英语听书《白鲸记》第511期

 　　While his one live leg made lively echoes along the deck, every stroke of his dead limb sounded like a coffin-tap. 那时，他那只好腿在甲板上发出来的是怪有生气的回响，那只坏腿的每一记声音，却象在敲棺材盖。

　　On life and death this old man walked. 这个老人就在生死关口走来走去。

　　But though the ship so swiftly sped, and though from every eye, like arrows, the eager glances shot, yet the silvery jet was no more seen that night. 虽则船只如此迅疾地驶去，虽则每只眼睛都象箭般投射出了热切的眼色，然而，那天晚上，却再也看不到那银白色的喷射了。

　　Every sailor swore he saw it once, but not a second time. 每个水手都发誓他看到了一次，没有看见第二次。

　　This midnight-spout¹ had almost grown a forgotten thing, when, some days after,  这次午夜喷射已差不多被人遗忘了，可是，几天之后，

　　lo! at the same silent hour, it was again announced: again it was descried² by all; 哟！就在同一个静穆的时分，又再度听到叫声了，大家又都看到了。

　　but upon making sail to overtake it, once more it disappeared as if it had never been. 但是，扯上了帆去追它的时候，它又消失了，仿佛从来就没有这回事似的。

　　And so it served us night after night, till no one heeded³ it but to wonder at it. 那喷射就这样一夜过一夜地诓了我们，到后来，谁都也不再去留意它，只是一想到它，就觉得奇怪而已。

　　Mysteriously jetted into the clear moonlight, or starlight, as the case might be; 神秘的喷射有时发生在晴朗的月夜，有时发生在满天星斗的夜空，都没有一定；

　　disappearing again for one whole day, or two days, or three; 有时隔了一整天又再现了，有时却隔了两三天；

　　and somehow seeming at every distinct repetition to be advancing still further and further in our van, this solitary⁴ jet seemed for ever alluring⁵ us on. 而且不知怎地，似乎每回的重现，都跟我们越隔越远，这种孤零零的喷射似乎一直在诱着我们向前。

　　Nor with the immemorial superstition⁶ of their race, and in accordance with the preternaturalness, as it seemed, which in many things invested the Pequod, 那倒是符合于他们的古老的迷信，也是同事事都带有神秘性的“裴廓德号”相一致的，

　　were there wanting some of the seamen⁷ who swore that whenever and wherever descried; 如果说，在“裴廓德号”的水手中，有人敢于发誓说，那个随时随地被发现的，

　　at however remote times, or in however far apart latitudes⁸ and longitudes⁹, that unnearable spout was cast by one selfsame whale; and that whale, Moby Dick. 不论时间隔得多久，地点隔得多远，始终是可望而不可即的喷射，就是同一条大鲸所喷射出来的，而那条大鲸就是莫比·迪克。

1 spout   

v.喷出，涌出；滔滔不绝地讲；n.喷管；水柱

参考例句：

• Implication in folk wealth creativity and undertaking vigor spout.蕴藏于民间的财富创造力和创业活力喷涌而出。
• This acts as a spout to drain off water during a rainstorm.在暴风雨季，这东西被用作喷管来排水。

2 descried   

adj.被注意到的，被发现的，被看到的

参考例句：

• He descried an island far away on the horizon. 他看到遥远的地平线上有个岛屿。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• At length we descried a light and a roof. 终于，我们远远看见了一点灯光，一所孤舍。 来自辞典例句

3 heeded   

v.听某人的劝告，听从( heed的过去式和过去分词 )；变平，使（某物）变平( flatten的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She countered that her advice had not been heeded. 她反驳说她的建议未被重视。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I heeded my doctor's advice and stopped smoking. 我听从医生的劝告，把烟戒了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 solitary   

adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士

参考例句：

• I am rather fond of a solitary stroll in the country.我颇喜欢在乡间独自徜徉。
• The castle rises in solitary splendour on the fringe of the desert.这座城堡巍然耸立在沙漠的边际，显得十分壮美。

5 alluring   

adj.吸引人的，迷人的

参考例句：

• The life in a big city is alluring for the young people. 大都市的生活对年轻人颇具诱惑力。
• Lisette's large red mouth broke into a most alluring smile. 莉莎特的鲜红的大嘴露出了一副极为诱人的微笑。

6 superstition   

n.迷信，迷信行为

参考例句：

• It's a common superstition that black cats are unlucky.认为黑猫不吉祥是一种很普遍的迷信。
• Superstition results from ignorance.迷信产生于无知。

7 seamen   

n.海员

参考例句：

• Experienced seamen will advise you about sailing in this weather. 有经验的海员会告诉你在这种天气下的航行情况。
• In the storm, many seamen wished they were on shore. 在暴风雨中，许多海员想，要是他们在陆地上就好了。

8 latitudes   

纬度

参考例句：

• Latitudes are the lines that go from east to west. 纬线是从东到西的线。
• It was the brief Indian Summer of the high latitudes. 这是高纬度地方的那种短暂的晚秋。

9 longitudes   

经度

参考例句：

• Nothing makes earth seem so to have friends at a distance; they make latitudes and longitudes. 没有什么比得上有朋在远方更使地球显得如此巨大，他们构成了纬度和经度。