英语听书《白鲸记》第50期

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Thus goes the legend.  关于此，还有一段传说呢。 

In olden times an eagle swooped² down upon the New England coast, and carried off an infant Indian in his talons³.  说是很早很早以前，在新英格兰的海岸上，一只鹰突然冲了下来，叼走了一个印第安婴儿。 

With loud lament⁴ the parents saw their child borne out of sight over the wide waters.  婴儿的父母悲痛欲绝地看着老鹰叼着孩子消失在大海上，

They resolved to follow in the same direction. Setting out in their canoes, after a perilous⁵ passage they discovered the island,  他们毫不犹豫地划起独木舟追了上去。 经过千难万险，他们追到了这个岛上。

and there they found an empty ivory casket,the poor little Indian's skeleton.  在岛上他们发现了那个婴儿的一小堆儿白骨！ 

What wonder, then, that these Nantucketers, born on a beach, should take to the sea for a livelihood⁶!  他们就是南塔开特人的祖先。

They first caught crabs⁷ and quohogs in the sand;  他们先是在海滩上捕蟹捉蛤，

grown bolder, they waded⁸ out with nets for mackerel; more experienced, they pushed off in boats and captured cod⁹;  在浅水区拉网捕鱼，然后划上小艇到深海区作业，

and at last, launching a navy of great ships on the sea, explored this watery¹⁰ world;  后来造了大船，开始了大洋上的巡弋。 

put an incessant¹¹ belt of circumnavigations round it; peeped in at Behring's Straits;  不停的环球航行从此拉开帷幕，而在白令海峡也有了他们的身影;

and in all seasons and all oceans declared everlasting¹² war with the mightiest¹³ animated¹⁴ mass that has survived the flood;most monstrous¹⁵ and most mountainous!  他们一年四季漂泊在海上，同那些洪荒时代遗留下来的巨大水兽做着不屈不挠的斗争。 

That Himmalehan, salt-sea Mastodon, clothed with such portentousness¹⁶ of unconscious power,  庞然巨物等统统都不是他们的对手,

that his very panics are more to be dreaded¹⁷ than his most fearless and malicious¹⁸ assaults! 他们所面临的危机有时候甚至比这些无畏和恶意的攻击更可怕!

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