英语听书《白鲸记》第682期

 When two large, loaded Indian-men chance to crowd and crush towards each other in the docks, what do the sailors do? 当两个身材高大、喝醉了酒的印度群岛人偶然在码头上打起架来的时候，你想水手们是怎样办的？

They do not suspend between them, at the point of coming contact, any merely hard substance, like iron or wood. 在两人就要相碰的时分，他们可不用什么铁器或者木头那种硬东西，来从中拦住他们。

No, they hold there a large, round wad of tow and cork¹, enveloped² in the thickest and toughest of ox-hide. 不，他们是用一个外面包着最厚最粗的生牛皮，里面塞着绳索的又圆又大的东西。

That bravely and uninjured takes the jam which would have snapped all their oaken handspikes and iron crow-bars. 那件无畏而不会伤人的东西往那中间一塞，那股力量准会教一切橡木梃和铁撬都给折断。

By itself this sufficiently³ illustrates⁴ the obvious fact I drive at. 光是这个譬喻，就足以说明我所要说的明显的事实了。

But supplementary⁵ to this, it has hypothetically occurred to me, 不过，这里得补充一点（这也是我偶然想到的臆测），

that as ordinary fish possess what is called a swimming bladder in them, capable, at will, of distension⁶ or contraction⁷; 那就是，普通鱼类的身上都有一种能够自由胀缩的、叫做鳔的东西；

and as the Sperm⁸ Whale, as far as I know, has no such provision in him; 然而，就我所知，抹香鲸身上可没有这种设备；

considering, too, the otherwise inexplicable⁹ manner in which he now depresses his head altogether beneath the surface, 而且，就它那以另一种费解的姿势，一会儿把头完全沉到水里，

and anon swims with it high elevated out of the water; considering the unobstructed elasticity¹⁰ of its envelope; 再一会儿又用那姿势从水里把头高高抬起而游去的情况说来，就它那层包着的东西具有伸缩自如的能耐说来，

considering the unique interior of his head; it has hypothetically occurred to me, I say, 就它那只珍奇无双的头颅的内部结构说来；我说，我偶然所想到的臆测就是，

that those mystical lung-celled honeycombs there may possibly have some hitherto unknown and unsuspected connexion with the outer air, 它那些奥妙的肺细胞似的蜂窝可能还有一种直到如今还未被发现、而又无疑是跟外面空气有联系的东西，

so as to be susceptible¹¹ to atmospheric¹² distension and contraction. 这才使得它能胀缩自如，吸收空气。

1 cork   

n.软木，软木塞

参考例句：

• We heard the pop of a cork.我们听见瓶塞砰的一声打开。
• Cork is a very buoyant material.软木是极易浮起的材料。

2 enveloped   

v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She was enveloped in a huge white towel. 她裹在一条白色大毛巾里。
• Smoke from the burning house enveloped the whole street. 燃烧着的房子冒出的浓烟笼罩了整条街。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 sufficiently   

adv.足够地，充分地

参考例句：

• It turned out he had not insured the house sufficiently.原来他没有给房屋投足保险。
• The new policy was sufficiently elastic to accommodate both views.新政策充分灵活地适用两种观点。

4 illustrates   

给…加插图( illustrate的第三人称单数 )； 说明； 表明； （用示例、图画等）说明

参考例句：

• This historical novel illustrates the breaking up of feudal society in microcosm. 这部历史小说是走向崩溃的封建社会的缩影。
• Alfred Adler, a famous doctor, had an experience which illustrates this. 阿尔弗莱德 - 阿德勒是一位著名的医生，他有过可以说明这点的经历。 来自中级百科部分

5 supplementary   

adj.补充的，附加的

参考例句：

• There is a supplementary water supply in case the rain supply fails.万一主水源断了，我们另外有供水的地方。
• A supplementary volume has been published containing the index.附有索引的增补卷已经出版。

6 distension   

n.扩张，膨胀(distention)

参考例句：

• Heat causes the distension of gases. 热使气体膨胀。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Feeding too rapidly will cause abdominal distension and regurgitation. 喂得太快会引起腹胀和反流。 来自辞典例句

7 contraction   

n.缩略词，缩写式，害病

参考例句：

• The contraction of this muscle raises the lower arm.肌肉的收缩使前臂抬起。
• The forces of expansion are balanced by forces of contraction.扩张力和收缩力相互平衡。

8 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。

9 inexplicable   

adj.无法解释的，难理解的

参考例句：

• It is now inexplicable how that development was misinterpreted.当时对这一事态发展的错误理解究竟是怎么产生的，现在已经无法说清楚了。
• There are many things which are inexplicable by science.有很多事科学还无法解释。

10 elasticity   

n.弹性，伸缩力

参考例句：

• The skin eventually loses its elasticity.皮肤最终会失去弹性。
• Every sort of spring has a definite elasticity.每一种弹簧都有一定的弹性。

11 susceptible   

adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的

参考例句：

• Children are more susceptible than adults.孩子比成人易受感动。
• We are all susceptible to advertising.我们都易受广告的影响。

12 atmospheric   

adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的

参考例句：

• Sea surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation are strongly coupled.海洋表面温度与大气环流是密切相关的。
• Clouds return radiant energy to the surface primarily via the atmospheric window.云主要通过大气窗区向地表辐射能量。