英语听书《白鲸记》第473期

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No possible endeavor then could enable her commander to make the great passage southwards, double Cape¹ Horn,  当时，“裴廓德号”的船长已无法绕着合恩角向南远驰，

and then running down sixty degrees of latitude² arrive in the equatorial Pacific in time to cruise there. 然后顺着纬度六十度的地方疾驶，及时赶到太平洋的赤道线上去巡游了。

Therefore, he must wait for the next ensuing season.  因此，他必须等待即将到来的下一个季节。

Yet the premature³ hour of the Pequod's sailing had, 然而，“裴廓德号”之所以提早开航，

perhaps, been correctly selected by Ahab, with a view to this very complexion⁴ of things. 说不定正是亚哈看到了这种复杂的情形而挑准了的。

Because, an interval⁵ of three hundred and sixty-five days and nights was before him; 因为如果不开航，他又得株守三百六十五个昼夜;

an interval which, instead of impatiently enduring ashore⁶,  而这样一段时间，与其教他在岸上焦心迫肠地枯守，

he would spend in a miscellaneous hunt; 那他是宁可去做一些零零碎碎的猎击;

if by chance the White Whale, spending his vacation in seas far remote from his periodical feeding-grounds, 说不定白鲸在那远离它的定期的食料场的海洋里度过了假期，

should turn up his wrinkled brow off the Persian Gulf⁷, or in the Bengal Bay, or China Seas, or in any other waters haunted by his race. 会在波斯湾，孟加拉湾，中国海或者鲸类出没的别的地方一露它那皱纹百结的额头。

So that Monsoons⁸, Pampas, Nor-Westers, Harmattans, Trades; any wind but the Levanter and Simoon, 所以，除了地中海的强烈的东风和阿拉伯的热风以外，其他象印度洋的季风，彭巴斯草原风，强烈的西北风，非洲西岸的燥风，贸易风等，

might blow Moby Dick into the devious⁹ zig-zag world-circle of the Pequod's circumnavigating wake. 都可能把莫比－迪克刮到“裴廓德号”的环球航迹的迂回曲折的大包围圈里来。

But granting all this; 不过，就算这一切的想法都是对的;

yet, regarded discreetly¹⁰ and coolly, seems it not but a mad idea, this; 然而，仔细而冷静地一想，这也似乎还是一种发疯的想法;

that in the broad boundless¹¹ ocean, one solitary¹² whale, 因为在辽阔无垠的大洋里，即使是碰到了一只孤零零的鲸，

even if encountered, should be thought capable of individual recognition from his hunter, 难道它的猎手就会一下子把它认了出来，

even as a white-bearded Mufti in the thronged¹³ thoroughfares of Constantinople? 如同在君士坦丁堡的杂沓拥挤的街头，看到一个银须长髯的伊斯兰教法典说明官那样吗?

Yes. For the peculiar¹⁴ snow-white brow of Moby Dick, 会的。因为莫比－迪克那只特别雪白的额头，

and his snow-white hump, could not but be unmistakable. 和它那雪白的背峰，无论如何是错不了的。

And have I not tallied¹⁵ the whale, Ahab would mutter to himself, as after poring over his charts till long after midnight he would throw himself back in reveries-- 难道我把大鲸看错了，亚哈在仔细看他的海图，直看至更深夜阑之后，他会从沉思里猛醒过来，暗自这样喃喃道......

tallied him,and shall he escape? 就是它，它逃得了么?

His broad fins¹⁶ are bored, and scalloped out like a lost sheep's ear! 只那大鳍已给打穿了，象一只迷途的羔羊一样摊在这里了!

And here, his mad mind would run on in a breathless race; 想到这里，他的疯狂的思想就会屏声息气地往前狂奔;

till a weariness and faintness of pondering came over him! 直到他想得人累了，头昏了!

and in the open air of the deck he would seek to recover his strength. 而后到甲板的露天里去设法恢复他的精力。

Ah, God! what trances of torments¹⁷ does that man endure who is consumed with one unachieved revengeful desire. 天呀!这个全力耗费在一个难以达到的报仇欲望上的人，他经受了多么苦痛的昏睡状态呀。

He sleeps with clenched¹⁸ hands; and wakes with his own bloody¹⁹ nails in his palms. 他睡觉的时候，双手捏紧拳头，醒来的时候，他的指甲已把掌心掐得鲜血淋漓了。

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