英语听书《白鲸记》第950期

 First take your leg off from the crown of the anchor here, though, so I can pass the rope; now listen. 你先把脚拿开，别搁在锚顶上，让我把绳索兜过去；现在；听着。

What's the mighty¹ difference between holding a mast's lightning-rod in the storm, 在暴风雨里拿着一根桅杆避雷针，

and standing² close by a mast that hasn't got any lightning-rod at all in a storm? 跟在暴风雨里站在一根本来就没有什么避雷针的桅杆边，这中间有什么重大的分别呀？

Don't you see, you timber-head, that no harm can come to the holder³ of the rod, unless the mast is first struck? 你知道，你这傻瓜，除非是桅杆先让轰击了，拿避雷针的人决不会遭到什么伤害？

What are you talking about, then? 那么，你在扯些什么？

Not one ship in a hundred carries rods, and Ahab, — aye, man, and all of us, 一百艘船里头，装有避雷针的，连一艘都不到，那么，亚哈，——喂，朋友，也包括我们大家在内，

were in no more danger then, in my poor opinion, than all the crews in ten thousand ships now sailing the seas. 按照我的鄙见，也是跟现在正在海上航行的十万艘船的全体水手一样没有危险。

Why, you King-Post, you, I suppose you would have every man in the world go about with a small lightning-rod running up the corner of his hat, 怎么，你这个中柱，你呀，我看，你是要叫世界上每个人都在帽子上插着一根小避雷针走来走去，

like a militia⁴ officer's skewered⁵ feather, and trailing behind like his sash. 就象一个民兵队长拖着一串鸡毛，象头带那样拖在背后，这才痛快。

Why don't ye be sensible, Flask⁶? 你为什么这样不明白事理，弗拉斯克？

it's easy to be sensible; why don't ye, then? any man with half an eye can be sensible. 明白事理又不是什么难事；你为什么不明白事理？随便什么人，哪怕是长了半只眼睛的人也会明白事理。

I don't know that, Stubb. You sometimes find it rather hard. 这我不知道，斯塔布。有时候总觉得这是很难懂的。

Yes, when a fellow's soaked through, it's hard to be sensible, that's a fact. 当然啦，一个浑身湿透了的人，是很难明白事理的，这倒是事实。

And I am about drenched⁷ with this spray. 我也要给这浪花泼得浑身湿淋淋了。

Never mind; catch the turn there, and pass it. 可是，不要紧：喂，捉住那锚角，把绳子撩过去。

Seems to me we are lashing⁸ down these anchors now as if they were never going to be used again. 据我看来，我们现在在缚着的这些锚，好象是从此再也用不着它了。

Tying these two anchors here, Flask, seems like tying a man's hands behind him. 弗拉斯克，把这两只锚缚在这里，就象是把一个人双手反缚起来那样。

And what big generous hands they are, to be sure. 老实说，这两只手有多大呀。

These are your iron fists, hey? 嗨，这些就是你的铁拳头嘛？

What a hold they have, too! 它们可有多大的力气呵！

 

1 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

2 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。

3 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。

4 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

5 skewered   

v.（用串肉扦或类似物）串起，刺穿( skewer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He skewered his victim through the neck. 他用扦子刺穿了受害人的脖子。 来自辞典例句
• He skewered his foot on a nail. 他的脚踩在钉子上了。 来自互联网

6 flask   

n.瓶，火药筒，砂箱

参考例句：

• There is some deposit in the bottom of the flask.这只烧杯的底部有些沉淀物。
• He took out a metal flask from a canvas bag.他从帆布包里拿出一个金属瓶子。

7 drenched   

adj.湿透的；充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体）

参考例句：

• We were caught in the storm and got drenched to the skin. 我们遇上了暴雨，淋得浑身透湿。
• The rain drenched us. 雨把我们淋得湿透。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 lashing   

n.鞭打；痛斥；大量；许多v.鞭打( lash的现在分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥

参考例句：

• The speaker was lashing the crowd. 演讲人正在煽动人群。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The rain was lashing the windows. 雨急打着窗子。 来自《简明英汉词典》