英语听书《白鲸记》第855期

 　　and, furthermore, I compiled supplementary¹ tables of my own, 而且，我还把有关贮藏的鱼等的可能数量，给编了一张补充表格，

　　touching² the probable quantity of stock-fish, etc, consumed by every Low Dutch harpooneer in that ancient Greenland and Spitzbergen whale fishery. 想计算出在先前格陵兰和斯匹次卑尔根群岛的捕鲸业中，每个荷兰标枪手的消耗量来。

　　In the first place, the amount of butter, and Texel and Leyden cheese consumed, seems amazing. 首先，就所消耗的牛油，泰克塞尔和来顿奶酪的数量说来，似乎就颇为惊人。

　　I impute³ it, though, to their naturally unctuous⁴ natures, being rendered still more unctuous by the nature of their vocation⁵, 不过，我认为这是他们天生爱好吃油的缘故，而且也更进一步地考虑到他们那行业的性质就是油腻腻的，

　　and especially by their pursuing their game in those frigid⁶ Polar Seas, 尤其是他们都在那种严寒的北极地带，

　　on the very coasts of that Esquimaux country where the convivial⁷ natives pledge each other in bumpers⁸ of train oil. 在那个爱斯基摩的沿海地方，追击猎物，在那里，那些快活的土人，就是经常彼此用满杯的鲸油来干杯的。

　　The quantity of the beer, too, is very large, 10,800 barrels. 啤酒的数量，一万零八百桶，也是十分可观。

　　Now, as those polar fisheries could only be prosecuted⁹ in the short summer of that climate, 由于那些北极捕鱼业只能在那地方的短促夏季中活动，

　　so that the whole cruise of one of these Dutch whalemen, including the short voyage to and from the Spitzbergen sea, 所以，一只荷兰捕鲸船的整个巡游期间，包括到斯匹次卑尔根群岛的短促的来回航程，

　　did not much exceed three months, say, and reckoning 30 men to each of their fleet of 180 sail, we have 5,400 Low Dutch seamen¹⁰ in all; 总是不大会超过三个月，假定这一百八十艘船，算它每艘船有三十个人，那么，总共便是五千四百个荷兰捕鲸人了；

　　therefore, I say, we have precisely¹¹ two barrels of beer per man, for a twelve weeks' allowance, exclusive of his fair proportion of that 550 ankers of gin. 因此，我说，正好是每个人摊到二桶啤酒（十二个星期的饮量），还不包括那数量相当可观的五百五十安克杜松子酒在内。

　　Now, whether these gin and beer harpooneers, so fuddled as one might fancy them to have been, 这就不免叫人对他们发生怀疑了，究竟这些把杜松子酒和啤酒喝得这么泥醉的标枪手，

　　were the right sort of men to stand up in a boat's head, and take good aim at flying whales; this would seem somewhat improbable. 是否会神清志爽地站在艇头上，瞄得准那如飞的大鲸的目标，看来这好象有点不大可能。

　　Yet they did aim at them, and hit them too. 然而，他们的确不仅都瞄准了目标，而且还都中了的。

1 supplementary   

adj.补充的，附加的

参考例句：

• There is a supplementary water supply in case the rain supply fails.万一主水源断了，我们另外有供水的地方。
• A supplementary volume has been published containing the index.附有索引的增补卷已经出版。

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 impute   

v.归咎于

参考例句：

• I impute his failure to laziness.我把他的失败归咎于他的懒惰。
• It is grossly unfair to impute blame to the United Nations.把责任归咎于联合国极其不公。

4 unctuous   

adj.油腔滑调的，大胆的

参考例句：

• He speaks in unctuous tones.他说话油腔滑调。
• He made an unctuous assurance.他做了个虚请假意的承诺。

5 vocation   

n.职业，行业

参考例句：

• She struggled for years to find her true vocation.她多年来苦苦寻找真正适合自己的职业。
• She felt it was her vocation to minister to the sick.她觉得照料病人是她的天职。

6 frigid   

adj.寒冷的，凛冽的；冷淡的；拘禁的

参考例句：

• The water was too frigid to allow him to remain submerged for long.水冰冷彻骨，他在下面呆不了太长时间。
• She returned his smile with a frigid glance.对他的微笑她报以冷冷的一瞥。

7 convivial   

adj.狂欢的，欢乐的

参考例句：

• The atmosphere was quite convivial.气氛非常轻松愉快。
• I found it odd to imagine a nation of convivial diners surrendering their birthright.我发现很难想象让这样一个喜欢热热闹闹吃饭的民族放弃他们的习惯。

8 bumpers   

（汽车上的）保险杠，缓冲器( bumper的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Our bumpers just grazed (ie touched each other) as we passed. 我们错车时保险互相蹭了一下。
• Car stickers can be attached to the bumpers or windows. 汽车贴纸可以贴在防撞杆上或车窗上。

9 prosecuted   

a.被起诉的

参考例句：

• The editors are being prosecuted for obscenity. 编辑因刊载污秽文字而被起诉。
• The company was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety Act. 这家公司被控违反《卫生安全条例》。

10 seamen   

n.海员

参考例句：

• Experienced seamen will advise you about sailing in this weather. 有经验的海员会告诉你在这种天气下的航行情况。
• In the storm, many seamen wished they were on shore. 在暴风雨中，许多海员想，要是他们在陆地上就好了。

11 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。