英语听书《白鲸记》第661期

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　　and soon after news came from aloft that one or both the boats must be fast. 再一会儿，桅顶上就传来消息说，一定有一只或者两只小艇把鲸拴牢了。

　　An interval¹ passed and the boats were in plain sight, in the act of being dragged right towards the ship by the towing whale. 又隔了一会，两只小艇都已完全在望，正被那拴住了的鲸直曳到大船这边来了。

　　So close did the monster come to the hull², that at first it seemed as if he meant it malice³; 那怪物十分靠近大船，教人初眼一看，还当它是存心要来伤害大船；

　　but suddenly going down in a maelstrom⁴, within three rods of the planks⁵, he wholly disappeared from view, as if diving under the keel. 可是，突然间，它却在船身十多英里以内的地方往大涡流里一潜，完全无影无踪了，仿佛直潜到船底下去了。

　　"Cut, cut!" was the cry from the ship to the boats,  "割呀，割呀！"船上对小艇这么叫嚷，

　　which, for one instant, seemed on the point of being brought with a deadly dash against the vessel's side. 一时间，那两只小艇好象正被一阵狂浪冲得要撞到船侧上来似的。

　　But having plenty of line yet in the tubs, and the whale not sounding very rapidly, 可是，因为索桶里还有充足的绳索，那条鲸也还潜得不很快，

　　they paid out abundance of rope, and at the same time pulled with all their might so as to get ahead of the ship. 于是大家甩出大量的绳索，同时桨手用尽全力划起来，好教小艇赶到大船前头去。

　　For a few minutes the struggle was intensely critical; 紧张危急的挣扎持续了几分钟；

　　for while they still slacked out the tightened⁶ line in one direction, 因为当他们还在一边继续放松那根绷紧的捕鲸索，

　　and still plied⁷ their oars⁸ in another, the contending strain threatened to take them under. 一边又在拚命划桨的时候，这两种敌对的力量好象就要把他们都拖下水去那样。

　　But it was only a few feet advance they sought to gain. 不过，看情形，他们只是想再向前划几英尺而已。

　　And they stuck to it till they did gain it; 于是，他们坚持到真的划到了前面；

　　when instantly, a swift tremor⁹ was felt running like lightning along the keel, as the strained line, scraping beneath the ship, 就在这时，立刻好象有一阵闪电擦上龙骨似的，船身猛的一颤，因为，那条绷紧的、正在擦着船底的绳索，

　　suddenly rose to view under her bows, snapping and quivering;  突然打船头下往上一跃而出，劈劈啪啪地抖个不停；

　　and so flinging off its drippings, that the drops fell like bits of broken glass on the water,  水滴似片片的碎玻璃一般掉在海里，

　　while the whale beyond also rose to sight, and once more the boats were free to fly. 那条在远处的鲸也就冒出来了，于是小艇又重新自由地飞奔前去。

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