英语听书《白鲸记》第886期

 　　A sailor takes a fancy to wear shark-bone ear-rings: the carpenter drills his ears. 一个水手突发奇兴，想戴鲨鱼齿的耳环；这个木匠就给他钻耳朵。

　　Another has the toothache: the carpenter out pincers, and clapping one hand upon his bench bids him be seated there; 另一个水手闹牙痛了；这个木匠就拿出钳子，一只手啪嗒地拍一下他那只条凳，教他坐下去；

　　but the poor fellow unmanageably winces¹ under the unconcluded operation; 可是，手术还没有做，那个可怜的家伙就已不由自主地畏畏缩缩了；

　　whirling round the handle of his wooden vice², the carpenter signs him to clap his jaw³ in that, if he would have him draw the tooth. 因为这个木匠甩着他手里那只木虎钳柄，示意他如果要木匠替他拔牙齿，就得把下巴夹在那只虎钳里。

　　Thus, this carpenter was prepared at all points, and alike indifferent and without respect in all. 于是，这个木匠就有对付任何事情的准备，而且对一切事情都同样显得毫无所谓，毫不在乎。

　　Teeth he accounted bits of ivory; heads he deemed but top-blocks; men themselves he lightly held for capstans. 他把牙齿看成是一小块牙骨；把脑袋只当成一块顶木；至于人呢，他淡然地把他看成一只绞盘。

　　But while now upon so wide a field thus variously accomplished⁴ and with such liveliness of expertness in him, too; 不过，照他这样对各行各业都无所不通，而且又有如此熟练的功夫，

　　all this would seem to argue some uncommon⁵ vivacity⁶ of intelligence. But not precisely⁷ so. 似乎可以说他具有非常聪明利落的才干、可是，又不完全如此。

　　For nothing was this man more remarkable⁸, than for a certain impersonal⁹ stolidity¹⁰ as it were; 因为，这个人除了好象有种不受个人感情影响的迟钝以外，毫无任何特点；

　　impersonal, I say; for it so shaded off into the surrounding infinite of things, that it seemed one with the general stolidity discernible in the whole visible world; 我说，不受个人感情影响；是因为他竟变得跟周围的一切事物混而为一，所以他好象是有目共睹的大傻子，

　　which while pauselessly active in uncounted modes, still eternally holds its peace, and ignores you, though you dig foundations for cathedrals. 随你怎样闹得天翻地覆，他仍然始终闷声不响，哪怕你在干下什么天大的事，他还是置若罔闻。

1 winces   

避开，畏缩( wince的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He winces at the memory of that experience. 他一回想起那番经历就畏缩起来。
• He winces at the memory of that defeat. 一想到那次失败他就畏缩了。

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 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。

4 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

5 uncommon   

adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的

参考例句：

• Such attitudes were not at all uncommon thirty years ago.这些看法在30年前很常见。
• Phil has uncommon intelligence.菲尔智力超群。

6 vivacity   

n.快活，活泼，精神充沛

参考例句：

• Her charm resides in her vivacity.她的魅力存在于她的活泼。
• He was charmed by her vivacity and high spirits.她的活泼与兴高采烈的情绪把他迷住了。

7 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。

8 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

9 impersonal   

adj.无个人感情的，与个人无关的，非人称的

参考例句：

• Even his children found him strangely distant and impersonal.他的孩子们也认为他跟其他人很疏远，没有人情味。
• His manner seemed rather stiff and impersonal.他的态度似乎很生硬冷淡。

10 stolidity   

n.迟钝，感觉麻木

参考例句：

• That contrast between flashy inspiration and stolidity may now apply to the world's big central banks. 而今这种创意的灵感和反应上的迟钝的对照也适用于世界上的各大中央银行。 来自互联网