英语听书《白鲸记》第898期

 Who's there? hearing the footstep at the door, but not turning round to it. "On deck! Begone!" 谁呀？听到了门边的脚步声，可是，没有回过头来。"上甲板去！滚蛋，滚蛋！"

Captain Ahab mistakes; it is I. 亚哈船长弄错啦，是我。

The oil in the hold is leaking, sir. 舱里的油漏啦，先生。

We must up Burtons and break out. 我们得吊起复滑车把油桶给起出来。

Up Burtons and break out? Now that we are nearing Japan; heave-to here for a week to tinker a parcel of old hoops¹? 吊起复滑车把油桶给起出来？我们既然就快到日本了；难道为了张罗这一堆破桶箍，要在这里停上一个星期吗？

Either do that, sir, or waste in one day more oil than we may make good in a year. 不这样做嘛，先生，那么，一天浪费掉的油，就抵得上我们一年弄来的油还有余。

What we come twenty thousand miles to get is worth saving, sir. 我们赶了两千英里弄来的油，就该多加爱惜呀，先生。

So it is, so it is; if we get it. 是呀，是呀；要是我们搞得到它就好。

I was speaking of the oil in the hold, sir. 先生，我说的是舱里的油。

And I was not speaking or thinking of that at all. 可是，我根本就不在说这件事，也不在想这回事。

Begone! Let it leak! I'm all aleak myself. 出去，出去！随它漏去吧！我自己就浑身都漏了。

Aye! leaks in leaks! not only full of leaky casks, but those leaky casks are in a leaky ship; 哼！漏里的漏！不但全是些漏桶，而且是漏船里的漏桶；

and that's a far worse plight² than the Pequod's, man. 这比‘裴廓德号’的处境还更来得糟，老朋友。

Yet I don't stop to plug my leak; for who can find it in the deep-loaded hull³; 然而，我可不愿意停下来修补我的漏；因为在这深装重载的船身里谁能找到漏洞呀；

or how hope to plug it, even if found, in this life's howling gale⁴? 在这种生命的怒哮的狂风里，就是找到了漏洞，又怎么补得了呢？

Starbuck! I'll not have the Burtons hoisted⁵. 斯达巴克！我决不让吊起复滑车。

What will the owners say, sir? 那么，船东们该会怎样说呢，先生？

Let the owners stand on Nantucket beach and outyell the Typhoons. What cares Ahab? Owners, owners? 让那些船东们站在南塔开特海滩上去叫皇天吧。干亚哈什么事？船东，船东？

Thou art always prating⁶ to me, Starbuck, about those miserly owners, as if the owners were my conscience. 斯达巴克，你老是来跟我嘀咕那些吝啬鬼的船东，好象那些船东就是我的良心。

1 hoops   

n.箍( hoop的名词复数 )；（篮球）篮圈；（旧时儿童玩的）大环子；（两端埋在地里的）小铁弓

参考例句：

• a barrel bound with iron hoops 用铁箍箍紧的桶
• Hoops in Paris were wider this season and skirts were shorter. 在巴黎，这个季节的裙圈比较宽大，裙裾却短一些。 来自飘（部分）

2 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

3 hull   

n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳

参考例句：

• The outer surface of ship's hull is very hard.船体的外表面非常坚硬。
• The boat's hull has been staved in by the tremendous seas.小船壳让巨浪打穿了。

4 gale   

n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等）

参考例句：

• We got our roof blown off in the gale last night.昨夜的大风把我们的房顶给掀掉了。
• According to the weather forecast,there will be a gale tomorrow.据气象台预报，明天有大风。

5 hoisted   

把…吊起，升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He hoisted himself onto a high stool. 他抬身坐上了一张高凳子。
• The sailors hoisted the cargo onto the deck. 水手们把货物吊到甲板上。

6 prating   

v.（古时用语）唠叨，啰唆( prate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Listen to him prating on about nothing. 听他瞎唠叨。 来自辞典例句
• He is always prating about her wealthy relations, if anybody cared. 他总是对别人炫耀她的阔亲戚，好像别人对此感兴趣似的。 来自互联网