英语听书《白鲸记》第633期

 　　I have several such dried bits, which I use for marks in my whale-books. 我就有几片这样的干鲸皮，我把它用来做我那些鲸学书的书签。

　　It is transparent¹, as I said before;  这种东西，如上所述，是透明的，

　　and being laid upon the printed page, I have sometimes pleased myself with fancying it exerted a magnifying influence. 而且把它放在书页上，我有时还会自得其乐地认为它有一种放大的作用。

　　At any rate, it is pleasant to read about whales through their own spectacles, as you may say. 总之，可以这样说，用鲸皮镜来读鲸学书，真是一件快事。

　　But what I am driving at here is this. 不过，我在这里要说的却是这样。

　　That same infinitely² thin, isinglass substance, which, I admit, invests the entire body of the whale, 我认为，这种包在整个鲸身上的很薄的、云母片似的东西，

　　is not so much to be regarded as the skin of the creature, as the skin of the skin, so to speak; 似乎不很能够把它当作动物的皮，当做皮肤的皮，

　　for it were simply ridiculous to say, that the proper skin of the tremendous whale is thinner and more tender than the skin of a new-born child. 因为如果把可怕的大鲸那种正式的皮，说得象是比初生的婴孩的皮肤还要嫩、还要薄，那简直是滑天下之大稽了。

　　But no more of this. 可是，事实上就是如此。

　　Assuming the blubber to be the skin of the whale; 假定鲸脂就是鲸皮，

　　then, when this skin, as in the case of a very large Sperm³ Whale, will yield the bulk of one hundred barrels of oil;  那么，就一条十分大的抹香鲸说来，这层皮就会出产重达一百桶的油，

　　and, when it is considered that, in quantity, or rather weight, 而且再就它的量或者不如说就它的重量来考虑一下，

　　that oil, in its expressed state, is only three fourths, and not the entire substance of the coat; 这种油，按它榨出来的情况来说，还不过是四分之三的油量，并不是它那层应的整个油量。

　　some idea may hence be had of the enormousness of that animated⁴ mass, 这样，我们对那只气力旺盛的东西的硕大无朋就可获得一点印象了。

　　a mere⁵ part of whose mere integument⁶ yields such a lake of liquid as that. 光是它的那层外皮的一部分，就可以出产量如大湖的液体。

　　Reckoning ten barrels to the ton, you have ten tons for the net weight of only three quarters of the stuff of the whale's skin. 以十桶作一吨计算，那么只要四分之三的鲸皮，就可以获得净重十吨的油了。

1 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。

2 infinitely   

adv.无限地，无穷地

参考例句：

• There is an infinitely bright future ahead of us.我们有无限光明的前途。
• The universe is infinitely large.宇宙是无限大的。

3 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。

4 animated   

adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的

参考例句：

• His observations gave rise to an animated and lively discussion.他的言论引起了一场气氛热烈而活跃的讨论。
• We had an animated discussion over current events last evening.昨天晚上我们热烈地讨论时事。

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 integument   

n.皮肤

参考例句：

• The first protector against the entry of microorganisms is the integument.抗御微生物进入体内的第一道防线是皮肤。
• The cells of the integument and nucellus of some plants form perfectly normal embryos.某些植物的珠被和珠心细胞形成完全正常的胚。