英语听书《白鲸记》第131期

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they think that, at best, our vocation¹ amounts to a butchering sort of business;  人们认为我们属于屠宰业中的一支，

and that when actively² engaged therein, we are surrounded by all manner of defilements.  双手沾满了鲜血，身上有屠戮者的污秽和腥臭。 

Butchers we are, that is true.  说我们是屠夫，也对

But butchers, also, and butchers of the bloodiest³ badge have been all Martial⁴ Commanders whom the world invariably delights to honour.  其实，人们对杀戮他们的同类的那些人反倒没有这种感觉了，他们称那些杀人如麻的家伙为将军。 

And as for the matter of the alleged⁵ uncleanliness of our business, ye shall soon be initiated⁶ into certain facts hitherto pretty generally unknown,  和那些尸臭冲天的战场比起来，捕鲸船上滑溜溜的甲板不知要干净多少倍呢！

and which, upon the whole, will triumphantly⁷ plant the sperm⁸ whale-ship at least among the cleanliest things of this tidy earth.  那些操纵杀人武器的士兵们回到后方时，会受到人们的热烈欢迎，肉林酒池的招待会让他们昏昏然。 

But even granting the charge in question to be true;  但也不尽然。

what disordered slippery decks of a whale-ship are comparable to the unspeakable carrion⁹ of those battle-fields from which so many soldiers return to drink in all ladies' plaudits?  不过，如果让他们去面对抹香鲸的尾巴，大概没有几个还能站住脚而不瘫在地上。人类头脑中的恐怖观念，无论如何也是不能与神秘的上帝奇观相比较的。 

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