英语听书《白鲸记》第578期

 　　Wooden whales, or whales cut in profile out of the small dark slabs¹ of the noble South Sea war-wood,  木刻鲸，或者用南海那种高贵的战木似的小块黑石板所刻成的鲸侧面像，

　　are frequently met with in the forecastles of American whalers.  都可以经常在美国捕鲸船的船头楼里看到。

　　Some of them are done with much accuracy. 其中有一些而且做得很是精细。

　　At some old gable-roofed country houses you will see brass² whales hung by the tail for knockers to the road-side door.  在乡间一些老式的人字形屋顶上，还可以看到在靠路旁的大门上，挂有当做门环的鲸尾。

　　When the porter is sleepy, the anvil-headed whale would be best.  如果那个看门人是昏昏欲睡的话，那只砧头鲸就最管用。

　　But these knocking whales are seldom remarkable³ as faithful essays. 可是，这些充当敲门砖的鲸总是不大经得起考验。

　　On the spires⁴ of some old-fashioned churches you will see sheet-iron whales placed there for weathercocks; 在一些老式教堂的尖顶上，还可以看到把铁板做的鲸放在那上面做风信标；

　　but they are so elevated, and besides that are to all intents and purposes so labelled with "Hands off!" 不过，这些鲸都是那么高高在上，而且实际上，旁边还标有"请勿动手"的条子，

　　you cannot examine them closely enough to decide upon their merit. 使人无法仔细观察它们，从而肯定它们的价值。

　　In bony, ribby regions of the earth, where at the base of high broken cliffs masses of rock lie strewn in fantastic groupings upon the plain, 在土地贫瘠的地区，在高耸而支离破裂的峭壁底下，平地上都散布有一堆堆奇形怪状的岩石块，

　　you will often discover images as of the petrified⁵ forms of the Leviathan partly merged⁶ in grass,  在这种地方，就经常可以找到一种化石鲸形象，在草里露出半个身体来，

　　which of a windy day breaks against them in a surf of green surges. 那是因为一阵大风而把它们刮到草丛里去的。

　　Then, again, in mountainous countries where the traveller is continually girdled by amphitheatrical heights; 再说，在峰峦起伏的地方，旅客始终给包围在那象圆形剧场的高峰中，

　　here and there from some lucky point of view you will catch passing glimpses of the profiles of whales defined along the undulating ridges⁷. 如果有眼福的话，就可以这里那里地偶然在起伏的山脊间瞥见轮廓分明的鲸侧面像。

1 slabs   

n.厚板，平板，厚片( slab的名词复数 )；厚胶片

参考例句：

• The patio was made of stone slabs. 这天井是用石板铺砌而成的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The slabs of standing stone point roughly toward the invisible notch. 这些矗立的石块，大致指向那个看不见的缺口。 来自辞典例句

2 brass   

n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器

参考例句：

• Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。

3 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

4 spires   

n.（教堂的） 塔尖，尖顶( spire的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Her masts leveled with the spires of churches. 船的桅杆和教堂的塔尖一样高。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• White church spires lift above green valleys. 教堂的白色尖顶耸立在绿色山谷中。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 petrified   

adj.惊呆的；目瞪口呆的v.使吓呆，使惊呆；变僵硬；使石化(petrify的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• I'm petrified of snakes. 我特别怕蛇。
• The poor child was petrified with fear. 这可怜的孩子被吓呆了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 merged   

（使）混合( merge的过去式和过去分词 )； 相融； 融入； 渐渐消失在某物中

参考例句：

• Turf wars are inevitable when two departments are merged. 两个部门合并时总免不了争争权限。
• The small shops were merged into a large market. 那些小商店合并成为一个大商场。

7 ridges   

n.脊( ridge的名词复数 )；山脊；脊状突起；大气层的)高压脊

参考例句：

• The path winds along mountain ridges. 峰回路转。
• Perhaps that was the deepest truth in Ridges's nature. 在里奇斯的思想上，这大概可以算是天经地义第一条了。