and as if the wide extent of the herd had hitherto prevented them from learning the precise cause of its stopping; 仿佛直到这时，还不让浩大的鲸群知道这种停下来的真正的原因；

or, possibly, being so young, unsophisticated, and every way innocent and inexperienced; 这也许可能因为它们都还年纪太轻，不懂世故，各方面都很天真，缺乏经验的缘故；

however it may have been, these smaller whales— now and then visiting our becalmed boat from the margin of the lake, 总之，不管怎样，这些小鲸——不时地从湖边来到我们这只无法前进的小艇旁边探望一番，

evinced a wondrous fearlessness and confidence, or else a still becharmed panic which it was impossible not to marvel at. 可以说都显出了一种出奇的无所畏惧和自信心，也可以说，是因为这种失魂落魄的惶恐使它们不能不感到惊奇。

Like household dogs they came snuffling round us, right up to our gunwales, and touching them; 它们象一群家狗，在我们周围嗅来嗅去，把鼻子直伸到我们的舷壁，碰碰我们的舷壁，

till it almost seemed that some spell had suddenly domesticated them. 简直象有什么符咒突然把它们弄驯服了。

Queequeg patted their foreheads; Starbuck scratched their backs with his lance; 魁魁格轻拍着它们的前额；斯达巴克用他的捕鲸枪搔搔它们的背脊；

but fearful of the consequences, for the time refrained from darting it. 只因怕会出什么事，才暂时不去戳它们。

But far beneath this wondrous world upon the surface, another and still stranger world met our eyes as we gazed over the side. 但是，当我们伏在船舷边往下凝视时，远处在上面这个希奇的世界的下边，却另有一个更为奇特的天地映入了我们的眼帘。

For, suspended in those watery vaults, floated the forms of the nursing mothers of the whales, 因为贴在这种水晶宫里的苍穹中，漂泛有许多在哺小鲸的母鲸的形体，

and those that by their enormous girth seemed shortly to become mothers. 还有一些从它们那粗大的腰围看来，似乎不久就将做母亲的母鲸。

The lake, as I have hinted, was to a considerable depth exceedingly transparent; 这个大湖，我已说过了，虽然很深，却非常明澈；

and as human infants while suckling will calmly and fixedly gaze away from the breast, as if leading two different lives at the time; 一如小孩在吃奶时，安静而定睛地撇开一下母亲的胸脯，望一望别的地方，仿佛同时在过着两种不同的生活：