and in the deep darkness that goes before the dawn, was sailing by a cluster of rocky islets; 在黎明前的一片漆黑中，驶过一群岩石重叠的岛屿时，

the watch — then headed by Flask — was startled by a cry so plaintively wild and unearthly, 值班的人——当时是弗拉斯克领的班——被一阵非常哀怨凄厉，令人毛骨悚然的狂叫声吓了一跳，

like half-articulated wailings of the ghosts of all Herod's murdered Innocents — that one and all, they started from their reveries, 那叫声，就象是被赫罗德所谋杀了的冤魂的半清不楚的哀哭声——弄得大家都从迷迷糊糊的梦乡里给吓醒了，

and for the space of some moments stood, or sat, or leaned all transfixed by listening, like the carved Roman slave, while that wild cry remained within hearing. 有好一阵子，他们都象雕刻的罗马奴隶一般，有的站着、有的坐着、有的靠着，全部呆若木鸡地侧耳倾听，那阵狂叫声则仍隐约可闻。

The Christian or civilized part of the crew said it was mermaids, and shuddered; but the pagan harpooneers remained unappalled. 那些基督徒，也就是开化点的水手们都说那是人鱼，不禁浑身打起战来；可是那些异教徒的标枪手却仍神色不变。

Yet the grey Manxman — the oldest mariner of all — declared that the wild thrilling sounds that were heard, were the voices of newly drowned men in the sea. 不过，那个满头白发的人岛人——船上年纪最大的水手——却说刚才所听到的这种叫人心惊肉跳的狂叫声，是刚掉进海里的人的叫声。

Below in his hammock, Ahab did not hear of this till grey dawn, when he came to the deck; 亚哈睡在吊铺里，一点也没听到这叫声，直等到天蒙蒙亮，他走上甲板的时候，

it was then recounted to him by Flask, not unaccompanied with hinted dark meanings. 这才由弗拉斯克讲给他听，弗拉斯克不免添上一点意义含混的暗示。

He hollowly laughed, and thus explained the wonder. 亚哈空洞地哈哈一笑，就此把这奇象给打发了。

Those rocky islands the ship had passed were the resort of great numbers of seals, 这艘船所经过的那些岩石重叠的岛屿，都是大批海豹出没之处，

and some young seals that had lost their dams, or some dams that had lost their cubs, 有些失掉了母亲的小海豹，或者是失掉了爱子的母海豹，

must have risen nigh the ship and kept company with her, crying and sobbing with their human sort of wail. 总要在船只附近出现，紧跟着船只，一路呜咽，哭叫，就象人的哀哭声一样，