英语听书《白鲸记》第979期

 It seemed that somewhat late on the afternoon of the day previous, 大概是前天傍晚时分，

while three of the stranger's boats were engaged with a shoal of whales, which had led them some four or five miles from the ship; 当时，这艘陌生船的三只小艇都在追击一群鲸，水手们直追赶得离开大船有四五英里远，

and while they were yet in swift chase to windward, the white hump and head of Moby Dick had suddenly loomed¹ up out of the blue water, not very far to leeward²; 正当它们还在向着上风穷追猛赶的时候，莫比－迪克那只白色背峰和头颅，突然间从海里悄然出现，在离下风不远的地方。

whereupon, the fourth rigged boat — a reserved one — had been instantly lowered in chase. 因此，临时装备起来的第四只小艇——一只备用小艇——立刻被放下海去追击。

After a keen sail before the wind, this fourth boat — the swiftest keeled of all, 这第四只小艇——最最快速的一只小艇——趁顺风一阵猛划后，

seemed to have succeeded in fastening — at least, as well as the man at the mast-head could tell anything about it. 至少照那个在桅顶上的人所能看到的情况说来，似乎已经把鲸拴住了。

In the distance he saw the diminished dotted boat; and then a swift gleam of bubbling white water; and after that nothing more; 他看到那只小艇在老远的地方，逐渐缩成一个小点，后来一阵泡沫飞溅的白浪倏地一闪；

whence it was concluded that the stricken whale must have indefinitely run away with his pursuers, as often happens. 就此再也看不到什么了。根据这个情况，大家认为，那条受伤的鲸一定是象往常一样，不知拖着那些追赶它的小艇逃到哪里去了。

There was some apprehension³, but no positive alarm, as yet. 到目前为止，虽然有点叫人担心，却还没有教人惊恐的确凿证据。

The recall signals were placed in the rigging; darkness came on; 索具上已挂上召唤小艇回大船的信号旗；天也黑了；

and forced to pick up her three far to windward boats — ere going in quest of the fourth one in the precisely⁴ opposite direction, 大船在到正相反的方向去找寻那第四只小艇之前，不得不先去料理远在上风处的三只小艇，

the ship had not only been necessitated⁵ to leave that boat to its fate till near midnight, but, for the time, to increase her distance from it. 这样一来，大船不仅只好暂时让那只小艇听天由命，待到午夜时分再说，而且越来越远离它了。

But the rest of her crew being at last safe aboard, she crowded all sail — stunsail on stunsail — after the missing boat; 后来，等到其余那些水手都平安上了船，它这才扯上所有的风帆——加上一片片的副帆——去寻找那只失落的小艇，

kindling⁶ a fire in her try-pots for a beacon⁷; and every other man aloft on the look-out. 还在炼油锅里烧起一锅火来做警标；所有的人都爬上桅顶去瞭望。

 

1 loomed   

v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• A dark shape loomed up ahead of us. 一个黑糊糊的影子隐隐出现在我们的前面。
• The prospect of war loomed large in everyone's mind. 战事将起的庞大阴影占据每个人的心。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 leeward   

adj.背风的；下风的

参考例句：

• The trees all listed to leeward.树木统统向下风方向倾。
• We steered a course to leeward.我们向下风航驶。

3 apprehension   

n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑

参考例句：

• There were still areas of doubt and her apprehension grew.有些地方仍然存疑，于是她越来越担心。
• She is a girl of weak apprehension.她是一个理解力很差的女孩。

4 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

5 necessitated   

使…成为必要，需要( necessitate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Recent financial scandals have necessitated changes in parliamentary procedures. 最近的金融丑闻使得议会程序必须改革。
• No man is necessitated to do wrong. 没有人是被迫去作错事的。

6 kindling   

n. 点火, 可燃物 动词kindle的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• There were neat piles of kindling wood against the wall. 墙边整齐地放着几堆引火柴。
• "Coal and kindling all in the shed in the backyard." “煤，劈柴，都在后院小屋里。” 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子

7 beacon   

n.烽火，（警告用的）闪火灯，灯塔

参考例句：

• The blink of beacon could be seen for miles.灯塔的光亮在数英里之外都能看见。
• The only light over the deep black sea was the blink shone from the beacon.黑黢黢的海面上唯一的光明就只有灯塔上闪现的亮光了。