英语听书《白鲸记》第811期

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　　还有一种原来是捕露脊鲸者所谓"碎肉"的专门名称，不过，它有时也偶尔被捕抹香鲸者使用了。这指的是从格陵兰鲸或者露脊鲸的背上剥下来的那种黑色的胶状物，那些专捕这种贱鲸的下等人物的船板上就尽是这些东西。

　　Nippers. Strictly⁴ this word is not indigenous⁵ to the whale's vocabulary. But as applied⁶ by whalemen, it becomes so. A whaleman's nipper is a short firm strip of tendinous stuff cut from the tapering⁷ part of Leviathan's tail: it averages an inch in thickness, and for the rest, is about the size of the iron part of a hoe. Edgewise moved along the oily deck, it operates like a leathern squilgee; and by nameless blandishments, as of magic, allures⁸ along with it all impurities⁹.

　　滚子（原文nippers应为"钳子"，但从文中意思看来，称为"滚子"比较妥当。）。这个名称，严格说来，并不是捕鲸业的原有的词儿。不过，由于捕鲸人使用了它，也就成为一种捕鲸词汇了。捕鲸人的所谓"滚子"就是从鲸尾的尖梢上割下来的一种坚硬的短腱块，它一般是一英寸厚，等而下的，大小约等于锹子的那块铁板。拿它斜斜地沿着油腻腻的甲板上滚去，它滚得象只橡皮滚子那样，真有说不出的圆滑灵巧，就象使用了不干不净的魔法那样。

　　But to learn all about these recondite¹⁰ matters, your best way is at once to descend¹¹ into the blubber-room, and have a long talk with its inmates¹². This place has previously¹³ been mentioned as the receptacle for the blanket-pieces, when stript and hoisted¹⁴ from the whale. When the proper time arrives for cutting up its contents, this apartment is a scene of terror to all tyros¹⁵, especially by night. On one side, lit by a dull lantern, a space has been left clear for the workmen. They generally go in pairs,—a pike-and-gaffman and a spade-man.

　　但是，要把所有这些奥妙的东西都弄清楚，最好还是请你立刻下到鲸脂间里去，跟那里边的人好好地长谈一番。这地方以前已经说过，等到毡子从鲸身上吊剥下来后，它就是一个藏毡子的仓库。不过，到了应该斩割大鲸的内脏时，这间房间，在一切生手看来，尤其是在夜里，可真是个恐怖的场所。一只昏暗的灯笼挂在一边，空出一块容工作人员站立的地方。他们一般地是两个人成双成对地在操作——一个拿着捕鲸枪和钩子，一个拿着只铲子。

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