英语听书《白鲸记》第24期

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 to my no small surprise,nearly every man maintained a profound silence.And not only that,but they looked embarrassed.Yes,here were a set of sea dogs, 

 many of whom without the slightest bashfulness had boarded great whales on the high seas entire strangers to them and duelled them dead without winking; 

 and yet,here they sat at a social breakfast table all of the same calling, 

 all of kindred tastes looking round as sheepishly at each other as though they had never been out of sight of some sheepfold among the Green Mountains.A curious sight;these bashful bears,these timid warrior¹ whalemen! 

 But as for Queequeg why,Queequeg sat there among them at the head of the table,too,it so chanced; 

 as cool as an icicle.To be sure I can not say much for his breeding.His greatest admirer could not have cordially justified² his bringing his harpoon³ into breakfast with him, 

 and using it there without ceremony;reaching over the table with it,to the imminent⁴ jeopardy⁵ of many heads,and grappling the beefsteaks towards him. 

 But THAT was certainly very coolly done by him,and every one knows that in most people's estimation,to do anything coolly is to do it genteelly. 

 We will not speak of all Queequeg's peculiarities⁶ here;how he eschewed⁷ coffee and hot rolls,and applied⁸ his undivided attention to beefsteaks,done rare. 

 Enough,that when breakfast was over he withdrew like the rest into the public room,lighted his tomahawk pipe, 

 and was sitting there quietly digesting and smoking with his inseparable hat on,when I sallied out for a stroll. 

 CHAPTER 6.The Street. 

 If I had been astonished at first catching⁹ a glimpse of so outlandish an individual as Queequeg circulating among the polite society of a civilized¹⁰ town, 

 that astonishment¹¹ soon departed upon taking my first daylight stroll through the streets of New Bedford. 

 In thoroughfares nigh the docks,any considerable seaport¹² will frequently offer to view the queerest looking nondescripts from foreign parts. 

 Even in Broadway and Chestnut¹³ streets,Mediterranean mariners¹⁴ will sometimes jostle the affrighted ladies.Regent Street is not unknown to Lascars and Malays; 

 and at Bombay,in the Apollo Green,live Yankees have often scared the natives. 

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