英语听书《白鲸记》第873期

 They keep a Whale's Rib¹ of an incredible length for a Miracle, 庙里把一根长得叫人不能置信的肋骨保存在那里，

which lying upon the Ground with its convex part uppermost, makes an Arch, the Head of which cannot be reached by a Man upon a Camel's Back. 当作一种奇迹，它放在地上弯得非常厉害，形成个大拱门，那顶端，人就是站在骆驼背上，也伸手摸不到它。

This Rib (says John Leo) is said to have layn there a hundred Years before I saw it. 这根肋骨（据约翰·里奥说）据说是早在我看到的一百年前就放在那里了。

Their Historians affirm, that a Prophet who prophesy'd of Mahomet, came from this Temple, 他们的历史家们断言，有一个预言过穆罕默德的预言家是从这个庙里出来的，

and some do not stand to assert, that the Prophet Jonas was cast forth² by the Whale at the Base of the Temple. End quote. 有些人则毫不犹豫地主张，那个叫做约拿的先知，就是被那条大鲸在这个庙底下吐出来的。

In this Afric Temple of the Whale I leave you, reader, and if you be a Nantucketer, and a whaleman, you will silently worship there. 看书的，我就让你呆在这座放着大鲸的非洲古庙里，我可要走了，如果你是个南塔开特人又兼是个捕鲸人的话，你准会在那里悄悄地膜拜一番。

Chapter 105 Does the Whale's Magnitude Diminish? — Will He Perish? 第一百零五章 鲸的庞大身躯会缩小么？——它会灭亡吗？

Inasmuch, then, as this Leviathan comes floundering down upon us from the head-waters of the Eternities, 这种大鲸既然是从那永远不变的河源翻腾出来，突然袭击我们，

it may be fitly inquired, whether, in the long course of his generations, he has not degenerated³ from the original bulk of his sires. 那么，似该对它适当地追究一下，究竟在它那代代相仍的绵长过程中，它那来自祖先的身躯，是否已经有所退化了。

But upon investigation⁴ we find, that not only are the whales of the present day superior in magnitude to those whose fossil remains⁵ are found in the Tertiary system 但是，根据调查所得，我们发现：现代大鲸的身躯，不但在身躯宏大上超过那些在第三纪系所发现的化石残骸

(embracing a distinct geological period prior to man), （第三纪系是包括人类出现以前的一种特殊的地质年代纪），

but of the whales found in that Tertiary system, those belonging to its latter formations exceed in size those of its earlier ones. 而且那些在第三纪系所发现的化石鲸，其体积也超过早期的化石鲸。

1 rib   

n.肋骨，肋状物

参考例句：

• He broke a rib when he fell off his horse.他从马上摔下来折断了一根肋骨。
• He has broken a rib and the doctor has strapped it up.他断了一根肋骨，医生已包扎好了。

2 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。

3 degenerated   

衰退，堕落，退化( degenerate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The march degenerated into a riot. 示威游行变成了暴动。
• The wide paved road degenerated into a narrow bumpy track. 铺好的宽阔道路渐渐变窄，成了一条崎岖不平的小径。

4 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

5 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。