英语听书《白鲸记》第774期

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　　Say you strike a Forty-barrel-bull—poor devil! all his comrades quit him. 比如说，你去攻击一条四十大桶的雄鲸吧——天呀！它所有的同伴都弃它而逃。

　　But strike a member of the harem school, 可是，如果你去攻击闺秀鲸队中的一个成员的话，

　　and her companions swim around her with every token of concern, sometimes lingering so near her and so long, as themselves to fall a prey¹. 那她的同伴就显得非常关切，在她周围游来游去，有时竟至于游得那么靠近她，逗留得那么久，连她们自己也成了猎物。

　　Chapter 89 Fast-Fish and Loose-Fish 第八十九章 有主鲸和无主鲸

　　The allusion² to the waifs and waif-poles in the last chapter but one, necessitates³ some account of the laws and regulations of the whale fishery, 前一章偶然提到的浮标和浮标杆，这里，有必要把捕鲸业的一些大法和规章说明一下，

　　of which the waif may be deemed the grand symbol and badge. 其中关于浮标一项还可以说是一种重大的标记。

　　It frequently happens that when several ships are cruising in company, 往往会发生这样的事情：几艘船在一起巡游时，

　　a whale may be struck by one vessel⁴, then escape, and be finally killed and captured by another vessel; 其中有一艘船，可能打到了一条鲸，又给它逃脱了，最后让另外一艘船打死捉去了；

　　and herein are indirectly⁵ comprised many minor⁶ contingencies⁷, all partaking of this one grand feature. 这中间虽然间接地包含有许多不重要的意外事故，但都关系到这个重大的标记。

　　For example,—after a weary and perilous⁸ chase and capture of a whale, the body may get loose from the ship by reason of a violent storm; 例如，在一阵危险而疲累的追击后，捕到了一条大鲸，但是，那条鲸由于猛烈的风暴可能逃却了，

　　and drifting far away to leeward⁹, be retaken by a second whaler, who, in a calm, snugly¹⁰ tows it alongside, without risk of life or line. 漂到老远的下风处，给第二艘捕鲸船捉去了，这艘船一点也不必冒生命和绳索的风险，就不慌不忙地随手把它拖起走了。

　　Thus the most vexatious and violent disputes would often arise between the fishermen, 因此，如果没有一些可以适用于各种情况的成文的或不成文的、且是大家一致遵守、不必争辩的大法，那么，

　　were there not some written or unwritten, universal, undisputed law applicable to all cases. 捕鲸人之间就会经常发生最激烈又最恼人的纠纷了。

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