英语听书《白鲸记》第464期

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Though in many of its aspects this visible world seems formed in love, the invisible spheres were formed in fright. 白色为什么对人类具有如此魔力,也还没有弄明白;

But not yet have we solved the incantation of this whiteness, and learned why it appeals with such power to the soul;  而且,更其奇特而越发凶兆重重的是,如同我们已经说过了的,白色为什么同时就是最具有意义的神力的象征,又是基督教的神的面具;

and more strange and far more portentous-why, as we have seen, it is at once the most meaning symbol of spiritual things, nay¹, the very veil of the Christian's Deity²; and yet should be as it is, the intensifying³ agent in things the most appalling⁴ to mankind. 而且事实上也是如此:一切事物中的强化了的神力,就是最使人类惊吓的东西。

Is it that by its indefiniteness it shadows forth⁵ the heartless voids and immensities of the universe, and thus stabs us from behind with the thought of annihilation, when beholding⁶ the white depths of the milky⁷ way?  我们看到银河的白色深渊时,是不是可以说它是借着它的无定量性来遮掩宇宙的无底的空虚和无垠的空间,又暗地里怀着消灭我们的恶意来伤害我们呢?

Or is it, that as in essence whiteness is not so much a color as the visible absence of color; and at the same time the concrete of all colors;  还是说,就本质说来,白色与其说是一种颜色,不如说是明显的没有颜色,同时又是各种颜色的凝结物,

is it for these reasons that there is such a dumb blankness, full of meaning, in a wide landscape of snows-a colorless, all-color of atheism⁸ from which we shrink?  是不是说,因此我们就认为,在一片茫茫的雪景中,就有这样一片意义深长的,没有光彩的空白...一种我们所害怕的毫无色彩的,而又非常具有色彩的无神论呢?

And when we consider that other theory of the natural philosophers, that all other earthly hues-every stately or lovely emblazoning-the sweet tinges⁹ of sunset skies and woods;  不过,当我们来细思自然哲学家们的另一种理论时,就发现世间各种色彩...各种壮丽的或者可爱的美饰...夕阳西下的天际和树林里的可爱的色调;

yea, and the gilded¹⁰ velvets of butterflies, and the butterfly cheeks of young girls. 而且还有涂着金色丝绒似的蝴蝶,和少女的蝴蝶似的面孔;

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