when almost despairing of reaching any hospitable shore. 当时要想达到任何一个好客的海岸，差不多已是完全无望。

"The dark ocean and swelling waters were nothing; “漆黑的海洋和汹涌的浪涛还不算什么；

the fears of being swallowed up by some dreadful tempest, or dashed upon hidden rocks, 那种怕被一时可怖的暴风雨吞噬掉的恐惧，或者会冲上什么隐伏着的暗礁，

with all the other ordinary subjects of fearful contemplation, 以及其它各种出自可怖的想法的正常的东西，

seemed scarcely entitled to a moment's thought; 似乎一时都不值得一想了；

the dismal looking wreck, 那艘破船的凄凉形相，

and THE HORRID ASPECT AND REVENGE OF THE WHALE, 和那只满怀报仇。相貌可怕的大鲸，

wholly engrossed my reflections, 已完全夺去了我的想象，

until day again made its appearance." 这些事情至今还会不时地显现出来。”

In another place--p. 45,--he speaks of 在另外的一个地方——第四十五页——他提到,

"THE MYSTERIOUS AND MORTAL ATTACK OF THE ANIMAL." “这只野兽的神秘而性命攸关的攻击。”

Secondly: The ship Union, also of Nantucket, 第二，也是南塔开特那艘“联合号”，

was in the year 1807 totally lost off the Azores by a similar onset, 在一八0七年遭到了类似的攻击，在亚速尔海上整个覆灭的，

but the authentic particulars of this catastrophe I have never chanced to encounter, 不过，这一灾害，我从来没有机会获得它的可靠详情，

though from the whale hunters I have now and then heard casual allusions to it. 虽然，从捕鲸者那边，我还不时会偶尔听到一些有关引喻。

Thirdly: Some eighteen or twenty years ago Commodore J---then commanding an American sloop-of-war of the first class, 第三，大约在十八或者二十年前吧，当时有某个统率一艘美国第一流的古式炮舰的司令官，

happened to be dining with a party of whaling captains, on board a Nantucket ship in the harbor of Oahu, Sandwich Islands. 恰巧在散德维支群岛(散德维支群岛——即如今的夏威夷群岛)的奥胡码头上，在一艘南塔开特船上跟一群捕鲸船长们聚餐。

Conversation turning upon whales, 话题一转到了大鲸身上，

the Commodore was pleased to be sceptical touching the amazing strength ascribed to them by the professional gentlemen present. 司令官听到在座那些专业的先生，把鲸说得力量奇大，深表怀疑。

He peremptorily denied for example, 他举例断然否认说，

that any whale could so smite his stout sloop-of-war as to cause her to leak so much as a thimbleful. 要是有一条鲸会把他那艘结实的炮舰攻得漏一滴酒的话，他才不信。

Very good; but there is more coming. 很好，事情正有着呢。

Some weeks later, the Commodore set sail in this impregnable craft for Valparaiso. 几个星期后，这位司令官坐着这艘无法攻破的炮舰启航驶往瓦尔帕莱索(瓦尔帕莱索——智利的商埠)。

But he was stopped on the way by a portly sperm whale, 但是，他在半路上，却给一条魁伟的抹香鲸拦住，

that begged a few moments' confidential business with him. 要跟他商量几分钟机密事务了。

That business consisted in fetching the Commodore's craft such a thwack, 这件公事，就是要给司令官的炮舰狠狠一击，

that with all his pumps going he made straight for the nearest port to heave down and repair. 弄得他只好使足全力，把船直驶到最邻近的港口，停下来修理了。

I am not superstitious, but I consider the Commodore's interview with that whale as providential. 我并不是个迷信的人，不过，我认为这个司令官跟那条鲸的会见是上天安排好了的。

Was not Saul of Tarsus converted from unbelief by a similar fright? 塔苏斯的扫罗(事出《旧约.撒母耳记》第十六章三十，三十一节)不也是受到一阵类似的惊吓，就使他从不信仰上帝转而皈依上帝么?

I tell you, the sperm whale will stand no nonsense. 我告诉你们，抹香鲸是不愿意忍受无聊行动的。

I will now refer you to Langsdorff's Voyages for a little circumstance in point, 这里，我还要向你们适当地略为提一提兰斯多尔夫的那次航行，

peculiarly interesting to the writer hereof.  特别是要提一提作者所感兴趣的那部分。

Langsdorff, you must know by the way, 顺便说一下，兰斯多尔夫，你们大概一定是知道的，

was attached to the Russian Admiral Krusenstern's famous Discovery Expedition in the beginning of the present century. 他就是本世纪(本世纪——指十九世纪。)初俄国海军大将克鲁生斯丹恩的著名探险队的人员。

Captain Langsdorff thus begins his seventeenth chapter: 兰斯多尔夫船长在他的著作的第十七章中这样写道：