英语听书《白鲸记》第400期

 In this one matter, Ahab seemed no exception to most American whale captains, who, as a set, rather incline to the opinion that by rights the ship's cabin belongs to them; and that it is by courtesy alone that anybody else is, at any time, permitted there.  在这件事情上,亚哈似乎也跟大多数美国捕鲸船船长没有什么两样:这些物以类聚的人物,都是很赞成这样一种意见,即认为船长室理应属于他们自己的,而且,还认为只是出自礼貌,这才有时允许他人入内。

So that, in real truth, the mates and harpooneers of the Pequod might more properly be said to have lived out of the cabin than in it.  因此,实际上,"裴廓德号"的大二三副和标枪手们,与其说是住在船长室里面,不如更正确地说是住在船长室外边。

For when they did enter it, it was something as a streetdoor enters a house; turning inwards for a moment, only to be turned out the next; and, as a permanent thing, residing in the open air.  因为,他们跑到那里面去,正同一扇进屋的临街大门那样,打里边推开一会儿后,又再弹回来一下,而作为一件常设的东西说来,它却是存在于露天里的。

Nor did they lose much hereby; in the cabin was no companionship; socially, Ahab was inaccessible¹.  他们倒也不觉得有什么损失,船长室里本来就没有什么友情;从社交上说来,亚哈是难以接近的。

Though nominally² included in the census³ of Christendom, he was still an alien to it.  亚哈虽然名义上是个基督教徒,他却又是个非基督教徒。

He lived in the world, as the last of the Grisly Bears lived in settled Missouri.  他活在世上,就象是寄居在密苏里州的一种末代的灰熊。

And as when Spring and Summer had departed, that wild Logan of the woods, burying himself in the hollow of a tree, lived out the winter there, sucking his own paws;  也象是森林里那个野人罗干,印第安的一个大酋长,因为白种人屠杀了他全家人,他对白种人满怀怨恨,避居森林一样,每当春夏两季一过,就隐藏在树洞里,在那里度过寒冬,舔咂着自己的脚爪;

so, in his inclement⁴, howling old age, Ahab's soul, shut up in the caved trunk of his body, there fed upon the sullen⁵ paws of its gloom! 亚哈也是这般,把他那凋零垂暮之年,他的心灵,关在他自己体内的中空躯干里,赖残躯的污秽的脚爪为生。

1 inaccessible   

adj.达不到的，难接近的

参考例句：

• This novel seems to me among the most inaccessible.这本书对我来说是最难懂的小说之一。
• The top of Mount Everest is the most inaccessible place in the world.珠穆朗玛峰是世界上最难到达的地方。

2 nominally   

在名义上，表面地； 应名儿

参考例句：

• Dad, nominally a Methodist, entered Churches only for weddings and funerals. 爸名义上是卫理公会教徒，可只去教堂参加婚礼和葬礼。
• The company could not indicate a person even nominally responsible for staff training. 该公司甚至不能指出一个名义上负责职员培训的人。

3 census   

n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查

参考例句：

• A census of population is taken every ten years.人口普查每10年进行一次。
• The census is taken one time every four years in our country.我国每四年一次人口普查。

4 inclement   

adj.严酷的，严厉的，恶劣的

参考例句：

• The inclement weather brought forth a host of diseases.恶劣的天气引起了种种疾病。
• They kept on going,even through the inclement weather.即使天气恶劣，他们还是执意要去。

5 sullen   

adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的

参考例句：

• He looked up at the sullen sky.他抬头看了一眼阴沉的天空。
• Susan was sullen in the morning because she hadn't slept well.苏珊今天早上郁闷不乐，因为昨晚没睡好。