英语听书《白鲸记》第886期

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　　Another has the toothache: the carpenter out pincers, and clapping one hand upon his bench bids him be seated there; 另一个水手闹牙痛了；这个木匠就拿出钳子，一只手啪嗒地拍一下他那只条凳，教他坐下去；

　　but the poor fellow unmanageably winces¹ under the unconcluded operation; 可是，手术还没有做，那个可怜的家伙就已不由自主地畏畏缩缩了；

　　whirling round the handle of his wooden vice², the carpenter signs him to clap his jaw³ in that, if he would have him draw the tooth. 因为这个木匠甩着他手里那只木虎钳柄，示意他如果要木匠替他拔牙齿，就得把下巴夹在那只虎钳里。

　　Thus, this carpenter was prepared at all points, and alike indifferent and without respect in all. 于是，这个木匠就有对付任何事情的准备，而且对一切事情都同样显得毫无所谓，毫不在乎。

　　Teeth he accounted bits of ivory; heads he deemed but top-blocks; men themselves he lightly held for capstans. 他把牙齿看成是一小块牙骨；把脑袋只当成一块顶木；至于人呢，他淡然地把他看成一只绞盘。

　　But while now upon so wide a field thus variously accomplished⁴ and with such liveliness of expertness in him, too; 不过，照他这样对各行各业都无所不通，而且又有如此熟练的功夫，

　　all this would seem to argue some uncommon⁵ vivacity⁶ of intelligence. But not precisely⁷ so. 似乎可以说他具有非常聪明利落的才干、可是，又不完全如此。

　　For nothing was this man more remarkable⁸, than for a certain impersonal⁹ stolidity¹⁰ as it were; 因为，这个人除了好象有种不受个人感情影响的迟钝以外，毫无任何特点；

　　impersonal, I say; for it so shaded off into the surrounding infinite of things, that it seemed one with the general stolidity discernible in the whole visible world; 我说，不受个人感情影响；是因为他竟变得跟周围的一切事物混而为一，所以他好象是有目共睹的大傻子，

　　which while pauselessly active in uncounted modes, still eternally holds its peace, and ignores you, though you dig foundations for cathedrals. 随你怎样闹得天翻地覆，他仍然始终闷声不响，哪怕你在干下什么天大的事，他还是置若罔闻。

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