英语听书《白鲸记》第188期

 Entering that gable-ended Spouter-Inn, you found yourself in a wide, low, straggling entry with old-fashioned wainscots,  你走进那山形顶的大鲸客店后,就会发现已是置身在一个装有老式壁板的，矮阔而迂曲的进口处了。

reminding one of the bulwarks¹ of some condemned² old craft.  顿时使人想起古代那种装奴隶罪人的划船的舷墙来。

On one side hung a very large oil painting so thoroughly³ besmoked, and every way defaced, that in the unequal crosslights by which you viewed it,  在一边墙上,挂有一幅非常大的油画,它给熏得这么黑漆胡涂,不易辨认,所以,如果在那种不均匀的交叉光线里看去,

it was only by diligent⁴ study and a series of systematic⁵ visits to it, and careful inquiry⁶ of the neighbors, that you could any way arrive at an understanding of its purpose.  只有对它细心研究,不断加以周密考察,再仔细地请教邻人后,才能多少理解它的含义。

Such unaccountable masses of shades and shadows, that at first you almost thought some ambitious young artist, in the time of the New England hags, had endeavored to delineate chaos⁷ bewitched.  这么数不清的.一团团的大小阴影,一开始,简直使人认为那是在新英格兰的逐巫案时候某个抱负不凡的青年艺术家,力图勾勒出令人心荡神移的纷乱景象。

But by dint⁸ of much and earnest contemplation, and oft repeated ponderings, and especially by throwing open the little window towards the back of the entry, you at last come to the conclusion that: 不过,经过多番认真凝视,不断反复沉思默想,尤其是把进口处后面那扇小窗打开后,总算可以获得这样的结论:

such an idea, however wild, might not be altogether unwarranted. 这样一种主意,不管多么荒唐,倒也不尽毫无理由.

1 bulwarks   

n.堡垒( bulwark的名词复数 )；保障；支柱；舷墙

参考例句：

• The freedom of the press is one of the great bulwarks of liberty. 新闻自由是自由最大的保障之一。 来自辞典例句
• Surgery and X-irradiation nevertheless remain the bulwarks of cancer treatment throughout the world. 外科手术和X射线疗法依然是全世界治疗癌症的主要方法。 来自辞典例句

2 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

3 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

4 diligent   

adj.勤勉的，勤奋的

参考例句：

• He is the more diligent of the two boys.他是这两个男孩中较用功的一个。
• She is diligent and keeps herself busy all the time.她真勤快，一会儿也不闲着。

5 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。

6 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

7 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

8 dint   

n.由于，靠；凹坑

参考例句：

• He succeeded by dint of hard work.他靠苦干获得成功。
• He reached the top by dint of great effort.他费了很大的劲终于爬到了顶。