英语听书《白鲸记》第210期

 Whether that mattress¹ was stuffed with corncobs or broken crockery, there is no telling, but I rolled about a good deal, and could not sleep for a long time.  那个褥子究竟装的是玉米棒子还是破瓦片,可摸不准,不过,我翻来复去,好久都睡不着觉。

At last I slid off into a light doze², and had pretty nearly made a good offing towards the land of Nod, when I heard a heavy footfall in the passage,  最后,就在我蒙睡去,快要准备舒舒服服进入黑甜乡的时候,就听到过道里一阵沉重的脚步声,

and saw a glimmer³ of light come into the room from under the door. 接着又看见门下面一点微光向屋子这边移过来。

Lord save me, thinks I, that must be the harpooneer, the infernal head-peddler.  老天救命呀,我心里想,这一定是那个标枪手来了,那个无法无天的人头贩子来了。

But I lay perfectly⁴ still, and resolved not to say a word till spoken to.  但是,我一动不动地睡着,决定除非他跟我说话,我决不先开口。

Holding a light in one hand, and that identical New Zealand head in the other, the stranger entered the room, and without looking towards the bed,  这个陌生人,一只手拿着一支蜡烛,另一手拿着那只前面说过的新西兰头,进房来了,他也不朝床铺这边望一望,

placed his candle a good way off from me on the floor in one corner, and then began working away at the knotted cords of the large bag I before spoke⁵ of as being in the room.  把蜡烛放在离我很远的一个角落的地板上,就径自去解开我前面说过的.放在房间里的那个大水手包的绳子。

I was all eagerness to see his face, but he kept it averted⁶ for some time while employed in unlacing the bag's mouth.  我急切想看看他的脸,可是,有好半天他背着身子,一心在解水手包口上的绳子。

1 mattress   

n.床垫，床褥

参考例句：

• The straw mattress needs to be aired.草垫子该晾一晾了。
• The new mattress I bought sags in the middle.我买的新床垫中间陷了下去。

2 doze   

v.打瞌睡；n.打盹，假寐

参考例句：

• He likes to have a doze after lunch.他喜欢午饭后打个盹。
• While the adults doze,the young play.大人们在打瞌睡，而孩子们在玩耍。

3 glimmer   

v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光

参考例句：

• I looked at her and felt a glimmer of hope.我注视她，感到了一线希望。
• A glimmer of amusement showed in her eyes.她的眼中露出一丝笑意。

4 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 averted   

防止，避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 )； 转移

参考例句：

• A disaster was narrowly averted. 及时防止了一场灾难。
• Thanks to her skilful handling of the affair, the problem was averted. 多亏她对事情处理得巧妙，才避免了麻烦。