英语听书《白鲸记》第696期

 Few are the foreheads which like Shakespeare's or Melancthon's rise so high, and descend¹ so low, 有着象莎士比亚或者是梅朗克吞那样高高隆起、低低下降的额头的终究是为数不多。

that the eyes themselves seem clear, eternal, tideless mountain lakes; 他们的眼睛始终象是清澈无浪的湖面，

and all above them in the forehead's wrinkles, you seem to track the antlered thoughts descending² there to drink, 而且在他们的额头上的皱纹中，似乎使人可以找到那些正从额头上滑下来饮水的长有鹿角似的思想，

as the Highland³ hunters track the snow prints of the deer. 一如高地的猎户找到雪地里的鹿脚印那样的。

But in the great Sperm⁴ Whale, this high and mighty⁵ god-like dignity inherent in the brow is so immensely amplified⁶, 可是，就大抹香鲸说来，它额头上这种又高耸又威严，一如神灵的仪表却是不胜缕述的，

that gazing on it, in that full front view, you feel the Deity⁷ and the dread⁸ powers more forcibly than in beholding⁹ any other object in living nature. 所以朝它一望，就使人从它那整个面貌中，感到有一种比之看到其它任何生物的额头更具有非常恐怖的神力。

For you see no one point precisely¹⁰; 因为任何一点都教人看不真切，

not one distinct feature is revealed; no nose, eyes, ears, or mouth; no face; he has none, proper; 一点也看不到那明显的面貌；它既没有鼻子，眼睛，耳朵，也没有嘴巴，面孔；总之，从严格的意义上说，它什么都没有；

nothing but that one broad firmament¹¹ of a forehead, pleated with riddles¹²; dumbly lowering with the doom¹³ of boats, and ships, and men. 它什么都没有，只有一个有如辽阔的苍穹的前额，莫名其妙地打着褶裥，不声不响地一折下去就叫小艇、大船和人都送了终。

Nor, in profile, does this wondrous¹⁴ brow diminish; though that way viewed its grandeur¹⁵ does not domineer upon you so. 而且从侧面看去，这个额头的怪相也毫不减色；虽然就那样看来，它那壮丽的神气好象不大教人觉得咄咄可怕。

In profile, you plainly perceive that horizontal, semi-crescentic depression in the forehead's middle, which, in a man, is Lavater's mark of genius. 不过，从侧面看去，人们却可以清晰地看到它前额正中那种横式的。半弯形的凹状，这个，就人类说来，就是拉瓦特的所谓天才的表征。

But how? Genius in the Sperm Whale? 可是，这怎么啦？抹香鲸也有天才？

Has the Sperm Whale ever written a book, spoken a speech? 难道抹香鲸曾著过一本书，发表过一篇演讲么？

No, his great genius is declared in his doing nothing particular to prove it. 不，它的伟大的天才是表现在它那一点也没有特别可加证实的行为上。

1 descend   

vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降

参考例句：

• I hope the grace of God would descend on me.我期望上帝的恩惠。
• We're not going to descend to such methods.我们不会沦落到使用这种手段。

2 descending   

n. 下行 adj. 下降的

参考例句：

• The results are expressed in descending numerical order . 结果按数字降序列出。
• The climbers stopped to orient themselves before descending the mountain. 登山者先停下来确定所在的位置，然后再下山。

3 highland   

n.(pl.)高地，山地

参考例句：

• The highland game is part of Scotland's cultural heritage.苏格兰高地游戏是苏格兰文化遗产的一部分。
• The highland forests where few hunters venture have long been the bear's sanctuary.这片只有少数猎人涉险的高山森林，一直都是黑熊的避难所。

4 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。

5 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

6 amplified   

放大，扩大( amplify的过去式和过去分词 )； 增强； 详述

参考例句：

• He amplified on his remarks with drawings and figures. 他用图表详细地解释了他的话。
• He amplified the whole course of the incident. 他详述了事件的全过程。

7 deity   

n.神，神性；被奉若神明的人(或物)

参考例句：

• Many animals were seen as the manifestation of a deity.许多动物被看作神的化身。
• The deity was hidden in the deepest recesses of the temple.神藏在庙宇壁龛的最深处。

8 dread   

vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧

参考例句：

• We all dread to think what will happen if the company closes.我们都不敢去想一旦公司关门我们该怎么办。
• Her heart was relieved of its blankest dread.她极度恐惧的心理消除了。

9 beholding   

v.看，注视( behold的现在分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟

参考例句：

• Beholding, besides love, the end of love,/Hearing oblivion beyond memory! 我看见了爱，还看到了爱的结局，／听到了记忆外层的哪一片寂寥！ 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
• Hence people who began by beholding him ended by perusing him. 所以人们从随便看一看他开始的，都要以仔细捉摸他而终结。 来自辞典例句

10 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

11 firmament   

n.苍穹；最高层

参考例句：

• There are no stars in the firmament.天空没有一颗星星。
• He was rich,and a rising star in the political firmament.他十分富有，并且是政治高层一颗冉冉升起的新星。

12 riddles   

n.谜（语）( riddle的名词复数 )；猜不透的难题，难解之谜

参考例句：

• Few riddles collected from oral tradition, however, have all six parts. 但是据收集的情况看，口头流传的谜语很少具有这完整的六部分。 来自英汉非文学 - 民俗
• But first, you'd better see if you can answer riddles. 但是你首先最好想想你会不会猜谜语。 来自辞典例句

13 doom   

n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定

参考例句：

• The report on our economic situation is full of doom and gloom.这份关于我们经济状况的报告充满了令人绝望和沮丧的调子。
• The dictator met his doom after ten years of rule.独裁者统治了十年终于完蛋了。

14 wondrous   

adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地

参考例句：

• The internal structure of the Department is wondrous to behold.看一下国务院的内部结构是很有意思的。
• We were driven across this wondrous vast land of lakes and forests.我们乘车穿越这片有着湖泊及森林的广袤而神奇的土地。

15 grandeur   

n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华

参考例句：

• The grandeur of the Great Wall is unmatched.长城的壮观是独一无二的。
• These ruins sufficiently attest the former grandeur of the place.这些遗迹充分证明此处昔日的宏伟。