英语听书《白鲸记》第960期

 The magnetic energy, as developed in the mariner's needle, is, as all know, essentially¹ one with the electricity beheld² in heaven; 船上的罗盘针的磁力的扩张，如所周知，基本上是跟我们所看到的天上的电闪情况一样的；

hence it is not to be much marvelled³ at, that such things should be. 因此，类似这样的事情，本来就不必大惊小怪。

In instances where the lightning has actually struck the vessel⁴, 事实上，闪电击中了船只的事，例子就有不少，

so as to smite⁵ down some of the spars and rigging, the effect upon the needle has at times been still more fatal; 比如把一些圆材和索具都击断，其对于罗盘针的影响，往往更会造成灾难；

all its loadstone virtue⁶ being annihilated⁷, so that the before magnetic steel was of no more use than an old wife's knitting needle. 把它所有的全部天然磁石的效能消灭殆尽，以致原来的磁针比老太婆的缝衣针都更不顶用。

But in either case, the needle never again, of itself, recovers the original virtue thus marred⁸ or lost; 总之，不管怎样，经过这样的损伤后，罗盘针本身就此再也不能恢复它原来的效能了。

and if the binnacle compasses be affected⁹, the same fate reaches all the others that may be in the ship; 如果罗盘盒子也受了影响的话，船上的一切罗盘针可能都要落到同样的命运；

even were the lowermost one inserted into the kelson. 哪怕那只插在内龙骨里最底下的罗盘针也在所难免。

Deliberately¹⁰ standing¹¹ before the binnacle, and eyeing the transpointed compasses, 这个老人站在罗盘盒子跟前沉思默想，眼睛瞪着那只转了向的罗盘针，

the old man, with the sharp of his extended hand, now took the precise bearing of the sun, 伸出他那只灵敏的手，弄清太阳的准确方位，

and satisfied that the needles were exactly inverted¹², shouted out his orders for the ship's course to be changed accordingly. 满意地认为罗盘针的确是倒转了，他便高声发出命令，要船转变航向。

The yards were hard up; and once more the Pequod thrust her undaunted bows into the opposing wind, 帆桁都转向了；"裴廓德号"那不屈不挠的船头又再度掉向逆风里，

for the supposed fair one had only been juggling¹³ her. 因为刚才的所谓顺风不过是把它骗了。

Meanwhile, whatever were his own secret thoughts, Starbuck said nothing, but quietly he issued all requisite¹⁴ orders; 这样，斯达巴克的心里不管有他自己的怎样秘密的想法，他都一言不发，只是闷声不响地发出一切必要的命令；

while Stubb and Flask¹⁵ — who in some small degree seemed then to be sharing his feelings — likewise unmurmuringly acquiesced¹⁶. 斯塔布和弗拉斯克呢——他们这时也多少跟他有同感——也同样不声不响地默从了。

 

1 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

2 beheld   

v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟

参考例句：

• His eyes had never beheld such opulence. 他从未见过这样的财富。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The soul beheld its features in the mirror of the passing moment. 灵魂在逝去的瞬间的镜子中看到了自己的模样。 来自英汉文学 - 红字

3 marvelled   

v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I marvelled that he suddenly left college. 我对他突然离开大学感到惊奇。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I marvelled at your boldness. 我对你的大胆感到惊奇。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

5 smite   

v.重击；彻底击败；n.打；尝试；一点儿

参考例句：

• The wise know how to teach,the fool how to smite.智者知道如何教导，愚者知道怎样破坏。
• God will smite our enemies.上帝将击溃我们的敌人。

6 virtue   

n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力

参考例句：

• He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。
• You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。

7 annihilated   

v.（彻底）消灭( annihilate的过去式和过去分词 )；使无效；废止；彻底击溃

参考例句：

• Our soldiers annihilated a force of three hundred enemy troops. 我军战士消灭了300名敌军。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• We annihilated the enemy. 我们歼灭了敌人。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 marred   

adj. 被损毁, 污损的

参考例句：

• The game was marred by the behaviour of drunken fans. 喝醉了的球迷行为不轨，把比赛给搅了。
• Bad diction marred the effectiveness of his speech. 措词不当影响了他演说的效果。

9 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

10 deliberately   

adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地

参考例句：

• The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
• They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。

11 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。

12 inverted   

adj.反向的，倒转的v.使倒置，使反转( invert的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Only direct speech should go inside inverted commas. 只有直接引语应放在引号内。
• Inverted flight is an acrobatic manoeuvre of the plane. 倒飞是飞机的一种特技动作。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 juggling   

n. 欺骗, 杂耍(=jugglery) adj. 欺骗的, 欺诈的 动词juggle的现在分词

参考例句：

• He was charged with some dishonest juggling with the accounts. 他被指控用欺骗手段窜改账目。
• The accountant went to prison for juggling his firm's accounts. 会计因涂改公司的帐目而入狱。

14 requisite   

adj.需要的，必不可少的；n.必需品

参考例句：

• He hasn't got the requisite qualifications for the job.他不具备这工作所需的资格。
• Food and air are requisite for life.食物和空气是生命的必需品。

15 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。

16 acquiesced   

v.默认，默许( acquiesce的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Senior government figures must have acquiesced in the cover-up. 政府高级官员必然已经默许掩盖真相。
• After a lot of persuasion,he finally acquiesced. 经过多次劝说，他最终默许了。 来自《简明英汉词典》