英语听书《白鲸记》第293期

 No.But what the stingy old Bildad might have a mighty¹ deal to say about shipping² hands,  不过,我就弄不懂,为什么这个吝啬的比勒达老头又会有掌理雇用水手的大权,

especially as I now found him on board the Pequod, quite at home there in the cabin, and reading his Bible as if at his own fireside.  尤其是我这时看到他在裴廓德号上,舒服地坐在舱房里,念着他的《圣经》,仿佛是坐在自己家里的火炉旁边。

Now while Peleg was vainly trying to mend a pen with his jack-knife,  这时,正当法勒在用他的小刀想修补那支笔而修补不好的时候,

old Bildad, to my no small surprise, considering that he was such an interested party in these proceedings³;  叫我吃惊不小的是,比勒达却始终没有理会我们,只是继续在念他的书,

Bildad never heeded⁴ us, but went on mumbling⁵ to himself out of his book, Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth⁶- 不要为自己积攒财宝在地上,地上有虫子。

Well, Captain Bildad, interrupted Peleg, what d'ye say, what lay shall we give this young man?  那么,比勒达船长,法勒打断他说,你怎么说,我们该给这个小伙子多少拆账呢? 　　

Thou knowest best, was the sepulchral⁷ reply, the seven hundred and seventy-seventh wouldn't be too much, would it? 你比我懂得多,他阴森森地回答道,七百七十七分之一不会太多吧,会吗?

where moth and rust⁸ do corrupt⁹, but lay- 地上有虫子咬,能锈坏,只要积攒。

Lay, indeed, thought I, and such a lay! the seven hundred and seventy-seventh!  我心里想,好一个积攒,这样的拆账!七百七十七分之一!

Well, old Bildad, you are determined¹⁰ that I, for one, shall not lay up many lays here below, where moth and rust do corrupt.  好吧,比勒达老头,你已经肯定了我这个人不该把许多拆账积攒在地下了,因为,在那里,有虫子咬,能锈坏。

It was an exceedingly long lay that, indeed;  这倒真是个了不起的大拆账,

and though from the magnitude of the figure it might at first deceive a landsman,  虽然从那个大数字看来,也许一开始骗得了一个陆地人,

yet the slightest consideration will show that though seven hundred and seventy-seven is a pretty large number,  然而,略为思索一下,就会知道尽管七百七十七是个相当可观的数目,

yet, when you come to make a teenth of it, you will then see,  可是,如果你把它当做一个分母看,

I say, that the seven hundred and seventy-seventh part of a farthing is a good deal less than seven hundred and seventy-seven gold doubloons;  那我说,你就知道一个法寻的七百七十七分之一跟七百七十七块金圆却是天差地别的了;

and so I thought at the time. 当时,我心里就这么想着。

Why, blast your eyes, Bildad, cried Peleg, Thou dost not want to swindle this young man! he must have more than that. 怎么,见你的鬼,比勒达,法勒嚷了起来,你该不想诓骗这个小伙子吧!他必须拿得比这多些。

1 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

2 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

3 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

4 heeded   

v.听某人的劝告，听从( heed的过去式和过去分词 )；变平，使（某物）变平( flatten的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She countered that her advice had not been heeded. 她反驳说她的建议未被重视。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I heeded my doctor's advice and stopped smoking. 我听从医生的劝告，把烟戒了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 mumbling   

含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• I could hear him mumbling to himself. 我听到他在喃喃自语。
• He was still mumbling something about hospitals at the end of the party when he slipped on a piece of ice and broke his left leg. 宴会结束时，他仍在咕哝着医院里的事。说着说着，他在一块冰上滑倒，跌断了左腿。

6 moth   

n.蛾，蛀虫

参考例句：

• A moth was fluttering round the lamp.有一只蛾子扑打着翅膀绕着灯飞。
• The sweater is moth-eaten.毛衣让蛀虫咬坏了。

7 sepulchral   

adj.坟墓的，阴深的

参考例句：

• He made his way along the sepulchral corridors.他沿着阴森森的走廊走着。
• There was a rather sepulchral atmosphere in the room.房间里有一种颇为阴沉的气氛。

8 rust   

n.锈；v.生锈；(脑子)衰退

参考例句：

• She scraped the rust off the kitchen knife.她擦掉了菜刀上的锈。
• The rain will rust the iron roof.雨水会使铁皮屋顶生锈。

9 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

10 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。