of the strongest battalions. 上帝总是帮助强者。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Two battalions were disposed for an attack on the air base. 配置两个营的兵力进攻空军基地。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 spouts   

n.管口( spout的名词复数 )；（喷出的）水柱；（容器的）嘴；在困难中v.（指液体）喷出( spout的第三人称单数 )；滔滔不绝地讲；喋喋不休地说；喷水

参考例句：

• A volcano spouts flame and lava. 火山喷出火焰和岩浆。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The oil rushes up the tube and spouts up as a gusher. 石油会沿着钢管上涌，如同自喷井那样喷射出来。 来自辞典例句

7 velocity   

n.速度，速率

参考例句：

• Einstein's theory links energy with mass and velocity of light.爱因斯坦的理论把能量同质量和光速联系起来。
• The velocity of light is about 300000 kilometres per second.光速约为每秒300000公里。

8 renounce   

v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系

参考例句：

• She decided to renounce the world and enter a convent.她决定弃绝尘世去当修女。
• It was painful for him to renounce his son.宣布与儿子脱离关系对他来说是很痛苦的。

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 animating   

v.使有生气( animate的现在分词 )；驱动；使栩栩如生地动作；赋予…以生命

参考例句：

• Nature has her animating spirit as well as man who is nature's child. 大自然就象它的孩子――人类一样，有活生生的灵魂。 来自辞典例句
• They were doubtlessly the animating principle of many hours that superficially seemed vacant. 在表面看来无所事事的许多时刻中，它们无疑是活跃的因素。 来自辞典例句

11 inert   

adj.无活动能力的，惰性的；迟钝的

参考例句：

• Inert gas studies are providing valuable information about other planets,too.对惰性气体的研究，也提供了有关其它行星的有价值的资料。
• Elemental nitrogen is a very unreactive and inert material.元素氮是一个十分不活跃的惰性物质。

12 irresolution   

n.不决断，优柔寡断，犹豫不定

参考例句：

• A lack of certainty that often leads to irresolution. 疑惑缺少肯定而导致犹豫不决。 来自互联网
• Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? 我们迟疑不决、无所作为就能积聚力量吗？ 来自互联网

13 martial   

adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的

参考例句：

• The sound of martial music is always inspiring.军乐声总是鼓舞人心的。
• The officer was convicted of desertion at a court martial.这名军官在军事法庭上被判犯了擅离职守罪。

14 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

15 rout   

n.溃退，溃败；v.击溃，打垮

参考例句：

• The enemy was put to rout all along the line.敌人已全线崩溃。
• The people's army put all to rout wherever they went.人民军队所向披靡。

16 consternation   

n.大为吃惊，惊骇

参考例句：

• He was filled with consternation to hear that his friend was so ill.他听说朋友病得那么厉害，感到非常震惊。
• Sam stared at him in consternation.萨姆惊恐不安地注视着他。

17 thither   

adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的

参考例句：

• He wandered hither and thither looking for a playmate.他逛来逛去找玩伴。
• He tramped hither and thither.他到处流浪。

18 distraction   

n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐

参考例句：

• Total concentration is required with no distractions.要全神贯注，不能有丝毫分神。
• Their national distraction is going to the disco.他们的全民消遣就是去蹦迪。