英语听书《白鲸记》第762期

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and as if the wide extent of the herd² had hitherto prevented them from learning the precise cause of its stopping; 仿佛直到这时，还不让浩大的鲸群知道这种停下来的真正的原因；

or, possibly, being so young, unsophisticated, and every way innocent and inexperienced; 这也许可能因为它们都还年纪太轻，不懂世故，各方面都很天真，缺乏经验的缘故；

however it may have been, these smaller whales— now and then visiting our becalmed boat from the margin³ of the lake, 总之，不管怎样，这些小鲸——不时地从湖边来到我们这只无法前进的小艇旁边探望一番，

evinced a wondrous⁴ fearlessness and confidence, or else a still becharmed panic which it was impossible not to marvel⁵ at. 可以说都显出了一种出奇的无所畏惧和自信心，也可以说，是因为这种失魂落魄的惶恐使它们不能不感到惊奇。

Like household dogs they came snuffling round us, right up to our gunwales, and touching⁶ them; 它们象一群家狗，在我们周围嗅来嗅去，把鼻子直伸到我们的舷壁，碰碰我们的舷壁，

till it almost seemed that some spell had suddenly domesticated⁷ them. 简直象有什么符咒突然把它们弄驯服了。

Queequeg patted their foreheads; Starbuck scratched their backs with his lance; 魁魁格轻拍着它们的前额；斯达巴克用他的捕鲸枪搔搔它们的背脊；

but fearful of the consequences, for the time refrained from darting⁸ it. 只因怕会出什么事，才暂时不去戳它们。

But far beneath this wondrous world upon the surface, another and still stranger world met our eyes as we gazed over the side. 但是，当我们伏在船舷边往下凝视时，远处在上面这个希奇的世界的下边，却另有一个更为奇特的天地映入了我们的眼帘。

For, suspended in those watery⁹ vaults¹⁰, floated the forms of the nursing mothers of the whales, 因为贴在这种水晶宫里的苍穹中，漂泛有许多在哺小鲸的母鲸的形体，

and those that by their enormous girth seemed shortly to become mothers. 还有一些从它们那粗大的腰围看来，似乎不久就将做母亲的母鲸。

The lake, as I have hinted, was to a considerable depth exceedingly transparent; 这个大湖，我已说过了，虽然很深，却非常明澈；

and as human infants while suckling will calmly and fixedly gaze away from the breast, as if leading two different lives at the time; 一如小孩在吃奶时，安静而定睛地撇开一下母亲的胸脯，望一望别的地方，仿佛同时在过着两种不同的生活：

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