英语听书《白鲸记》第403期

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and even when most obscured by that London smoke, token is yet given that a hidden hero is there; 虽说大多被伦敦的烟雾弄得模模糊糊,总还显出那边藏有一个英雄人物;

for where there is smoke, must be fire. But neither great Washington, nor Napoleon, nor Nelson, will answer a single hail from below, however madly invoked¹ to befriend by their counsels the distracted decks upon which they gaze; 因为有烟必有火。但是,不管是伟大的华盛顿,还是拿破仑,或者是纳尔逊,都回答不了下边的欢呼声,不管他们所俯视的纷纭骚嚷的甲板怎么疯狂地请求援助,要得到他们的忠告;

however it may be surmised², that their spirits penetrate³ through the thick haze⁴ of the future, and descry⁵ what shoals and what rocks must be shunned⁶. 不管人们怎么揣测,认为他们的精神已穿过未来的浓雾,远远地看到那些非得避开不可的浅滩和暗礁。

It may seem unwarrantable to couple in any respect the mast-head standers of the land with those of the sea;  把陆上的跟海里的桅顶望人拿来联在一起,无论从哪一方面说来,都似乎有点不伦不类;

but that in truth it is not so, is plainly evinced by an item for which Obed Macy, the sole historian of Nantucket, stands accountable. 但是,实际上却又不然,南塔开特的唯一的历史家奥贝德。

The worthy⁷ Obed tells us, that in the early times of the whale fishery, ere ships were regularly launched in pursuit of the game, the people of that island erected⁸ lofty spars along the seacoast, to which the look-outs ascended⁹ by means of nailed cleats, something as fowls¹⁰ go upstairs in a hen-house. 麦西已经明白表示,这是一件说得通的事。这位可敬的奥贝德对我们说,在捕鲸业初期,在船只还没有经常驶去追逐大鲸之前,该岛居民都在海边竖起高高的圆木,望者就攀着钉牢了的楔子爬上去,有点象鸡只走上鸡埘那样。

A few years ago this same plan was adopted by the Bay whalemen of New Zealand, who, upon descrying¹¹ the game, gave notice to the ready-manned boats nigh the beach. 几年前,新西兰的海峡捕鲸者也采用了这种设计,他们在发现猎物的时候,便对那些靠在沙滩附近。装备停当的小船发出信号。

But this custom has now become obsolete¹²; turn we then to the one proper mast-head, that of a whale-ship at sea. 不过,这种风俗现在已过时了:我们还是言归正传,回到海上捕鲸船的桅顶吧。

The three mast-heads are kept manned from sun-rise to sun-set,the seamen¹³ taking their regular turns, and relieving each other every two hours. 那三只桅顶从早到晚都配置专人看守;水手们按时值班,每隔两小时换班一次。

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