英语听书《白鲸记》第588期

 　　Whatever superstitions¹ the sperm² whalemen in general have connected with the sight of this object,  不管一般捕抹香鲸者一看到这种东西，怎样怀有各种各样的迷信的想法，

　　certain it is, that a glimpse of it being so very unusual, that circumstance has gone far to invest it with portentousness³.  有一点可以肯定的是，因为看到这种东西，机会如此难得，所以一看到了，就认为是种不祥之兆。

　　So rarely is it beheld⁴, that though one and all of them declare it to be the largest animated⁵ thing in the ocean,  这样难得一见的东西，虽然大家都一致声称它是海里的最大的生物，

　　yet very few of them have any but the most vague ideas concerning its true nature and form;  然而，对它的真相，哪怕只有非常模糊的概念的，却是为数寥寥，

　　notwithstanding, they believe it to furnish to the sperm whale his only food. 尽管他们还认为：它是抹香鲸的唯一的食料。

　　For though other species of whales find their food above water,  因为虽则别种鲸都在水面上找寻食料，

　　and may be seen by man in the act of feeding, the spermaceti whale obtains his whole food in unknown zones below the surface; 它们吃东西的时候，人们也许可以看到，而抹香鲸却不知在何处的水底下获得它的全部食料；

　　and only by inference is it that any one can tell of what, precisely⁶, that food consists. 人们只能凭推断才说得出它究竟是吃些什么食料；

　　At times, when closely pursued, he will disgorge what are supposed to be the detached arms of the squid;  有时在它被穷追猛击的时候，它往往会吐出一种大家认为是大乌贼鱼的残臂的东西来；

　　some of them thus exhibited exceeding twenty and thirty feet in length. 其中有些竟长达二三十英尺以上。

　　They fancy that the monster to which these arms belonged ordinarily clings by them to the bed of the ocean; 人们认为这种有着这些手臂的巨物，通常总是用这些手臂紧攀在海底里；

　　and that the sperm whale, unlike other species, is supplied with teeth in order to attack and tear it. 同时也认为，抹香鲸不象别种鲸那样，它长有牙齿，能够攻击和撕裂这种大乌贼鱼。

　　There seems some ground to imagine that the great Kraken of Bishop⁷ Pontoppodan may ultimately resolve itself into Squid. 这里倒似乎有根据可以认为逢托波丹主教（逢托波丹主教即伊立克。逢托波丹（1698—1764）——丹麦历史学家，地志学家和哥本哈根大学的神学教授，著有《挪威博物史》和一些丹麦的历史地理神话的书。）所称的大克拉更（克拉更——相传是斯堪的纳维亚，尤其是在挪威海中出现的怪物。）终究应该属于大乌贼类了。

1 superstitions   

迷信，迷信行为( superstition的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Old superstitions seem incredible to educated people. 旧的迷信对于受过教育的人来说是不可思议的。
• Do away with all fetishes and superstitions. 破除一切盲目崇拜和迷信。

2 sperm   

n.精子，精液

参考例句：

• Only one sperm fertilises an egg.只有一个精子使卵子受精。
• In human reproduction,one female egg is usually fertilized by one sperm.在人体生殖过程中，一个精子使一个卵子受精。

3 portentousness   

Portentousness

参考例句：

4 beheld   

v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟

参考例句：

• His eyes had never beheld such opulence. 他从未见过这样的财富。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The soul beheld its features in the mirror of the passing moment. 灵魂在逝去的瞬间的镜子中看到了自己的模样。 来自英汉文学 - 红字

5 animated   

adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的

参考例句：

• His observations gave rise to an animated and lively discussion.他的言论引起了一场气氛热烈而活跃的讨论。
• We had an animated discussion over current events last evening.昨天晚上我们热烈地讨论时事。

6 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。

7 bishop   

n.主教，（国际象棋）象

参考例句：

• He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
• Two years after his death the bishop was canonised.主教逝世两年后被正式封为圣者。