英语听书《白鲸记》第807期

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　　That whale of Stubb's, so dearly purchased, was duly brought to the Pequod's side, 斯塔布那只花了很大的代价才换来的鲸，被及时拖到"裴廓德号"的船侧，

　　where all those cutting and hoisting¹ operations previously² detailed³, were regularly gone through, even to the baling of the Heidelburgh Tun, or Case. 在那里，先前已经详述过的一切斩割、吊拉的操作，甚至连汲海德堡大桶，或者叫做汲鲸脑的工作都循例做好了。

　　While some were occupied with this latter duty, others were employed in dragging away the larger tubs, so soon as filled with the sperm⁴; 一些人在忙着汲鲸脑，另一些人却在那些大桶一灌满了鲸脂后，便一桶桶地把它拖走。

　　and when the proper time arrived, this same sperm was carefully manipulated ere going to the try-works, of which anon. 到了适当时分，这种鲸脂在经过仔细而巧妙的处理后，就立刻送到炼油间去。

　　It had cooled and crystallized to such a degree, 这种东西已经冷却与冻结到这样一种程度，

　　that when, with several others, I sat down before a large Constantine's bath of it, 即当我跟其他几个人挨着这个康斯坦丁的大浴池坐下来的时候，

　　I found it strangely concreted into lumps, here and there rolling about in the liquid part. 我发现这些东西都很奇异地凝成一大块一大块，在尚未凝结的液体中晃来荡去。

　　It was our business to squeeze these lumps back into fluid. 我们的任务就是把这些块块给再捏成液体。

　　A sweet and unctuous⁵ duty! No wonder that in old times this sperm was such a favorite cosmetic⁶. 这真是一桩又香又滑的差使！难怪在古代，抹香鲸油是如此讨人欢喜的一种化妆品。

　　Such a clearer! such a sweetener! such a softener⁷; such a delicious mollifier! 这真是一种了不起的清凉剂！一种了不起的润滑剂！一种了不起的溶解剂！真是一种了不起的镇静剂！

　　After having my hands in it for only a few minutes, my fingers felt like eels⁸, and began, as it were, to serpentine⁹ and spiralize. 我双手在那里头只放了几分钟，就觉得手指象一条条黄膳，而且开始象蛇一般卷曲起来了。

　　As I sat there at my ease, cross-legged on the deck; after the bitter exertion at the windlass; 我在绞车那儿出过大力气后，舒舒畅畅地坐在这里，双脚交叉搁在甲板上，

　　under a blue tranquil sky; the ship under indolent sail, and gliding so serenely along; 头顶是静谧的苍穹，船在懒洋洋地、非常平稳地向前滑去，

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