英语听书《白鲸记》第876期

 Comparing the humped herds¹ of whales with the humped herds of buffalo², 再把这种长着背峰的鲸群跟那长着背峰的野牛群比较一番吧，

which, not forty years ago, overspread by tens of thousands the prairies of Illinois and Missouri, 这些野牛群，三四十年前，成千成万地曼衍在伊利诺斯和密苏里（美国两个州名。）的大草原上，

and shook their iron manes and scowled³ with their thunder-clotted brows upon the sites of populous⁴ river-capitals, 在如今人口稠密的近河都市的所在地上，晃起铁丝似的鬃毛，摇摆起密布雷电似的嘴脸，

where now the polite broker⁵ sells you land at a dollar an inch; 可是，现在这些地方的土地，那些颇为客气的掮客却要卖你一块钱一英寸了；

in such a comparison an irresistible⁶ argument would seem furnished, to show that the hunted whale cannot now escape speedy extinction⁷. 这样一比，似乎就得出了一个无可抗辩的论据，足以证明出这些被猎击的大鲸，现在是逃不了要迅速灭种的命运了。

But you must look at this matter in every light. 可是，你必须从各方面来详究这个问题。

Though so short a period ago—not a good lifetime—the census⁸ of the buffalo in Illinois exceeded the census of men now in London, 虽然在以前很短的一段期间——还不及长寿人的一生——伊利诺斯的野牛数目，就超过了现在伦敦的人口，

and though at the present day not one horn or hoof⁹ of them remains¹⁰ in all that region; 虽然到了现在，在那个地区已经找不出它们的一只角或者一只蹄；

and though the cause of this wondrous¹¹ extermination¹² was the spear of man; 虽然这种神速的灭种主要是人类的刀枪所造成的；

yet the far different nature of the whale-hunt peremptorily¹³ forbids so inglorious an end to the Leviathan. 然而，猎击大鲸却具有极其不同的方法，因而有决定性地使得大鲸不会获致这样一种不光荣的结果。

Forty men in one ship hunting the Sperm¹⁴ Whales for forty-eight months think they have done extremely well, 一艘有四十个水手的船，猎击了四十八个月的抹香鲸后，就算他们的成绩干得非常不错，

and thank God, if at last they carry home the oil of forty fish. 而且谢天谢地，就算他们最后能够把四十条鲸的油料带回家来。

Whereas, in the days of the old Canadian and Indian hunters and trappers of the West, 然而，从前那些西部的加拿大和印第安猎户以及设陷阱者，

when the far west (in whose sunset suns still rise) was a wilderness¹⁵ and a virgin¹⁶, the same number of moccasined men, for the same number of months, 在当时极西的地方（在那些地方沉落的太阳却还在照耀着）正是一片蛮荒的处女地，比如说，以同样数目的、穿着鹿皮靴的猎手，也去干同样数目的月份，

mounted on horse instead of sailing in ships, would have slain¹⁷ not forty, but forty thousand and more buffaloes¹⁸; 不是坐船而是骑马，那他们所杀戮的野牛数目，一定不是四十，而是四万，或者比四万还要多；

a fact that, if need were, could be statistically¹⁹ stated. 这种事实，如其需要的话，还可以提出统计数字来加以说明。

1 herds   

兽群( herd的名词复数 )； 牧群； 人群； 群众

参考例句：

• Regularly at daybreak they drive their herds to the pasture. 每天天一亮他们就把牲畜赶到草场上去。
• There we saw herds of cows grazing on the pasture. 我们在那里看到一群群的牛在草地上吃草。

2 buffalo   

n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛

参考例句：

• Asian buffalo isn't as wild as that of America's. 亚洲水牛比美洲水牛温顺些。
• The boots are made of buffalo hide. 这双靴子是由水牛皮制成的。

3 scowled   

怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He scowled his displeasure. 他满脸嗔色。
• The teacher scowled at his noisy class. 老师对他那喧闹的课堂板着脸。

4 populous   

adj.人口稠密的，人口众多的

参考例句：

• London is the most populous area of Britain.伦敦是英国人口最稠密的地区。
• China is the most populous developing country in the world.中国是世界上人口最多的发展中国家。

5 broker   

n.中间人，经纪人；v.作为中间人来安排

参考例句：

• He baited the broker by promises of higher commissions.他答应给更高的佣金来引诱那位经纪人。
• I'm a real estate broker.我是不动产经纪人。

6 irresistible   

adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的

参考例句：

• The wheel of history rolls forward with an irresistible force.历史车轮滚滚向前，势不可挡。
• She saw an irresistible skirt in the store window.她看见商店的橱窗里有一条叫人着迷的裙子。

7 extinction   

n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种

参考例句：

• The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
• The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。

8 census   

n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查

参考例句：

• A census of population is taken every ten years.人口普查每10年进行一次。
• The census is taken one time every four years in our country.我国每四年一次人口普查。

9 hoof   

n.(马，牛等的)蹄

参考例句：

• Suddenly he heard the quick,short click of a horse's hoof behind him.突然间，他听见背后响起一阵急骤的马蹄的得得声。
• I was kicked by a hoof.我被一只蹄子踢到了。

10 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

11 wondrous   

adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地

参考例句：

• The internal structure of the Department is wondrous to behold.看一下国务院的内部结构是很有意思的。
• We were driven across this wondrous vast land of lakes and forests.我们乘车穿越这片有着湖泊及森林的广袤而神奇的土地。

12 extermination   

n.消灭，根绝

参考例句：

• All door and window is sealed for the extermination of mosquito. 为了消灭蚊子，所有的门窗都被封闭起来了。 来自辞典例句
• In doing so they were saved from extermination. 这样一来却使它们免于绝灭。 来自辞典例句

13 peremptorily   

adv.紧急地，不容分说地，专横地

参考例句：

• She peremptorily rejected the request. 她断然拒绝了请求。
• Their propaganda was peremptorily switched to an anti-Western line. 他们的宣传断然地转而持反对西方的路线。 来自辞典例句

14 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。

15 wilderness   

n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

16 virgin   

n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的

参考例句：

• Have you ever been to a virgin forest?你去过原始森林吗？
• There are vast expanses of virgin land in the remote regions.在边远地区有大片大片未开垦的土地。

17 slain   

杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词)

参考例句：

• The soldiers slain in the battle were burried that night. 在那天夜晚埋葬了在战斗中牺牲了的战士。
• His boy was dead, slain by the hand of the false Amulius. 他的儿子被奸诈的阿缪利乌斯杀死了。

18 buffaloes   

n.水牛（分非洲水牛和亚洲水牛两种）( buffalo的名词复数 )；（南非或北美的）野牛；威胁；恐吓

参考例句：

• Some medieval towns raced donkeys or buffaloes. 有些中世纪的城市用驴子或水牛竞赛。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Water buffaloes supply Egypt with more meat than any other domestic animal. 水牛提供给埃及的肉比任何其它动物都要多。 来自辞典例句

19 statistically   

ad.根据统计数据来看，从统计学的观点来看

参考例句：

• The sample of building permits is larger and therefore, statistically satisfying. 建筑许可数的样本比较大，所以统计数据更令人满意。
• The results of each test would have to be statistically independent. 每次试验的结果在统计上必须是独立的。