英语听书《白鲸记》第891期

 　　Oh, sir, it will break bones—beware, beware! 啊，先生，它会钳碎骨头的——小心，小心！

　　No fear; I like a good grip; I like to feel something in this slippery world that can hold, man. 怕什么；我就喜欢好钳力；在这个活里活络的世界上，我就喜欢碰碰钳得住的东西，老朋友。

　　What's Prometheus about there?— the blacksmith, I mean—what's he about? 那个普洛米修斯（希腊神话中那个拿火给人类的神，这里借指铁匠。）在那边忙些什么？——我说的是那个铁匠——他在忙些什么呀？

　　He must be forging the buckle¹-screw, sir, now. 啊，先生，这会儿，他一定是在打旋钉。

　　Right. It's a partnership²; he supplies the muscle part. He makes a fierce red flame there! 对，这就是合作互助；他供给筋肉方面的东西。他正在那边烧起通红的火焰！

　　Aye, sir; he must have the white heat for this kind of fine work. 是呀，先生，要做这种精巧活儿，就得有白热。

　　Um-m. So he must. 唔——唔。他是一定要有白热。

　　I do deem it now a most meaning thing, that that old Greek, Prometheus, who made men, they say, should have been a blacksmith, and animated³ them with fire; 我承认这是桩最有意义的事情，据说那个古希腊人，那个创造了人类的普洛米修斯，原来也必定是干过铁匠的，他这才使人类火气十足；

　　for what's made in fire must properly belong to fire; and so hell's probable. 因为凡是火做成的东西，当然就一定属于火；地狱可能也是这样。

　　How the soot⁴ flies! This must be the remainder the Greek made the Africans of. 那烟炱腾得多高！这一定是那个希腊人创造了非洲人剩下来的东西。

　　Carpenter, when he's through with that buckle, tell him to forge a pair of steel shoulder-blades; there's a pedlar aboard with a crushing pack. 木匠，等他打完了螺旋钉后，要他打一副钢肩胛骨；船上还有一个贩子给担子压得透不过气来呢。

　　Sir? Hold; while Prometheus is about it, I'll order a complete man after a desirable pattern. 先生？住嘴，趁普洛米修斯正在忙着，我倒要他按照我合意的样式做出个完整的人来。

1 buckle   

n.扣子，带扣；v.把...扣住，由于压力而弯曲

参考例句：

• The two ends buckle at the back.带子两端在背后扣起来。
• She found it hard to buckle down.她很难专心做一件事情。

2 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

3 animated   

adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的

参考例句：

• His observations gave rise to an animated and lively discussion.他的言论引起了一场气氛热烈而活跃的讨论。
• We had an animated discussion over current events last evening.昨天晚上我们热烈地讨论时事。

4 soot   

n.煤烟，烟尘；vt.熏以煤烟

参考例句：

• Soot is the product of the imperfect combustion of fuel.煤烟是燃料不完全燃烧的产物。
• The chimney was choked with soot.烟囱被煤灰堵塞了。