英语听书《白鲸记》第472期

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And where Ahab's chances of accomplishing his object have hitherto been spoken of, allusion² has only been made to whatever way-side, antecedent, extra prospects³ were his,  到这里,关于亚哈想到什么地方去完成他那目的已是交代清楚了,还隐约指出,在达到一个特定的时间和地点之前,他有什么碰巧的。

ere a particular set time or place were attained⁴, when all possibilities would become probabilities, and, as Ahab fondly thought, every possibility the next thing to a certainty.  已有先例可循的。额外的前景。亚哈总喜欢认为,如果一切的可能性都可以成为盖然性,那么每一个可能性就几乎是等于必然性了。

That particular set time and place were conjoined in the one technical phrase-the Season-on-the-Line.  所谓特定的时间和地点,是跟那句术语"赤道线上的当令季节"相结合的。

For there and then, for several consecutive⁵ years, Moby Dick had been periodically descried⁶, lingering in those waters for awhile, as the sun, in its annual round, loiters for a predicted interval⁷ in any one sign of the Zodiac.  因为在当时当地,连续好几年来,人们都定期发现莫比－迪克在这种海面上留连一阵,如象一年一转的太阳,总预先在黄道带上耽搁一会儿那样。

There it was, too, that most of the deadly encounters with the white whale had taken place;  这种地方,也大多是白鲸跟追击者进行生死搏斗的地方;

there the waves were storied with his deeds; there also was that tragic⁸ spot where the monomaniac old man had found the awful motive⁹ to his vengeance¹⁰.  在这种地方,波涛都刻记了它的许多业绩;这种地方,也就是这个害偏热症的老人产生了他那怕人的报仇动机的悲剧地点。

But in the cautious comprehensiveness and unloitering vigilance with which Ahab threw his brooding soul into this unfaltering hunt, he would not permit himself to rest all his hopes upon the one crowning fact above mentioned, however flattering it might be to those hopes;  但是,亚哈虽然具有慎重的理解力和警惕不懈的精神,处心积虑地想干这种专心一意的猎击,他却还是不会把一切希望都寄托在上述的主要事实上,不论这种事实对那些希望说来,具有多大成功的可能;

nor in the sleeplessness¹¹ of his vow¹² could he so tranquillize his unquiet heart as to postpone¹³ all intervening quest. 他的信誓旦旦也无法教他那不安的心灵会镇定得把一切幸遇的搜索都耽延了的。

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