英语听书《白鲸记》第482期（打印版）

In the sixth Christian century lived Procopius, a Christian magistrate of Constantinople, in the days when Justinian was Emperor and Belisarius general. 公元六世纪，有一个君士坦丁堡的基督教的治安推事名叫普罗科匹阿(普罗科匹阿(４９０?—５６２?)——拜占庭的历史家，曾做过培利塞留的秘书，他著有不少的史书，其中以《秘史》 ——专写５４９—５６２年君士坦丁堡宫廷的丑闻为最著名。)的，当时也正是查士丁尼(查士丁尼一世(４８３—５６５)——拜占庭皇帝。)做皇帝，培利塞留(培利塞留(５０５?—５６５)——拜占庭的将军。)做将军的时候。

As many know, he wrote the history of his own times, a work every way of uncommon value. 如所周知，他著有一本记述他的时代的历史，这是一部从各方面看来价值非凡的作品。

By the best authorities, he has always been considered a most trustworthy and unexaggerating historian, 他在许多最优秀的权威家的眼中，始终被认为是一位最翔实可靠而不夸张的历史家，

except in some one or two particulars, not at all affecting the matter presently to be mentioned. 虽则有个别一两处稍有瑕疵，然而，对于我们现在所要提到的事情却毫无影响。

Now, in this history of his, Procopius mentions that, during the term of his prefecture at Constantinople, 在他这本历史中，普罗科匹阿指出，在他担任君士坦丁堡长官期间，

a great sea-monster was captured in the neighboring Propontis, or Sea of Marmora, 曾经捕到一只大海兽，在普罗蓬提斯，或者叫做玛摩拉海附近，

after having destroyed vessels at intervals in those waters for a period of more than fifty years. 这只东西在五十多年中，一再在那一带的海里破坏了许多船只。

A fact thus set down in substantial history cannot easily be gainsaid. 象这样写在可靠的历史上的事实是不能轻加否定的。

Nor is there any reason it should be. 而且也没有否定它的理由，

Of what precise species this sea-monster was, is not mentioned. 至于这只海兽究竟是属于哪一类，他却没有说明。

But as he destroyed ships, as well as for other reasons, he must have been a whale; 不过，就它破坏船只，以及其它各种情节看来，它必定是一条大鲸；

and I am strongly inclined to think a sperm whale. 我极有理由认为它就是一条抹香鲸。

For a long time I fancied that the sperm whale had been always unknown in the Mediterranean and the deep waters connecting with it. 我长期来总认为，在地中海和跟它相连的大海一带，人们未必会知道抹香鲸，

Even now I am certain that those seas are not, and perhaps never can be, in the present constitution of things, a place for his habitual gregarious resort. 甚至直到如今，我还肯定地认为，按照实际情况说来，这种海并不是。也许永远不会是一个适合于它那惯于群居生活的所在。

But further investigations have recently proved to me, 可是，经过进一步的调查研究后，最近才使我相信了，

that in modern times there have been isolated instances of the presence of the sperm whale in the Mediterranean. 时至现代，地中海一定有出现抹香鲸的个别的事例。

I am told, on good authority, that on the Barbary coast, a Commodore Davis of the British navy found the skeleton of a sperm whale. 我从最权威方面知道，在巴巴利(巴巴利——自埃及到大西洋间的北非洲的地区。)沿海一带，有一个叫做戴维斯的英国海军舰长就发现过一条抹香鲸的骷髅。

Now, as a vessel of war readily passes through the Dardanelles, 如今，既然一艘军舰能够悠闲地穿过达达尼尔海峡，

hence a sperm whale could, by the same route, pass out of the Mediterranean into the Propontis. 一条抹香鲸当然也能够循着同一的路线，出地中海而游到普罗蓬提斯去了。

In the Propontis, as far as I can learn, none of that peculiar substance called brit is to be found, the aliment of the right whale. 虽则就我所知，在普罗蓬提斯，还没有发现过那种露脊鲸的食料，那种特称为“小鱼”(小鱼——系指小鲱鱼以及大鲸所吃的一般小鱼。)的东西。

But I have every reason to believe that the food of the sperm whale squid or cuttle-fish--lurks at the bottom of that sea, 不过，我有各种理由认为抹香鲸的食料乌贼鱼或者墨鱼——是深藏在海底里的，

because large creatures, but by no means the largest of that sort, have been found at its surface. 因为在那一带的海面上曾经发现过这种大生物(虽然绝不是最大的生物)。

If, then, you properly put these statements together, and reason upon them a bit, 因此，如果你把这些材料给适当地综合起来，稍加推究一番，

you will clearly perceive that, according to all human reasoning, Procopius's sea-monster, 你就可以清楚地看出，根据人类的一切推证力，普罗科匹阿的所谓大海兽，

that for half a century stove the ships of a Roman Emperor, must in all probability have been a sperm whale. 条五十年来击破了不知多少罗马皇帝的船只的生物，就是那也一定有各种可能是条抹香鲸了。

英语听书《白鲸记》第482期（在线收听）