When in the Southern Fishery a captured Sperm Whale, after long and weary toil, is brought alongside late at night, 在南海的捕鲸业中，经过了好久的疲累的拖曳后，在深更半夜里，把一条打倒的抹香鲸拖到船边来的时候，

　　it is not, as a general thing at least, customary to proceed at once to the business of cutting him in. 一般说来，至少是不会立刻就对它进行割油的。

　　For that business is an exceedingly laborious one; is not very soon completed; and requires all hands to set about it. 因为割油真是桩非常繁重的活儿；并不是一下子就完得了工，而是需要大家一齐来动手的。

　　Therefore, the common usage is to take in all sail; lash the helm a'lee; 因此，习惯上总是减帆落篷，在避风处缚起舵来；

　　and then send every one below to his hammock till daylight, with the reservation that, until that time, anchor-watches shall be kept; 然后叫大家到舱里去睡觉，不过，在到天亮前这段期间里，总是派人在船尾值夜；

　　that is, two and two for an hour, each couple, the crew in rotation shall mount the deck to see that all goes well. 就是说，每一个钟头由四个人值班，两人一双地轮流跑到甲板上，留心一下情况。

　　But sometimes, especially upon the Line in the Pacific, this plan will not answer at all; 但是，有的时候，尤其是在太平洋的赤道上，这种打算就不很反完全适用了；

　　because such incalculable hosts of sharks gather round the moored carcase,  因为围在这条拴在船边的死鲸四周的鲨鱼，多得无可计数，

　　that were he left so for six hours, say, on a stretch, little more than the skeleton would be visible by morning. 如果听它这样一气搁上六个小时，那么，到了天亮一看，就只剩下一架骷髅了。

　　In most other parts of the ocean, however,  不过，在其它大部分海洋上，

　　where these fish do not so largely abound, their wondrous voracity can be at times considerably diminished, 因为鲨鱼并不是这么多，它们那种贪得无厌的狂欲，只消用一些锐利的捕鲸铲，

　　by vigorously stirring them up with sharp whaling-spades, a procedure notwithstanding, which,  对它们狠狠地搅拌一顿，是能够随时使它们大大地减小的，

　　in some instances, only seems to tickle them into still greater activity. 虽说这种做法有时似乎只会把它们逗弄得更活跃起来。