英语听书《白鲸记》第705期

 As an overladen Indiaman bearing down the Hindostan coast with a deck load of frightened horses, careens, buries, rolls, and wallows on her way; 如同一只超载的东印度公司贸易船，甲板上装着许多惊惶失措的种马，正在印度斯坦的海面上倾倾斜斜，急急匆匆，翻腾滚动地冲去一样；

so did this old whale heave his aged¹ bulk, and now and then partly turning over on his cumbrous rib-ends, 这条老鲸就是这般情况，曳着它那年迈的体躯，不时地半翻着它那笨重的两侧，

expose the cause of his devious² wake in the unnatural³ stump⁴ of his starboard fin⁵. 叫人看出它那失常的游法，是因为它的右鳍只剩有一段失常的残桩的缘故。

Whether he had lost that fin in battle, or had been born without it, it were hard to say. 究竟那条鳍是它在战斗中失掉了，还是天生就没有的，这却很难说了。

Only wait a bit, old chap, and I'll give ye a sling⁶ for that wounded arm, cried cruel Flask⁷, pointing to the whale-line near him. 且等一等，老朋友，让我给你一根吊索，把那只残臂吊住吧，残酷的弗拉斯克指着他身旁一根捕鲸索，叫道。

Mind he don't sling thee with it, cried Starbuck. "Give way, or the German will have him." 当心别让它用吊索把你吊住了，斯达巴克嚷道，"快划呀，要不然，就会给那个德国人捉去啦。"

With one intent all the combined rival boats were pointed⁸ for this one fish, 所有这几只争逐的小艇，都一心一意地要追住这条鲸，

because not only was he the largest, and therefore the most valuable whale, but he was nearest to them, 因为它不但是最大，因而是最贵重的鲸，也是最靠近他们的，

and the other whales were going with such great velocity⁹, moreover, as almost to defy pursuit for the time. 而其它那些鲸却那么用劲地游去，简直不是一下子就追击得到。

At this juncture¹⁰, the Pequod's keels had shot by the three German boats last lowered; 这时，"裴廓德号"的三只小艇已经超在后来放下的三只德国人小艇前边了；

but from the great start he had had, Derick's boat still led the chase, though every moment neared by his foreign rivals. 可是，由于德立克的小艇本来就已占先一着，他还是抢在前头，虽然他的异国的争逐者随时都有靠近他的可能。

The only thing they feared, was, that from being already so nigh to his mark, 不过，因为德立克已经这样靠近了那条鲸，"裴廓德号"的水手们最担心的就是，

he would be enabled to dart¹¹ his iron before they could completely overtake and pass him. 恐怕他们还来不及完全赶过了他，他也许会把标枪掷了出去。

1 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

2 devious   

adj.不坦率的，狡猾的；迂回的，曲折的

参考例句：

• Susan is a devious person and we can't depend on her.苏姗是个狡猾的人，我们不能依赖她。
• He is a man who achieves success by devious means.他这个人通过不正当手段获取成功。

3 unnatural   

adj.不自然的；反常的

参考例句：

• Did her behaviour seem unnatural in any way?她有任何反常表现吗？
• She has an unnatural smile on her face.她脸上挂着做作的微笑。

4 stump   

n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走

参考例句：

• He went on the stump in his home state.他到故乡所在的州去发表演说。
• He used the stump as a table.他把树桩用作桌子。

5 fin   

n.鳍；(飞机的)安定翼

参考例句：

• They swim using a small fin on their back.它们用背上的小鳍游动。
• The aircraft has a long tail fin.那架飞机有一个长长的尾翼。

6 sling   

vt.扔；悬挂；n.挂带；吊索，吊兜；弹弓

参考例句：

• The boy discharged a stone from a sling.这个男孩用弹弓射石头。
• By using a hoist the movers were able to sling the piano to the third floor.搬运工人用吊车才把钢琴吊到3楼。

7 flask   

n.瓶，火药筒，砂箱

参考例句：

• There is some deposit in the bottom of the flask.这只烧杯的底部有些沉淀物。
• He took out a metal flask from a canvas bag.他从帆布包里拿出一个金属瓶子。

8 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

9 velocity   

n.速度，速率

参考例句：

• Einstein's theory links energy with mass and velocity of light.爱因斯坦的理论把能量同质量和光速联系起来。
• The velocity of light is about 300000 kilometres per second.光速约为每秒300000公里。

10 juncture   

n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头

参考例句：

• The project is situated at the juncture of the new and old urban districts.该项目位于新老城区交界处。
• It is very difficult at this juncture to predict the company's future.此时很难预料公司的前景。

11 dart   

v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲

参考例句：

• The child made a sudden dart across the road.那小孩突然冲过马路。
• Markov died after being struck by a poison dart.马尔科夫身中毒镖而亡。