英语听书《白鲸记》第799期

 　　But all this is quite different from a South Sea Sperm¹ Whaler; which in a voyage of four years perhaps, after completely filling her hold with oil, does not, perhaps, consume fifty days in the business of boiling out; and in the state that it is casked, the oil is nearly scentless². The truth is, that living or dead, if but decently treated, whales as a species are by no means creatures of ill odor; nor can whalemen be recognised, as the people of the middle ages affected³ to detect a Jew in the company, by the nose. Nor indeed can the whale possibly be otherwise than fragrant⁴, when, as a general thing, he enjoys such high health; taking abundance of exercise; always out of doors; though, it is true, seldom in the open air. I say, that the motion of a Sperm Whale's flukes above water dispenses⁵ a perfume, as when a musk-scented lady rustles⁶ her dress in a warm parlor⁷. What then shall I liken the Sperm Whale to for fragrance⁸, considering his magnitude? Must it not be to that famous elephant, with jewelled tusks⁹, and redolent with myrrh, which was led out of an Indian town to do honor to Alexander the Great?

　　不过，所有这些做法，都跟南海的捕抹香鲸者完全不同；南海渔船，在四年的航程中，也许花在炼油的工作上还不消五十天，就把船舱里都装足了油，而且按照它装进了桶的情况说来，那些油已差不多是毫无气味了。事实上，不管死鲸活鲸，只要处理得当，鲸决不是一种有臭味的动物；而且捕鲸人也不可能让人家用鼻子一嗅就嗅出来，象中世纪的人，用鼻子在人群里一嗅，就可以把犹太人给侦察出来那样。同时，鲸也确实不可能是不芬芳扑鼻的，因为，一般说来，它的身体如此壮健；有充分的运动；始终过着户外生活；虽则实际上，它很难得过露天生活。我认为，一条抹香鲸的尾巴在水上一甩动，就会发散出一种香气来，犹如一个浑身麝香气味的太太，在暖洋洋的会客室里，沙沙地抖动她的衣服一样。那么，就它的身躯之硕大说来，我将拿什么来比喻抹香鲸的芬芳气味呢？难道不该把它比做那只有着珠宝似的象牙、发散着没药香味、被牵到印度一个城镇去对亚历山大大帝表示敬意的著名大象（公元前三二七年，亚历山大大帝击败印度君主波鲁斯后，印度各地都出现上述献象情况。）吗？

1 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。

2 scentless   

adj.无气味的，遗臭已消失的

参考例句：

3 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

4 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。

5 dispenses   

v.分配，分与；分配( dispense的第三人称单数 )；施与；配（药）

参考例句：

• The machine dispenses a range of drinks and snacks. 这台机器发售各种饮料和小吃。
• This machine dispenses coffee. 这台机器发售咖啡。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 rustles   

n.发出沙沙的声音( rustle的名词复数 )v.发出沙沙的声音( rustle的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• A slight breeze rustles the tan grass. 微风拂来，黄褐色的草沙沙作响。 来自互联网

7 parlor   

n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅

参考例句：

• She was lying on a small settee in the parlor.她躺在客厅的一张小长椅上。
• Is there a pizza parlor in the neighborhood?附近有没有比萨店？

8 fragrance   

n.芬芳，香味，香气

参考例句：

• The apple blossoms filled the air with their fragrance.苹果花使空气充满香味。
• The fragrance of lavender filled the room.房间里充满了薰衣草的香味。

9 tusks   

n.（象等动物的）长牙( tusk的名词复数 )；獠牙；尖形物；尖头

参考例句：

• The elephants are poached for their tusks. 为获取象牙而偷猎大象。
• Elephant tusks, monkey tails and salt were used in some parts of Africa. 非洲的一些地区则使用象牙、猴尾和盐。 来自英语晨读30分（高一）