Two seamen came. The golden-hued Tahitian and the grizzly Manxman. "Take the reel, one of ye, I'll heave." 两个水手走过来了，一个是金黄色的塔希提人，一个是满头白发的人岛人。"你们哪一个来绕线轮，我来抛。"

They went towards the extreme stern, on the ship's lee side, 他们走到船梢的边上，站在船的下风一边，

where the deck, with the oblique energy of the wind, was now almost dipping into the creamy, sidelong-rushing sea. 那地方因为斜风的吹刮，甲板都差不多浸在那打斜冲过来的、奶油般的浪潮里了。

The Manxman took the reel, and holding it high up, by the projecting handle-ends of the spindle, 那个人岛人拿着绕线轮的突出的卷轴柄尾，把它擎得高高的，

round which the spool of line revolved, so stood with the angular log hanging downwards, till Ahab advanced to him. 那上面绕有一卷线，他手里拿着那只挂在下面的棱形的测程仪，站在那里，等候亚哈走过来。

Ahab stood before him, and was lightly unwinding some thirty or forty turns to form a preliminary hand-coil to toss overboard, 亚哈站在他面前，轻轻地撒开了三四十圈，以便绕在手里，准备把它抛到海里去，

when the old Manxman, who was intently eyeing both him and the line, made bold to speak. 这时，那个全神贯注地紧瞪着亚哈和测量绳的人岛老汉，冒昧地开口了。

Sir, I mistrust it; this line looks far gone, long heat and wet have spoiled it. 先生，我不相信这东西，这些绳子，样子早就不中用啦，一直让日晒水溅，早就把它糟蹋了。

Twill hold, old gentleman. Long heat and wet, have they spoiled thee? Thou seem'st to hold. 顶用的，老先生。你一直让日晒水溅，可把你糟蹋了嘛？看来你都撑下来了。

Or, truer perhaps, life holds thee; not thou it. 啊，也许应该这么说，是生命撑住了你，不是你撑住了生命。

I hold the spool, sir. But just as my captain says. 我撑住的是线圈呀，先生。不过，我的船长说的总没错。

With these grey hairs of mine 'tis not worth while disputing, 'specially with a superior, who'll ne'er confess. 象我这一大把年纪，是不配争辩的，尤其是不该跟个上司争辩，上司是决不会认错的。

What's that? There now's a patched professor in Queen Nature's granite-founded College; but methinks he's too subservient. 怎么？这会儿倒来了个自然大学的饭桶教授，不过，我想，他未免太会拍马屁了。

Where wert thou born? 你是哪里人？