英语听书《白鲸记》第889期

 　　Chapter 108 Ahab and the Carpenter 第一百零八章亚哈和木匠

　　The Deck — First Night Watch 甲板上——初夜班

　　(Carpenter standing¹ before his vice²-bench, and by the light of two lanterns busily filing the ivory joist for the leg, which joist is firmly fixed³ in the vice. （木匠站在他那虎钳条凳跟前，借着两支灯笼的亮光，正在忙着锉平那块做腿用的牙骨，这块骨头已给牢牢地嵌在虎钳里。

　　Slabs⁴ of ivory, leather straps⁵, pads, screws, and various tools of all sorts lying about the bench. 条凳上摊着一片片的牙骨，皮带，衬料，螺丝和各式各样工具。

　　Forward, the red flame of the forge is seen, where the blacksmith is at work.) 前边，熔铁炉发出熊熊的火光，铁匠正在那里干活。）

　　Drat the file, and drat the bone! 可恶的锉子，可恶的骨头！

　　That is hard which should be soft, and that is soft which should be hard. 该软的时候偏偏硬，该硬的时候却偏偏软。

　　So we go, who file old jaws⁶ and shin bones. 哼，算了吧，谁高兴锉挺硬的牙门骨和胫骨。

　　Let's try another. 另外找块来试试吧。

　　Aye, now, this works better (sneezes). 是呀，现在这块骨头做起来可麻利得多啦（打喷嚏）。

　　Halloa, this bone dust is (sneezes)—why it's (sneezes)—yes it's (sneezes)—bless my soul, it won't let me speak! 喂，啊呀！这块骨头锉出来的灰倒（打喷嚏）——哼，倒是（打喷嚏）——不错，真是（打喷嚏）——哎呀！它连话都不让我说！

　　This is what an old fellow gets now for working in dead lumber⁷. 怪不得上了年纪的人都喜欢用滑溜溜的木头做活。

　　Saw a live tree, and you don't get this dust; amputate a live bone, and you don't get it (sneezes). 锯倒一株活树，就没有这种灰了；砍断一根生骨头，也不会有灰（打喷嚏）。

　　Come, come, you old Smut, there, bear a hand, and let's have that ferrule and buckle-screw; I'll be ready for them presently.  喂，喂，你老人家（指老铁匠。），帮一帮忙，我要小铁箍和旋钉了；我立刻就要用了。

1 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

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 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

4 slabs   

n.厚板，平板，厚片( slab的名词复数 )；厚胶片

参考例句：

• The patio was made of stone slabs. 这天井是用石板铺砌而成的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The slabs of standing stone point roughly toward the invisible notch. 这些矗立的石块，大致指向那个看不见的缺口。 来自辞典例句

5 straps   

n.带子( strap的名词复数 )；挎带；肩带；背带v.用皮带捆扎( strap的第三人称单数 )；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带

参考例句：

• the shoulder straps of her dress 她连衣裙上的肩带
• The straps can be adjusted to suit the wearer. 这些背带可进行调整以适合使用者。

6 jaws   

n.口部；嘴

参考例句：

• The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。
• The scored jaws of a vise help it bite the work. 台钳上有刻痕的虎钳牙帮助它紧咬住工件。

7 lumber   

n.木材，木料；v.以破旧东西堆满；伐木；笨重移动

参考例句：

• The truck was sent to carry lumber.卡车被派出去运木材。
• They slapped together a cabin out of old lumber.他们利用旧木料草草地盖起了一间小屋。