英语听书《白鲸记》第635期

 　　I should say that those New England rocks on the seacoast, 我敢说，新英格兰沿海的那些岩石，

　　which Agassiz imagines to bear the marks of violent scraping contact with vast floating icebergs², 也就是阿伽西认为那上面是跟大浮冰块相碰击的结果，才有那么厉害的伤痕，

　　I should say, that those rocks must not a little resemble the Sperm³ Whale in this particular. 我敢说，在这方面说来，那些岩石准是跟抹香鲸极其相似的。

　　It also seems to me that such scratches in the whale are probably made by hostile contact with other whales; 我也认为，大鲸之所以有这些搔痕，大概是跟其它大鲸争斗所致，

　　for I have most remarked them in the large, full-grown bulls of the species. 因为我常常在那种茁壮结实的大鲸身上看到那种搔痕。

　　A word or two more concerning this matter of the skin or blubber of the whale. 关于鲸皮或者鲸脂这问题，还得再说一两句话。

　　It has already been said, that it is stript from him in long pieces, called blanket-pieces. 我已经说过，人们把那种从它身上剥下来的长条条叫做绒毯。

　　Like most sea-terms, this one is very happy and significant. 这名称，跟大多数的航海术语一样，也是十分巧妙而深具意义的。

　　For the whale is indeed wrapt up in his blubber as in a real blanket or counterpane; 因为大鲸确实是裹在它的鲸脂里，好象真的裹着一条绒毯或者被单；

　　or, still better, an Indian poncho⁴ slipt over his head, and skirting his extremity⁵. 或者，不如更恰切地说，是裹着一件印第安人穿的那种从头上套下去的硬大衣，把它四周都裹得紧紧密密。

　　It is by reason of this cosy⁶ blanketing of his body, that the whale is enabled to keep himself comfortable in all weathers, in all seas, times, and tides. 正是由于它身上裹有这种舒适的绒毯，鲸才能够在各种气候、各种海洋、各种时间、各种潮汐中过得舒舒服服。

　　What would become of a Greenland whale, say, in those shuddering⁷, icy seas of the North, if unsupplied with his cosy surtout? 比如拿格陵兰鲸来说，它在北极那种冰封雪冻，冷彻肌肤的海洋里，如果它没有那件舒适的大衣，将会有什么结果呢？

　　True, other fish are found exceedingly brisk in those Hyperborean waters; 不错，其它的鱼类，在那种北方乐土似的海里是过得非常活泼的；

　　but these, be it observed, are your cold-blooded, lungless fish, whose very bellies⁸ are refrigerators; 不过，请注意，那些鱼，都是冷血无肺的鱼类，它们的肚皮本来就是冰箱，

　　creatures, that warm themselves under the lee of an iceberg¹, as a traveller in winter would bask⁹ before an inn fire; 这些在冰块下取暖的生物，就象一个寒冬的旅客，在小客店里的火盆前烤火一样。

　　whereas, like man, the whale has lungs and warm blood.  反之，鲸却跟人一样，既有肺又有热血。

1 iceberg   

n.冰山，流冰，冷冰冰的人

参考例句：

• The ship hit an iceberg and went under.船撞上一座冰山而沉没了。
• The glacier calved a large iceberg.冰河崩解而形成一个大冰山。

2 icebergs   

n.冰山，流冰( iceberg的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The drift of the icebergs in the sea endangers the ships. 海上冰山的漂流危及船只的安全。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The icebergs towered above them. 冰山高耸于他们上方。 来自辞典例句

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 poncho   

n.斗篷，雨衣

参考例句：

• He yawned and curled his body down farther beneath the poncho.他打了个呵欠，把身子再蜷拢点儿，往雨披里缩了缩。
• The poncho is made of nylon.这雨披是用尼龙制造的。

5 extremity   

n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度

参考例句：

• I hope you will help them in their extremity.我希望你能帮助在穷途末路的他们。
• What shall we do in this extremity?在这种极其困难的情况下我们该怎么办呢？

6 cosy   

adj.温暖而舒适的，安逸的

参考例句：

• We spent a cosy evening chatting by the fire.我们在炉火旁聊天度过了一个舒适的晚上。
• It was so warm and cosy in bed that Simon didn't want to get out.床上温暖而又舒适，西蒙简直不想下床了。

7 shuddering   

v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动

参考例句：

• 'I am afraid of it,'she answered, shuddering. “我害怕，”她发着抖，说。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
• She drew a deep shuddering breath. 她不由得打了个寒噤，深深吸了口气。 来自飘（部分）

8 bellies   

n.肚子( belly的名词复数 )；腹部；（物体的）圆形或凸起部份；腹部…形的

参考例句：

• They crawled along on their bellies. 他们匍匐前进。
• starving children with huge distended bellies 鼓着浮肿肚子的挨饿儿童

9 bask   

vt.取暖，晒太阳，沐浴于

参考例句：

• Turtles like to bask in the sun.海龟喜欢曝于阳光中。
• In winter afternoons,he likes to bask in the sun in his courtyard.冬日的午后，他喜欢坐在院子晒太阳。