英语听书《白鲸记》第704期

 They left a great, wide wake, as though continually unrolling a great wide parchment upon the sea. 它们撇下一条又阔又粗的水痕，直象一张阔大的羊皮纸，在海上不断地摊开来。

Full in this rapid wake, and many fathoms¹ in the rear, swam a huge, humped old bull,  在这条急激的水痕中，靠后边几十英尺的地方，臃臃肿肿地游着一条硕大的、背峰隆起的老鲸，

which by his comparatively slow progress, as well as by the unusual yellowish incrustations over-growing him, 从它那进展相当迟缓的游速，浑身是一种罕见的淡黄色看来，

seemed afflicted² with the jaundice, or some other infirmity. 它似乎是害着黄疸病，或者其它什么病症。

Whether this whale belonged to the pod in advance, seemed questionable³; 究竟这条鲸是否跟前边的同群，似乎也成问题，

for it is not customary for such venerable leviathans to be at all social. 因为象这样年高德劭的大鲸，按例总是落落寡合的。

Nevertheless, he stuck to their wake, though indeed their back water must have retarded⁴ him, 但是，它却紧跟在它们后面，虽然事实上，前边的鲸群撇下的水浪一定很妨碍它的前进，

because the white-bone or swell⁵ at his broad muzzle⁶ was a dashed one, like the swell formed when two hostile currents meet. 因为它那张大嘴喷出来的就是一股浪沫飞溅的急流，好象是两支敌对的激流相遇时所形成的浪涛。

His spout⁷ was short, slow, and laborious⁸; 它的喷水很短很慢，很费力气；

coming forth⁹ with a choking sort of gush¹⁰, and spending itself in torn shreds¹¹, followed by strange subterranean¹² commotions¹³ in him, 它不住地涌出一大阵闭气似的喷水，四散纷飞，好象它体内有种奇特的骚动，

which seemed to have egress¹⁴ at his other buried extremity¹⁵, causing the waters behind him to upbubble. 它那深掩在水里的另一端也有排泄物，使得它身后的水浪咕噜咕噜地冒着泡。

Who's got some paregoric? said Stubb, "he has the stomach-ache, I'm afraid. 哪一个有鸦片酊？斯塔布说，"我怕它闹肚子痛。

Lord, think of having half an acre of stomach-ache! 天呀，看它那半英亩大的身体，竟闹起肚子来！

Adverse¹⁶ winds are holding mad Christmas in him, boys. 逆风正在它肚皮里举行圣诞节狂欢呢，伙伴们。

It's the first foul¹⁷ wind I ever knew to blow from astern; but look, did ever whale yaw so before? 这种从后面吹过来的逆风，我倒是生平第一遭看到的；从来可有过这样乱驶的鲸么？

it must be, he's lost his tiller." 它一定是丢了舵柄了。"

1 fathoms   

英寻( fathom的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The harbour is four fathoms deep. 港深为四英寻。
• One bait was down forty fathoms. 有个鱼饵下沉到四十英寻的深处。

2 afflicted   

使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• About 40% of the country's population is afflicted with the disease. 全国40%左右的人口患有这种疾病。
• A terrible restlessness that was like to hunger afflicted Martin Eden. 一阵可怕的、跟饥饿差不多的不安情绪折磨着马丁·伊登。

3 questionable   

adj.可疑的，有问题的

参考例句：

• There are still a few questionable points in the case.这个案件还有几个疑点。
• Your argument is based on a set of questionable assumptions.你的论证建立在一套有问题的假设上。

4 retarded   

a.智力迟钝的，智力发育迟缓的

参考例句：

• The progression of the disease can be retarded by early surgery. 早期手术可以抑制病情的发展。
• He was so slow that many thought him mentally retarded. 他迟钝得很，许多人以为他智力低下。

5 swell   

vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强

参考例句：

• The waves had taken on a deep swell.海浪汹涌。
• His injured wrist began to swell.他那受伤的手腕开始肿了。

6 muzzle   

n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默

参考例句：

• He placed the muzzle of the pistol between his teeth.他把手枪的枪口放在牙齿中间。
• The President wanted to muzzle the press.总统企图遏制新闻自由。

7 spout   

v.喷出，涌出；滔滔不绝地讲；n.喷管；水柱

参考例句：

• Implication in folk wealth creativity and undertaking vigor spout.蕴藏于民间的财富创造力和创业活力喷涌而出。
• This acts as a spout to drain off water during a rainstorm.在暴风雨季，这东西被用作喷管来排水。

8 laborious   

adj.吃力的，努力的，不流畅

参考例句：

• They had the laborious task of cutting down the huge tree.他们接受了伐大树的艰苦工作。
• Ants and bees are laborious insects.蚂蚁与蜜蜂是勤劳的昆虫。

9 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

10 gush   

v.喷，涌；滔滔不绝(说话)；n.喷，涌流；迸发

参考例句：

• There was a gush of blood from the wound.血从伤口流出。
• There was a gush of blood as the arrow was pulled out from the arm.当从手臂上拔出箭来时，一股鲜血涌了出来。

11 shreds   

v.撕碎，切碎( shred的第三人称单数 )；用撕毁机撕毁（文件）

参考例句：

• Peel the carrots and cut them into shreds. 将胡罗卜削皮，切成丝。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I want to take this diary and rip it into shreds. 我真想一赌气扯了这日记。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

12 subterranean   

adj.地下的，地表下的

参考例句：

• London has 9 miles of such subterranean passages.伦敦像这样的地下通道有9英里长。
• We wandered through subterranean passages.我们漫游地下通道。

13 commotions   

n.混乱，喧闹，骚动( commotion的名词复数 )

参考例句：

14 egress   

n.出去；出口

参考例句：

• Safe access and egress can be achieved by various methods.可以采用各种方法安全的进入或离开。
• Drains achieve a ready egress of the liquid blood.引流能为血液提供一个容易的出口。

15 extremity   

n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度

参考例句：

• I hope you will help them in their extremity.我希望你能帮助在穷途末路的他们。
• What shall we do in this extremity?在这种极其困难的情况下我们该怎么办呢？

16 adverse   

adj.不利的；有害的；敌对的，不友好的

参考例句：

• He is adverse to going abroad.他反对出国。
• The improper use of medicine could lead to severe adverse reactions.用药不当会产生严重的不良反应。

17 foul   

adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规

参考例句：

• Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
• What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！