英语听书《白鲸记》第672期

 I think that all this indirectly¹ proceeds from the helpless perplexity of volition², 因此，我认为，这种种由于意志纷乱无能而间接产生的现象，

in which their divided and diametrically opposite powers of vision must involve them. 一定是跟它们那两边对峙的视觉极有关系。

But the ear of the whale is full as curious as the eye. 但是，鲸的耳朵也完全跟它的眼睛一样奇特。

If you are an entire stranger to their race, you might hunt over these two heads for hours, and never discover that organ. 如果你对它们的族类全然无知的话，你准会对这两只大头搜索了几个钟头而始终找不到那个器官。

The ear has no external leaf whatever; and into the hole itself you can hardly insert a quill³, so wondrously⁴ minute is it. 它那耳朵根本就没有什么外壳；那只洞孔小得出奇，简直连一支鹅毛管也插不进。

It is lodged⁵ a little behind the eye. 它就长在眼睛稍后一点的地方。

With respect to their ears, this important difference is to be observed between the sperm⁶ whale and the right. 说到它们的耳朵，就可以看到抹香鲸与露脊鲸的主要差别了。

While the ears of the former has an external opening, 抹香鲸的耳朵有一个表面的洞孔，

that of the latter is entirely⁷ and evenly covered over with a membrane⁸, so as to be quite imperceptible from without. 而露脊鲸的耳朵却完全是四平八服地盖着一层薄膜，从外边简直很难叫人看出来。

Is it not curious, that so vast a being as the whale should see the world through so small an eye, 象鲸这样的庞然大物，竟是通过这么细小的眼睛来观察万物，

and hear the thunder through an ear which is smaller than a hare's? 通过比兔子的还小的耳朵来聆听雷声，这可不奇怪吗？

But if his eyes were broad as the lens of Herschel's great telescope; 不过，如果它的眼睛长得象赫舍尔的大望远镜的透镜一样大；

and his ears capacious as the porches of cathedrals; would that make him any longer of sight, or sharper of hearing? Not at all. 耳朵生得象大教堂的门廊一样宽的话，是不是就会教它看得更远，听得更清呢？倒也不一定。

Why then do you try to "enlarge" your mind? Subtilize it. 那么，你为什么要设法"扩大"你的智力呢？你倒仔细分析一下看。

Let us now with whatever levers and steam-engines we have at hand, cant⁹ over the sperm whale's head, so, that it may lie bottom up; 现在，让我们用手边所有的什么杠杆和蒸汽机来把那只鲸头翻个身吧，这样，它就可以仰天躺着。

1 indirectly   

adv.间接地，不直接了当地

参考例句：

• I heard the news indirectly.这消息我是间接听来的。
• They were approached indirectly through an intermediary.通过一位中间人，他们进行了间接接触。

2 volition   

n.意志；决意

参考例句：

• We like to think that everything we do and everything we think is a product of our volition.我们常常认为我们所做和所想的一切都出自自己的意愿。
• Makin said Mr Coombes had gone to the police of his own volition.梅金说库姆斯先生是主动去投案的。

3 quill   

n.羽毛管；v.给（织物或衣服）作皱褶

参考例句：

• He wrote with a quill.他用羽毛笔写字。
• She dipped a quill in ink,and then began to write.她将羽毛笔在墨水里蘸了一下，随后开始书写。

4 wondrously   

adv.惊奇地，非常，极其

参考例句：

• She grow wondrously fond of stealing off to corners by herself. 她变得出奇地喜欢独自躲在角落里。 来自辞典例句
• If you but smile, spring zephyrs blow through my spirits, wondrously. 假使你只是仅仅对我微笑，春天的和风就会惊奇的吹过我的心灵间。 来自互联网

5 lodged   

v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属

参考例句：

• The certificate will have to be lodged at the registry. 证书必须存放在登记处。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Our neighbours lodged a complaint against us with the police. 我们的邻居向警方控告我们。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 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。

7 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。

8 membrane   

n.薄膜，膜皮，羊皮纸

参考例句：

• A vibrating membrane in the ear helps to convey sounds to the brain.耳膜的振动帮助声音传送到大脑。
• A plastic membrane serves as selective diffusion barrier.一层塑料薄膜起着选择性渗透屏障的作用。

9 cant   

n.斜穿，黑话，猛扔

参考例句：

• The ship took on a dangerous cant to port.船只出现向左舷危险倾斜。
• He knows thieves'cant.他懂盗贼的黑话。