英语听书《白鲸记》第643期

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　　Hand in hand, ship and breeze blew on; but the breeze came faster than the ship, and soon the Pequod began to rock. 船只跟和风，手拉手前进；可是，和风刮得比船快，不一会，"裴廓德号"便摇晃起来了。

　　By and by, through the glass the stranger's boats and manned mast-heads proved her a whale-ship. 从望远镜里慢慢地看到那艘陌生船的小艇和桅顶上的人，原来也是艘捕鲸船。

　　But as she was so far to windward, and shooting by, apparently¹ making a passage to some other ground, the Pequod could not hope to reach her. 可是，因为它还远在上风那里，而且象箭般穿过去，显然是要驶到其它什么渔场去，"裴廓德号"看来是不可能赶上它了。

　　So the signal was set to see what response would be made. 于是，只得打起信号，看看有些什么反应。

　　Here be it said, that like the vessels² of military marines, the ships of the American Whale Fleet have each a private signal; 这里应该说明一下，美国捕鲸队的船只，都象海军一样，各有一套私人的信号，

　　all which signals being collected in a book with the names of the respective vessels attached, every captain is provided with it. 这些信号连同所属各船的名称都收在一本小册子里，每个船长都备有一册。

　　Thereby³, the whale commanders are enabled to recognise each other upon the ocean, even at considerable distance, and with no small facility. 这样，在海洋上，那些捕鲸船长，哪怕在相隔很远的地方，彼此都能很方便地一认就认出来。

　　The Pequod's signal was at last responded to by the stranger's setting her own; which proved the ship to be the Jeroboam of Nantucket. "裴廓德号"的信号终于得到那艘陌生船打起信号回答了，原来那艘船就是南塔开特的"耶罗波安号"。

　　Squaring her yards, she bore down, ranged abeam⁴ under the Pequod's lee, and lowered a boat; 它把帆桁扯得跟龙骨和桅樯成直角后，就直驶过来，在"裴廓德号"的后边打了打横，放下一只小艇；

　　it soon drew nigh; but, as the side-ladder was being rigged by Starbuck's order to accommodate the visiting captain, 不一会儿，小艇就靠拢来。但是，当斯达巴克下令放下船侧的软梯，好让来访的船长登用的时候，

　　the stranger in question waved his hand from his boat's stern in token of that proceeding⁵ being entirely⁶ unnecessary.  那个不相识的陌生人却在他的艇梢挥起手来，表示完全不必这样做。

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