英语听书《白鲸记》第757期

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completely paralysed as it were, helplessly floated like water-logged dismantled¹ ships on the sea. 象是进了水、失去航驶能力的船只一般，毫无办法地漂在海里。

Had these Leviathans been but a flock of simple sheep, 即使这些大鲸是一群普通的羊群，

pursued over the pasture by three fierce wolves, they could not possibly have evinced such excessive dismay. 被三只凶狠的豺狼在牧草地上追逐着，它们也不至于会显得如此恐怖。

But this occasional timidity is characteristic of almost all herding³ creatures. 不过，这种暂时的胆怯倒几乎是一切群居动物的特征。

Though banding together in tens of thousands, the lion-maned buffaloes⁴ of the West have fled before a solitary⁵ horseman. 如果西部的狮鬃大野牛在成千成万地伙在一起时，碰上单身匹马的骑手，也同样是要逃走的。

Witness, too, all human beings, how when herded⁶ together in the sheepfold of a theatre's pit, they will, at the slightest alarm of fire, 再看看人类，当他们群集在一个羊栏似的剧院里的时候，只消一声火警，

rush helter-skelter for the outlets⁷, crowding, trampling⁸, jamming, and remorselessly dashing each other to death. 他们会多么慌张地狂奔到出口处，拥呀、践呀、轧呀，彼此残忍地冲撞得要死。

Best, therefore, withhold⁹ any amazement¹⁰ at the strangely gallied whales before us, 因此，看到我们面前这些古怪的"吓怕了"的大鲸，就毋须大惊小怪，

for there is no folly¹¹ of the beasts of the earth which is not infinitely¹² outdone by the madness of men. 因为普天之下的野兽决不会痴心妄想，认为人类在疯性大发的时候，不会把它们大批杀害。

Though many of the whales, as has been said, were in violent motion, 上面已经说过，有许多鲸在猛冲猛撞，

yet it is to be observed that as a whole the herd² neither advanced nor retreated, but collectively remained in one place. 然而必须指出，就整个鲸群来说，都是既不前进，也不后退，而是大家停在一块儿。

As is customary in those cases, the boats at once separated, each making for some one lone¹³ whale on the outskirts¹⁴ of the shoal. 碰到这种情况，通常总是立刻把小艇散开，各去寻找一只落在鲸群外围的单身鲸。

In about three minutes' time, Queequeg's harpoon¹⁵ was flung; the stricken fish darted¹⁶ blinding spray in our faces, 所以，大约不到三分钟，魁魁格的标枪就飞了出去；那条被击中的大鲸，没头没脑地迸射出了泡沫，直溅到我们脸上，

and then running away with us like light, steered¹⁷ straight for the heart of the herd.  然后又象一道光似的离开我们，奔了开去，直冲到鲸群的中心里去。

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