英语听书《白鲸记》第981期

 His son! cried Stubb, "oh, it's his son he's lost! I take back the coat and watch — what says Ahab? We must save that boy." 他的儿子！斯塔布叫了起来，"呵，他失掉的原来是他的儿子！我收回我刚才说的上衣和表——亚哈怎么说？我们一定要去救那孩子。"

He's drowned with the rest on 'em, last night, said the old Manx sailor standing¹ behind them; "I heard; all of ye heard their spirits." 他是昨天晚上跟其他的人一起沉下去的，站在他们后面的人岛老头说；"我听到，你们大家也都听到他们的灵魂的叫声。"

Now, as it shortly turned out, what made this incident of the Rachel's the more melancholy², 不久才弄清楚了，"拉吉号"这一不幸事故之所以格外悲惨，

was the circumstance, that not only was one of the Captain's sons among the number of the missing boat's crew; 是因为那个船长不仅在那只失落的小艇的水手中有他的一个儿子，

but among the number of the other boats' crews, at the same time, but on the other hand, 而且与此同时，在其它几只小艇的水手中，在另一方面，

separated from the ship during the dark vicissitudes³ of the chase, there had been still another son; 在一片漆黑，变化莫测的追击中，还有他的另外一个儿子跟大船失散了；

as that for a time, the wretched father was plunged⁴ to the bottom of the cruellest perplexity; 因此，一时间，弄得这个可怜的父亲处于异常悲痛、走投无路的境地里；

which was only solved for him by his chief mate's instinctively⁵ adopting the ordinary procedure of a whaleship in such emergencies, 亏得他的大副凭着本能为他想出办法，采取在如此紧急情况下，一般捕鲸船的通常做法，

that is, when placed between jeopardized⁶ but divided boats, always to pick up the majority first. 那就是，在处于险境而分散的几只小艇间，总是先救多数。

But the captain, for some unknown constitutional reason, had refrained from mentioning all this, 可是，这个船长，不知由于什么具体原因，闭口不提到这一切真相，

and not till forced to it by Ahab's iciness did he allude⁷ to his one yet missing boy; 直到他看到了亚哈那副冰冷冷的神情，他才不得不提起他还有一个儿子也找不到了；

a little lad, but twelve years old, whose father with the earnest but unmisgiving hardihood of a Nantucketer's paternal⁸ love, 那是一个不过十二岁的小孩，做父亲的出自南塔开特人的父爱，

had thus early sought to initiate⁹ him in the perils¹⁰ and wonders of a vocation¹¹ almost immemorially the destiny of all his race. 那种热切而刚毅的自信心情，才这样老早就想用那种可说是他全族自古以来的职业种种危险和奇观来给他发蒙。

 

1 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

2 melancholy   

n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的

参考例句：

• All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。
• He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过，他感到很郁闷。

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 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。

5 instinctively   

adv.本能地

参考例句：

• As he leaned towards her she instinctively recoiled. 他向她靠近，她本能地往后缩。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He knew instinctively where he would find her. 他本能地知道在哪儿能找到她。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 jeopardized   

危及，损害( jeopardize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The soldier jeopardized his life to save his comrade. 这个士兵冒生命的危险救他的同志。
• The occasional failed project or neglected opportunity does not jeopardized overall progress. 偶然失败的项目或失误的机会并没有影响总的进展。

7 allude   

v.提及，暗指

参考例句：

• Many passages in Scripture allude to this concept.圣经中有许多经文间接地提到这样的概念。
• She also alluded to her rival's past marital troubles.她还影射了对手过去的婚姻问题。

8 paternal   

adj.父亲的，像父亲的，父系的，父方的

参考例句：

• I was brought up by my paternal aunt.我是姑姑扶养大的。
• My father wrote me a letter full of his paternal love for me.我父亲给我写了一封充满父爱的信。

9 initiate   

vt.开始，创始，发动；启蒙，使入门；引入

参考例句：

• A language teacher should initiate pupils into the elements of grammar.语言老师应该把基本语法教给学生。
• They wanted to initiate a discussion on economics.他们想启动一次经济学讨论。

10 perils   

极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境）

参考例句：

• The commander bade his men be undaunted in the face of perils. 指挥员命令他的战士要临危不惧。
• With how many more perils and disasters would he load himself? 他还要再冒多少风险和遭受多少灾难？

11 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。