英语听书《白鲸记》第797期

 　　Now that the incorruption of this most fragrant² ambergris should be found in the heart of such decay; is this nothing? Bethink thee of that saying of St. Paul in Corinthians, about corruption¹ and incorruption; how that we are sown in dishonor, but raised in glory. And likewise call to mind that saying of Paracelsus about what it is that maketh the best musk³. Also forget not the strange fact that of all things of ill-savor, Cologne-water, in its rudimental manufacturing stages, is the worst.

　　既然这种极其芬芳扑鼻而不朽的龙诞香，竟是从这样腐朽的东西的里边找出来的；难道这是微不足道的事情吗？请你想一想《哥林多书》中圣保罗对于朽坏和不朽坏的那种说法吧；所种的是羞辱的，复活的是荣耀的。（见《新约·哥林多前书》第十五章四十三节。）同样的，也请想一想巴拉赛尔斯（菲·欧·巴拉赛尔斯（1493—1541）——原名蒂·波·汤·荷亨海姆，瑞士的炼金家和医生。据说，他说最臭的东西能做出最香的东西，粪便可以提炼出麝香来。）那句关于最好的麝香是什么东西做成的话吧。同时，也请别忘记这一奇怪的事实：一切有异味的东西，如科隆香水，在它们开始制造的阶段，是极其难闻的。

　　I should like to conclude the chapter with the above appeal, but cannot, owing to my anxiety to repel⁴ a charge often made against whalemen, and which, in the estimation of some already biased⁵ minds, might be considered as indirectly⁶ substantiated⁷ by what has been said of the Frenchman's two whales. Elsewhere in this volume the slanderous⁸ aspersion⁹ has been disproved, that the vocation¹⁰ of whaling is throughout a slatternly, untidy business. But there is another thing to rebut¹¹. They hint that all whales always smell bad. Now how did this odious¹² stigma¹³ originate?

　　我本来想用上述的颇有兴趣的说法来结束本章，但是我欲罢不能，因为我急于要驳倒世人经常对捕鲸人所作的攻击，这种攻击，按照一种本来就是偏见的看法说来，应该可以说已经被上述那艘法国船的两条大鲸所间接地证实了。虽然在本书的其它章节中，已驳斥过那种把捕鲸这个职业完全看做是一种邋里邋遢、不干不净的污蔑性的诽谤。但是，还有值得反击的事情。人们都说，所有的鲸往往都是气味不佳的。那么，这种可恨的污名又是打哪里来的呢？

　　I opine, that it is plainly traceable to the first arrival of the Greenland whaling ships in London, more than two centuries ago.

　　我的意见是，关于这，一追溯到二百多年前，第一艘到达伦敦的格陵兰捕鲸船，就了如指掌了。

1 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

2 fragrant   

adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的

参考例句：

• The Fragrant Hills are exceptionally beautiful in late autumn.深秋的香山格外美丽。
• The air was fragrant with lavender.空气中弥漫薰衣草香。

3 musk   

n.麝香, 能发出麝香的各种各样的植物，香猫

参考例句：

• Musk is used for perfume and stimulant.麝香可以用作香料和兴奋剂。
• She scented her clothes with musk.她用麝香使衣服充满了香味。

4 repel   

v.击退，抵制，拒绝，排斥

参考例句：

• A country must have the will to repel any invader.一个国家得有决心击退任何入侵者。
• Particles with similar electric charges repel each other.电荷同性的分子互相排斥。

5 biased   

a.有偏见的

参考例句：

• a school biased towards music and art 一所偏重音乐和艺术的学校
• The Methods: They employed were heavily biased in the gentry's favour. 他们采用的方法严重偏袒中上阶级。

6 indirectly   

adv.间接地，不直接了当地

参考例句：

• I heard the news indirectly.这消息我是间接听来的。
• They were approached indirectly through an intermediary.通过一位中间人，他们进行了间接接触。

7 substantiated   

v.用事实支持（某主张、说法等），证明，证实( substantiate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The results of the tests substantiated his claims. 这些检验的结果证实了他的说法。
• The statement has never been substantiated. 这一陈述从未得到证实。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 slanderous   

adj.诽谤的，中伤的

参考例句：

• A man of moral integrity does not fear any slanderous attack.人正不怕影子斜。
• No one believes your slanderous talk anyway!不管你怎么说，也没有人听信你这谗言！

9 aspersion   

n.诽谤，中伤

参考例句：

• Carrie felt this to contain,in some way,an aspersion upon her ability.嘉莉觉得这话多少含有贬低她的才能的意思。
• Should you hear my name blackened and maligned,will you credit the aspersion?要是你听见我的名誉受到诽谤，你会相信那谗言吗？

10 vocation   

n.职业，行业

参考例句：

• She struggled for years to find her true vocation.她多年来苦苦寻找真正适合自己的职业。
• She felt it was her vocation to minister to the sick.她觉得照料病人是她的天职。

11 rebut   

v.辩驳，驳回

参考例句：

• He attempted to rebut the assertions made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳控方证人所作的断言。
• This open letter is to rebut the argument of abstractionism.这封公开信是反驳抽象派论点的。

12 odious   

adj.可憎的，讨厌的

参考例句：

• The judge described the crime as odious.法官称这一罪行令人发指。
• His character could best be described as odious.他的人格用可憎来形容最贴切。

13 stigma   

n.耻辱，污名；(花的)柱头

参考例句：

• Being an unmarried mother used to carry a social stigma.做未婚母亲在社会上曾是不光彩的事。
• The stigma of losing weighed heavily on the team.失败的耻辱让整个队伍压力沉重。