英语听书《白鲸记》第479期

 Here are his reflections some time after quitting the ship, during a black night in an open boat, 下面是他在黑夜里坐上了一只空无一物的小艇，离开那只船后的回忆，

when almost despairing of reaching any hospitable¹ shore. 当时要想达到任何一个好客的海岸，差不多已是完全无望。

"The dark ocean and swelling² waters were nothing; “漆黑的海洋和汹涌的浪涛还不算什么；

the fears of being swallowed up by some dreadful tempest, or dashed upon hidden rocks, 那种怕被一时可怖的暴风雨吞噬掉的恐惧，或者会冲上什么隐伏着的暗礁，

with all the other ordinary subjects of fearful contemplation, 以及其它各种出自可怖的想法的正常的东西，

seemed scarcely entitled to a moment's thought; 似乎一时都不值得一想了；

the dismal³ looking wreck⁴, 那艘破船的凄凉形相，

and THE HORRID⁵ ASPECT AND REVENGE OF THE WHALE, 和那只满怀报仇。相貌可怕的大鲸，

wholly engrossed⁶ my reflections, 已完全夺去了我的想象，

until day again made its appearance." 这些事情至今还会不时地显现出来。”

In another place--p. 45,--he speaks of 在另外的一个地方——第四十五页——他提到,

"THE MYSTERIOUS AND MORTAL ATTACK OF THE ANIMAL." “这只野兽的神秘而性命攸关的攻击。”

Secondly⁷: The ship Union, also of Nantucket, 第二，也是南塔开特那艘“联合号”，

was in the year 1807 totally lost off the Azores by a similar onset⁸, 在一八0七年遭到了类似的攻击，在亚速尔海上整个覆灭的，

but the authentic⁹ particulars of this catastrophe¹⁰ I have never chanced to encounter, 不过，这一灾害，我从来没有机会获得它的可靠详情，

though from the whale hunters I have now and then heard casual allusions¹¹ to it. 虽然，从捕鲸者那边，我还不时会偶尔听到一些有关引喻。

Thirdly: Some eighteen or twenty years ago Commodore J---then commanding an American sloop-of-war of the first class, 第三，大约在十八或者二十年前吧，当时有某个统率一艘美国第一流的古式炮舰的司令官，

happened to be dining with a party of whaling captains, on board a Nantucket ship in the harbor of Oahu, Sandwich Islands. 恰巧在散德维支群岛(散德维支群岛——即如今的夏威夷群岛)的奥胡码头上，在一艘南塔开特船上跟一群捕鲸船长们聚餐。

Conversation turning upon whales, 话题一转到了大鲸身上，

the Commodore was pleased to be sceptical touching¹² the amazing strength ascribed to them by the professional gentlemen present. 司令官听到在座那些专业的先生，把鲸说得力量奇大，深表怀疑。

He peremptorily¹³ denied for example, 他举例断然否认说，

that any whale could so smite¹⁴ his stout¹⁵ sloop-of-war as to cause her to leak so much as a thimbleful. 要是有一条鲸会把他那艘结实的炮舰攻得漏一滴酒的话，他才不信。

Very good; but there is more coming. 很好，事情正有着呢。

Some weeks later, the Commodore set sail in this impregnable craft for Valparaiso. 几个星期后，这位司令官坐着这艘无法攻破的炮舰启航驶往瓦尔帕莱索(瓦尔帕莱索——智利的商埠)。

But he was stopped on the way by a portly sperm¹⁶ whale, 但是，他在半路上，却给一条魁伟的抹香鲸拦住，

that begged a few moments' confidential¹⁷ business with him. 要跟他商量几分钟机密事务了。

That business consisted in fetching the Commodore's craft such a thwack, 这件公事，就是要给司令官的炮舰狠狠一击，

that with all his pumps going he made straight for the nearest port to heave down and repair. 弄得他只好使足全力，把船直驶到最邻近的港口，停下来修理了。

I am not superstitious¹⁸, but I consider the Commodore's interview with that whale as providential. 我并不是个迷信的人，不过，我认为这个司令官跟那条鲸的会见是上天安排好了的。

Was not Saul of Tarsus converted from unbelief by a similar fright? 塔苏斯的扫罗(事出《旧约.撒母耳记》第十六章三十，三十一节)不也是受到一阵类似的惊吓，就使他从不信仰上帝转而皈依上帝么?

I tell you, the sperm whale will stand no nonsense. 我告诉你们，抹香鲸是不愿意忍受无聊行动的。

I will now refer you to Langsdorff's Voyages for a little circumstance in point, 这里，我还要向你们适当地略为提一提兰斯多尔夫的那次航行，

peculiarly interesting to the writer hereof.  特别是要提一提作者所感兴趣的那部分。

Langsdorff, you must know by the way, 顺便说一下，兰斯多尔夫，你们大概一定是知道的，

was attached to the Russian Admiral Krusenstern's famous Discovery Expedition in the beginning of the present century. 他就是本世纪(本世纪——指十九世纪。)初俄国海军大将克鲁生斯丹恩的著名探险队的人员。

Captain Langsdorff thus begins his seventeenth chapter: 兰斯多尔夫船长在他的著作的第十七章中这样写道：

1 hospitable   

adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的

参考例句：

• The man is very hospitable.He keeps open house for his friends and fellow-workers.那人十分好客，无论是他的朋友还是同事，他都盛情接待。
• The locals are hospitable and welcoming.当地人热情好客。

2 swelling   

n.肿胀

参考例句：

• Use ice to reduce the swelling. 用冰敷消肿。
• There is a marked swelling of the lymph nodes. 淋巴结处有明显的肿块。

3 dismal   

adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的

参考例句：

• That is a rather dismal melody.那是一支相当忧郁的歌曲。
• My prospects of returning to a suitable job are dismal.我重新找到一个合适的工作岗位的希望很渺茫。

4 wreck   

n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难

参考例句：

• Weather may have been a factor in the wreck.天气可能是造成这次失事的原因之一。
• No one can wreck the friendship between us.没有人能够破坏我们之间的友谊。

5 horrid   

adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的

参考例句：

• I'm not going to the horrid dinner party.我不打算去参加这次讨厌的宴会。
• The medicine is horrid and she couldn't get it down.这种药很难吃，她咽不下去。

6 engrossed   

adj.全神贯注的

参考例句：

• The student is engrossed in his book.这名学生正在专心致志地看书。
• No one had ever been quite so engrossed in an evening paper.没人会对一份晚报如此全神贯注。

7 secondly   

adv.第二，其次

参考例句：

• Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。
• Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。

8 onset   

n.进攻，袭击，开始，突然开始

参考例句：

• The drug must be taken from the onset of the infection.这种药必须在感染的最初期就开始服用。
• Our troops withstood the onset of the enemy.我们的部队抵挡住了敌人的进攻。

9 authentic   

a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的

参考例句：

• This is an authentic news report. We can depend on it. 这是篇可靠的新闻报道, 我们相信它。
• Autumn is also the authentic season of renewal. 秋天才是真正的除旧布新的季节。

10 catastrophe   

n.大灾难，大祸

参考例句：

• I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。
• This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。

11 allusions   

暗指，间接提到( allusion的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We should not use proverbs and allusions indiscriminately. 不要滥用成语典故。
• The background lent itself to allusions to European scenes. 眼前的情景容易使人联想到欧洲风光。

12 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

13 peremptorily   

adv.紧急地，不容分说地，专横地

参考例句：

• She peremptorily rejected the request. 她断然拒绝了请求。
• Their propaganda was peremptorily switched to an anti-Western line. 他们的宣传断然地转而持反对西方的路线。 来自辞典例句

14 smite   

v.重击；彻底击败；n.打；尝试；一点儿

参考例句：

• The wise know how to teach,the fool how to smite.智者知道如何教导，愚者知道怎样破坏。
• God will smite our enemies.上帝将击溃我们的敌人。

15 stout   

adj.强壮的，粗大的，结实的，勇猛的，矮胖的

参考例句：

• He cut a stout stick to help him walk.他砍了一根结实的枝条用来拄着走路。
• The stout old man waddled across the road.那肥胖的老人一跩一跩地穿过马路。

16 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。

17 confidential   

adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的

参考例句：

• He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
• We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。

18 superstitious   

adj.迷信的

参考例句：

• They aim to deliver the people who are in bondage to superstitious belief.他们的目的在于解脱那些受迷信束缚的人。
• These superstitious practices should be abolished as soon as possible.这些迷信做法应尽早取消。