英语听书《白鲸记》第505期

 　　Chapter 50 Ahab's Boat and Crew. Fedallah 第五十章 亚哈的小艇和艇员——费达拉

　　"Who would have thought it, Flask¹!" cried Stubb; “谁想得到呀，弗拉斯克！”斯塔布大声说；

　　"if I had but one leg you would not catch me in a boat, unless maybe to stop the plug-hole with my timber toe. “我要是只有一条腿，你一定不会在小艇上碰到我，除非是把我的木头做的脚趾头塞在锚链孔里。

　　Oh! he's a wonderful old man!" 他可真是个怪老头啊！”

　　"I don't think it so strange, after all, on that account," said Flask. “在这方面，我毕竟认为没有什么奇怪，”弗拉斯克说。

　　"If his leg were off at the hip², now, it would be a different thing. “要是他那条腿齐胯断了的话，那自然又是另一回事啦。

　　That would disable him; but he has one knee, and good part of the other left, you know." 那准会使他动也动不来；可是，他一条腿还剩下到膝盖的一截，另一条腿是好好的，你知道。”

　　"I don't know that, my little man; I never yet saw him kneel." “这个我可不清楚，我的小朋友；我从来还没有看到他跪倒过。”

　　Among whale-wise people it has often been argued whether, 在捕鲸行家中，常常有过这样的争论：

　　considering the paramount³ importance of his life to the success of the voyage, 考虑到捕鲸船长的生命对于航程的成败得失关系极其重大，

　　it is right for a whaling captain to jeopardize⁴ that life in the active perils⁶ of the chase. 他是否应该冒生命的危险，亲临追击的险境。

　　So Tamerlane's soldiers often argued with tears in their eyes, whether that invaluable⁷ life of his ought to be carried into the thickest of the fight. 这正如铁木儿的战士们常常为铁木儿那非常贵重的生命应否亲临战阵而争辩得眼泪汪汪一样。

　　But with Ahab the question assumed a modified aspect. 但是，这问题对于亚哈说来，却更有所不同。

　　Considering that with two legs man is but a hobbling wight in all times of danger; 因为长有两条腿的人，在一切危急关头中，也不过是一个趑趄不前的家伙；

　　considering that the pursuit of whales is always under great and extraordinary difficulties; 因为捕鲸工作，往往会碰到种种非同一般的大困难；

　　that every individual moment, indeed, then comprises a peril⁵; 因为事实上每一分钟都有危险的可能，

　　under these circumstances is it wise for any maimed man to enter a whale-boat in the hunt? 在这种情况下，让任何一个残废者坐上小艇参加猎击，是明智的吗？

　　As a general thing, the joint-owners of the Pequod must have plainly thought not. 一般说来，“裴廓德号”的合伙老板们一定会明白地认为，这决不是明智的。

1 flask   

n.瓶，火药筒，砂箱

参考例句：

• There is some deposit in the bottom of the flask.这只烧杯的底部有些沉淀物。
• He took out a metal flask from a canvas bag.他从帆布包里拿出一个金属瓶子。

2 hip   

n.臀部，髋；屋脊

参考例句：

• The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。
• The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line.新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

3 paramount   

a.最重要的，最高权力的

参考例句：

• My paramount object is to save the Union and destroy slavery.我的最高目标是拯救美国，摧毁奴隶制度。
• Nitrogen is of paramount importance to life on earth.氮对地球上的生命至关重要。

4 jeopardize   

vt.危及，损害

参考例句：

• Overworking can jeopardize your health.工作过量可能会危及你的健康。
• If you are rude to the boss it may jeopardize your chances of success.如果你对上司无礼，那就可能断送你成功的机会。

5 peril   

n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物

参考例句：

• The refugees were in peril of death from hunger.难民有饿死的危险。
• The embankment is in great peril.河堤岌岌可危。

6 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？

7 invaluable   

adj.无价的，非常宝贵的，极为贵重的

参考例句：

• A computer would have been invaluable for this job.一台计算机对这个工作的作用会是无法估计的。
• This information was invaluable to him.这个消息对他来说是非常宝贵的。