英语听书《白鲸记》第6期

  But BEING PAID,what will compare with it?The urbane¹ activity with which a man receives money is really marvellous, 

 considering that we so earnestly believe money to be the root of all earthly ills,and that on no account can a monied man enter heaven. 

 Ah!how cheerfully we consign² ourselves to perdition! 

 Finally,I always go to sea as a sailor,because of the wholesome³ exercise and pure air of the fore⁴ castle deck. 

 For as in this world,head winds are far more prevalent than winds from astern, 

 so for the most part the Commodore on the quarter deck gets his atmosphere at second hand from the sailors on the forecastle. 

 He thinks he breathes it first;but not so. 

 In much the same way do the commonalty lead their leaders in many other things,at the same time that the leaders little suspect it. 

 But wherefore it was that after having repeatedly smelt⁵ the sea as a merchant sailor, 

 I should now take it into my head to go on a whaling voyage;this the invisible police officer of the Fates, 

 who has the constant surveillance of me,and secretly dogs me,and influences me in some unaccountable wayhe can better answer than any one else. 

 And,doubtless,my going on this whaling voyage,formed part of the grand programme of Providence⁶ that was drawn⁷ up a long time ago. 

 It came in as a sort of brief interlude and solo between more extensive performances. 

 I take it that this part of the bill must have run something like this: 

 GRAND CONTESTED ELECTION FOR THE PRESIDENCY⁸ OF THE UNITED STATES. 

 WHALING VOYAGE BY ONE ISHMAEL.BLOODY⁹ BATTLE IN AFFGHANISTAN. 

 Though I can not tell why it was exactly that those stage managers,the Fates,put me down for this shabby part of a whaling voyage, 

 when others were set down for magnificent parts in high tragedies, 

 and short and easy parts in genteel comedies,and jolly parts in farcesthough I can not tell why this was exactly;yet,now that I recall all the circumstances, 

 I think I can see a little into the springs and motives¹⁰ which being cunningly presented to me under various disguises, 

 induced me to set about performing the part I did, 

 besides cajoling me into the delusion¹¹ that it was a choice resulting from my own unbiased freewill and discriminating¹² judgment¹³. 

 Chief among these motives was the overwhelming idea of the great whale himself. 

 Such a portentous¹⁴ and mysterious monster roused all my curiosity. 

 Then the wild and distant seas where he rolled his island bulk;the undeliverable,nameless perils¹⁵ of the whale; 

 these,with all the attending marvels¹⁶ of a thousand Patagonian sights and sounds,helped to sway me to my wish.With other men,perhaps,such things would not have been inducements;but as for me,I am tormented¹⁷ with an everlasting¹⁸ itch¹⁹ for things remote. 

 I love to sail forbidden seas,and land on barbarous coasts. 

 Not ignoring what is good,I am quick to perceive a horror, 

 and could still be social with itwould they let mesince it is but well to be on friendly terms with all the inmates²⁰ of the place one lodges²¹ in. 

1 urbane   

adj.温文尔雅的，懂礼的

参考例句：

• He tried hard to be urbane.他极力作出彬彬有礼的神态。
• Despite the crisis,the chairman's voice was urbane as usual.尽管处于危机之中，董事长的声音还象通常一样温文尔雅。

2 consign   

vt.寄售（货品），托运，交托，委托

参考例句：

• We cannot agree to consign the goods.我们不同意寄售此货。
• We will consign the goods to him by express.我们将以快递把货物寄给他。

3 wholesome   

adj.适合；卫生的；有益健康的；显示身心健康的

参考例句：

• In actual fact the things I like doing are mostly wholesome.实际上我喜欢做的事大都是有助于增进身体健康的。
• It is not wholesome to eat without washing your hands.不洗手吃饭是不卫生的。

4 fore   

adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部

参考例句：

• Your seat is in the fore part of the aircraft.你的座位在飞机的前部。
• I have the gift of fore knowledge.我能够未卜先知。

5 smelt   

v.熔解，熔炼；n.银白鱼，胡瓜鱼

参考例句：

• Tin is a comparatively easy metal to smelt.锡是比较容易熔化的金属。
• Darby was looking for a way to improve iron when he hit upon the idea of smelting it with coke instead of charcoal.达比一直在寻找改善铁质的方法，他猛然想到可以不用木炭熔炼，而改用焦炭。

6 providence   

n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝

参考例句：

• It is tempting Providence to go in that old boat.乘那艘旧船前往是冒大险。
• To act as you have done is to fly in the face of Providence.照你的所作所为那样去行事，是违背上帝的意志的。

7 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

8 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

9 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

10 motives   

n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• to impeach sb's motives 怀疑某人的动机
• His motives are unclear. 他的用意不明。

11 delusion   

n.谬见，欺骗，幻觉，迷惑

参考例句：

• He is under the delusion that he is Napoleon.他患了妄想症，认为自己是拿破仑。
• I was under the delusion that he intended to marry me.我误认为他要娶我。

12 discriminating   

a.有辨别能力的

参考例句：

• Due caution should be exercised in discriminating between the two. 在区别这两者时应该相当谨慎。
• Many businesses are accused of discriminating against women. 许多企业被控有歧视妇女的做法。

13 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

14 portentous   

adj.不祥的，可怕的，装腔作势的

参考例句：

• The present aspect of society is portentous of great change.现在的社会预示着重大变革的发生。
• There was nothing portentous or solemn about him.He was bubbling with humour.他一点也不装腔作势或故作严肃，浑身散发着幽默。

15 perils   

极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境）

参考例句：

• The commander bade his men be undaunted in the face of perils. 指挥员命令他的战士要临危不惧。
• With how many more perils and disasters would he load himself? 他还要再冒多少风险和遭受多少灾难？

16 marvels   

n.奇迹( marvel的名词复数 )；令人惊奇的事物（或事例）；不平凡的成果；成就v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The doctor's treatment has worked marvels : the patient has recovered completely. 该医生妙手回春，病人已完全康复。 来自辞典例句
• Nevertheless he revels in a catalogue of marvels. 可他还是兴致勃勃地罗列了一堆怪诞不经的事物。 来自辞典例句

17 tormented   

饱受折磨的

参考例句：

• The knowledge of his guilt tormented him. 知道了自己的罪责使他非常痛苦。
• He had lain awake all night, tormented by jealousy. 他彻夜未眠，深受嫉妒的折磨。

18 everlasting   

adj.永恒的，持久的，无止境的

参考例句：

• These tyres are advertised as being everlasting.广告上说轮胎持久耐用。
• He believes in everlasting life after death.他相信死后有不朽的生命。

19 itch   

n.痒，渴望，疥癣；vi.发痒，渴望

参考例句：

• Shylock has an itch for money.夏洛克渴望发财。
• He had an itch on his back.他背部发痒。

20 inmates   

n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 lodges   

v.存放( lodge的第三人称单数 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属

参考例句：

• But I forget, if I ever heard, where he lodges in Liverpool. 可是我记不得有没有听他说过他在利物浦的住址。 来自辞典例句
• My friend lodges in my uncle's house. 我朋友寄居在我叔叔家。 来自辞典例句