英语听书《白鲸记》第438期

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we find some book naturalists- Olassen and Povelson-declaring the Sperm² Whale not only to be a consternation³ to every other creature in the sea, but also to be so incredibly ferocious⁴ as continually to be athirst for human blood.  我们发现有若干著书立说的博物学家,奥拉森和鲍维尔生都宣称,抹香鲸不仅是使海洋中其它生物感到恐怖的一种大兽,也是经常要喝人血的非常凶残无比的巨兽。

Nor even down to so late a time as Cuvier's, were these or almost similar impressions effaced⁵.  甚至时至晚近的居维埃,仍不免或多或少有类似的看法。

For in his Natural History, the Baron⁶ himself affirms that at sight of the Sperm Whale, all fish (sharks included) are "struck with the most lively terrors," and "often in the precipitancy of their flight dash themselves against the rocks with such violence as to cause instantaneous death."  因为,在他的《博物学史》一书中,这位伯爵本人就坚称,一切鱼类(包括鲨鱼在内)一看到抹香鲸,就都"吓得魂不附体",而且,"在它们慌忙逃走中,往往会直冲向岩礁,用力之猛,几至当场撞死。"

And however the general experiences in the fishery may amend⁷ such reports as these; yet in their full terribleness, even to the bloodthirsty item of Povelson, the superstitious⁸ belief in them is, in some vicissitudes⁹ of their vocation¹⁰, revived in the minds of the hunters. 不管捕鱼业中的一般经验怎样可以修正类似的报告;然而,就捕鱼业的整个可怖的经历,甚至就鲍维尔生所提出的喝血这一点说来,证之他们那行业的荣枯变幻的情况,就不免要教捕鲸者的脑际重新出现迷信的信念了。

So that overawed by the rumors¹¹ and portents¹² concerning him, not a few of the fishermen recalled, in reference to Moby Dick, the earlier days of the Sperm Whale fishery,  因此,由于被有关莫比－迪克的种种谣言与凶兆所慑服,不少捕鱼者一提到它的时候,就要想起捕抹香鲸业的早期情况,

when it was oftentimes hard to induce long practised Right whalemen to embark¹³ in the perils¹⁴ of this new and daring warfare¹⁵; such men protesting that although other leviathans might be hopefully pursued, yet to chase and point lances at such an apparition¹⁶ as the Sperm Whale was not for mortal man.  当时,往往不很容易劝使那些经验丰富的捕露脊鲸者来从事这种新兴而勇敢的危险事业。这些人坚决表示,虽然其它的大海兽也许可以一追即中,然而要对这种有如幽灵一般的抹香鲸加以追击,投以鱼枪,却不是凡人所能胜任的。

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