英语听书《白鲸记》第231期

 What despair in those immovable inscriptions¹!  在这些似乎要啮蚀一切信念,

What deadly voids and unbidden infidelities in the lines that seem to gnaw² upon all Faith, and refuse resurrections to the beings who have placelessly perished without a grave.  不让那些死无葬身之地的人获得复活的机会的字句中,可显得多么空洞无聊,多么无情无义。

As well might those tablets stand in the cave of Elephanta as here. 这些字句正等于那些立在象岛的石窟里的石碑。

In what census³ of living creatures, the dead of mankind are included;  死人是给算在哪一种人口调查登记簿上的?

why it is that a universal proverb says of them, that they tell no tales, though containing more secrets than the Goodwin Sands!  为什么俗语说人死口灭,仿佛包含有超于古德温沙洲的秘密?

how it is that to his name who yesterday departed for the other world,  我们为什么要在那些昨天动身到阴间去的人的名称面前,加上这么一个意义深长而缺乏诚意的词儿?

we prefix⁴ so significant and infidel a word, and yet do not thus entitle him, if he but embarks⁵ for the remotest Indies of this living earth;  而如果他不过是出发到现世的最遥远的东印度群岛去,

why the Life Insurance Companies pay death-forfeitures upon immortals⁶;  却又不这样称呼他?为什么人寿保险公司要付给未亡人死亡赔偿金?

in what eternal, unstirring paralysis⁷, and deadly, hopeless trance, yet lies antique Adam who died sixty round centuries ago;  为什么那个早在六千年前就已老死的古代亚当,却还象害着什么永恒动弹不得的瘫痪症。

how it is that we still refuse to be comforted for those who we nevertheless maintain are dwelling⁸ in unspeakable bliss⁹;  象死人似的。无药可救地昏睡着?我们为什么对那些我们认定是居住在乐不可言的极乐世界中的人放不了心?

why all the living so strive to hush¹⁰ all the dead; wherefore but the rumor¹¹ of a knocking in a tomb will terrify a whole city.  为什么所有的活人都拚命要使一切死人静默;因此只要风闻坟冢一声响动,就会全城惊惶?

All these things are not without their meanings. 所有这些事情都并不是毫无意义的。

But Faith, like a jackal, feeds among the tombs, and even from these dead doubts she gathers her most vital hope. 但是,信念就象豺狼一般是靠坟冢为生的,它甚至还从这些死人的疑惧里,搜集最重要的希望呢？

1 inscriptions   

（作者）题词( inscription的名词复数 )； 献词； 碑文； 证劵持有人的登记

参考例句：

• Centuries of wind and rain had worn away the inscriptions on the gravestones. 几个世纪的风雨已磨损了墓碑上的碑文。
• The inscriptions on the stone tablet have become blurred with the passage of time. 年代久了，石碑上的字迹已经模糊了。

2 gnaw   

v.不断地啃、咬；使苦恼，折磨

参考例句：

• Dogs like to gnaw on a bone.狗爱啃骨头。
• A rat can gnaw a hole through wood.老鼠能啃穿木头。

3 census   

n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查

参考例句：

• A census of population is taken every ten years.人口普查每10年进行一次。
• The census is taken one time every four years in our country.我国每四年一次人口普查。

4 prefix   

n.前缀；vt.加…作为前缀；置于前面

参考例句：

• We prefix "Mr."to a man's name.我们在男士的姓名前加“先生”。
• In the word "unimportant ","un-" is a prefix.在单词“unimportant”中“un”是前缀。

5 embarks   

乘船( embark的第三人称单数 )； 装载； 从事

参考例句：

• Patricia is a free-spirited girl who embarks on an erotic odyssey. 翠茜亚是个任性少女、毅然踏上一次性爱之旅。
• Passenger train driver: Punctually embarks. 客车司机：准时出发。

6 immortals   

不朽的人物( immortal的名词复数 )； 永生不朽者

参考例句：

• Nobody believes in the myth about human beings becoming immortals. 谁也不相信人能成仙的神话。
• Shakespeare is one of the immortals. 莎士比亚是不朽的人物之一。

7 paralysis   

n.麻痹(症)；瘫痪(症)

参考例句：

• The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。
• The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。

8 dwelling   

n.住宅，住所，寓所

参考例句：

• Those two men are dwelling with us.那两个人跟我们住在一起。
• He occupies a three-story dwelling place on the Park Street.他在派克街上有一幢3层楼的寓所。

9 bliss   

n.狂喜，福佑，天赐的福

参考例句：

• It's sheer bliss to be able to spend the day in bed.整天都可以躺在床上真是幸福。
• He's in bliss that he's won the Nobel Prize.他非常高兴，因为获得了诺贝尔奖金。

10 hush   

int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静

参考例句：

• A hush fell over the onlookers.旁观者们突然静了下来。
• Do hush up the scandal!不要把这丑事声张出去！

11 rumor   

n.谣言，谣传，传说

参考例句：

• The rumor has been traced back to a bad man.那谣言经追查是个坏人造的。
• The rumor has taken air.谣言流传开了。