That mortal man should feed upon the creature that feeds his lamp, and, like Stubb, eat him by his own light, as you may say; 你也许会说：世间竟有人会饱尝那种供给他灯火的动物，而且，竟有人象斯塔布那样，借它的光吃它的肉；

　　this seems so outlandish a thing that one must needs go a little into the history and philosophy of it. 这事情，似乎十分野蛮，非稍微研究一下它的历史和哲理不可。

　　It is upon record, that three centuries ago the tongue of the Right Whale was esteemed a great delicacy in France, and commanded large prices there. 据记载，三百年前，法国把露脊鲸的舌头当做一种珍馐美味，而且价钱卖得非常之高。

　　Also, that in Henry VIIIth's time,  同时，据说，在亨利八世的时代，

　　a certain cook of the court obtained a handsome reward for inventing an admirable sauce to be eaten with barbacued porpoises,  有某个御厨，因为发明了一种蘸全烤小鲸用的美味酱油，得到了一笔相当可观的赏金。

　　which, you remember, are a species of whale. （那种小鲸，你该记得，也是鲸的一种。）

　　Porpoises, indeed, are to this day considered fine eating. 不错，直到今天，人们还是把小鲸看做一种可口的食品。

　　The meat is made into balls about the size of billiard balls, and being well seasoned and spiced might be taken for turtle-balls or veal balls. 用它的肉做成跟弹子球差不多大小的肉球，加了好作料，也许会被当成海鳖肉球或者小牛肉球。

　　The old monks of Dunfermline were very fond of them. 丹斐谟林的老修道士们，就非常爱吃这种东西。

　　They had a great porpoise grant from the crown. 国王还曾赏给他们一条体积很大的小鲸。

　　The fact is, that among his hunters at least, the whale would by all hands be considered a noble dish, were there not so much of him; 事实上，如果大鲸本身不是很好的话，那么，至少在捕鲸人中，决不会把它当做一种高贵的鱼。

　　but when you come to sit down before a meat-pie nearly one hundred feet long, it takes away your appetite. 不过，当你坐将下来，看到面前摆着一块长达一百英尺的肉饼时，也准会叫你大倒胃口。

　　Only the most unprejudiced of men like Stubb, nowadays partake of cooked whales; but the Esquimaux are not so fastidious. 现在只有象斯塔布这样毫无成见的人才会尝一尝煮鲸肉；那些爱斯基摩人可也不是这么挑三剔四。