英语听书《白鲸记》第378期

 How then? The baleen¹, hump, back-fin, and teeth; these are things whose peculiarities² are indiscriminately dispersed³ among all sorts of whales, without any regard to what may be the nature of their structure in other and more essential particulars.  那么,这又怎样呢?鲸须,背峰,脊鳍和牙齿;这些特征,不管究竟具有多少其它更主要的特点和结构的特质,都是各种鲸类所具有的。一无差别的东西。因此,抹香鲸和座头鲸虽都各有背峰;但是,它们的类似之处也仅此而已。

Thus, the sperm⁴ whale and the humpbacked whale, each has a hump; but there the similitude ceases. Then this same humpbacked whale and the Greenland whale, each of these has baleen; but there again the similitude ceases.  再说,这种座头鲸和格陵兰鲸也都各有鲸须;然而,它们之间的类似之处,又是只此而已。至于以上所提到的其它部分也是如此。

And it is just the same with the other parts above mentioned. In various sorts of whales, they form such irregular combinations;  在各种各样的鲸类中,它们就有这么不规则的混同;或者有时其中又有一种是与众不同的,形成非常不规则的独树一帜。

or, in the case of any one of them detached, such an irregular isolation⁵; as utterly⁶ to defy all general methodization formed upon such a basis.  好象是完全不顾一切由这样一种根据而形成的一般分类法似的。

On this rock every one of the whale-naturalists has split. 这种情形是每个研究鲸的博物学家都要大碰其壁的。

But it may possibly be conceived that, in the internal parts of the whale, in his anatomy⁷-there, at least, we shall be able to hit the right classification.  不过,也许有人会认为,从鲸的内部,从鲸的解剖中,我们至少总能够摸出正确的类别来。

Nay⁸; what thing, for example, is there in the Greenland whale's anatomy more striking than his baleen?  不,比如说,在格陵兰鲸的解剖中,除了鲸须,还有什么更为显著的东西吗?

Yet we have seen that by his baleen it is impossible correctly to classify the Greenland whale.  而且,我们已经知道,光靠鲸须是不能够正确地对格陵兰鲸加以分类的。

And if you descend⁹ into the bowels¹⁰ of the various leviathans, why there you will not find distinctions a fiftieth part as available to the systematizer as those external ones already enumerated¹¹.  如果你跑到各种大海兽的肚皮里去,那么,你在那里头所找到的特征,还是不及那些已经列举出来的外部特征而能自成一系的东西的五十分之一。

What then remains¹²? nothing but to take hold of the whales bodily, in their entire liberal volume, and boldly sort them that way.  那又该怎么办呢?除了抓住鲸的身体,着眼于它们整个庞大的体积,大胆地按照这方法来分类以外,是别无它法可想的。

And this is the Bibliographical¹³ system here adopted; and it is the only one that can possibly succeed, for it alone is practicable. To proceed. 这就是我这里所采用的书目提要的方法;也是可能获致成效的唯一方法,只有它才是切实可行的。再说下去吧。

1 baleen   

n.鲸须

参考例句：

• Other baleen whales have splash guards too,but not like this.一些须鲸物种头顶也有护住喷水孔的构造，但并不长成这样。
• Baleen whales often appear in this region. Be careful!这一带经常有须鲸出没，要注意安全啊。

2 peculiarities   

n. 特质, 特性, 怪癖, 古怪

参考例句：

• the cultural peculiarities of the English 英国人的文化特点
• He used to mimic speech peculiarities of another. 他过去总是模仿别人讲话的特点。

3 dispersed   

adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的

参考例句：

• The clouds dispersed themselves. 云散了。
• After school the children dispersed to their homes. 放学后，孩子们四散回家了。

4 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。

5 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

6 utterly   

adv.完全地，绝对地

参考例句：

• Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
• I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

7 anatomy   

n.解剖学，解剖；功能，结构，组织

参考例句：

• He found out a great deal about the anatomy of animals.在动物解剖学方面，他有过许多发现。
• The hurricane's anatomy was powerful and complex.对飓风的剖析是一项庞大而复杂的工作。

8 nay   

adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者

参考例句：

• He was grateful for and proud of his son's remarkable,nay,unique performance.他为儿子出色的，不，应该是独一无二的表演心怀感激和骄傲。
• Long essays,nay,whole books have been written on this.许多长篇大论的文章，不，应该说是整部整部的书都是关于这件事的。

9 descend   

vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降

参考例句：

• I hope the grace of God would descend on me.我期望上帝的恩惠。
• We're not going to descend to such methods.我们不会沦落到使用这种手段。

10 bowels   

n.肠，内脏，内部；肠( bowel的名词复数 )；内部，最深处

参考例句：

• Salts is a medicine that causes movements of the bowels. 泻盐是一种促使肠子运动的药物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cabins are in the bowels of the ship. 舱房设在船腹内。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 enumerated   

v.列举，枚举，数( enumerate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• A spokesperson enumerated the strikers' demands. 发言人列数罢工者的要求。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He enumerated the capitals of the 50 states. 他列举了50个州的首府。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

12 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

13 bibliographical   

书籍解题的，著书目录的

参考例句：

• Full bibliographical information should be enclosed after the main text. 文献资料另编录于论文本文之后。
• See the bibliographical note under St Anne. 看到书目下的注圣安妮。