英语听书《白鲸记》第489期

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The phantoms¹, for so they then seemed, were flitting on the other side of the deck, 这些幽灵（因为当时看来他们就象幽灵）在甲板的另一边轻轻地走过来走过去，

and, with a noiseless celerity, were casting loose the tackles and bands of the boat which swung there. 正在悄无声息而神速地解掉那只吊在那里的艇子的绳索。

This boat had always been deemed one of the spare boats, 这只小艇一向被当做几只备用艇之一，

though technically² called the captain's, on account of its hanging from the starboard quarter. 而且因为它就吊在右舷的船尾，所以被专门称为船长小艇。

The figure that now stood by its bows was tall and swart, 这时，那个站在艇头旁边的是个身材高大、面孔黝黑的人，

with one white tooth evilly protruding³ from its steel-like lips. 在那两片似钢的嘴唇中间，恶形恶状地突出一只白牙齿来。

A rumpled⁴ Chinese jacket of black cotton funereally⁵ invested him, 他象是戴孝一般穿着一件皱皱褶褶的中国式黑布上衣，

with wide black trowsers of the same dark stuff. 一条同样色料的宽大裤子。

But strangely crowning this ebonness was a glistening⁶ white plaited turban, 可是，在这种浑身是黑中，最奇特的是缚着一条闪闪发光的、兜来盘去的白头巾，

the living hair braided and coiled round and round upon his head. 乌黑的头发辫起后又一圈圈地盘在头顶。

Less swart in aspect, the companions of this figure were of that vivid, 这个人的几个同伴，面色好象不很黝黑，

tiger-yellow complexion⁷ peculiar⁸ to some of the aboriginal⁹ natives of the Manillas; 却都具有马尼拉土人那种特有的闪亮的褐色

A race notorious for a certain diabolism of subtilty, 这是一个以阴险如恶魔而著名的种族，

and by some honest white mariners¹⁰ supposed to be the paid spies and secret confidential¹¹ agents on the water of the devil, 一些正派的白种水手，都把他们看做是海魔王所雇用的谍探和特工人员，

Their lord, whose counting-room they suppose to be elsewhere. 因为这些人是有奶便是娘，到处都有他们的主子。

While yet the wondering ship's company were gazing upon these strangers, 正当惊奇不置的船员们都还在瞪眼望着这些陌生人的时候，

Ahab cried out to the white-turbaned old man at their head, "All ready there, Fedallah?" 亚哈对那个领头的包白头巾的老头子叫道："都准备好了吗，费达拉（作者在本书中写亚哈与费达拉的关系，是将费达拉作为一个恶魔处理的，犹如弥尔顿的《失乐园》中之撒旦，歌德的《浮士德》中之靡菲斯特。）？"

"Ready," was the half-hissed reply. "准备好啦，"他有点嘶嘶作声地回答道。

"Lower away then; d'ye hear?" "那么，放下去吧；你们可都听到？

shouting across the deck. "Lower away there, I say." "他在甲板对面大声叫着。"放下去呀，喂。"

Such was the thunder of his voice, that spite of their amazement¹² the men sprang over the rail; 他的声音就象打雷，大家都不顾得惊骇，一跃就翻过了栏杆。

the sheaves whirled round in the blocks; 滑轳在滑车里辘辘滚动，

with a wallow, the three boats dropped into the sea; 一阵翻滚，三只小艇都落到了海里。

while, with a dexterous¹³, off-handed daring, unknown in any other vocation¹⁴, the sailors, goat-like, 那些水手以一种为别种行业所没有的熟练手法，一触即发的勇敢，象山羊一般，

leaped down the rolling ship's side into the tossed boats below. 从那起伏的船边，跳进下面那几只东摇西荡的小艇。

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