英语听书《白鲸记》第615期

 　　when, with both hands folded before him, and resting on his two-legged cane¹,  这时，他两手交叉在胸前，倚着他那副拐杖，

　　he bowed his arched back still further over, at the same time sideways inclining his head, so as to bring his best ear into play. 那只拱背向前佝得很低，敬起礼来，同时偏着脑袋，好教他那只比较灵敏的耳朵来聆训。

　　Cook, said Stubb, rapidly lifting a rather reddish morsel² to his mouth, "don't you think this steak is rather overdone³?  厨司呀，斯塔布迅速举起一块血红的东西往嘴里一送后，说道，"你想这肉排可不煮得烂了些吗？

　　You've been beating this steak too much, cook; it's too tender.  你把它敲得太厉害了，厨司；这肉本来就很嫩。

　　Don't I always say that to be good, a whale-steak must be tough?  我不是始终说，要把鲸排煮得好，就要煮得生些么？

　　There are those sharks now over the side, don't you see they prefer it tough and rare?  现在就在船边的那些鲨鱼，你没有看到它们是爱吃半生不熟和生的肉排吗？

　　What a shindy they are kicking up!  它们吵得多厉害！

　　Cook, go and talk to 'em; tell 'em they are welcome to help themselves civilly, and in moderation, but they must keep quiet.  厨司，去对它们讲一讲；告诉它们，欢迎它们来吃，就是要吃得文雅些，有节制点，而且一定要安静。

　　Blast me, if I can hear my own voice.  该死的东西，我吃东西会听到自己的声响，我才不信。

　　Away, cook, and deliver my message. 走吧，厨司，传我的话去吧。

　　Here, take this lantern," snatching one from his sideboard; "now then, go and preach to them!" 喏，把这只灯笼拿着，"他从食具架上抓起一只灯笼给他；"去跟它们讲一通道吧！"

　　Sullenly⁴ taking the offered lantern, old Fleece limped across the deck to the bulwarks⁵;  弗里斯老头绷着脸，接过那只灯笼，一瘸一瘸地横过甲板，到对面舷墙去；

　　and then, with one hand drooping⁶ his light low over the sea, so as to get a good view of his congregation,  于是，他一只手把灯笼低照着海上，以便好好地端相一下他的会众，

　　with the other hand he solemnly flourished his tongs⁷,  另一只手一本正经地挥舞起他那火钳，

　　and leaning far over the side in a mumbling⁸ voice began addressing the sharks,  把大半截身子俯扑在船舷外面，嗫嗫嚅嚅地对那些鲨鱼讲起话来。

　　while Stubb, softly crawling behind, overheard all that was said. 这时，斯塔布悄悄地爬到他背后，偷听他说话。

　　Fellow-critters: I'se ordered here to say dat you must stop dat dam noise dare. You hear?  同胞们，我奉命到这里来说，你们一定要停止那种死吵死闹。你们听到么？

　　Stop dat dam smackin' ob de lips!  嘴巴不要他妈的巴嗒巴嗒响！

1 cane   

n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的

参考例句：

• This sugar cane is quite a sweet and juicy.这甘蔗既甜又多汁。
• English schoolmasters used to cane the boys as a punishment.英国小学老师过去常用教鞭打男学生作为惩罚。

2 morsel   

n.一口，一点点

参考例句：

• He refused to touch a morsel of the food they had brought.他们拿来的东西他一口也不吃。
• The patient has not had a morsel of food since the morning.从早上起病人一直没有进食。

3 overdone   

v.做得过分( overdo的过去分词 )；太夸张；把…煮得太久；（工作等）过度

参考例句：

• The lust of men must not be overdone. 人们的欲望不该过分。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The joke is overdone. 玩笑开得过火。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 sullenly   

不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地

参考例句：

• 'so what?" Tom said sullenly. “那又怎么样呢？”汤姆绷着脸说。
• Emptiness after the paper, I sIt'sullenly in front of the stove. 报看完，想不出能找点什么事做，只好一人坐在火炉旁生气。

5 bulwarks   

n.堡垒( bulwark的名词复数 )；保障；支柱；舷墙

参考例句：

• The freedom of the press is one of the great bulwarks of liberty. 新闻自由是自由最大的保障之一。 来自辞典例句
• Surgery and X-irradiation nevertheless remain the bulwarks of cancer treatment throughout the world. 外科手术和X射线疗法依然是全世界治疗癌症的主要方法。 来自辞典例句

6 drooping   

adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词

参考例句：

• The drooping willows are waving gently in the morning breeze. 晨风中垂柳袅袅。
• The branches of the drooping willows were swaying lightly. 垂柳轻飘飘地摆动。

7 tongs   

n.钳；夹子

参考例句：

• She used tongs to put some more coal on the fire.她用火钳再夹一些煤放进炉子里。
• He picked up the hot metal with a pair of tongs.他用一把钳子夹起这块热金属。

8 mumbling   

含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• I could hear him mumbling to himself. 我听到他在喃喃自语。
• He was still mumbling something about hospitals at the end of the party when he slipped on a piece of ice and broke his left leg. 宴会结束时，他仍在咕哝着医院里的事。说着说着，他在一块冰上滑倒，跌断了左腿。