英语听书《白鲸记》第334期

 As Queequeg and I are now fairly embarked¹ in this business of whaling;  因为我和魁魁格现在都顺利地参加了捕鲸这一行业;

and as this business of whaling has somehow come to be regarded among landsmen as a rather unpoetical and disreputable pursuit;  又因为捕鲸这个行业,不知怎地,总被陆地人看成是一种颇为缺乏诗意而又声名狼藉的职业;

therefore, I am all anxiety to convince ye, ye landsmen, of the injustice² hereby done to us hunters of whales. 因此,我真急于要使你们,要使你们这些陆地人,认识到对我们这些猎鲸者的这种看法是不公道的。

In the first place, it may be deemed almost superfluous³ to establish the fact, that among people at large, the business of whaling is not accounted on a level with what are called the liberal professions.  要澄清这一事实,首先也许会被认为简直是多余的,因为一般人并不把捕鲸业看作是同那所谓自由职业相等的。

If a stranger were introduced into any miscellaneous metropolitan⁴ society, it would but slightly advance the general opinion of his merits, were he presented to the company as a harpooneer, say;  如果把一个陌生人引进到大城市任何性质的交际界中,比如说,如果把他你为一个标枪手介绍给交际场的人,那是只会引起大家对他訾议一番而已,

and if in emulation⁵ of the naval⁶ officers he should append the initials S.W.F. (Sperm⁷ Whale Fishery) to his visiting card, such a procedure would be deemed preeminently presuming and ridiculous. 而如果他也仿效一般海军官员的做法,在他的名片上印上他的职号的简称字母Ｓ．Ｗ．Ｆ．(捕抹香鲸业),那么,这般作法准会被人们认为非常放肆荒唐。

Doubtless one leading reason why the world declines honoring us whalemen, is this: they think that, at best, our vocation⁸ amounts to a butchering sort of business;  毫无疑问,世人之所以不肯尊敬我们这些捕鲸者,主要的理由就是:他们都认为,我们这个职业充其量也不过是等于一种屠宰业;

and that when actively⁹ engaged therein, we are surrounded by all manner of defilements. Butchers we are, that is true.  认为凡是实际从事这一行业的,都难免沾有各式各样的污秽。

But butchers, also, and butchers of the bloodiest¹⁰ badge have been all Martial¹¹ Commanders whom the world invariably delights to honor.  不错,我们的确是屠夫。但是,同是屠夫,那些嗜杀成性的屠夫却都做了大将,世人还都一定尊敬他们。

And as for the matter of the alleged¹² uncleanliness of our business, ye shall soon be initiated¹³ into certain facts hitherto pretty generally unknown, and which, upon the whole, will triumphantly¹⁴ plant the sperm whale-ship at least among the cleanliest things of this tidy earth.  至于说到我们这一行业之所谓不干净,那么立刻就可以教你接触到一些迄今不很受世人普遍了解的事实,而且,这些事实,一般说来,还至少可以得意洋洋地将捕抹香鲸的船只列为这个干净的人间的最干净的东西呢。

But even granting the charge in question to be true;  不过,话得说回来,就算这种非难是千真万确的,

what disordered slippery decks of a whale-ship are comparable to the unspeakable carrion¹⁵ of those battle-fields from which so many soldiers return to drink in all ladies' plaudits?  捕鲸船的杂乱无章的滑溜溜的甲板,怎么比得过那摆着许多说不出的臭尸的战场?

1 embarked   

乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事

参考例句：

• We stood on the pier and watched as they embarked. 我们站在突码头上目送他们登船。
• She embarked on a discourse about the town's origins. 她开始讲本市的起源。

2 injustice   

n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利

参考例句：

• They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
• All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。

3 superfluous   

adj.过多的，过剩的，多余的

参考例句：

• She fined away superfluous matter in the design. 她删去了这图案中多余的东西。
• That request seemed superfluous when I wrote it.我这样写的时候觉得这个请求似乎是多此一举。

4 metropolitan   

adj.大城市的，大都会的

参考例句：

• Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
• Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。

5 emulation   

n.竞争；仿效

参考例句：

• The young man worked hard in emulation of his famous father.这位年轻人努力工作，要迎头赶上他出名的父亲。
• His spirit of assiduous study is worthy of emulation.他刻苦钻研的精神，值得效法。

6 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

7 sperm   

n.精子，精液

参考例句：

• Only one sperm fertilises an egg.只有一个精子使卵子受精。
• In human reproduction,one female egg is usually fertilized by one sperm.在人体生殖过程中，一个精子使一个卵子受精。

8 vocation   

n.职业，行业

参考例句：

• She struggled for years to find her true vocation.她多年来苦苦寻找真正适合自己的职业。
• She felt it was her vocation to minister to the sick.她觉得照料病人是她的天职。

9 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

10 bloodiest   

adj.血污的( bloody的最高级 )；流血的；屠杀的；残忍的

参考例句：

• The Russians were going to suffer their bloodiest defeat of all before Berlin. 俄国人在柏林城下要遭到他们的最惨重的失败。 来自辞典例句
• It was perhaps the bloodiest hour in the history of warfare. 这也许是战争史上血腥味最浓的1个小时。 来自互联网

11 martial   

adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的

参考例句：

• The sound of martial music is always inspiring.军乐声总是鼓舞人心的。
• The officer was convicted of desertion at a court martial.这名军官在军事法庭上被判犯了擅离职守罪。

12 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

13 initiated   

n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入

参考例句：

• He has not yet been thoroughly initiated into the mysteries of computers. 他对计算机的奥秘尚未入门。
• The artist initiated the girl into the art world in France. 这个艺术家介绍这个女孩加入巴黎艺术界。

14 triumphantly   

ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地

参考例句：

• The lion was roaring triumphantly. 狮子正在发出胜利的吼叫。
• Robert was looking at me triumphantly. 罗伯特正得意扬扬地看着我。

15 carrion   

n.腐肉

参考例句：

• A crow of bloodthirsty ants is attracted by the carrion.一群嗜血的蚂蚁被腐肉所吸引。
• Vultures usually feed on carrion or roadkill.兀鹫通常以腐肉和公路上的死伤动物为食。