英语听书《白鲸记》第988期

But did you deeply scan him in his more secret confidential¹ hours when he thought no glance but one was on him; then you would have seen that even as Ahab's eyes so awed² the crew's, the inscrutable Parsee's glance awed his; or somehow, at least, in some wild way, at times affected³ it. Such an added, gliding⁴ strangeness began to invest the thin Fedallah now; such ceaseless shudderings shook him; that the men looked dubious⁵ at him; half uncertain, as it seemed, whether indeed he were a mortal substance, or else a tremulous shadow cast upon the deck by some unseen being's body. And that shadow was always hovering⁶ there. For not by night, even, had Fedallah ever certainly been known to slumber⁷, or go below. He would stand still for hours: but never sat or leaned; his wan⁸ but wondrous⁹ eyes did plainly say — We two watchmen never rest.

可是，如果在他幽然独处的时分，在他认为只有一双眼睛在瞪着他的时候，你仔细地瞧一瞧他的话，那么，你就会看出，哪怕亚哈的眼睛是那么使水手们望而生畏，可那个清教徒的费解的眼色也使亚哈望而生畏，至少有点不可思议地会时时叫亚哈感到畏惧。这会儿，在这个瘦瘦的费达拉身上，开始增添了那么一种叫人捉摸不定的奇特的神气，身子那么不住地索索抖，使得水手们都以怀疑的神色望着他；看来确是有点叫人摸不准，究竟他是个真正的活人，还是一种眼不能见的躯体投在甲板上的抖颤的影子。而且那个影子始终在那里徜徉不散。因为就是在夜里，人们也不知道究竟费达拉可曾打过盹，或者下到舱里去过。他会镇天一动不动地呆在那里：从来不坐一会儿，也不靠一下。他那双苍白而奇怪的眼睛，清清楚楚地告诉人家——我们这两个守望者是从来不休息的。

Nor, at any time, by night or day could the mariners¹⁰ now step upon the deck, unless Ahab was before them; either standing¹¹ in his pivot-hole, or exactly pacing the planks¹² between two undeviating limits, — the main-mast and the mizen; or else they saw him standing in the cabin-scuttle, — his living foot advanced upon the deck, as if to step; his hat slouched heavily over his eyes; so that however motionless he stood, however the days and nights were added on, that he had not swung in his hammock; yet hidden beneath that slouching hat, they could never tell unerringly whether, for all this, his eyes were really closed at times; or whether he was still intently scanning them;

而且，现在不论日夜，水手们一跨上甲板，随时可以看到亚哈，他不是站在他那只镟孔里，就是正在笔直的两点一线间——主桅和后帆间——跪来踱去，要不然，就看到他站在舱室的升降口上，——他那只好腿跨在甲板上，仿佛要跨上去那样，帽子低盖在眼睛上。所以，不管他怎样站在那里一动不动，不管他怎样日以继夜地不上吊铺；然而，他那双低掩在帽子下面的眼睛，究竟是不是有时闭着，还是仍在凝神地瞪着大家，谁也摸不准。

1 confidential   

adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的

参考例句：

• He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
• We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。

2 awed   

adj.充满敬畏的，表示敬畏的v.使敬畏，使惊惧( awe的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The audience was awed into silence by her stunning performance. 观众席上鸦雀无声，人们对他出色的表演感到惊叹。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I was awed by the huge gorilla. 那只大猩猩使我惊惧。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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 gliding   

v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的

参考例句：

• Swans went gliding past. 天鹅滑行而过。
• The weather forecast has put a question mark against the chance of doing any gliding tomorrow. 天气预报对明天是否能举行滑翔表示怀疑。

5 dubious   

adj.怀疑的，无把握的；有问题的，靠不住的

参考例句：

• What he said yesterday was dubious.他昨天说的话很含糊。
• He uses some dubious shifts to get money.他用一些可疑的手段去赚钱。

6 hovering   

鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫

参考例句：

• The helicopter was hovering about 100 metres above the pad. 直升机在离发射台一百米的上空盘旋。
• I'm hovering between the concert and the play tonight. 我犹豫不决今晚是听音乐会还是看戏。

7 slumber   

n.睡眠，沉睡状态

参考例句：

• All the people in the hotels were wrapped in deep slumber.住在各旅馆里的人都已进入梦乡。
• Don't wake him from his slumber because he needs the rest.不要把他从睡眠中唤醒，因为他需要休息。

8 wan   

(wide area network)广域网

参考例句：

• The shared connection can be an Ethernet,wireless LAN,or wireless WAN connection.提供共享的网络连接可以是以太网、无线局域网或无线广域网。

9 wondrous   

adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地

参考例句：

• The internal structure of the Department is wondrous to behold.看一下国务院的内部结构是很有意思的。
• We were driven across this wondrous vast land of lakes and forests.我们乘车穿越这片有着湖泊及森林的广袤而神奇的土地。

10 mariners   

海员，水手（mariner的复数形式）

参考例句：

• Mariners were also able to fix their latitude by using an instrument called astrolabe. 海员们还可使用星盘这种仪器确定纬度。
• The ancient mariners traversed the sea. 古代的海员漂洋过海。

11 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。

12 planks   

（厚）木板( plank的名词复数 )； 政纲条目，政策要点

参考例句：

• The house was built solidly of rough wooden planks. 这房子是用粗木板牢固地建造的。
• We sawed the log into planks. 我们把木头锯成了木板。