英语听书《白鲸记》第501期

 　　Wet, drenched¹ through, and shivering cold, despairing of ship or boat, 湿透浸透，冷得发抖，放弃了对大小船只的希望，

　　we lifted up our eyes as the dawn came on. 直到曙光初露，我们这才抬起眼睛来。

　　The mist still spread over the sea, 迷雾仍然弥漫在海上，

　　the empty lantern lay crushed in the bottom of the boat. 火光已灭的灯笼皱瘪地躺在船肚里。

　　Suddenly Queequeg started to his feet, hollowing his hand to his ear. 突然间，魁魁格猛地跳将起来，用手兜住耳朵。

　　We all heard a faint creaking, as of ropes and yards hitherto muffled² by the storm. 我们隐约地听到一阵坼裂声，好象是一种还给大风暴捂住着的绳索和帆桁声。

　　The sound came nearer and nearer; 声音越来越近，

　　the thick mists were dimly parted by a huge, vague form. 从浓雾里依稀闪出一个巨大而模糊的东西来。

　　Affrighted, we all sprang into the sea as the ship at last loomed³ into view, 我们给吓得要命，都一跃就跳进海里，这时，终于看到大船了，

　　bearing right down upon us within a distance of not much more than its length. 它正在跟船身差不多长短的距离中朝我们直冲过来。

　　Floating on the waves we saw the abandoned boat, 我们看见那只被丢弃的小艇在浪涛上漂来漂去，

　　as for one instant it tossed and gaped⁴ beneath the ship's bows like a chip at the base of a cataract⁵; 它在大船头下面翻腾一阵后，裂开了，象是大瀑布下面的一块小木头；

　　and then the vast hull⁶ rolled over it, and it was seen no more till it came up weltering astern. 接着，巨大的船身就打它上面驶了过去，等到它又在船尾折折腾腾地往上冒出来，才又看到了它。

　　Again we swam for it, were dashed against it by the seas, and were at last taken up and safely landed on board. 我们又向着大船游去，一阵浪潮把我们冲到船边，终于给拉上去，安全地上了船。

　　Ere the squall came close to, the other boats had cut loose from their fish and returned to the ship in good time. 在狂风又将刮起之前，其它几只已经追不到鲸的小艇也都及时回到船上了。

　　The ship had given us up, but was still cruising, 大船上的人本来已经认为我们完蛋了，不过还在继续巡游，

　　if haply it might light upon some token of our perishing, an oar⁷ or a lance pole. 指望也许会偶然发现一些证明我们遭难的东西，一支桨或者一只鱼枪柄。

　　Chapter 49 The Hyena⁸ 第四十九章 残酷的家伙

　　There are certain queer times and occasions in this strange mixed affair we call life when a man takes this whole universe for a vast practical joke, 一个人如果把这整个宇宙看做个大恶作剧，那么，在我们称之为生活的这种希奇古怪、五花八门的东西中，就会有一些可疑的时刻和事情了，

　　though the wit thereof he but dimly discerns, 虽则他对这种恶作剧的理解很模糊，

　　and more than suspects that the joke is at nobody's expense but his own.  但也深为怀疑地认为，这种恶作剧只是害己不害人。

　　However, nothing dispirits, and nothing seems worth while disputing. 可是，他却觉得没有什么值得气馁，似乎也没有什么值得抗辩。

　　He bolts down all events, all creeds⁹, and beliefs, and persuasions¹⁰, 他会囫囵吞下一切结果，一切信条，一切信念和劝说，

　　all hard things visible and invisible, never mind how knobby; 一切有形无形的困难，不管多么疙瘩烦难的东西，

　　as an ostrich¹¹ of potent¹² digestion¹³ gobbles down bullets and gun flints. 就象一只消化力很强的鸵鸟把子弹。

1 drenched   

adj.湿透的；充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体）

参考例句：

• We were caught in the storm and got drenched to the skin. 我们遇上了暴雨，淋得浑身透湿。
• The rain drenched us. 雨把我们淋得湿透。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 muffled   

adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己）

参考例句：

• muffled voices from the next room 从隔壁房间里传来的沉闷声音
• There was a muffled explosion somewhere on their right. 在他们的右面什么地方有一声沉闷的爆炸声。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 loomed   

v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• A dark shape loomed up ahead of us. 一个黑糊糊的影子隐隐出现在我们的前面。
• The prospect of war loomed large in everyone's mind. 战事将起的庞大阴影占据每个人的心。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 gaped   

v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的过去式和过去分词 )；张开，张大

参考例句：

• A huge chasm gaped before them. 他们面前有个巨大的裂痕。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The front door was missing. A hole gaped in the roof. 前门不翼而飞，屋顶豁开了一个洞。 来自辞典例句

5 cataract   

n.大瀑布，奔流，洪水，白内障

参考例句：

• He is an elderly gentleman who had had a cataract operation.他是一位曾经动过白内障手术的老人。
• The way is blocked by the tall cataract.高悬的大瀑布挡住了去路。

6 hull   

n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳

参考例句：

• The outer surface of ship's hull is very hard.船体的外表面非常坚硬。
• The boat's hull has been staved in by the tremendous seas.小船壳让巨浪打穿了。

7 oar   

n.桨，橹，划手；v.划行

参考例句：

• The sailors oar slowly across the river.水手们慢慢地划过河去。
• The blade of the oar was bitten off by a shark.浆叶被一条鲨鱼咬掉了。

8 hyena   

n.土狼，鬣狗

参考例句：

• African hyena noted for its distinctive howl.非洲鬣狗，以其特别的嚎叫而闻名。
• The hyena's public image is not aided by its ridiculous appearance.鬣狗滑稽的外表无助于改善它在公众心中的形象。

9 creeds   

（尤指宗教）信条，教条( creed的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• people of all races, colours and creeds 各种种族、肤色和宗教信仰的人
• Catholics are agnostic to the Protestant creeds. 天主教徒对于新教教义来说，是不可知论者。

10 persuasions   

n.劝说，说服（力）( persuasion的名词复数 )；信仰

参考例句：

• To obtain more advertisting it needed readers of all political persuasions. 为获得更多的广告，它需要迎合各种政治见解的读者。 来自辞典例句
• She lingered, and resisted my persuasions to departure a tiresome while. 她踌躇不去，我好说歹说地劝她走，她就是不听。 来自辞典例句

11 ostrich   

n.鸵鸟

参考例句：

• Ostrich is the fastest animal on two legs.驼鸟是双腿跑得最快的动物。
• The ostrich indeed inhabits continents.鸵鸟确实是生活在大陆上的。

12 potent   

adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的

参考例句：

• The medicine had a potent effect on your disease.这药物对你的病疗效很大。
• We must account of his potent influence.我们必须考虑他的强有力的影响。

13 digestion   

n.消化，吸收

参考例句：

• This kind of tea acts as an aid to digestion.这种茶可助消化。
• This food is easy of digestion.这食物容易消化。