英语听书《白鲸记》第257期

 For the height of this sort of deliciousness is to have nothing but the blankets between you and your snugness¹ and the cold of the outer air.  为了要达到这种极乐的顶点,只消有一床毯子,把你和你那份舒适的心情跟外面的寒冷隔开就够了。

Then there you lie like the one warm spark in the heart of an arctic crystal. 这样,你躺在那里,就象是置身在北极的水晶宫中央的一颗温暖的火星。

We had been sitting in this crouching² manner for some time, when all at once I thought I would open my eyes;  我们已经这么屈着膝头坐了一阵子,这时候,我突然想到要张开眼睛来;

for when between sheets, whether by day or by night, and whether asleep or awake, I have a way of always keeping my eyes shut,  因为我在床上的时候,不论白天黑夜,不论睡着醒着,我总喜欢闭上眼睛,

in order the more to concentrate the snugness of being in bed.  使得更能集中享受躺在床上的舒适。

Because no man can ever feel his own identity aright except his eyes be closed;  因为,人要不闭上眼睛,就始终不能正确地感到他自己的本体的存在;

as if, darkness were indeed the proper element of our essences, though light be more congenial to our clayey part.  仿佛黑暗才确实是我们的本体的真正的要素,虽然光明也许更能适合我们的本体。

Upon opening my eyes then, and coming out of my own pleasant and self-created darkness into the imposed and coarse outer gloom of the unilluminated twelve-o'clock-at-night,  当时,我的眼睛一张开来,从我自己的愉快和自我创造的黑暗中出来,面临到那使人眩晕不快。毫无光彩的午夜十二点钟的幽暗境域,

I experienced a disagreeable revulsion.  我有了一种不快的反感。

Nor did I at all object to the hint from Queequeg that perhaps it were best to strike a light, seeing that we were so wide awake;  我们既然是这么清醒,我就一点也不反对魁魁格提出的。

and besides he felt a strong desire to have a few quiet puffs³ from his Tomahawk.  最好还是点起灯来的建议;他还很想安安逸逸地吸几口烟。

Be it said, that though I had felt such a strong repugnance⁴ to his smoking in the bed the night before,  请记住,虽然昨天晚上,我对他在床上吸烟感到厌恶万分,然而,一经彼此相爱,

yet see how elastic⁵ our stiff prejudices grow when love once love comes to bend them.  我们那固执的偏见却又变得如此富有弹性了。

For now I liked nothing better than to have Queequeg smoking by me, even in bed, because he seemed to be full of such serene⁶ household joy then.  这时,除了让魁魁格在我身旁,甚至就在床上吸烟以外,我实在找不到更能使我感到快活的事了,因为那时他似乎是富有如此恬静的家庭乐趣的情调。

I no more felt unduly⁷ concerned for the landlord's policy of insurance.  我再也不过份关心那店老板的火险单了。

1 snugness   

参考例句：

• The transition from the terminal's warm snugness to the harshness of the night outside was startling. 从温暖舒适的机场大楼进入室外的风雪之夜，真是触目惊心的转变。 来自辞典例句

2 crouching   

v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• a hulking figure crouching in the darkness 黑暗中蹲伏着的一个庞大身影
• A young man was crouching by the table, busily searching for something. 一个年轻人正蹲在桌边翻看什么。 来自汉英文学 - 散文英译

3 puffs   

n.吸( puff的名词复数 )；（烟斗或香烟的）一吸；一缕（烟、蒸汽等）；（呼吸或风的）呼v.使喷出( puff的第三人称单数 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧

参考例句：

• We sat exchanging puffs from that wild pipe of his. 我们坐在那里，轮番抽着他那支野里野气的烟斗。 来自辞典例句
• Puffs of steam and smoke came from the engine. 一股股蒸汽和烟雾从那火车头里冒出来。 来自辞典例句

4 repugnance   

n.嫌恶

参考例句：

• He fought down a feelings of repugnance.他抑制住了厌恶感。
• She had a repugnance to the person with whom she spoke.她看不惯这个和她谈话的人。

5 elastic   

n.橡皮圈，松紧带；adj.有弹性的；灵活的

参考例句：

• Rubber is an elastic material.橡胶是一种弹性材料。
• These regulations are elastic.这些规定是有弹性的。

6 serene   

adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的

参考例句：

• He has entered the serene autumn of his life.他已进入了美好的中年时期。
• He didn't speak much,he just smiled with that serene smile of his.他话不多，只是脸上露出他招牌式的淡定的微笑。

7 unduly   

adv.过度地，不适当地

参考例句：

• He did not sound unduly worried at the prospect.他的口气听上去对前景并不十分担忧。
• He argued that the law was unduly restrictive.他辩称法律的约束性有些过分了。