英语听书《白鲸记》第478期

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That point is this: The Sperm³ Whale is in some cases sufficiently⁴ powerful, knowing, and judiciously⁵ malicious⁶, 这个论点就是：在某些方面说来，抹香鲸是力大无比而狡猾的，善于及时使出恶毒的念头，

as with direct aforethought to stave in, utterly⁷ destroy, and sink a large ship; 又象怀有明白的预谋，充满杀性地要把一艘大船击沉；

and what is more, the Sperm Whale HAS done it. 而且，抹香鲸也已经这样做过了。

First: In the year 1820 the ship Essex, Captain Pollard, of Nantucket, was cruising in the Pacific Ocean. 第一，一八二0年，南塔开特的波拉德船长所率领的"埃塞克斯号"，正在太平洋上巡游。

One day she saw spouts⁸, lowered her boats, and gave chase to a shoal of sperm whales. 有一天，船上的人看到了喷水，就放下小艇，去追逐一群抹香鲸。

Ere long, several of the whales were wounded; 不久，其中有几条大鲸被打伤了；

when, suddenly, a very large whale escaping from the boats, issued from the shoal, and bore directly down upon the ship. 这时，突然有条十分大的鲸逃出了许多小艇的包围，离开鲸群，直向大船冲上来。

Dashing his forehead against her hull⁹, he so stove her in, that in less than "ten minutes" she settled down and fell over. 它用前额直撞船身，就这样把船冲破了，不上"十分钟"工夫，大船翻沉了。

Not a surviving plank¹⁰ of her has been seen since. 从此连一片船板都看不见。

After the severest exposure, part of the crew reached the land in their boats. 水手们经过最严酷的风浪打击后，有一部分人坐着他们的小艇上了岸。

Being returned home at last, Captain Pollard once more sailed for the Pacific in command of another ship, 最后波拉德船长回到家里后，又率领另一艘船再度到太平洋去，

but the gods shipwrecked him again upon unknown rocks and breakers; 神灵又让他那条船碰上了什么礁岩而遭了难，

for the second time his ship was utterly lost, and forthwith forswearing the sea, he has never tempted¹¹ it since. 这艘船又第二次遭到全损，所以他立刻对海发誓，从此不再干这海上营生。

At this day Captain Pollard is a resident of Nantucket. 现在波拉德船长还住在南塔开特。

I have seen Owen Chace, who was chief mate of the Essex at the time of the tragedy; 我曾经碰到一个叫做欧文.蔡斯的，他就是当时遭到惨祸的“埃塞克斯号”上的大副。

I have read his plain and faithful narrative¹²; 我仔细读了他那明晰信实的记载；

I have conversed¹³ with his son; 还跟他儿子谈过天；

and all this within a few miles of the scene of the catastrophe¹⁴. 所有这些都是在灾难的现场方圆几英里内所目击的。

The following are extracts from Chace's narrative: (原注：下面是蔡斯文章的摘录：

"Every fact seemed to warrant me in concluding that it was anything but chance which directed his operations; “各种事实都似乎迫得我不能不做出这样的结论：那条大鲸之采取行动，决不是偶然的，

he made two several attacks upon the ship, 它对船只攻击两次以上，

at a short interval¹⁵ between them, both of which, according to their direction, 间隔时间很短，根据那种攻击看来，

were calculated to do us the most injury, 那几次攻击都是存心要使我们遭受最重大的伤害，

by being made ahead, and thereby¹⁶ combining the speed of the two objects for the shock; 因为它冲向前头后，就两次并一次地死劲一冲；

to effect which, the exact manoeuvres which he made were necessary. 为了要奏奇效，它所采取的那种正确的策略倒也是必要的。

His aspect was most horrible, and such as indicated resentment¹⁷ and fury. 它那副相貌真吓人，就象是一个满脸憎恨和忿怒的人。

He came directly from the shoal which we had just before entered,  我们刚一驶进鲸群，它就离群直冲出来，

and in which we had struck three of his companions, 我们在鲸群里打中了它的三个同伴，

as if fired with revenge for their sufferings. 仿佛就激起它要为它们复仇的心意。

" Again: "At all events, the whole circumstances taken together, "接着，"总之，归纳整个情况说来，

all happening before my own eyes,  我所目击的一切，

and producing, at the time, impressions in my mind of decided¹⁸, 一下子就在我的脑海里产生出这样的印象：

calculating mischief¹⁹, on the part of the whale (many of which impressions I cannot now recall), 那条大鲸是怀有坚决的。有计划的恶意的(有许多印象我现在已记不起了)，

induce me to be satisfied that I am correct in my opinion." 因此，我自以为我的看法是正确的。”

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