英语听书《白鲸记》第342期

 The chief mate of the Pequod was Starbuck, a native of Nantucket, and a Quaker by descent.  "裴廓德号"的大副叫斯达巴克,他是个南塔开特土著,也是个桂克的后代。

He was a long, earnest man, and though born on an icy coast, seemed well adapted to endure hot latitudes¹, his flesh being hard as twice-baked biscuit.  他身体颀长,为人真挚,虽然生在冰天雪地的海滨,却似乎很经得起热带的气候,他全身肌肉硬得象回炉的面包。

Transported to the Indies, his live blood would not spoil like bottled ale.  他身上的热血,即使运到东印度群岛去,也不会象瓶装土啤酒那样容易变质。

He must have been born in some time of general drought and famine, or upon one of those fast days for which his state is famous.  他出生的时候,一定是正逢旱灾和饥荒,或者正逢他的国家所盛行的禁食日。

Only some thirty arid² summers had he seen; those summers had dried up all his physical superfluousness³.  他不过三十来岁;可是岁月却已吞噬了他那旺盛的体力。

But this, his thinness, so to speak, seemed no more the token of wasting anxieties and cares, than it seemed the indication of any bodily blight⁴.  但是,他的这种瘦弱,仿佛既看不出是消耗精力于忧虑,也不象是有任何体力衰退的迹象。

It was merely the condensation⁵ of the man.  这只是成年男子的一种凝缩现象。

He was by no means ill-looking; quite the contrary.  他可决不是其貌不扬的人;恰恰相反。

His pure tight skin was an excellent fit; and closely wrapped up in it, and embalmed⁶ with inner health and strength, like a revivified Egyptian,  他那洁白而紧绷绷的皮肤,就象一件非常合身的衣服;把身体裹得紧紧的,充分表露出体内的健康有力,活象个再世的古埃及人。

this Starbuck seemed prepared to endure for long ages to come, and to endure always, as now;  这位斯达巴克似乎还准备要经受未来的冗长岁月,要永远象现在这样的坚持下去;

for be it Polar snow or torrid sun, like a patent chronometer⁷, his interior vitality⁸ was warranted to do well in all climates.  因为北极的冰雪也罢,酷烈的骄阳也罢,他体内的活力就象一只精巧的航海时计,保险适宜于各种气候。

Looking into his eyes, you seemed to see there the yet lingering images of those thousand-fold perils⁹ he had calmly confronted through life.  你悄悄地细看他那双眼睛,便似乎看得到他眼睛里还有他生平曾经泰然处之的千百倍危难的一种历久犹存的影子。

1 latitudes   

纬度

参考例句：

• Latitudes are the lines that go from east to west. 纬线是从东到西的线。
• It was the brief Indian Summer of the high latitudes. 这是高纬度地方的那种短暂的晚秋。

2 arid   

adj.干旱的；(土地)贫瘠的

参考例句：

• These trees will shield off arid winds and protect the fields.这些树能挡住旱风,保护农田。
• There are serious problems of land degradation in some arid zones.在一些干旱地带存在严重的土地退化问题。

3 superfluousness   

过剩，多余

参考例句：

4 blight   

n.枯萎病；造成破坏的因素；vt.破坏，摧残

参考例句：

• The apple crop was wiped out by blight.枯萎病使苹果全无收成。
• There is a blight on all his efforts.他的一切努力都遭到挫折。

5 condensation   

n.压缩，浓缩；凝结的水珠

参考例句：

• A cloud is a condensation of water vapour in the atmosphere.云是由大气中的水蒸气凝结成的。
• He used his sleeve to wipe the condensation off the glass.他用袖子擦掉玻璃上凝结的水珠。

6 embalmed   

adj.用防腐药物保存（尸体）的v.保存（尸体）不腐( embalm的过去式和过去分词 )；使不被遗忘；使充满香气

参考例句：

• Many fine sentiments are embalmed in poetry. 许多微妙的情感保存于诗歌中。 来自辞典例句
• In books, are embalmed the greatest thoughts of all ages. 伟大思想古今有，载入书中成不朽。 来自互联网

7 chronometer   

n.精密的计时器

参考例句：

• Murchison followed with his eye the hand of his chronometer.莫奇生的眼睛追随着他的时计的秒针。
• My watch is more expensive because it's a chronometer.我的手表是精密型的，所以要比你的贵。

8 vitality   

n.活力，生命力，效力

参考例句：

• He came back from his holiday bursting with vitality and good health.他度假归来之后，身强体壮，充满活力。
• He is an ambitious young man full of enthusiasm and vitality.他是个充满热情与活力的有远大抱负的青年。

9 perils   

极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境）

参考例句：

• The commander bade his men be undaunted in the face of perils. 指挥员命令他的战士要临危不惧。
• With how many more perils and disasters would he load himself? 他还要再冒多少风险和遭受多少灾难？