英语听书《白鲸记》第476期

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however ignorant the world ashore² may be of it, (尽管这可能是岸上人一无所知的)

that there have been several memorable³ historical instances where a particular whale in the ocean has been at distant times and places popularly cognisable. 有过几次颇为著名而难忘的历史实例，那就是:大海里有一条特殊的鲸，一向不拘时地之久远，都是一看就教人认出来的。

Why such a whale became thus marked was not altogether and originally owing to his bodily peculiarities⁵ as distinguished⁶ from other whales; 这条鲸之所以这样教人一看就识，倒并不完全是因为它身体上本来具有什么跟其它大鲸不同的特点；

for however peculiar⁴ in that respect any chance whale may be, 因为任何一条鲸不论在这方面具有什么特点，

they soon put an end to his peculiarities by killing⁷ him, 人们还是会针对它这种特点立刻把它杀了，

and boiling him down into a peculiarly valuable oil. 把它熬成特别贵重的油。

No: the reason was this: 不，理由是这样的:

that from the fatal experiences of the fishery there hung a terrible prestige of perilousness⁸ about such a whale as there did about Rinaldo Rinaldini, 根据捕鱼界的出生入死的经验，这种大鲸跟里纳尔多里.纳尔第尼(里纳尔多.里纳尔第尼————基督圣军一个勇士，"他不要财，不要势，只要出名"，十五岁参加圣军，杀了人后，自动去流放了。)一般，天生有一种可怕而危险的名声，

insomuch that most fishermen were content to recognise him by merely touching⁹ their tarpaulins¹⁰ when he would be discovered lounging by them on the sea, 因此，大多数捕鱼人一发现它在海上，在他们旁边游荡的时候，只要轻轻地招呼一声他们的伙伴来见识见识它，就已是心满意足。

without seeking to cultivate a more intimate acquaintance. 他们无须跟它多打交道。

Like some poor devils ashore that happen to known an irascible great man, 他们象岸上一些穷鬼那样，偶尔在街上认识一个脾气急躁的大人物，

they make distant unobtrusive salutations to him in the street, 他们都敬而远之，对他遥致敬意，

lest if they pursued the acquaintance further, 因为如果他们想要更亲近些，

they might receive a summary thump¹¹ for their presumption¹². 就难免要因为冒昧而当场挨到一拳。

But not only did each of these famous whales enjoy great individual celebrity¹³, 不过，这种著名的鲸不但条条都拥有鼎鼎大名的殊誉，

nay¹⁴, you may call it an oceanwide renown¹⁵; 而且，你还可以说是具有一种四海闻名的声望呢，

not only was he famous in life and now is immortal¹⁶ in forecastle stories after death, 它不但生前著名，死后也是现在船头楼的传说中的不朽角色，

but he was admitted into all the rights, privileges, and distinctions of a name; 而且还被认为是个天公地道，理所当然的大显贵；

had as much a name indeed as Cambyses or Caesar. 其名望足以与坎拜栖兹(坎拜栖兹————古波斯国王，在位期为公元前５２９—５２２年。)或者恺撒大帝相媲美。

Was it not so, O Timor Tom! thou famed leviathan, scarred like an iceberg¹⁷, 蒂摩尔.汤姆(蒂摩尔.汤姆......指马来亚蒂摩尔群岛一带的大鲸。)，你这著名的大海兽呵! 满身伤痕如象一座冰山，

who so long did'st lurk¹⁸ in the Oriental straits of that name, 它并不是长期隐存在以它命名的东方海峡，

whose spout¹⁹ was oft seen from the palmy beach of Ombay? 它那喷水不是常常从奥姆湾(奥姆湾......在蒂摩尔群岛北面的小岛。)的长满棕榈的海滩上就望得见吗?

Was it not so, O New Zealand Jack²⁰! 新西兰的杰克(新西兰的杰克————新西兰的大鲸的意思。)呵!

thou terror of all cruisers that crossed their wakes in the vicinity of the Tattoo²¹ Land? 那些驶近这个"文身的国土"("文身的国土"————新西兰的土人都在面上。身上文着图形人像，故称。)附近的巡洋舰不也都是怕你吗?

Was it not so, O Morquan! King of Japan, whose lofty jet they say at times assumed the semblance²² of a snow-white cross against the sky? 号称日本皇帝的魔冠(日本皇帝的魔冠......即日本的大鲸。)呵!它那高耸的喷水，不是据说有时象顶天矗立的白十字架吗?

Was it not so, O Don Miguel! thou Chilian whale, marked like an old tortoise with mystic hieroglyphics²³ upon the back! 唐.米格尔呵!你这智利的大鲸呀!背上象一只乌龟似的刻了神秘的象形文字!

In plain prose, 简单明白地说，

here are four whales as well known to the students of Cetacean History as Marius or Sylla to the classic scholar. 这里所说的四种大鲸，对于鲸类学的研究者说来，就跟古典学者之于马留或者西拉(马留(公元前１５６—８６年)————罗马将军。西拉(公元前１３８—７８年)————公元前一0七年隶属于马留麾下，因功绩超过马留，两人互相倾轧，终将马留打败，掌握大权，成为独裁者。)一样的著名。

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