英语听书《白鲸记》第901期

 It may have been a flash of honesty in him; or mere¹ prudential policy which, under the circumstance, 也许他心头忽发善念；或许不过是一种慎重将事的权谋，因为在当时的情况下，

imperiously forbade the slightest symptom of open disaffection, however transient, in the important chief officer of his ship. 绝不应该让他船上的主要高级船员显露丝毫公开表示不满的（尽管是暂时的）情绪。

However it was, his orders were executed; and the Burtons were hoisted². 总之，大家都执行了他的命令，把那架复滑车吊起来了。

Chapter 110 Queequeg in His Coffin³ 第一百十章魁魁格在棺材里

Upon searching, it was found that the casks last struck into the hold were perfectly⁴ sound, and that the leak must be further off. 找漏结果，发现上次放进舱里的油桶都完好无损，因此，漏洞一定是在更远的什么地方。

So, it being calm weather, they broke out deeper and deeper, disturbing the slumbers⁵ of the huge ground-tier butts⁶; 由于风平浪静，他们越摸越深，越翻越远，真是闹得天翻地覆，连底层的那些大桶（指一百零八到一百四十加仑的古代大桶。）也不安稳了；

and from that black midnight sending those gigantic moles⁷ into the daylight above. 把那些大地鼬鼠打漆黑的深更半夜里给赶到光天化日的甲板上。

So deep did they go; and so ancient, and corroded⁸, and weedy the aspect of the lowermost puncheons, 他们掏得这么深、这么远，把埋在最底里的那些陈年古董、腐腐烂烂、模样难看的大桶（指七十二到一百二十加仑的大桶。）都给掏了出来，

that you almost looked next for some mouldy corner-stone cask containing coins of Captain Noah, 以致使人简直以为再掏下去，连那只发霉的做垫脚石用、里面藏有挪亚船长的钱币，

with copies of the posted placards, vainly warning the infatuated old world from the flood. 和一份份得意洋洋地预示着那浑沌的古代洪水就要到来的传单的桶子也要给掏出来了。

Tierce after tierce, too, of water, and bread, and beef, and shooks of staves, and iron bundles of hoops⁹, were hoisted out, 一层翻过一层，水啦，面包啦，牛肉啦，豁裂的桶板啦，一串串的铁箍子啦，什么都给吊了起来，

till at last the piled decks were hard to get about; and the hollow hull¹⁰ echoed under foot, 最后弄得那堆满塞足的甲板也无法走动，那只空心船壳，脚底一踩就发出回声，

as if you were treading over empty catacombs, and reeled and rolled in the sea like an air-freighted demijohn. 仿佛是在踩过空空洞洞的地下墓窖，它象一只空空如也的小颈大瓶子在海里颠来晃去。

1 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

2 hoisted   

把…吊起，升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He hoisted himself onto a high stool. 他抬身坐上了一张高凳子。
• The sailors hoisted the cargo onto the deck. 水手们把货物吊到甲板上。

3 coffin   

n.棺材，灵柩

参考例句：

• When one's coffin is covered,all discussion about him can be settled.盖棺论定。
• The coffin was placed in the grave.那口棺材已安放到坟墓里去了。

4 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

5 slumbers   

睡眠，安眠( slumber的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His image traversed constantly her restless slumbers. 他的形象一再闯进她的脑海，弄得她不能安睡。
• My Titan brother slumbers deep inside his mountain prison. Go. 我的泰坦兄弟就被囚禁在山脉的深处。

6 butts   

笑柄( butt的名词复数 )； （武器或工具的）粗大的一端； 屁股； 烟蒂

参考例句：

• The Nazis worked them over with gun butts. 纳粹分子用枪托毒打他们。
• The house butts to a cemetery. 这所房子和墓地相连。

7 moles   

防波堤( mole的名词复数 )； 鼹鼠； 痣； 间谍

参考例句：

• Unsightly moles can be removed surgically. 不雅观的痣可以手术去除。
• Two moles of epoxy react with one mole of A-1100. 两个克分子环氧与一个克分子A－1100反应。

8 corroded   

已被腐蚀的

参考例句：

• Rust has corroded the steel rails. 锈侵蚀了钢轨。
• Jealousy corroded his character. 嫉妒损伤了他的人格。

9 hoops   

n.箍( hoop的名词复数 )；（篮球）篮圈；（旧时儿童玩的）大环子；（两端埋在地里的）小铁弓

参考例句：

• a barrel bound with iron hoops 用铁箍箍紧的桶
• Hoops in Paris were wider this season and skirts were shorter. 在巴黎，这个季节的裙圈比较宽大，裙裾却短一些。 来自飘（部分）

10 hull   

n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳

参考例句：

• The outer surface of ship's hull is very hard.船体的外表面非常坚硬。
• The boat's hull has been staved in by the tremendous seas.小船壳让巨浪打穿了。