英语听书《白鲸记》第853期

 The English were preceded in the whale fishery by the Hollanders, Zealanders, and Danes; from whom they derived¹ many terms still extant in the fishery; 就从事捕鲸业说来，荷兰人，西兰人和丹麦人都是早于英国人的，他们所创造出来的许多名词直到如今都还通行于捕鱼业中；

and what is yet more, their fat old fashions, touching² plenty to eat and drink. 而且不仅如此，他们还把那大吃大喝的阔绰古风也给保持下来。

For, as a general thing, the English merchant-ship scrimps her crew; but not so the English whaler. 因为，一般说来，英国商船对他们的水手都很刻薄；但英国捕鲸船却不是这样。

Hence, in the English, this thing of whaling good cheer is not normal and natural,  因此，英国这种把捕鲸搞得有声有色的情况，并不是正常和天然的，

but incidental and particular; and, therefore, must have some special origin, which is here pointed³ out, and will be still further elucidated⁴. 而是偶然和特殊的，所以其中必有特别的来头，这就是这里所要提出，并将加以进一步说明的。

During my researches in the Leviathanic histories, I stumbled upon an ancient Dutch volume, which, by the musty whaling smell of it, I knew must be about whalers. 在我研究大鲸史料期间，我偶然接触到一本荷兰古籍，这本书，从它所发出的霉臭的鲸味看来，我断定它必是一本谈到捕鲸船的书。

The title was, "Dan Coopman," 它的书名叫做"Dan Coopman"，

wherefore I concluded that this must be the invaluable⁵ memoirs⁶ of some Amsterdam cooper in the fishery, as every whale ship must carry its cooper. 因此，我肯定这本书一定是捕鱼业中某个阿姆斯特丹箍桶匠的珍贵的回忆录，因为每只捕鲸船都一定配备有箍桶匠。

I was reinforced in this opinion by seeing that it was the production of one "Fitz Swackhammer." 待到我看到这是一位名叫菲斯·斯瓦克哈姆玛（斯瓦克哈姆玛，英文可解释为榔头咯咯响，因而作者将其肯定为箍桶匠。）的作品的时候，我更加强我这个看法。

But my friend Dr. Snodhead, a very learned man, professor of Low Dutch and High German in the college of Santa Claus and St. Potts, 不过，我有一位叫斯诺黑特博士的朋友，他非常有学问，也是山大·克劳斯大学和圣波特大学的荷兰语和德语教授，

to whom I handed the work for translation, giving him a box of sperm⁷ candles for his trouble, 因此，我把这部作品拿去请他翻译，并送他一盒抹香鲸油烛作为酬劳，

this same Dr. Snodhead, so soon as he spied the book, assured me that "Dan Coopman" did not mean "The Cooper," but "The Merchant." 这位斯诺黑特博士，一看到书名，就立刻对我说，"Dan Coop-man"并不是"箍桶匠"的意思，而是"商人"。

1 derived   

vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取

参考例句：

• Many English words are derived from Latin and Greek. 英语很多词源出于拉丁文和希腊文。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He derived his enthusiasm for literature from his father. 他对文学的爱好是受他父亲的影响。 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 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

4 elucidated   

v.阐明，解释( elucidate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He elucidated a point of grammar. 他解释了一个语法要点。
• The scientist elucidated his theory by three simple demonstrations. 这位科学家以三个简单的实例来说明他的理论。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 invaluable   

adj.无价的，非常宝贵的，极为贵重的

参考例句：

• A computer would have been invaluable for this job.一台计算机对这个工作的作用会是无法估计的。
• This information was invaluable to him.这个消息对他来说是非常宝贵的。

6 memoirs   

n.回忆录；回忆录传( mem,自oir的名词复数)

参考例句：

• Her memoirs were ghostwritten. 她的回忆录是由别人代写的。
• I watched a trailer for the screenplay of his memoirs. 我看过以他的回忆录改编成电影的预告片。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 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。