英语听书《白鲸记》第232期

 It needs scarcely to be told, with what feelings, on the eve of a Nantucket voyage,  我在启程赴南塔开特的前夕,在那一个昏暗而阴森的日子里,

I regarded those marble tablets, and by the murky¹ light of that darkened, doleful day read the fate of the whalemen who had gone before me.  靠着朦胧的光线念着那些先我而去的捕鲸者的命运,看着那些石碑时究竟怀着什么心情,那是不必多说了。

Yes, Ishmael, the same fate may be thine.  不错,以实玛利呀,这可能也正是你的命运。

But somehow I grew merry again. Delightful² inducements to embark³, fine chance for promotion⁴, it seems-aye, a stove boat will make me an immortal⁵ by brevet.  但是,不知怎地,我竟又快活起来了.快活的起因也许是要出发了,要有高升的好机会了,它似乎是是一只将使我飞黄腾达而永垂不朽的破艇。

Yes, there is death in this business of whaling--a speechlessly quick chaotic⁶ bundling of a man into Eternity⁷.  不错,在捕鲸这种行业中是会死人的...这是个一下子便会把人带往来世的深渊似的行业。

But what then? Methinks we have hugely mistaken this matter of Life and Death.  但是,这又怎样呢?我 认为我们真是对生死这桩大事产生了大大的误会。

Methinks that what they call my shadow here on earth is my true substance.  我认为人们在现世称做我的影子的,却正是我的真正的本体。

Methinks that in looking at things spiritual, we are too much like oysters⁸ observing the sun through the water, and thinking that thick water the thinnest of air.  我认为我们在观察一些神灵的事物时,实在太象从水里看太阳的牡蛎,总认为混水就是最稀薄的空气。

Methinks my body is but the lees of my better being.  我认为我的身躯不过是我的本体的残渣。

In fact take my body who will, take it I say, it is not me.  事实上,谁要我的躯体,我就说:请拿去吧,它并不是我的。

And therefore three cheers for Nantucket; and come a stove boat and stove body when they will, for stave my soul, Jove himself cannot. 因此,应该为南塔开特三呼万岁;随它破船也好,残躯也好,因为我善于拚命,是丘必特本人也办不到的。

1 murky   

adj.黑暗的，朦胧的；adv.阴暗地，混浊地；n.阴暗；昏暗

参考例句：

• She threw it into the river's murky depths.她把它扔进了混浊的河水深处。
• She had a decidedly murky past.她的历史背景令人捉摸不透。

2 delightful   

adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的

参考例句：

• We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。
• Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。

3 embark   

vi.乘船，着手，从事，上飞机

参考例句：

• He is about to embark on a new business venture.他就要开始新的商业冒险活动。
• Many people embark for Europe at New York harbor.许多人在纽约港乘船去欧洲。

4 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

5 immortal   

adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的

参考例句：

• The wild cocoa tree is effectively immortal.野生可可树实际上是不会死的。
• The heroes of the people are immortal!人民英雄永垂不朽！

6 chaotic   

adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的

参考例句：

• Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
• The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。

7 eternity   

n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷

参考例句：

• The dull play seemed to last an eternity.这场乏味的剧似乎演个没完没了。
• Finally,Ying Tai and Shan Bo could be together for all of eternity.英台和山伯终能双宿双飞，永世相随。

8 oysters   

牡蛎( oyster的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We don't have oysters tonight, but the crayfish are very good. 我们今晚没有牡蛎供应。但小龙虾是非常好。
• She carried a piping hot grill of oysters and bacon. 她端出一盘滚烫的烤牡蛎和咸肉。