英语听书《白鲸记》第590期

 　　Of late years the Manilla rope has in the American fishery almost entirely¹ superseded² hemp³ as a material for whale-lines; 近年来，在美国捕鲸业中，差不多完全以马尼拉索代替大麻作捕鲸索的原料；

　　for, though not so durable⁴ as hemp, it is stronger, and far more soft and elastic⁵;  马尼拉索，虽说没有大麻那么经久耐用，却是比较结实，而且运比大麻柔韧，有弹力；

　　and I will add (since there is an aesthetics⁶ in all things), is much more handsome and becoming to the boat, than hemp.  我还得说，它远比大麻好看（因为一切东西都得具备一种美感），更合小艇之用。

　　Hemp is a dusky, dark fellow, a sort of Indian; but Manilla is as a golden-haired Circassian to behold⁷. 大麻好比是个灰黑的黑人，有点象个印第安人；马尼拉索却看来就象个金发的西加塞亚人（西加塞亚人——高加索人种之一，以身高，面孔椭圆，眼睛棕黄，发带栗色，兼有厚道和勇敢的特性见称。）。

　　The whale-line is only two thirds of an inch in thickness. 若论粗细，捕鲸索只有三分之二英寸粗。

　　At first sight, you would not think it so strong as it really is. 乍一看来，你准不相信它果真会那么结实。

　　By experiment its one and fifty yarns⁸ will each suspend a weight of one hundred and twenty pounds; 但是，试验下来，它那五十一根细股（搓绳索时，一般是把大麻搓成细股，合细股为大股，再合三股搓成绳。），却每一股吊得起一百二十磅的重量；

　　so that the whole rope will bear a strain nearly equal to three tons. 所以，整根索子的负荷力差不多要等于三吨。

　　In length, the common sperm⁹ whale-line measures something over two hundred fathoms¹⁰. 至于长度，普通一根捕抹香鲸索，量起来大约可达一千二百多英尺。

　　Towards the stern of the boat it is spirally coiled away in the tub, 人们把它旋绕在船梢的桶里，

　　not like the worm-pipe of a still though, but so as to form one round, cheese-shaped mass of densely¹¹ bedded "sheaves," or layers of concentric spiralizations,   不是象蒸馏器的蛇管式那般绕，而是绕成一个圆圆的、奶酪似的一层紧叠一层的“滑车轮”，也可以说是打中间往外绕，一层一层地绕上去，绕得结结实实，

　　without any hollow but the "heart," or minute vertical¹² tube formed at the axis¹³ of the cheese. 只有一个“芯子”，或者象在一块奶酪的中央有根细长的管子那样。

　　As the least tangle¹⁴ or kink in the coiling would, in running out, infallibly take somebody's arm, leg, or entire body off, 因为在把索子撒出去的时候，如果稍一弄乱或者扭结在一起，就必定会把人们的手足，或者整个身子都给勒走，

　　the utmost precaution is used in stowing the line in its tub.  因此，必须极其小心地把捕鲸索堆藏在索桶里。

1 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

2 superseded   

[医]被代替的，废弃的

参考例句：

• The theory has been superseded by more recent research. 这一理论已为新近的研究所取代。
• The use of machinery has superseded manual labour. 机器的使用已经取代了手工劳动。

3 hemp   

n.大麻；纤维

参考例句：

• The early Chinese built suspension bridges of hemp rope.古代的中国人建造过麻绳悬索桥。
• The blanket was woven from hemp and embroidered with wool.毯子是由亚麻编织，羊毛镶边的。

4 durable   

adj.持久的，耐久的

参考例句：

• This raincoat is made of very durable material.这件雨衣是用非常耐用的料子做的。
• They frequently require more major durable purchases.他们经常需要购买耐用消费品。

5 elastic   

n.橡皮圈，松紧带；adj.有弹性的；灵活的

参考例句：

• Rubber is an elastic material.橡胶是一种弹性材料。
• These regulations are elastic.这些规定是有弹性的。

6 aesthetics   

n.(尤指艺术方面之)美学，审美学

参考例句：

• Sometimes, of course, our markings may be simply a matter of aesthetics. 当然，有时我们的标点符号也许只是个审美的问题。 来自名作英译部分
• The field of aesthetics presents an especially difficult problem to the historian. 美学领域向历史学家提出了一个格外困难的问题。

7 behold   

v.看，注视，看到

参考例句：

• The industry of these little ants is wonderful to behold.这些小蚂蚁辛勤劳动的样子看上去真令人惊叹。
• The sunrise at the seaside was quite a sight to behold.海滨日出真是个奇景。

8 yarns   

n.纱( yarn的名词复数 )；纱线；奇闻漫谈；旅行轶事

参考例句：

• ...vegetable-dyed yarns. 用植物染料染过色的纱线 来自辞典例句
• Fibers may be loosely or tightly twisted into yarns. 纤维可以是膨松地或紧密地捻成纱线。 来自辞典例句

9 sperm   

n.精子，精液

参考例句：

• Only one sperm fertilises an egg.只有一个精子使卵子受精。
• In human reproduction,one female egg is usually fertilized by one sperm.在人体生殖过程中，一个精子使一个卵子受精。

10 fathoms   

英寻( fathom的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The harbour is four fathoms deep. 港深为四英寻。
• One bait was down forty fathoms. 有个鱼饵下沉到四十英寻的深处。

11 densely   

ad.密集地；浓厚地

参考例句：

• A grove of trees shadowed the house densely. 树丛把这幢房子遮蔽得很密实。
• We passed through miles of densely wooded country. 我们穿过好几英里茂密的林地。

12 vertical   

adj.垂直的，顶点的，纵向的；n.垂直物，垂直的位置

参考例句：

• The northern side of the mountain is almost vertical.这座山的北坡几乎是垂直的。
• Vertical air motions are not measured by this system.垂直气流的运动不用这种系统来测量。

13 axis   

n.轴，轴线，中心线；坐标轴，基准线

参考例句：

• The earth's axis is the line between the North and South Poles.地轴是南北极之间的线。
• The axis of a circle is its diameter.圆的轴线是其直径。

14 tangle   

n.纠缠；缠结；混乱；v.(使)缠绕；变乱

参考例句：

• I shouldn't tangle with Peter.He is bigger than me.我不应该与彼特吵架。他的块头比我大。
• If I were you, I wouldn't tangle with them.我要是你，我就不跟他们争吵。