英语听书《白鲸记》第686期

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like the lining² of a fine pelisse, forming the inner surface of the Sperm³ Whale's case. 象那构成抹香鲸的脑窝内层的精美大衣里子所可比拟的。

It will have been seen that the Heidelburgh Tun of the Sperm Whale embraces the entire length of the entire top of the head; 必须看到，抹香鲸这只海德堡大桶，它的长度就等于它的头部的整个顶端；

and since—as has been elsewhere set forth—the head embraces one third of the whole length of the creature, 而且因为——在另外的地方已经提到过——这只头本来就等于鲸的身长的三分之一，

then setting that length down at eighty feet for a good sized whale, 于是，假定一条中等鲸的身长有八十英尺的话，

you have more than twenty-six feet for the depth of the tun, when it is lengthwise hoisted⁴ up and down against a ship's side. 那么，在把它从舷边直吊起来的时候，这只大桶可就有二十六英尺以上的纵深了。

As in decapitating the whale, the operator's instrument is brought close to the spot where an entrance is subsequently forced into the spermaceti magazine; 在砍鲸头的时候，因为那个操作者的工具跟那个紧接着鲸脑的宝库的出入口极相贴近，

he has, therefore, to be uncommonly⁵ heedful, lest a careless, untimely stroke should invade the sanctuary⁶ and wastingly let out its invaluable⁷ contents. 因此，他就得非常谨慎小心，否则，稍一粗心大意，一刀砍得不准，就会侵犯到那内殿，把那里边的无价之宝白白地溢掉。

It is this decapitated end of the head, also, which is at last elevated out of the water, 于是这只砍下来后的头，最后就被拉出了水面，

and retained in that position by the enormous cutting tackles, whose hempen⁸ combinations, on one side, make quite a wilderness⁹ of ropes in that quarter. 由一只巨大的剖割复滑车吊在那里，船舷上便缠七缠八的尽是许多绳索。

Thus much being said, attend now, I pray you, 已经说了这许多，现在，我请你注意一下

to that marvellous and—in this particular instance—almost fatal operation whereby the Sperm Whale's great Heidelburgh Tun is tapped. 那种敲击抹香鲸的海德堡大桶的不可思议的、而又——特别是这一回——简直是性命交关的工作吧。

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