英语听书《白鲸记》第869期

 Ere entering upon the subject of Fossil Whales, I present my credentials¹ as a geologist², by stating that in my miscellaneous time I have been a stone-mason, 在着手处理化石鲸这题目之前，我得呈缴我的地质学家的证状，以证明我在各种时期中，曾经做过石匠，

and also a great digger of ditches, canals and wells, wine-vaults, cellars, and cisterns³ of all sorts. 也做过壕沟、运河、水井、酒窖、地窖，以及各种各样水槽的挖掘巨匠。

Likewise, by way of preliminary, I desire to remind the reader, 而且，我还要开门见山地提请读者注意，

that while in the earlier geological strata⁴ there are found the fossils of monsters now almost completely extinct; 在早期的地质层中，虽然曾经发现过巨兽的化石，可是现在都简直完全绝迹了。

the subsequent relics⁵ discovered in what are called the Tertiary formations seem the connecting, 后来在我们所称为第三地层中所发现的遗物，

or at any rate intercepted⁶ links, between the antichronical creatures, and those whose remote posterity⁷ are said to have entered the Ark; 似乎就是介于反年纪的生物间的一种联结物（总之，或者是一种阻隔物），而且那些属于这一类的后代，据说早就跑进了方舟。

all the Fossil Whales hitherto discovered belong to the Tertiary period, which is the last preceding the superficial formations. 迄今所发现的一切属于第三纪的化石鲸，都是表层形成前的最后一批。

And though none of them precisely⁸ answer to any known species of the present time, 虽然，在这些化石鲸中，没有一条跟现代所看到的哪一类鲸很相符合，

they are yet sufficiently⁹ akin¹⁰ to them in general respects, to justify¹¹ their taking ranks as Cetacean fossils. 然而，一般说来，这些化石鲸却还跟现代鲸类极相类似，且足以证明它们是属于同类。

Detached broken fossils of pre-adamite whales, fragments of their bones and skeletons, have within thirty years past, at various intervals¹², been found at the base of the Alps,  亚当以前的大鲸的断块化石，它们的骨头和骷髅断片，在过去三十年间，都曾陆续在下列各地方找到：阿尔卑斯山脚，

in Lombardy, in France, in England, in Scotland, and in the States of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. 伦巴底，法国，英国，苏格兰，和美国的路易斯安那州，密西西比州，亚拉巴马州。

1 credentials   

n.证明，资格，证明书，证件

参考例句：

• He has long credentials of diplomatic service.他的外交工作资历很深。
• Both candidates for the job have excellent credentials.此项工作的两个求职者都非常符合资格。

2 geologist   

n.地质学家

参考例句：

• The geologist found many uncovered fossils in the valley.在那山谷里，地质学家发现了许多裸露的化石。
• He was a geologist,rated by his cronies as the best in the business.他是一位地质学家，被他的老朋友们看做是这门行当中最好的一位。

3 cisterns   

n.蓄水池，储水箱( cistern的名词复数 )；地下储水池

参考例句：

• Continental production and flower pots, cisterns, nursery toys, chemical preservative products. 兼产欧式花盆、水箱、幼儿园玩具、化工防腐产品。 来自互联网
• And voices singing out of empty cisterns and exhausted wells. 还有声音在空的水池、干的井里歌唱。 来自互联网

4 strata   

n.地层（复数）；社会阶层

参考例句：

• The older strata gradually disintegrate.较老的岩层渐渐风化。
• They represent all social strata.他们代表各个社会阶层。

5 relics   

[pl.］n.遗物，遗迹，遗产；遗体，尸骸

参考例句：

• The area is a treasure house of archaeological relics. 这个地区是古文物遗迹的宝库。
• Xi'an is an ancient city full of treasures and saintly relics. 西安是一个有很多宝藏和神圣的遗物的古老城市。

6 intercepted   

拦截( intercept的过去式和过去分词 )； 截住； 截击； 拦阻

参考例句：

• Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave the hotel. 他正要离开旅馆，记者们把他拦截住了。
• Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave by the rear entrance. 他想从后门溜走，记者把他截住了。

7 posterity   

n.后裔，子孙，后代

参考例句：

• Few of his works will go down to posterity.他的作品没有几件会流传到后世。
• The names of those who died are recorded for posterity on a tablet at the back of the church.死者姓名都刻在教堂后面的一块石匾上以便后人铭记。

8 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。

9 sufficiently   

adv.足够地，充分地

参考例句：

• It turned out he had not insured the house sufficiently.原来他没有给房屋投足保险。
• The new policy was sufficiently elastic to accommodate both views.新政策充分灵活地适用两种观点。

10 akin   

adj.同族的，类似的

参考例句：

• She painted flowers and birds pictures akin to those of earlier feminine painters.她画一些同早期女画家类似的花鸟画。
• Listening to his life story is akin to reading a good adventure novel.听他的人生故事犹如阅读一本精彩的冒险小说。

11 justify   

vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护

参考例句：

• He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
• Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

12 intervals   

n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息

参考例句：

• The forecast said there would be sunny intervals and showers. 预报间晴，有阵雨。
• Meetings take place at fortnightly intervals. 每两周开一次会。