英语听书《白鲸记》第770期

 　　They are comparatively delicate, indeed; I dare say, not to exceed half a dozen yards round the waist. Nevertheless, it cannot be denied, that upon the whole they are hereditarily¹ entitled to en bon point.

　　她们真可说是相当细巧，我敢说，她们的腰围绝不超过六码。但也不能否认，总的说来，她们都是世袭地具有肥胖的资格的。

　　It is very curious to watch this harem and its lord in their indolent ramblings. Like fashionables, they are for ever on the move in leisurely² search of variety. You meet them on the Line in time for the full flower of the Equatorial feeding season, having just returned, perhaps, from spending the summer in the Northern seas, and so cheating summer of all unpleasant weariness and warmth. By the time they have lounged up and down the promenade³ of the Equator awhile, they start for the Oriental waters in anticipation⁴ of the cool season there, and so evade⁵ the other excessive temperature of the year.

　　看到这些妻妾同她们的王爷在懒散地漫步，可真有趣。它们象上流社会的人物那样，始终是悠然地迁来移去，追求着多样化的生活。你会在赤道线上碰到它们及时赶来参加赤道饲养季节的全盛期，说不定它们当时刚从北海一带歇夏归来，刚刚打发掉夏季种种不愉快的疲累和闷热。待到它们在赤道的散步场上荡来荡去地逍遥了一阵后，它们就动身到东方的海洋上，想在那里等候秋凉季节到来，以避掉一年中另一个酷寒的季候。

　　When serenely⁶ advancing on one of these journeys, if any strange suspicious sights are seen, my lord whale keeps a wary⁷ eye on his interesting family. Should any unwarrantably pert young Leviathan coming that way, presume to draw confidentially⁸ close to one of the ladies, with what prodigious⁹ fury the Bashaw assails¹⁰ him, and chases him away! High times, indeed, if unprincipled young rakes like him are to be permitted to invade the sanctity of domestic bliss¹¹; though do what the Bashaw will, he cannot keep the most notorious Lothario out of his bed; for alas¹²! all fish bed in common.

　　在这些安静前进的旅次中，如果碰到有什么奇特可疑的景象，这条王爷鲸就虎视眈眈地瞪眼注视着它的有趣的家属。万一有任何一只轻浮冒失的少年鲸游来，胆敢偷偷地挨近其中任何一个太太小姐的话，啊，这条王爷鲸就会象个怒不可遏的巴夏（巴夏——土耳其的高级文武官员。），起而对它攻击，把它赶走。如果象这样一个毫无节操的小浪子，当真让它闯进这个神圣极乐的家庭的话，那才真有趣呢，虽然这个巴夏可以爱怎样做就怎样做，它却无法把这个声名狼藉的浪子赶出它的床铺；因为，唉！一切鱼类的床铺都是公用的。

1 hereditarily   

世袭地，遗传地

参考例句：

• The De Courcy's were hereditarily shortsighted. 德库西家的人祖传下来全是近视眼。
• Moreover an analogous result of hereditarily normal weakly submetacompact is obtained. 进一步还得到了遗传正规的遗传弱次亚紧性的类似结果。

2 leisurely   

adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的

参考例句：

• We walked in a leisurely manner,looking in all the windows.我们慢悠悠地走着，看遍所有的橱窗。
• He had a leisurely breakfast and drove cheerfully to work.他从容的吃了早餐，高兴的开车去工作。

3 promenade   

n./v.散步

参考例句：

• People came out in smarter clothes to promenade along the front.人们穿上更加时髦漂亮的衣服，沿着海滨散步。
• We took a promenade along the canal after Sunday dinner.星期天晚饭后我们沿着运河散步。

4 anticipation   

n.预期，预料，期望

参考例句：

• We waited at the station in anticipation of her arrival.我们在车站等着，期待她的到来。
• The animals grew restless as if in anticipation of an earthquake.各种动物都变得焦躁不安，像是感到了地震即将发生。

5 evade   

vt.逃避，回避；避开，躲避

参考例句：

• He tried to evade the embarrassing question.他企图回避这令人难堪的问题。
• You are in charge of the job.How could you evade the issue?你是负责人，你怎么能对这个问题不置可否？

6 serenely   

adv.安详地，宁静地，平静地

参考例句：

• The boat sailed serenely on towards the horizon.小船平稳地向着天水交接处驶去。
• It was a serenely beautiful night.那是一个宁静美丽的夜晚。

7 wary   

adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的

参考例句：

• He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。
• Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头，突然警惕起来。

8 confidentially   

ad.秘密地，悄悄地

参考例句：

• She was leaning confidentially across the table. 她神神秘秘地从桌子上靠过来。
• Kao Sung-nien and Wang Ch'u-hou talked confidentially in low tones. 高松年汪处厚两人低声密谈。

9 prodigious   

adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的

参考例句：

• This business generates cash in prodigious amounts.这种业务收益丰厚。
• He impressed all who met him with his prodigious memory.他惊人的记忆力让所有见过他的人都印象深刻。

10 assails   

v.攻击( assail的第三人称单数 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对

参考例句：

• The fragrance of flowers assails one's nose. 花气袭人。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Envy assails the noblest, the wind howls around the highest peak. 位高招人怨；山高刮大风。 来自互联网

11 bliss   

n.狂喜，福佑，天赐的福

参考例句：

• It's sheer bliss to be able to spend the day in bed.整天都可以躺在床上真是幸福。
• He's in bliss that he's won the Nobel Prize.他非常高兴，因为获得了诺贝尔奖金。

12 alas   

int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)

参考例句：

• Alas!The window is broken!哎呀！窗子破了！
• Alas,the truth is less romantic.然而，真理很少带有浪漫色彩。