英语听书《白鲸记》第734期

 So that for an hour or more, a thousand fathoms¹ in the sea, he carries a surplus stock of vitality² in him, 所以在一个多钟头中，在几千英尺的海底里，它身上就另外背着一只生命的储藏器，

just as the camel crossing the waterless desert carries a surplus supply of drink for future use in its four supplementary³ stomachs. 有如骆驼越过干燥的沙漠，背着另外一只储水器以供它四只额外的胃未来之用。

The anatomical fact of this labyrinth⁴ is indisputable; 这种迷宫似的事实是无可置辩的；

and that the supposition founded upon it is reasonable and true, seems the more cogent⁵ to me, 而且当我想到这种大鲸在"泻出它的喷水"（捕鲸人这样说法），具有另外一种费解的顽强性时，

when I consider the otherwise inexplicable⁶ obstinacy⁷ of that leviathan in having his spoutings out, as the fishermen phrase it. 我就觉得，这种假设的根据，不仅又合理又正确，而且还更中肯了。

This is what I mean. 这就是我所要说的。

If unmolested, upon rising to the surface, 如果不受干扰的话，抹香鲸冒出水面后，

the Sperm⁸ Whale will continue there for a period of time exactly uniform with all his other unmolested risings. 它在水面上停留的时间跟它在任何不受干扰时冒出水面的时间完全一样。

Say he stays eleven minutes, and jets seventy times, that is, respires seventy breaths; 比如说它停留了十一分钟，喷了七十次水，那就是说，它呼吸了七十次；

then whenever he rises again, he will be sure to have his seventy breaths over again, to a minute. 那么，等它在随便什么时候重新冒出来的时候，它就一定准确地再呼吸七十次。

Now, if after he fetches a few breaths you alarm him, 如果它刚呼吸了几下子就被你惊动了，

so that he sounds, he will be always dodging⁹ up again to make good his regular allowance of air. 不得不潜到水里去的话，它往往又会偷偷地再冲上来，补足它所要吸进去的气。

And not till those seventy breaths are told, will he finally go down to stay out his full term below. 它不做完这七十次呼吸，是不会安心地沉到海底里去的。

Remark, however, that in different individuals these rates are different; but in any one they are alike. 不过，得注意，虽然不同的鲸，各有不同的呼吸次数，但作法上却是一样的。

Now, why should the whale thus insist upon having his spoutings out, 那么，鲸为什么老要这样喷出水来，

unless it be to replenish¹⁰ his reservoir of air, ere descending¹¹ for good?  难道它非得把那空气的储藏库加足了后，这才肯安定地沉下去吗？

1 fathoms   

英寻( fathom的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The harbour is four fathoms deep. 港深为四英寻。
• One bait was down forty fathoms. 有个鱼饵下沉到四十英寻的深处。

2 vitality   

n.活力，生命力，效力

参考例句：

• He came back from his holiday bursting with vitality and good health.他度假归来之后，身强体壮，充满活力。
• He is an ambitious young man full of enthusiasm and vitality.他是个充满热情与活力的有远大抱负的青年。

3 supplementary   

adj.补充的，附加的

参考例句：

• There is a supplementary water supply in case the rain supply fails.万一主水源断了，我们另外有供水的地方。
• A supplementary volume has been published containing the index.附有索引的增补卷已经出版。

4 labyrinth   

n.迷宫；难解的事物；迷路

参考例句：

• He wandered through the labyrinth of the alleyways.他在迷宫似的小巷中闲逛。
• The human mind is a labyrinth.人的心灵是一座迷宫。

5 cogent   

adj.强有力的，有说服力的

参考例句：

• The result is a cogent explanation of inflation.结果令人信服地解释了通货膨胀问题。
• He produced cogent reasons for the change of policy.他对改变政策提出了充分的理由。

6 inexplicable   

adj.无法解释的，难理解的

参考例句：

• It is now inexplicable how that development was misinterpreted.当时对这一事态发展的错误理解究竟是怎么产生的，现在已经无法说清楚了。
• There are many things which are inexplicable by science.有很多事科学还无法解释。

7 obstinacy   

n.顽固；（病痛等）难治

参考例句：

• It is a very accountable obstinacy.这是一种完全可以理解的固执态度。
• Cindy's anger usually made him stand firm to the point of obstinacy.辛迪一发怒，常常使他坚持自见，并达到执拗的地步。

8 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。

9 dodging   

n.避开，闪过，音调改变v.闪躲( dodge的现在分词 )；回避

参考例句：

• He ran across the road, dodging the traffic. 他躲开来往的车辆跑过马路。
• I crossed the highway, dodging the traffic. 我避开车流穿过了公路。 来自辞典例句

10 replenish   

vt.补充；(把…)装满；(再)填满

参考例句：

• I always replenish my food supply before it is depleted.我总是在我的食物吃完之前加以补充。
• We have to import an extra 4 million tons of wheat to replenish our reserves.我们不得不额外进口四百万吨小麦以补充我们的储备。

11 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。