英语听书《白鲸记》第941期

 because of all this, the lower parts of a ship's lightning-rods are not always overboard; but are generally made in long slender links, 由于这种种原因，船上的避雷针的下端，并不是一直插在水里；而总是把它做得象根细长的链条一般，

so as to be the more readily hauled up into the chains outside, or thrown down into the sea, as occasion may require. 以便酌视情况，随时搭在锚链上收上来，或者抛进海里去。

The rods! the rods! cried Starbuck to the crew, suddenly admonished¹ to vigilance by the vivid lightning that had just been darting² flambeaux, to light Ahab to his post. 避雷针！避雷针！斯达巴克看到了刚才那闪闪的电光照得象直冲云霄的火炬，给亚哈照路，突然一边叫喊，一边劝水手们当心。

"Are they overboard? drop them over, fore³ and aft. Quick!" "避雷针都插进水里了吗？把它们都抛出去，船头船梢都抛出去。快！"

Avast! cried Ahab; "let's have fair play here, though we be the weaker side. 慢点！亚哈叫道；"我们虽然是输家，还是要玩得光明正大。

Yet I'll contribute to raise rods on the Himmalehs and Andes, that all the world may be secured; but out on privileges! Let them be, sir." 我还想把这些避雷针捐出去，插到喜马拉雅山和安第斯山上去，让全世界都获得平安；我们可不要享受这种特权！随它去吧，老兄。"

Look aloft! cried Starbuck. "The corpusants! the corpusants! 你看看上边！斯达巴克叫道。"看看那些电光，那些电光！"

All the yard-arms were tipped with a pallid⁴ fire; 所有的帆臂上端都有一股青白的火光；

and touched at each tri-pointed lightning-rod-end with three tapering⁵ white flames, 每根三叉尖端的避雷针也都有三支尖细的白焰，

each of the three tall masts was silently burning in that sulphurous air, like three gigantic wax tapers⁶ before an altar. 那二根高高的桅杆，全都在那种充满磷质的气体中慢慢地烧着，就象是神殿上三根大蜡烛的烛芯。

Blast the boat! let it go! cried Stubb at this instant, as a swashing sea heaved up under his own little craft 该死的小艇！随它去吧！这时，斯塔布哇的叫了起来，哗啦啦的一阵浪潮，正在他自己的小艇下面猛冲上来，

so that its gunwale violently jammed his hand, as he was passing a lashing⁷. 所以，他在缚绳子的时候，那舷壁把他的手猛地压住。

"Blast it!" — but slipping backward on the deck, his uplifted eyes caught the flames; "他妈的！"——他向后一闪，在甲板上一滑，他那双抬起的眼睛看到了火焰；

and immediately shifting his tone he cried — "The corpusants have mercy on us all!" 他顿时变了声调，叫喊着——"电光可怜可怜我们大家吧！"

 

1 admonished   

v.劝告( admonish的过去式和过去分词 )；训诫；（温和地）责备；轻责

参考例句：

• She was admonished for chewing gum in class. 她在课堂上嚼口香糖，受到了告诫。
• The teacher admonished the child for coming late to school. 那个孩子迟到，老师批评了他。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 darting   

v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔

参考例句：

• Swallows were darting through the clouds. 燕子穿云急飞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Swallows were darting through the air. 燕子在空中掠过。 来自辞典例句

3 fore   

adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部

参考例句：

• Your seat is in the fore part of the aircraft.你的座位在飞机的前部。
• I have the gift of fore knowledge.我能够未卜先知。

4 pallid   

adj.苍白的，呆板的

参考例句：

• The moon drifted from behind the clouds and exposed the pallid face.月亮从云朵后面钻出来，照着尸体那张苍白的脸。
• His dry pallid face often looked gaunt.他那张干瘪苍白的脸常常显得憔悴。

5 tapering   

adj.尖端细的

参考例句：

• Interest in the scandal seems to be tapering off. 人们对那件丑闻的兴趣似乎越来越小了。
• Nonproductive expenditures keep tapering down. 非生产性开支一直在下降。

6 tapers   

（长形物体的）逐渐变窄( taper的名词复数 )； 微弱的光； 极细的蜡烛

参考例句：

• The pencil tapers to a sharp point. 铅笔的一段细成笔尖。
• She put five tapers on the cake. 她在蛋糕上放了五只小蜡烛。

7 lashing   

n.鞭打；痛斥；大量；许多v.鞭打( lash的现在分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥

参考例句：

• The speaker was lashing the crowd. 演讲人正在煽动人群。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The rain was lashing the windows. 雨急打着窗子。 来自《简明英汉词典》