英语听书《白鲸记》第947期

 Ahab's harpoon¹, the one forged at Perth's fire, remained firmly lashed² in its conspicuous³ crotch, so that it projected beyond his whale-boat's bow; 亚哈的标枪，就是那支在柏斯的熔炉里炼出来的标枪，依然紧缚在它那突出的枪架上，所以，它直伸在他那只捕鲸小艇的艇头外边；

but the sea that had stove its bottom had caused the loose leather sheath to drop off; 可是那打穿了艇肚的海浪，已使得那松弛了的标枪鞘皮脱落了；

and from the keen steel barb⁴ there now came a levelled flame of pale, forked fire. 那锐利的钢钩上，有一股均匀的灰蒙蒙的、叉形的火焰。

As the silent harpoon burned there like a serpent's tongue, Starbuck grasped Ahab by the arm — "God, God is against thee, old man; forbear! 就在那支悄然的标枪头烧得象一条蛇舌的时候，斯达巴克抓住亚哈的胳膊——"天啊，上天也在反对你啦，老人家；得当心呀！

't is an ill voyage! ill begun, ill continued; 这是个不吉利的航程呀，不吉利开始啦，不吉利还要继续下去；

let me square the yards, while we may, old man, and make a fair wind of it homewards, to go on a better voyage than this." 趁我们还来得及，老人家，我们还是调正帆臂，使它顺风驶回家去，总比这样的航程好呀。"

Overhearing Starbuck, the panic-stricken crew instantly ran to the braces⁵ — though not a sail was left aloft. 那些吓慌了的水手一偷听到斯达巴克这番话，立刻都奔到转帆索那边去——虽然那上面连一张帆都没有了。

For the moment all the aghast mate's thoughts seemed theirs; they raised a half mutinous⁶ cry. 一时间，那个惊慌的大副的一切想法似乎也就是他们的想法，水手们发出一阵有点象是哗变的叫声。

But dashing the rattling⁷ lightning links to the deck, and snatching the burning harpoon, Ahab waved it like a torch among them; 可是，亚哈把那些闪电似的链环克朗地朝甲板上一掷，抓起那支燃烧着的标枪，象擎着一支火把那般，在他们中间挥来挥去；

swearing to transfix with it the first sailor that but cast loose a rope's end. 大声咒骂说，哪个水手敢先松解一下索头，就用这标枪把他戳穿。

Petrified⁸ by his aspect, and still more shrinking from the fiery⁹ dart¹⁰ that he held, the men fell back in dismay, and Ahab again spoke¹¹: — 水手们看到他这副神气，都傻了眼，又更怕他手里拿着的火一般的标枪会猛地戳来，大家都沮丧地退缩了，于是亚哈又开口了：

All your oaths to hunt the White Whale are as binding¹² as mine; and heart, soul, and body, lungs and life, old Ahab is bound. 你们大家那个打白鲸的誓约，都跟我的誓约一样应该兑现；我亚哈老头已经把良心、灵魂、身体、五脏六腑和生命全都交给它了。

 

1 harpoon   

n.鱼叉；vt.用鱼叉叉，用鱼叉捕获

参考例句：

• The harpoon drove deep into the body of the whale.渔叉深深地扎进鲸鱼体内。
• The fisherman transfixed the shark with a harpoon.渔夫用鱼叉刺住鲨鱼。

2 lashed   

adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥

参考例句：

• The rain lashed at the windows. 雨点猛烈地打在窗户上。
• The cleverly designed speech lashed the audience into a frenzy. 这篇精心设计的演说煽动听众使他们发狂。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 conspicuous   

adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的

参考例句：

• It is conspicuous that smoking is harmful to health.很明显，抽烟对健康有害。
• Its colouring makes it highly conspicuous.它的色彩使它非常惹人注目。

4 barb   

n.（鱼钩等的）倒钩，倒刺

参考例句：

• The barb of his wit made us wince.他那锋芒毕露的机智使我们退避三舍。
• A fish hook has a barb to prevent the fish from escaping after being hooked.鱼钩上都有一个倒钩以防上了钩的鱼逃走。

5 braces   

n.吊带，背带；托架( brace的名词复数 )；箍子；括弧；（儿童）牙箍v.支住( brace的第三人称单数 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来

参考例句：

• The table is shaky because the braces are loose. 这张桌子摇摇晃晃，因为支架全松了。
• You don't need braces if you're wearing a belt! 要系腰带，就用不着吊带了。

6 mutinous   

adj.叛变的，反抗的；adv.反抗地，叛变地；n.反抗，叛变

参考例句：

• The mutinous sailors took control of the ship.反叛的水手们接管了那艘船。
• His own army,stung by defeats,is mutinous.经历失败的痛楚后，他所率军队出现反叛情绪。

7 rattling   

adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词

参考例句：

• This book is a rattling good read. 这是一本非常好的读物。
• At that same instant,a deafening explosion set the windows rattling. 正在这时，一声震耳欲聋的爆炸突然袭来，把窗玻璃震得当当地响。

8 petrified   

adj.惊呆的；目瞪口呆的v.使吓呆，使惊呆；变僵硬；使石化(petrify的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• I'm petrified of snakes. 我特别怕蛇。
• The poor child was petrified with fear. 这可怜的孩子被吓呆了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 fiery   

adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的

参考例句：

• She has fiery red hair.她有一头火红的头发。
• His fiery speech agitated the crowd.他热情洋溢的讲话激动了群众。

10 dart   

v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲

参考例句：

• The child made a sudden dart across the road.那小孩突然冲过马路。
• Markov died after being struck by a poison dart.马尔科夫身中毒镖而亡。

11 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

12 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。