英语听书《白鲸记》第864期

 But as the colossal¹ skull² embraces so very large a proportion of the entire extent of the skeleton; as it is by far the most complicated part; 不过，因为这个硕大的脑壳占着整个骷髅非常大的比例；它又是极其复杂的部分；

and as nothing is to be repeated concerning it in this chapter, you must not fail to carry it in your mind, 同时，在这方面，本章又不想再重复，所以在我说下去的时候，你必须时刻把它谨记在心，

or under your arm, as we proceed, otherwise you will not gain a complete notion of the general structure we are about to view. 或者谨慎地挟在腋窝里，否则，你对于我们将要观察的整个结构，就将不能获得全豹。

In length, the Sperm³ Whale's skeleton at Tranque measured seventy-two feet: 托朗郭那条抹香鲸骷髅的长度是七十二英尺；

so that when fully⁴ invested and extended in life, he must have been ninety feet long; 所以，当它有头有尾。是一只活生生的东西的时候，它一定就有九十英尺长；

for in the whale, the skeleton loses about one fifth in length compared with the living body. 因为鲸骷髅跟活鲸比起来，长度总得缩小五分之一。

Of this seventy-two feet, his skull and jaw⁵ comprised some twenty feet, leaving some fifty feet of plain backbone⁶. 在这七十二英尺中，它的脑壳和嘴巴要占去二十英尺，那根背脊骨大约也有五十英尺。

Attached to this back-bone, for something less than a third of its length, was the mighty⁷ circular basket of ribs⁸ which once enclosed his vitals. 跟这根背脊骨相连的，长度只有脊骨三分之一不到点，就是那个一度裹住它的重要器官的。满是肋骨的大围篮。

To me this vast ivory-ribbed chest, with the long, unrelieved spine⁹, extending far away from it in a straight line, 在我看来，这个象牙围墙似的大胸脯，有着平坦的长椎骨，一条直线似的从那中间老远地伸展出去，

not a little resembled the hull¹⁰ of a great ship new-laid upon the stocks, when only some twenty of her naked bow-ribs are inserted, 可真象一只刚造好的、放在造船架上的大船壳，只消给它插上一二十根光堂堂的船头肋骨，

and the keel is otherwise, for the time, but a long, disconnected timber. 暂时把那根龙骨换上一根不相连接的长木头就行了。

1 colossal   

adj.异常的，庞大的

参考例句：

• There has been a colossal waste of public money.一直存在巨大的公款浪费。
• Some of the tall buildings in that city are colossal.那座城市里的一些高层建筑很庞大。

2 skull   

n.头骨；颅骨

参考例句：

• The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。
• He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去，跌裂了颅骨。

3 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。

4 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

5 jaw   

n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训

参考例句：

• He delivered a right hook to his opponent's jaw.他给了对方下巴一记右钩拳。
• A strong square jaw is a sign of firm character.强健的方下巴是刚毅性格的标志。

6 backbone   

n.脊骨，脊柱，骨干；刚毅，骨气

参考例句：

• The Chinese people have backbone.中国人民有骨气。
• The backbone is an articulate structure.脊椎骨是一种关节相连的结构。

7 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

8 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。

9 spine   

n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊

参考例句：

• He broke his spine in a fall from a horse.他从马上跌下摔断了脊梁骨。
• His spine developed a slight curve.他的脊柱有点弯曲。

10 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。