and not only that, but if you wish to return to such a sight again,  而且不仅如此，如果想再看看这样一种景色，

　　you must be sure and take the exact intersecting latitude and longitude of your first stand-point, 还得有把握地站在你第一次站过的那块经纬交叉的地方，

　　else so chance-like are such observations of the hills, that your precise, previous stand-point would require a laborious re-discovery; 否则，象这样偶然而得的山景，要重新找到你刚才站着的正确地点，就得花番大功夫了，

　　like the Solomon islands, which still remain incognita, though once high-ruffed Mendanna trod them and old Figuera chronicled them. 就跟那个梭罗马群岛（即所罗门群岛。）一样，虽然那个气急呼呼的门达纳（尼乌拉·德·门达纳（1541—1595）——西班牙航海家，他曾于一五六七年发现所罗门群岛。）的足迹，曾经一度到过那里，菲格拉（法兰西斯科·德·菲格拉（1540—1620）——西班牙诗人。）老头也曾经记载过它，可它仍是个隐姓埋名的地方。

　　Nor when expandingly lifted by your subject, can you fail to trace out great whales in the starry heavens, and boats in pursuit of them; 如果阁下有兴高高往上攀去，坐着小艇去追寻它们的话，那么在满天星斗的上天，也不难找到大鲸，

　　as when long filled with thoughts of war the Eastern nations saw armies locked in battle among the clouds.  有如那些饱经战患的东方民族，看到给包围在战云里的军队。

　　Thus at the North have I chased Leviathan round and round the Pole with the revolutions of the bright points that first defined him to me. 我就这样在北极地方，不住地绕着北极星，追击着那由阵阵金光初次使我看得轮廓分明的大鲸。

　　And beneath the effulgent Antarctic skies I have boarded the Argo-Navis, 而在辉煌灿烂的南极天空下，我却坐上了南船星座，

　　and joined the chase against the starry Cetus far beyond the utmost stretch of Hydrus and the Flying Fish. 跟他们一起到远离海蛇星座和飞鱼星座的无垠无涯的地方去追击鲸星座。

　　With a frigate's anchors for my bridle-bitts and fasces of harpoons for spurs,  用一只小巡洋舰的锚来作我的系索柱，用标枪的束杆来做我的马扎子，

　　would I could mount that whale and leap the topmost skies,  我就能够登上那条鲸，冲到最高的天空，

　　to see whether the fabled heavens with all their countless tents really lie encamped beyond my mortal sight! 去看看那传说中的上天和它所有的无数帐篷里，究竟是不是真的包藏有我肉眼所不能见的东西！