英语听书《白鲸记》第169期

 And there they stand--miles of them--leagues.  他们就站在那里...一连几英里,一连十几英里都是。

Inlanders all, they come from lanes and alleys¹, streets and avenues,north, east, south, and west.  他们都是来自大街小巷......来自东西南北的内地人。

Yet here they all unite. Tell me, does the magnetic virtue² of the needles of the compasses of all those ships attract them thither³? 然而他们都汇合到这里来了.你说吧,是不是那些船只的罗盘指针的磁力把他们吸引来的?

Once more. Say you are in the country; in some high land of lakes. 再说吧,比如说,你是在乡下,是在有许多湖沼的高原上吧。

Take almost any path you please, and ten to one it carries you down in a dale, and leaves you there by a pool in the stream.  那么,随您走哪一条路,十九都会把你引向一个溪谷,叫你站在一条溪流的深潭边。

There is magic in it.  这可真有不可思议的魔力。

Let the most absent-minded of men be plunged⁴ in his deepest reveries--stand that man on his legs, set his feet a-going, and he will infallibly lead you to water, if water there be in all that region.  不妨找个极其心不在焉的人,让他沉醉在深思里...让这个人站起来,叫他两脚走动,他准会把你带到有水的地方去,如果那一带是有水的话。

Should you ever be athirst in the great American desert, try this experiment, if your caravan⁵ happen to be supplied with a metaphysical professor.  要是你在美洲大沙漠中感到口渴,而你的商队里恰巧又有个形而上学教授的话,你来做做这个试验看。

Yes, as every one knows, meditation⁶ and water are wedded⁷ for ever. 不错,大家都知道,沉思和水是始终结合在一起的.

1 alleys   

胡同，小巷( alley的名词复数 )； 小径

参考例句：

• I followed him through a maze of narrow alleys. 我紧随他穿过一条条迂迴曲折的窄巷。
• The children lead me through the maze of alleys to the edge of the city. 孩子们领我穿过迷宫一般的街巷，来到城边。

2 virtue   

n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力

参考例句：

• He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。
• You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。

3 thither   

adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的

参考例句：

• He wandered hither and thither looking for a playmate.他逛来逛去找玩伴。
• He tramped hither and thither.他到处流浪。

4 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

5 caravan   

n.大蓬车；活动房屋

参考例句：

• The community adviser gave us a caravan to live in.社区顾问给了我们一间活动住房栖身。
• Geoff connected the caravan to the car.杰弗把旅行用的住屋拖车挂在汽车上。

6 meditation   

n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录

参考例句：

• This peaceful garden lends itself to meditation.这个恬静的花园适于冥想。
• I'm sorry to interrupt your meditation.很抱歉，我打断了你的沉思。

7 wedded   

adj.正式结婚的；渴望…的，执著于…的v.嫁，娶，（与…）结婚( wed的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She's wedded to her job. 她专心致志于工作。
• I was invited over by the newly wedded couple for a meal. 我被那对新婚夫妇请去吃饭。 来自《简明英汉词典》