英语听书《白鲸记》第520期

 　　For the long absent ship, the outward-bounder, perhaps, has letters on board;  而且，那艘外航船说不定还带有一些信件，要交给一艘离家多年的船只，

　　at any rate, she will be sure to let her have some papers of a date a year or two later than the last one on her blurred¹ and thumb-worn files.  无论如何，它一定会给那艘船带来几份报纸，这些报纸总比那艘船那些夹在报夹里。让手指头翻得稀烂破碎的报纸新一两年吧。

　　And in return for that courtesy, the outward-bound ship would receive the latest whaling intelligence from the cruising-ground to which she may be destined², 于是，礼尚往来，这艘外航船就会得到一些也许它必须去的巡游场的最近的捕鲸消息，

　　a thing of the utmost importance to her. 一些对它是极其重要的消息。

　　And in degree, all this will hold true concerning whaling vessels⁴ crossing each other's track on the cruising-ground itself, 这样，慢慢地，这些礼节就在一般巡游场上彼此相值的捕鲸船间流传下去了，

　　even though they are equally long absent from home. 哪怕这两艘船的离家期间是相差无几。

　　For one of them may have received a transfer of letters from some third, and now far remote vessel³; 因为说不定其中有一艘船还带有现在远在他处的第三艘船的一些转递信件，

　　and some of those letters may be for the people of the ship she now meets. 而其中有些信件说不定就是它现在所碰到的船上的人的。

　　Besides, they would exchange the whaling news, and have an agreeable chat.  此外，他们还可以交换捕鲸消息，称心快意地聊一聊。

　　For not only would they meet with all the sympathies of sailors,  因为他们不仅会获得水手们的一切同情，

　　but likewise with all the peculiar⁵ congenialities arising from a common pursuit and mutually shared privations and perils⁶. 也会获得由于职业相同，患难相共而来的种种特殊愉快。

　　Nor would difference of country make any very essential difference; 国籍不同也不会有什么本质上的不同，

　　that is, so long as both parties speak one language, as is the case with Americans and English. 就是说，只要双方都是操着同样的语言就行，英美两国的船员就是这样。

　　Though, to be sure, from the small number of English whalers, such meetings do not very often occur, 不过，英国的捕鲸船为数不多，当然就不常常会有这种相遇的机会，

　　and when they do occur there, is too apt to be a sort of shyness between them; 而且一旦相遇了，彼此之间也还不免稍有忸怩之感；

　　for your Englishman is rather reserved, and your Yankee, he does not fancy that sort of thing in anybody but himself. 因为那些英国人总是比较拘谨，而扬基(扬基——美国人的绰号，尤指新英格兰人，因为一般捕鲸者大都是新英格兰人。)呢，却根本就没有想到这一套。

1 blurred   

v.（使）变模糊( blur的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）难以区分；模模糊糊；迷离

参考例句：

• She suffered from dizziness and blurred vision. 她饱受头晕目眩之苦。
• Their lazy, blurred voices fell pleasantly on his ears. 他们那种慢吞吞、含糊不清的声音在他听起来却很悦耳。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

3 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

4 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

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？