英语听书《白鲸记》第287期

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a singularly common fashion on the island-and in childhood naturally imbibing² the stately dramatic thee and thou of the Quaker idiom;  这是这个海岛特别普遍的风尚...他们在少年时代,自然而然地吸收了桂克那种庄严而格外动人的你和您的习语;

still, from the audacious, daring, and boundless³ adventure of their subsequent lives, strangely blend with these unoutgrown peculiarities⁵,  而且他们以后那种大胆。悍和充满无穷冒险的生活,同这些不因年龄增长而丧失的特点奇妙地混合起来,就形成一种横冲直撞的性格,

a thousand bold dashes of character, not unworthy a Scandinavian sea-king, or a poetical⁶ Pagan Roman.  足以成为一个斯堪的纳维亚的海王,或是一个富有诗人气质的异教的罗马教徒。

And when these things unite in a man of greatly superior natural force, with a globular brain and a ponderous⁷ heart;  当这些东西同一个圆颅和沉思而具有巨大的超自然力的人物结合起来的时候,

who has also by the stillness and seclusion⁸ of many long night-watches in the remotest waters,  这个人,一方面曾在最遥远的海洋担任过多次漫长的值夜,过着静止而隐遁的生活,

and beneath constellations⁹ never seen here at the north, been led to think untraditionally and independently;  又曾在北方的星空下过着同这里截然不同的生活,而能不按传统地独立思考;

receiving all nature's sweet or savage¹⁰ impressions fresh from her own virgin¹¹ voluntary and confiding¹² breast, and thereby¹³ chiefly,  一方面又得到刚由大自然的纯洁。

but with some help from accidental advantages, to learn a bold and nervous lofty language 自由和诚挚的胸怀所产生出来的一切天然的温和或者彪悍的印象,因而主要由此(不过,也靠了种种偶然的机会)学得了一种豪壮而简劲的语言。

that man makes one in a whole nation's census-a mighty¹⁴ pageant¹⁵ creature, formed for noble tragedies.  这样的人便成为整个民族人口的唯一的人物...也是一个为崇高的悲剧而形成的伟大壮丽的人物。

Nor will it at all detract from him, dramatically regarded,  如果从戏剧观点上说来,不论是天生的或者是其它环境,

if either by birth or other circumstances, he have what seems a half wilful¹⁶ overruling morbidness¹⁷ at the bottom of his nature. 都丝毫损伤不了他,他的天性的深处似乎有一种近似故意要支配别人的病态心理。

For all men tragically¹⁸ great are made so through a certain morbidness.  因为在悲剧意义上说来,凡是伟大的人物,都是由一种病态心理所形成的。

Be sure of this, O young ambition, all mortal greatness is but disease.  千万要记住,年青有为的人们,人类的伟大性,其实不过是疾病。

But, as yet we have not to do with such an one, but with quite another;  不过,我们迄今还没有碰到这样的人物,碰到的是跟这完全不同的人物;

and still a man, who, if indeed peculiar⁴, it only results again from another phase of the Quaker, modified by individual circumstances. 然而,如果有一个果真是特殊的。从独特的环境脱胎出来的人,那也不过又是另一种桂克型的人物。

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