It was but some few days after encountering the Frenchman, 大约是在遇到那艘法国船的几天后，

　　that a most significant event befell the most insignificant of the Pequod's crew; "裴廓德号"上有一件极其重大的事情落到一个最不足道的水手的头上，

　　an event most lamentable; and which ended in providing the sometimes madly merry and predestinated craft 这是一件最可悲的事情，到头来，这件事情还给这艘始终是嘻嘻哈哈而命运却已注定的船，

　　with a living and ever accompanying prophecy of whatever shattered sequel might prove her own. 提供了一种生动而始终摆脱不了的预言：它自己总要遭到任何一种粉身碎骨的结局。

　　Now, in the whale ship, it is not every one that goes in the boats. 且说在捕鲸船上，并不是人人都要下小艇的。

　　Some few hands are reserved called shipkeepers, whose province it is to work the vessel while the boats are pursuing the whale. 它总要留几个叫做看船人的人，他们的职份就是在小艇追击大鲸时，由他们航驶大船。

　　As a general thing, these shipkeepers are as hardy fellows as the men comprising the boats' crews. 这些看船人的身体通常都是跟艇上的水手一样壮健。

　　But if there happen to be an unduly slender, clumsy, or timorous wight in the ship, that wight is certain to be made a ship-keeper. 不过，如果船上恰巧有个非常细弱。笨拙或者是胆小的家伙，那肯定要叫那个家伙来做看船人。

　　It was so in the Pequod with the little negro Pippin by nick-name, Pip by abbreviation. "裴廓德号"上那个外号叫比平，简称比普的小黑人，就正是这等人物。

　　Poor Pip! ye have heard of him before; ye must remember his tambourine on that dramatic midnight, so gloomy-jolly. 可怜的比普！你们以前已经听到过他这个名字了；你们一定还记得在那个富有戏剧情调的午夜中，他那只敲得那么乐中透愁的小手鼓吧。

　　In outer aspect, Pip and Dough-Boy made a match, like a black pony and a white one, 在外表上，比普和汤团倒是活宝一对，有如一匹黑马和一匹白马，

　　of equal developments, though of dissimilar color, driven in one eccentric span. 种色虽然不同，大小却很相称，是一对志不同道不合的双轭马。

　　But while hapless Dough-Boy was by nature dull and torpid in his intellects, 那个倒霉的汤团，生性愚笨，又兼智力鲁钝，

　　Pip, though over tender-hearted, was at bottom very bright, with that pleasant, genial, jolly brightness peculiar to his tribe; 至于比普呢，虽然心地过于温厚，内里却十分聪明伶俐，有着他的种族那种可爱、亲切、快活开朗的特点；

　　a tribe, which ever enjoy all holidays and festivities with finer, freer relish than any other race. 这个种族，逢到大小节日，总是比任何其它民族过得更快活、更放纵。