英语听书《白鲸记》第119期

 Meanwhile, upon questioning him in his broken fashion, Queequeg gave me to understand that, in his land, owing to the absence of settees and sofas of all sorts, the king,  这在普通的商船上是司空见惯的事情，因为船只启航离港用不着船长做什么具体的指挥，那是领港人的事情。

chiefs, and great people generally, were in the custom of fattening¹ some of the lower orders for ottomans;  他们只要坐在船长室里就可以了，而事实上他们已经是这样，在船长室里和自己的亲人做着告别的交谈，

and to furnish a house comfortably in that respect, you had only to buy up eight or ten lazy fellows, and lay them round in the piers² and alcoves³.  直到亲人们坐上小艇和领港人一齐离开大船为止。 

Besides, it was very convenient on an excursion; much better than those garden-chairs which are convertible⁴ into walking-sticks;  魁魁格告诉我，按他们那儿的习惯，国王和贵族都是坐在那些养得肥肥胖胖的仆人身上的。

upon occasion, a chief calling his attendant, and desiring him to make a settee of himself under a spreading tree, perhaps in some damp marshy⁵ place.  外出时也是如此，在大树的阴凉下，喊过一个仆人来，让他趴在潮湿的地上，然后就可以舒舒服服地坐到仆人的背上了。 

While narrating⁶ these things, every time Queequeg received the tomahawk from me, he flourished the hatchet-side of it over the sleeper's head.  魁魁格讲着他家乡的故事，不时地从我手里接过烟斗斧去，顺便在那酣睡的人头上晃两下。 

What's that for, Queequeg?  魁魁格，你这是干什么？ 

Perry easy, kill-e; oh! perry easy!  噢，砍下去很简单！

He was going on with some wild reminiscences about his tomahawk-pipe,  他是握着烟斗斧在作很自然的想像，这斧子往下一砍，便会人头落地。 

which, it seemed, had in its two uses both brained his foes⁷ and soothed⁸ his soul, when we were directly attracted to the sleeping rigger.  烟气越来越多，那梦中的人被熏得咕哝了一句什么，翻了个身，终于坐了起来。 

1 fattening   

adj.（食物）要使人发胖的v.喂肥( fatten的现在分词 )；养肥（牲畜）；使（钱）增多；使（公司）升值

参考例句：

• The doctor has advised him to keep off fattening food. 医生已建议他不要吃致肥食物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We substitute margarine for cream because cream is fattening. 我们用人造黄油代替奶油，因为奶油会使人发胖。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 piers   

n.水上平台( pier的名词复数 )；（常设有娱乐场所的）突堤；柱子；墙墩

参考例句：

• Most road bridges have piers rising out of the vally. 很多公路桥的桥墩是从河谷里建造起来的。 来自辞典例句
• At these piers coasters and landing-craft would be able to discharge at all states of tide. 沿岸航行的海船和登陆艇，不论潮汐如何涨落，都能在这种码头上卸载。 来自辞典例句

3 alcoves   

n.凹室( alcove的名词复数 )；（花园）凉亭；僻静处；壁龛

参考例句：

• In the alcoves on either side of the fire were bookshelves. 火炉两边的凹室里是书架。 来自辞典例句
• Tiny streams echo in enormous overhanging alcoves. 小溪流的回声在巨大而突出的凹壁中回荡。 来自互联网

4 convertible   

adj.可改变的，可交换，同意义的；n.有活动摺篷的汽车

参考例句：

• The convertible sofa means that the apartment can sleep four.有了这张折叠沙发，公寓里可以睡下4个人。
• That new white convertible is totally awesome.那辆新的白色折篷汽车简直棒极了。

5 marshy   

adj.沼泽的

参考例句：

• In August 1935,we began our march across the marshy grassland. 1935年8月，我们开始过草地。
• The surrounding land is low and marshy. 周围的地低洼而多沼泽。

6 narrating   

v.故事( narrate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She entertained them by narrating her adventures in Africa. 她讲述她在非洲的历险来使他们开心。
• [Mike Narrating] Worm and I fall into our old rhythm like Clyde Frazier and Pearl Monroe. [迈克叙述] 虫子和我配合得象以前一样默契我们两好象是克莱德。弗瑞泽和佩尔。门罗。 来自电影对白

7 foes   

敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They steadily pushed their foes before them. 他们不停地追击敌人。
• She had fought many battles, vanquished many foes. 她身经百战，挫败过很多对手。

8 soothed   

v.安慰( soothe的过去式和过去分词 )；抚慰；使舒服；减轻痛苦

参考例句：

• The music soothed her for a while. 音乐让她稍微安静了一会儿。
• The soft modulation of her voice soothed the infant. 她柔和的声调使婴儿安静了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》