英语听书《白鲸记》第822期

 　　Chapter 97 The Lamp

　　第九十七章 灯

　　Had you descended¹ from the Pequod's try-works to the Pequod's forecastle, where the off duty watch were sleeping, for one single moment you would have almost thought you were standing² in some illuminated³ shrine⁴ of canonized kings and counsellors. There they lay in their triangular⁵ oaken vaults⁶, each mariner⁷ a chiselled⁸ muteness; a score of lamps flashing upon his hooded⁹ eyes.

　　如果你打"裴廓德号"的炼油间下来，走到船头楼去，在那里，看到一些不当班的人正在睡觉，你顿时简直会以为是置身在一个光辉闪耀、超凡入圣的王卿的圣殿里。他们都躺在自己的三角形的橡木窠里，每个水手都是一尊静默的钢像；二十来盏灯照在他们那闭起的眼睛上。

　　In merchantmen, oil for the sailor is more scarce than the milk of queens. To dress in the dark, and eat in the dark, and stumble in darkness to his pallet, this is his usual lot. But the whaleman, as he seeks the food of light, so he lives in light. He makes his berth¹⁰ an Aladdin's lamp, and lays him down in it; so that in the pitchiest night the ship's black hull¹¹ still houses an illumination.

　　在商船里，对于水手说来，灯油是比王后的奶汁还要希罕。在黑暗中穿衣，在黑暗中吃东西，在黑暗中跌跌撞撞地摸上他的小床，这就是他的通常的命运。可是，捕鲸人，因为他们找的是点灯的东西，所以，他生活在亮光中。他把自己的床铺搞得象只阿拉丁的神灯（阿拉丁——《天方夜谭》中神灯的主人公。）后，就在灯光里躺下来。所以，即使在最漆黑的夜晚，捕鲸船的墨黑的船身仍是到处灯火辉煌。

　　See with what entire freedom the whaleman takes his handful of lamps—often but old bottles and vials, though—to the copper¹² cooler at the tryworks, and replenishes¹³ them there, as mugs of ale at a vat¹⁴. He burns, too, the purest of oil, in its unmanufactured, and, therefore, unvitiated state; a fluid unknown to solar, lunar, or astral contrivances ashore¹⁵. It is sweet as early grass butter in April. He goes and hunts for his oil, so as to be sure of its freshness and genuineness, even as the traveller on the prairie hunts up his own supper of game.

　　你看，那些捕鲸人可多么随便地拿着一大把灯盏——不过，往往拿的都是些破旧的大小瓶子——走到炼油间里那只冷却器的铜锅边，象把一大杯一大杯麦酒灌进大桶似的，在那里加油。他们点的也都是未经加工的、最纯粹的、因而也是一尘不染的原油；这种液体是岸上的太阳、太阴和星辰所自叹不如的巧妙发明品。它有如早春的草浆一样芬芳。捕鲸人本来就是猎取鲸油的，当然要求其新鲜与纯真，如同大草原上的旅客，猎取野味做自己的晚餐一样。

1 descended   

a.为...后裔的，出身于...的

参考例句：

• A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
• The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

2 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

3 illuminated   

adj.被照明的；受启迪的

参考例句：

• Floodlights illuminated the stadium. 泛光灯照亮了体育场。
• the illuminated city at night 夜幕中万家灯火的城市

4 shrine   

n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣

参考例句：

• The shrine was an object of pilgrimage.这处圣地是人们朝圣的目的地。
• They bowed down before the shrine.他们在神龛前鞠躬示敬。

5 triangular   

adj.三角（形）的，三者间的

参考例句：

• It's more or less triangular plot of land.这块地略成三角形。
• One particular triangular relationship became the model of Simone's first novel.一段特殊的三角关系成了西蒙娜第一本小说的原型。

6 vaults   

n.拱顶( vault的名词复数 )；地下室；撑物跳高；墓穴

参考例句：

• It was deposited in the vaults of a bank. 它存在一家银行的保险库里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They think of viruses that infect an organization from the outside.They envision hackers breaking into their information vaults. 他们考虑来自外部的感染公司的病毒，他们设想黑客侵入到信息宝库中。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 mariner   

n.水手号不载人航天探测器，海员，航海者

参考例句：

• A smooth sea never made a skillful mariner.平静的大海决不能造就熟练的水手。
• A mariner must have his eye upon rocks and sands as well as upon the North Star.海员不仅要盯着北极星，还要注意暗礁和险滩。

8 chiselled   

adj.凿过的，凿光的； （文章等）精心雕琢的v.凿，雕，镌( chisel的过去式 )

参考例句：

• A name was chiselled into the stone. 石头上刻着一个人名。
• He chiselled a hole in the door to fit a new lock. 他在门上凿了一个孔，以便装一把新锁。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 hooded   

adj.戴头巾的；有罩盖的；颈部因肋骨运动而膨胀的

参考例句：

• A hooded figure waited in the doorway. 一个戴兜帽的人在门口等候。
• Black-eyed gipsy girls, hooded in showy handkerchiefs, sallied forth to tell fortunes. 黑眼睛的吉卜赛姑娘，用华丽的手巾包着头，突然地闯了进来替人算命。 来自辞典例句

10 berth   

n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊

参考例句：

• She booked a berth on the train from London to Aberdeen.她订了一张由伦敦开往阿伯丁的火车卧铺票。
• They took up a berth near the harbor.他们在港口附近找了个位置下锚。

11 hull   

n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳

参考例句：

• The outer surface of ship's hull is very hard.船体的外表面非常坚硬。
• The boat's hull has been staved in by the tremendous seas.小船壳让巨浪打穿了。

12 copper   

n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的

参考例句：

• The students are asked to prove the purity of copper.要求学生们检验铜的纯度。
• Copper is a good medium for the conduction of heat and electricity.铜是热和电的良导体。

13 replenishes   

补充( replenish的第三人称单数 )； 重新装满

参考例句：

• Strengthens and replenishes to smooth fine lines. 强化补充营养，抚平眼部细纹。
• I am a frequent hand washer and this lotion replenishes the moisture balance quickly and pleasantly. 我是个经常洗手的人，这款乳液很快的补充保湿平衡，而且还很舒适。

14 vat   

n.(=value added tax)增值税，大桶

参考例句：

• The office is asking for the vat papers.办事处要有关增值税的文件。
• His father emptied sacks of stale rye bread into the vat.他父亲把一袋袋发霉的黑面包倒进大桶里。

15 ashore   

adv.在(向)岸上，上岸

参考例句：

• The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前，孩子们就上岸了。
• He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。