英语听书《白鲸记》第569期

 　　But it may be fancied, that from the naked skeleton of the stranded¹ whale, accurate hints may be derived² touching³ his true form.  不过，也许有人认为，说不定从那只被拖上岸来的鲸的赤裸裸的骨架上，可以对它的真形获得正确的启示。

　　Not at all. For it is one of the more curious things about this Leviathan, that his skeleton gives very little idea of his general shape. 并不尽然。因为这就是这种大海兽的比较奇特的事项之一，它的骨架对于它一般形状也提供不出什么概念来，

　　Though Jeremy Bentham's skeleton, which hangs for candelabra in the library of one of his executors, 虽然杰里米·边沁（杰里米·边沁（1748—1832）——英国社会学家，他死后，按照他的遗嘱，遗体放在遗嘱执行人之一的伦敦大学博物馆中。）的骨架，可以象大烛台一般地挂在他一个指定遗嘱执行人的图书馆里，

　　correctly conveys the idea of a burly-browed utilitarian⁴ old gentleman, with all Jeremy's other leading personal characteristics; 正确地传达出这位魁伟的功利主义的老先生的形象，以及他本人种种主要的特征；

　　yet nothing of this kind could be inferred from any leviathan's articulated bones.  然而，从任何一条大海兽的皑皑白骨中，却一点也推论不出类似的东西来。

　　In fact, as the great Hunter says,  事实上，正如伟大的亨特所说，

　　the mere⁵ skeleton of the whale bears the same relation to the fully⁶ invested and padded animal as the insect does to the chrysalis that so roundingly envelopes it.  鲸的骨架之与厚拥重裘的活鲸的关系，不过是象昆虫之与那被团团包牢的蛹的关系一样。

　　This peculiarity⁷ is strikingly evinced in the head, as in some part of this book will be incidentally shown.  这个特征，在头部尤其表现得明显，这在本书的其它部分将会偶然提到。

　　It is also very curiously⁸ displayed in the side fin⁹, the bones of which almost exactly answer to the bones of the human hand, minus only the thumb. 它那边鳍也显得十分奇特，鳍里的骨头差不多跟人手的骨头一模一样，不过没有大拇指而已。

　　This fin has four regular bone-fingers, the index, middle, ring, and little finger. 这种鳍有四根正常的手指骨，就是食指、中指、无名指和小指头。

　　But all these are permanently¹⁰ lodged¹¹ in their fleshy covering, as the human fingers in an artificial covering.  但是所有这种手指骨都深藏在肉里，一如人的手指戴上连指手套那样。

　　"However recklessly the whale may sometimes serve us," said humorous Stubb one day, "he can never be truly said to handle us without mittens¹²." “不管鲸鱼会时常多么粗卤地对付我们，”爱发幽默的斯塔布有一天说，“它可永远不会不戴连指手套就真的抓得住我们。”

1 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

2 derived   

vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取

参考例句：

• Many English words are derived from Latin and Greek. 英语很多词源出于拉丁文和希腊文。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He derived his enthusiasm for literature from his father. 他对文学的爱好是受他父亲的影响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 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。

4 utilitarian   

adj.实用的，功利的

参考例句：

• On the utilitarian side American education has outstridden the rest of the world.在实用方面美国教育已超越世界各国。
• A good cloth coat is more utilitarian than a fur one.一件优质的布外衣要比一件毛皮外衣更有用。

5 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

6 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

7 peculiarity   

n.独特性，特色；特殊的东西；怪癖

参考例句：

• Each country has its own peculiarity.每个国家都有自己的独特之处。
• The peculiarity of this shop is its day and nigth service.这家商店的特点是昼夜服务。

8 curiously   

adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地

参考例句：

• He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
• He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。

9 fin   

n.鳍；(飞机的)安定翼

参考例句：

• They swim using a small fin on their back.它们用背上的小鳍游动。
• The aircraft has a long tail fin.那架飞机有一个长长的尾翼。

10 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

11 lodged   

v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属

参考例句：

• The certificate will have to be lodged at the registry. 证书必须存放在登记处。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Our neighbours lodged a complaint against us with the police. 我们的邻居向警方控告我们。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 mittens   

不分指手套

参考例句：

• Cotton mittens will prevent the baby from scratching his own face. 棉的连指手套使婴儿不会抓伤自己的脸。
• I'd fisted my hands inside their mittens to keep the fingers warm. 我在手套中握拳头来保暖手指。