英语听书《白鲸记》第227期

 It is a land of oil, true enough: but not like Canaan; a land, also, of corn and wine.  一点也不错,这是一个油水富足的地方,虽然不象迦南那样;却也是一个遍地玉米美酒的地方。

The streets do not run with milk; nor in the spring-time do they pave them with fresh eggs.  街上并不是遍地牛奶;春天也不是满街铺满鲜蛋。

Yet, in spite of this, nowhere in all America will you find more patrician-like houses; parks and gardens more opulent, than in New Bedford.  然而,尽管如此,人们走遍全美洲,也找不到一个象新贝德福这样尽是贵族宅邸。

Whence came they? how planted upon this once scraggy scoria of a country? 华丽非凡的公园和花园的地方.那么,这些都是打哪里来的呢?这些是怎样在这块一度是瘦瘠的。火山岩渣似的地方上生起来的呢?

Go and gaze upon the iron emblematical¹ harpoons² round yonder lofty mansion³, and your question will be answered.  那么,请你走到那边那座高楼大厦去瞧瞧那些具有象征意义的铁标枪,你的疑问就可以获得解答。

Yes; all these brave houses and flowery gardens came from the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans.  不错,所有这些富丽堂皇的房屋和花花草草的庭园都是从大西洋，太平洋和印度洋捞来的。

One and all, they were harpooned⁴ and dragged up hither from the bottom of the sea. Can Herr Alexander perform a feat⁵ like that? 每一样东西,都是从海底里用标枪戳起。拉起的。阿历山大先生可变得来这样的戏法吗?

In New Bedford, fathers, they say, give whales for dowers to their daughters, and portion off their nieces with a few porpoises⁶ a-piece.  据说,在新贝德福,做父亲的都拿大鲸给他们的女儿。分几条小鲸给他们的侄女儿做嫁妆。

You must go to New Bedford to see a brilliant wedding;  你必须去看一看新贝德福的阔绰的婚礼;

for, they say, they have reservoirs of oil in every house, and every night recklessly burn their lengths in spermaceti candles. 因为,据说,每份人家都有油池,每夜都毫不在乎地通宵点起鲸脑烛。

In summer time, the town is sweet to see; full of fine maples-long avenues of green and gold.  夏季里,这城市看了真叫人爱;尽是些美丽的枫树...形成一条条翠绿金黄的幽道。

And in August, high in air, the beautiful and bountiful horse-chestnuts, candelabra-wise, proffer⁷ the passer-by their tapering⁸ upright cones⁹ of congregated¹⁰ blossoms.  而到了八月里,那些华丽丰盛的七叶树耸入云霄,象华表一般给路人献出它们那笔直有如尖顶的簇开的花朵。

So omnipotent¹¹ is art; which in many a district of New Bedford has superinduced bright terraces of flowers upon the barren refuse rocks thrown aside at creation's final day. 这是多雄伟的天工!在新贝德福就有许多创世末日所遗留下来的。荒芜不毛的岩石,重新长出许多灿烂夺目的花坛来。

1 emblematical   

adj.标志的，象征的，典型的

参考例句：

• It might be made emblematical of something. 那可能是某一事物的标志。 来自辞典例句

2 harpoons   

n.鱼镖，鱼叉( harpoon的名词复数 )v.鱼镖，鱼叉( harpoon的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Greenpeace hopes to position its boats between the harpoons and the whales. 绿色和平希望他们的船能开到港口与鲸鱼群之间的地方。 来自互联网
• NIV Can you fill his hide with harpoons or his head with fishing spears? 7[和合]你能用倒钩枪扎满它的皮，能用鱼叉叉满它的头吗？ 来自互联网

3 mansion   

n.大厦，大楼；宅第

参考例句：

• The old mansion was built in 1850.这座古宅建于1850年。
• The mansion has extensive grounds.这大厦四周的庭园广阔。

4 harpooned   

v.鱼镖，鱼叉( harpoon的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He said he once harpooned a 2, 000-pound shark off the coast of New York. 他称，他曾经在纽约海面上，用鱼叉捕获过一条重达2.000磅的鲨鱼。 来自互联网

5 feat   

n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的

参考例句：

• Man's first landing on the moon was a feat of great daring.人类首次登月是一个勇敢的壮举。
• He received a medal for his heroic feat.他因其英雄业绩而获得一枚勋章。

6 porpoises   

n.鼠海豚( porpoise的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A shoal of porpoises are well on the feed. 一群海豚正在吞食。 来自辞典例句
• In 1928 some porpoises were photographed working like beavers to push ashore a waterlogged mattress. 1928年有人把这些海豚象海狸那样把一床浸泡了水的褥垫推上岸时的情景拍摄了下来。 来自辞典例句

7 proffer   

v.献出，赠送；n.提议，建议

参考例句：

• He rose and proffered a silver box full of cigarettes.他站起身，伸手递过一个装满香烟的银盒子。
• I proffer to lend him one.我表示愿意借他一个。

8 tapering   

adj.尖端细的

参考例句：

• Interest in the scandal seems to be tapering off. 人们对那件丑闻的兴趣似乎越来越小了。
• Nonproductive expenditures keep tapering down. 非生产性开支一直在下降。

9 cones   

n.（人眼）圆锥细胞；圆锥体( cone的名词复数 )；球果；圆锥形东西；（盛冰淇淋的）锥形蛋卷筒

参考例句：

• In the pines squirrels commonly chew off and drop entire cones. 松树上的松鼠通常咬掉和弄落整个球果。 来自辞典例句
• Many children would rather eat ice cream from cones than from dishes. 许多小孩喜欢吃蛋卷冰淇淋胜过盘装冰淇淋。 来自辞典例句

10 congregated   

（使）集合，聚集( congregate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The crowds congregated in the town square to hear the mayor speak. 人群聚集到市镇广场上来听市长讲话。
• People quickly congregated round the speaker. 人们迅速围拢在演说者的周围。

11 omnipotent   

adj.全能的，万能的

参考例句：

• When we are omnipotent we shall have no more need of science.我们达到万能以后就不需要科学了。
• Money is not omnipotent,but we can't survive without money.金钱不是万能的，但是没有金钱我们却无法生存。