Though, consumed with the hot fire of his purpose, Ahab in all his thoughts and actions ever had in view the ultimate capture of Moby Dick; 亚哈虽然给他那目的的热火弄得心劳神疲，可他整个思想和行动总是指望最后能够捉住莫比－迪克。

though he seemed ready to sacrifice all mortal interests to that one passion; 虽然他为了要达到那个热望，似乎准备随时牺牲一切重大的利益，

nevertheless it may have been that he was by nature and long habituation far too wedded to a fiery whaleman's ways, 然而，他的天性和积习也许太过于墨守强悍的捕鲸者的旧规，

altogether to abandon the collateral prosecution of the voyage. 因而无法放弃这趟航程的附带工作。

Or at least if this were otherwise, there were not wanting other motives much more influential with him. 或者至少如果不是这样，那就是他心里还萦绕着更多的其它一些意图。

It would be refining too much, perhaps, even considering his monomania, 不过，即使就他那种偏热症说来，

to hint that his vindictiveness towards the White Whale might have possibly extended itself in some degree to all sperm whales, 说他对于白鲸的报复心理可能会多少扩大到一切抹香鲸，

and that the more monsters he slew by so much the more he multiplied the chances 说他越多杀巨兽，就越增加机会，

that each subsequently encountered whale would prove to be the hated one he hunted. 因为这样一条条的杀下去，最后的一条鲸就会是他所要猎击的可恨的鲸了，这种说法，也许未免太过分了些。

But if such an hypothesis be indeed exceptionable,  但是，如果这样的假定确实是可加非议的，

there were still additional considerations which, though not so strictly according with the wildness of his ruling passion, 那么还可以另外提出许多值得考虑的事实来，这些事实虽不能说是跟他那带有狂性的主要激情完全一致，

yet were by no means incapable of swaying him. 然而，也决不是不能左右他的。

To accomplish his object Ahab must use tools, and of all tools used in the shadow of the moon, men are most apt to get out of order. 为了达到目的，亚哈就必须使用工具，而在世间所能使用的一切工具中，人却是最会出乱子的。

He knew, for example, that however magnetic his ascendency in some respects was over Starbuck, 比如说，他知道，尽管在某些方面说来，他对斯达巴克具有很大的驾驭魅力，

yet that ascendency did not cover the complete spiritual man any more than mere corporeal superiority involves intellectual mastership; 然而，那种驾驭力，并未能控制一个人的整个精神，正如光靠肉体上的优势并不就等于可以在智力上控制别人一样。

for to the purely spiritual, the intellectual but stand in a sort of corporeal relation. 因为就纯粹的精神说来，智力不过是同肉体有关的一种东西而已。

Starbuck's body and Starbuck's coerced will were Ahab's, so long as Ahab kept his magnet at Starbuck's brain; 斯达巴克的身体，斯达巴克的受到强制的意志便都是亚哈的了。只要亚哈的魅力能够始终存在斯达巴克的脑子里，

still he knew that for all this the chief mate, in his soul, abhorred his captain's quest, 然而，他也知道，尽管是这样，这个大副，在灵魂深处，是嫌恶他的船长这种搜索鲸鱼的计划的，

and could he, would joyfully disintegrate himself from it, or even frustrate it. 如果他办得到的话，他一定极愿意摆脱这种计划，或者甚至会破坏这种计划。

It might be that a long interval would elapse ere the White Whale was seen. 等到发现白鲸还得有一大段时间，

During that long interval Starbuck would ever be apt to fall into open relapses of rebellion against his captain's leadership, 在这漫长的时间中，他准会随时公开反抗他的船长的领导。  

unless some ordinary, prudential, circumstantial influences were brought to bear upon him.  如果不给斯达巴克一种正常的，小心细致的，相机而行的影响，他准会随时公开反抗他的船长的领导。