It drew near the close of day. Suddenly he came to a halt by the bulwarks, and inserting his bone leg into the auger-hole there, and with one hand grasping a shroud, he ordered Starbuck to send everybody aft. 已是将近日暮时分。他突然在舷墙边立定,把他那只牙腿插在那边的镟孔里,一只手抓着护桅索,命令斯达巴克把大家都叫到船梢来。

Sir! said the mate, astonished at an order seldom or never given on ship-board except in some extraordinary case. 先生!那个大副说,他对这个除了遇到紧急情况,否则在船上是难得或者可说是从来不会发出的命令感到很为诧异。

Send everybody aft, repeated Ahab. Mast-heads, there! come down! 把大家都叫到船梢来,亚哈又说一遍。桅顶的人呀,喂!下来!

When the entire ship's company were assembled, and with curious and not wholly unapprehensive faces, were eyeing him, for he looked not unlike the weather horizon when a storm is coming up,  船上全体人员都集合拢来了,大家都以奇异而不是完全没有忧虑的脸色望着他,因为他的神色倒象是暴风雨正在到来的天气。

Ahab, after rapidly glancing over the bulwarks, and then darting his eyes among the crew, started from his standpoint; and as though not a soul were nigh him resumed his heavy turns upon the deck.  可是,亚哈迅疾地瞥一瞥舷墙后,他那双眼睛又在那些水手间扫射一下,接着便从他站着的地方起步,仿佛在他身旁,根本一个人也没有似的,他又在甲板上沉重地走来走去。

With bent head and half-slouched hat he continued to pace, unmindful of the wondering whispering among the men; till Stubb cautiously whispered to Flask, that Ahab must have summoned them there for the purpose of witnessing a pedestrian feat.  他低着头,半耷拉着帽子继续在踱方步,一点也不理会到人群里的诧异的嘁嘁喳喳声;后来斯塔布小心地对弗拉斯克咬着耳朵说,亚哈之所以要把大家召集拢来,一定是要大家来欣赏他那走路的技巧。

But this did not last long. Vehemently pausing, he cried: 但是,这种表演并没有持续多久,他陡地停了下来,喊道:

What do ye do when ye see a whale, men? 喂,你们看到一条鲸的时候,该怎么办?

Sing out for him! was the impulsive rejoinder from a score of clubbed voices. 高声叫喊!有二十个声音冲动地齐声应答。

Good! cried Ahab, with a wild approval in his tones; observing the hearty animation into which his unexpected question had so magnetically thrown them. 好!亚哈看到他那突如其来的问题竟这么有吸引力,弄得大家都生气蓬勃了,不禁以一种狂热的赞许声气嚷道。