英语听书《白鲸记》第758期

 Though such a movement on the part of the whale struck under such circumstances, is in no wise unprecedented¹; 大鲸被击中后而表现出这种动作来，并不是前无先例的；

and indeed is almost always more or less anticipated; yet does it present one of the more perilous² vicissitudes³ of the fishery. 老实说，这往往差不多是事先就多少估计到的；而这也是捕鱼业的较会发生危险变化的一种情况。

For as the swift monster drags you deeper and deeper into the frantic⁴ shoal, you bid adieu to circumspect⁵ life and only exist in a delirious⁶ throb⁷. 因为当那只狂奔直闯的巨兽把你越拖越拖到如疯如狂的鲸群中心里去的时候，那你就只有跟这种战战兢兢的生活告别，去过那种心惊肉跳的生活了。

As, blind and deaf, the whale plunged⁸ forward, as if by sheer power of speed to rid himself of the iron leech⁹ that had fastened to him; 这时，那条如盲如瞎。向前直钻的鲸，好象在使尽全力，想把紧插在它身上那只铁水蛭甩掉。

as we thus tore a white gash¹⁰ in the sea, on all sides menaced as we flew, by the crazed creatures to and fro rushing about us; 我们就这样被在我们旁边冲来撞去的发狂的大鲸团团围住，四面受敌，只好一边快速地划，一边设法在海上杀开一条白隙来。

our beset¹¹ boat was like a ship mobbed by ice-isles in a tempest, and striving to steer¹² through their complicated channels and straits, 我们这只被困的小艇就象一只在狂风暴雨中、被冰块冲来击去的船只，拼命想撑过错综复杂的大小海峡，

not knowing at what moment it may be locked in and crushed. 生怕不知什么时候又会被团团围住，压得粉碎。

But not a bit daunted¹³, Queequeg steered¹⁴ us manfully; now sheering off from this monster directly across our route in advance; 但是，魁魁格却一点也不害怕，仍然果敢地为我们把舵，一会儿直接打那挡住我们去路的巨兽身边擦过去，

now edging away from that, whose colossal¹⁵ flukes were suspended overhead, 一会儿又从这条大鲸身边掠过去，那些鲸的大裂片都高挂在我们头顶。

while all the time, Starbuck stood up in the bows, lance in hand, 斯达巴克始终站在艇头，手里拿着捕鲸枪，

pricking¹⁶ out of our way whatever whales he could reach by short darts¹⁷, for there was no time to make long ones. 在够得到的地方，轻轻地（因为已经无法狠狠一戳了）朝随便哪条鲸一戳，这样一边刺戳，一边打开出路。

Nor were the oarsmen quite idle, though their wonted duty was now altogether dispensed¹⁸ with. 桨手们也不是完全闲着没事做，虽则他们现在都完全免去了日常的差使。

They chiefly attended to the shouting part of the business.  他们主要地就是担任叫喊方面的工作。

1 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

2 perilous   

adj.危险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• The journey through the jungle was perilous.穿过丛林的旅行充满了危险。
• We have been carried in safety through a perilous crisis.历经一连串危机，我们如今已安然无恙。

3 vicissitudes   

n.变迁，世事变化；变迁兴衰( vicissitude的名词复数 )；盛衰兴废

参考例句：

• He experienced several great social vicissitudes in his life. 他一生中经历了几次大的社会变迁。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A man used to vicissitudes is not easily dejected. 饱经沧桑，不易沮丧。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 frantic   

adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的

参考例句：

• I've had a frantic rush to get my work done.我急急忙忙地赶完工作。
• He made frantic dash for the departing train.他发疯似地冲向正开出的火车。

5 circumspect   

adj.慎重的，谨慎的

参考例句：

• She is very circumspect when dealing with strangers.她与陌生人打交道时十分谨慎。
• He was very circumspect in his financial affairs.他对于自己的财务十分细心。

6 delirious   

adj.不省人事的，神智昏迷的

参考例句：

• He was delirious,murmuring about that matter.他精神恍惚，低声叨念着那件事。
• She knew that he had become delirious,and tried to pacify him.她知道他已经神志昏迷起来了，极力想使他镇静下来。

7 throb   

v.震颤，颤动；(急速强烈地)跳动，搏动

参考例句：

• She felt her heart give a great throb.她感到自己的心怦地跳了一下。
• The drums seemed to throb in his ears.阵阵鼓声彷佛在他耳边震响。

8 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

9 leech   

n.水蛭，吸血鬼，榨取他人利益的人；vt.以水蛭吸血；vi.依附于别人

参考例句：

• A leech is a small blood-sucking worm and usually lives in water.水蛭是一种小型吸血虫，通常生活在水中。
• One-side love like a greedy leech absorbed my time and my mirth.单相思如同一只贪婪的水蛭，吸走了我的时间和欢笑。

10 gash   

v.深切，划开；n.(深长的)切(伤)口；裂缝

参考例句：

• The deep gash in his arm would take weeks to heal over.他胳膊上的割伤很深，需要几个星期的时间才能痊愈。
• After the collision,the body of the ship had a big gash.船被撞后，船身裂开了一个大口子。

11 beset   

v.镶嵌；困扰，包围

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• The plan was beset with difficulties from the beginning.这项计划自开始就困难重重。

12 steer   

vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶

参考例句：

• If you push the car, I'll steer it.如果你来推车，我就来驾车。
• It's no use trying to steer the boy into a course of action that suits you.想说服这孩子按你的方式行事是徒劳的。

13 daunted   

使（某人）气馁，威吓( daunt的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She was a brave woman but she felt daunted by the task ahead. 她是一个勇敢的女人，但对面前的任务却感到信心不足。
• He was daunted by the high quality of work they expected. 他被他们对工作的高品质的要求吓倒了。

14 steered   

v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵；控制；引导

参考例句：

• He steered the boat into the harbour. 他把船开进港。
• The freighter steered out of Santiago Bay that evening. 那天晚上货轮驶出了圣地亚哥湾。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 colossal   

adj.异常的，庞大的

参考例句：

• There has been a colossal waste of public money.一直存在巨大的公款浪费。
• Some of the tall buildings in that city are colossal.那座城市里的一些高层建筑很庞大。

16 pricking   

刺，刺痕，刺痛感

参考例句：

• She felt a pricking on her scalp. 她感到头皮上被扎了一下。
• Intercostal neuralgia causes paroxysmal burning pain or pricking pain. 肋间神经痛呈阵发性的灼痛或刺痛。

17 darts   

n.掷飞镖游戏；飞镖( dart的名词复数 )；急驰，飞奔v.投掷，投射( dart的第三人称单数 )；向前冲，飞奔

参考例句：

• His darts trophy takes pride of place on the mantelpiece. 他将掷镖奖杯放在壁炉顶上最显著的地方。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I never saw so many darts in a bodice! 我从没见过紧身胸衣上纳了这么多的缝褶！ 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 dispensed   

v.分配( dispense的过去式和过去分词 )；施与；配（药）

参考例句：

• Not a single one of these conditions can be dispensed with. 这些条件缺一不可。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• They dispensed new clothes to the children in the orphanage. 他们把新衣服发给孤儿院的小孩们。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》