英语听书《白鲸记》第288期

 Like Captain Peleg, Captain Bildad was a well-to-do, retired¹ whaleman.  象法勒船长一样,比勒达船长也是个小康的退休捕鲸者。

But unlike Captain Peleg-who cared not a rush for what are called serious things, and indeed deemed those self-same serious things the veriest of all trifles 但是,他跟法勒船长不同的是法勒对于所谓重大事情并不爱慌慌张张,而且确是把这所谓重大事情看做是最无关紧要的琐事。

Captain Bildad had not only been originally educated according to the strictest sect² of Nantucket Quakerism,  比勒达船长却不但本来就受过了南塔开特的最谨严的桂克派的训练,

but all his subsequent ocean life, and the sight of many unclad, lovely island creatures, round the Horn 后来还经历了一切海洋生活,看到合恩角周围许多一丝不挂的。

all that had not moved this native born Quaker one single jot³, had not so much as altered one angle of his vest.  可爱的岛民。但是,这一切都一点也影响不到这个土生土长的桂克,连外表也没有多大改变。

Still, for all this immutableness, was there some lack of common consistency⁴ about worthy⁵ Captain Bildad.  不过,尽管可敬的比勒达船长具有这种不变性,他却缺乏一种首尾一贯的精神。

Though refusing, from conscientious⁶ scruples⁷, to bear arms against land invaders⁸, yet himself had illimitably invaded the Atlantic and Pacific; 他虽然由于良心上的迟疑,不肯拿起武器去抵御陆地来的侵略者,然而他本人却已无节制地入侵了大西洋和太平洋;

and though a sworn foe⁹ to human bloodshed, yet had he in his straight-bodied coat, spilled tuns upon tuns of leviathan gore¹⁰.  虽然他对人类的自相残杀深恶痛绝,然而,他却穿上紧身短衣,使大鲸流出一大桶一大桶的血。

How now in the contemplative evening of his days, the pious¹¹ Bildad reconciled these things in the reminiscence, I do not know;  现在在这个虔诚的比勒达这种沉思默想的垂暮之年,他在追忆往事时怎样使这些事情一致起来,我可不大清楚;

but it did not seem to concern him much, and very probably he had long since come to the sage¹² and sensible conclusion that a man's religion is one thing,  可是,看来他是不很把它放在心上的,他很可能早就获得一种贤明的结论,认为一个人的宗教信仰是一回事,

and this practical world quite another. This world pays dividends¹³.  而这个现实的世界又完全是另一回事。

Rising from a little cabin boy in short clothes of the drabbest drab, to a harpooneer in a broad shad-bellied waistcoat;  这种世界是有利可图的。从一个穿着深棕色的短打的船长小厮出身,做到穿着袒开肚皮的大坎肩的标枪手;

from that becoming boat-header, chief mate, and captain, and finally a shipowner;  由此而做到船长,大副,船长,最后成为船老板;

Bildad, as I hinted before, had concluded his adventurous¹⁴ career by wholly retiring from active life at the goodly age of sixty,  如上所述,比勒达已在高龄六十之年完全摆脱了实际活动,结束他那冒险事业,

and dedicating his remaining days to the quiet receiving of his well-earned income. 把他的余生致力于安闲地收取他那好出息的进益了。

1 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

2 sect   

n.派别，宗教，学派，派系

参考例句：

• When he was sixteen he joined a religious sect.他16岁的时候加入了一个宗教教派。
• Each religious sect in the town had its own church.该城每一个宗教教派都有自己的教堂。

3 jot   

n.少量；vi.草草记下；vt.匆匆写下

参考例句：

• I'll jot down their address before I forget it.我得赶快把他们的地址写下来，免得忘了。
• There is not a jot of evidence to say it does them any good.没有丝毫的证据显示这对他们有任何好处。

4 consistency   

n.一贯性，前后一致，稳定性；(液体的)浓度

参考例句：

• Your behaviour lacks consistency.你的行为缺乏一贯性。
• We appreciate the consistency and stability in China and in Chinese politics.我们赞赏中国及其政策的连续性和稳定性。

5 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

6 conscientious   

adj.审慎正直的，认真的，本着良心的

参考例句：

• He is a conscientious man and knows his job.他很认真负责，也很懂行。
• He is very conscientious in the performance of his duties.他非常认真地履行职责。

7 scruples   

n.良心上的不安( scruple的名词复数 )；顾虑，顾忌v.感到于心不安，有顾忌( scruple的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• I overcame my moral scruples. 我抛开了道德方面的顾虑。
• I'm not ashamed of my scruples about your family. They were natural. 我并未因为对你家人的顾虑而感到羞耻。这种感觉是自然而然的。 来自疯狂英语突破英语语调

8 invaders   

入侵者，侵略者，侵入物( invader的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They prepared to repel the invaders. 他们准备赶走侵略军。
• The family has traced its ancestry to the Norman invaders. 这个家族将自己的世系追溯到诺曼征服者。

9 foe   

n.敌人，仇敌

参考例句：

• He knew that Karl could be an implacable foe.他明白卡尔可能会成为他的死敌。
• A friend is a friend;a foe is a foe;one must be clearly distinguished from the other.敌是敌，友是友，必须分清界限。

10 gore   

n.凝血，血污；v.（动物）用角撞伤，用牙刺破；缝以补裆；顶

参考例句：

• The fox lay dying in a pool of gore.狐狸倒在血泊中奄奄一息。
• Carruthers had been gored by a rhinoceros.卡拉瑟斯被犀牛顶伤了。

11 pious   

adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的

参考例句：

• Alexander is a pious follower of the faith.亚历山大是个虔诚的信徒。
• Her mother was a pious Christian.她母亲是一个虔诚的基督教徒。

12 sage   

n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的

参考例句：

• I was grateful for the old man's sage advice.我很感激那位老人贤明的忠告。
• The sage is the instructor of a hundred ages.这位哲人是百代之师。

13 dividends   

红利( dividend的名词复数 )； 股息； 被除数； （足球彩票的）彩金

参考例句：

• Nothing pays richer dividends than magnanimity. 没有什么比宽宏大量更能得到厚报。
• Their decision five years ago to computerise the company is now paying dividends. 五年前他们作出的使公司电脑化的决定现在正产生出效益。

14 adventurous   

adj.爱冒险的；惊心动魄的，惊险的，刺激的　

参考例句：

• I was filled with envy at their adventurous lifestyle.我很羨慕他们敢于冒险的生活方式。
• He was predestined to lead an adventurous life.他注定要过冒险的生活。