英语听书《白鲸记》第794期

 　　While the Frenchman's boats, then, were engaged in towing the ship one way, 于是，在那法国船的几只小艇把船往旁边拉时，

　　Stubb benevolently¹ towed away at his whale the other way, ostentatiously slacking out a most unusually long tow-line. 斯塔布便慈善为怀地把他的鲸朝另一边拉过去，卖弄地撒出一根异常的拖索。

　　Presently a breeze sprang up; Stubb feigned² to cast off from the whale; 不一会，一阵和风吹来，斯塔布假装着抛弃那条鲸，

　　hoisting³ his boats, the Frenchman soon increased his distance, while the Pequod slid in between him and Stubb's whale. 那艘法国船把几只小艇吊上去后，立刻急驶开去，"裴廓德号"则打那艘法国船和斯塔布的鲸中间慢慢插进来。

　　Whereupon Stubb quickly pulled to the floating body, 于是，斯塔布一面赶紧向那条漂浮的鲸尸划去，

　　and hailing the Pequod to give notice of his intentions, at once proceeded to reap the fruit of his unrighteous cunning. 一面招呼"裴廓德号"，把他的意图通知他们，当即着手收获他那不义的阴谋的果实。

　　Seizing his sharp boat-spade, he commenced an excavation⁴ in the body, a little behind the side fin⁵. 斯塔布抓起他那把锐利的小铲子，开始在鲸鳍稍后的地方，对尸身铲挖起来。

　　You would almost have thought he was digging a cellar there in the sea; 他那动作简直教人以为他在海底挖地窖，

　　and when at length his spade struck against the gaunt ribs⁶, it was like turning up old Roman tiles and pottery⁷ buried in fat English loam⁸. 等到最后他那铲子在砍那些瘦削的肋骨的时候，真象是在英国的肥土里掏挖古罗马的砖瓦和陶器那样。

　　His boat's crew were all in high excitement, eagerly helping⁹ their chief, and looking as anxious as gold-hunters. 他小艇上的水手全都精神抖擞，热切地帮着他们的艇长，神情象淘金人一样焦急。

　　And all the time numberless fowls¹⁰ were diving, and ducking, and screaming, and yelling, and fighting around them. 无数的兀鹰一直绕着他们尖声狂叫，啄来斗去，猛潜猛钻。

　　Stubb was beginning to look disappointed, especially as the horrible nosegay increased, 斯塔布脸上开始显出失望的神情，尤其是因为那股奇臭无比的味道越来越厉害，

　　when suddenly from out the very heart of this plague, there stole a faint stream of perfume, 可是，突然间，就在这个瘟疫的中心里，微微地散发出一股香味来，

　　which flowed through the tide of bad smells without being absorbed by it, 这股香味从那阵臭气中飘散开来，却一点也没有夹杂着臭气，

　　as one river will flow into and then along with another, without at all blending with it for a time. 犹如一条要流进大河的水流，接着又跟另一条河流一起流去，却暂时一点也没有跟大河堤在一起那样。

1 benevolently   

adv.仁慈地，行善地

参考例句：

• She looked on benevolently. 她亲切地站在一边看着。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 feigned   

a.假装的，不真诚的

参考例句：

• He feigned indifference to criticism of his work. 他假装毫不在意别人批评他的作品。
• He accepted the invitation with feigned enthusiasm. 他假装热情地接受了邀请。

3 hoisting   

起重，提升

参考例句：

• The hoisting capacity of that gin pole (girder pole, guy derrick) is sixty tons. 那个起重抱杆（格状抱杆、转盘抱杆）的起重能力为60吨。 来自口语例句
• We must use mechanical hoisting to load the goods. 我们必须用起重机来装载货物。

4 excavation   

n.挖掘，发掘；被挖掘之地

参考例句：

• The bad weather has hung up the work of excavation.天气不好耽误了挖掘工作。
• The excavation exposed some ancient ruins.这次挖掘暴露出一些古遗迹。

5 fin   

n.鳍；(飞机的)安定翼

参考例句：

• They swim using a small fin on their back.它们用背上的小鳍游动。
• The aircraft has a long tail fin.那架飞机有一个长长的尾翼。

6 ribs   

n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹

参考例句：

• He suffered cracked ribs and bruising. 他断了肋骨还有挫伤。
• Make a small incision below the ribs. 在肋骨下方切开一个小口。

7 pottery   

n.陶器，陶器场

参考例句：

• My sister likes to learn art pottery in her spare time.我妹妹喜欢在空余时间学习陶艺。
• The pottery was left to bake in the hot sun.陶器放在外面让炎热的太阳烘晒焙干。

8 loam   

n.沃土

参考例句：

• Plant the seeds in good loam.把种子种在好的壤土里。
• One occupies relatively dry sandy loam soils.一个则占据较干旱的沙壤土。

9 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

10 fowls   

鸟( fowl的名词复数 )； 禽肉； 既不是这； 非驴非马

参考例句：

• A great number of water fowls dwell on the island. 许多水鸟在岛上栖息。
• We keep a few fowls and some goats. 我们养了几只鸡和一些山羊。