英语听书《白鲸记》第623期

 　　We all know how they live upon whales, and have rare old vintages of prime old train oil. 我们都知道，他们不但靠大鲸为生，还有象罕见的陈年葡萄酒一般的陈年上好鲸油。

　　Zogranda, one of their most famous doctors, recommends strips of blubber for infants, as being exceedingly juicy and nourishing. 有一位最著名的爱斯基摩医生叫左格兰达的，他就推荐过婴孩们要吃鲸脂，认为它是最有液汁和最富有营养的东西。

　　And this reminds me that certain Englishmen, who long ago were accidentally left in Greenland by a whaling vessel¹, 说到这里，教我想起一群英国人来，他们在很久之前，偶然被一艘捕鲸船留置在格陵兰，

　　that these men actually lived for several months on the mouldy scraps² of whales which had been left ashore³ after trying out the blubber.  这些人，实际上，有好几个月就是靠那些榨过油后。抛在海边的、发霉的鲸肉碎片过活的。

　　Among the Dutch whalemen these scraps are called "fritters"; 在荷兰的捕鲸人中，管这种碎肉片叫做"鲸油渣"；

　　which, indeed, they greatly resemble, being brown and crisp,  事实上，这倒很是相象，因为它们颜色棕黄，又有点脆，

　　and smelling something like old Amsterdam housewives' dough-nuts or oly-cooks, when fresh.  味道也有点象古代阿姆斯特丹的主妇们所做的新鲜油炸饼或者油煎饼。

　　They have such an eatable look that the most self-denying stranger can hardly keep his hands off. 它们具有那么可口的外表，连最有克制功夫的客人，也不免要食指大动。

　　But what further depreciates⁴ the whale as a civilized⁵ dish, is his exceeding richness.  但是，人们所以更进一步地轻视大鲸，不把它当成文明人的食品，乃是因为它过分肥腻。

　　He is the great prize ox of the sea, too fat to be delicately good. 它本身就是海里的大公牛，十分肥腻，不很可口。

　　Look at his hump, which would be as fine eating as the buffalo's (which is esteemed⁶ a rare dish), were it not such a solid pyramid of fat. 瞧它那隆起的背峰，要不是那里边尽是那样一片结实得象金字塔般的脂肪，那可就象水牛鱼（这是公认的一种珍馐）背那样的可口了。

　　But the spermaceti itself, how bland⁷ and creamy that is;  不过，就抹香鲸油本身说来，尽管它是多么柔滑、浓腻，

　　like the transparent⁸, half jellied, white meat of a cocoanut in the third month of its growth,  象一只长了三个月的椰子肉一般透明。雪白而有点胶粘粘的，

　　yet far too rich to supply a substitute for butter.  然而，要用它来代替黄油，却仍太嫌油腻。

　　Nevertheless, many whalemen have a method of absorbing it into some other substance, and then partaking of it.  话虽如此，有许多捕鲸人都有一种吃法，那就是把它掺和其它的东西一起吃。

1 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。

2 scraps   

油渣

参考例句：

• Don't litter up the floor with scraps of paper. 不要在地板上乱扔纸屑。
• A patchwork quilt is a good way of using up scraps of material. 做杂拼花布棉被是利用零碎布料的好办法。

3 ashore   

adv.在(向)岸上，上岸

参考例句：

• The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前，孩子们就上岸了。
• He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。

4 depreciates   

v.贬值，跌价，减价( depreciate的第三人称单数 )；贬低，蔑视，轻视

参考例句：

• Money usually depreciates in value over a period of years. 金钱通常在一些年后贬值。 来自辞典例句
• The risk, of course, is that the forint devalues or depreciates. 风险当然是福林贬值或跌价。 来自互联网

5 civilized   

a.有教养的，文雅的

参考例句：

• Racism is abhorrent to a civilized society. 文明社会憎恶种族主义。
• rising crime in our so-called civilized societies 在我们所谓文明社会中日益增多的犯罪行为

6 esteemed   

adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为

参考例句：

• The art of conversation is highly esteemed in France. 在法国十分尊重谈话技巧。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He esteemed that he understood what I had said. 他认为已经听懂我说的意思了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 bland   

adj.淡而无味的，温和的，无刺激性的

参考例句：

• He eats bland food because of his stomach trouble.他因胃病而吃清淡的食物。
• This soup is too bland for me.这汤我喝起来偏淡。

8 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。