英语听书《白鲸记》第318期

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Not only were the old sails being mended, but new sails were coming on board, and bolts of canvas, and coils of rigging;  不但旧篷帆都补好了,新篷帆,一匹匹的帆布,一捆捆的绳索也都陆续送上船来了;

in short, everything betokened¹ that the ship's preparations were hurrying to a close.  总之,一切都表示出这条船正在赶紧结束准备工作。

Captain Peleg seldom or never went ashore², but sat in his wigwam keeping a sharp look-out upon the hands:  法勒船长很少也可以说根本没有上过岸,而是整天坐在他那个小屋子里,严密地监视着那些水手;

Bildad did all the purchasing and providing at the stores; and the men employed in the hold and on the rigging were working till long after night-fall. 比勒达则到各种铺子做采办工作;那些雇来舱里和索具上工作的人,天黑后还要工作好久。

On the day following Queequeg's signing the articles, word was given at all the inns where the ship's company were stopping, that their chests must be on board before night,  在魁魁格签了约的第二天,船员们住的各个客店都接到了通知,要他们必须把衣箱等物在天黑前运上船去,

for there was no telling how soon the vessel³ might be sailing.  因为船得多久才开航是说不定的。

So Queequeg and I got down our traps, resolving, however, to sleep ashore till the last.  因此,我和魁魁格把行李送上船后,决定还是在岸上睡到正式开航才走。

But it seems they always give very long notice in these cases, and the ship did not sail for several days.  但是,他们好象总是老早就发出通知,却要过了好几天才开航。

But no wonder; there was a good deal to be done, and there is no telling how many things to be thought of, before the Pequod was fully⁴ equipped. 不过,这是不足为奇的;在"裴廓德号"完全装备停妥之前,确是有一大堆事情要做,而且究竟要考虑多少事情,也难以逆料。

Every one knows what a multitude of things-beds, sauce-pans, knives and forks, shovels⁵ and tongs⁶, napkins, nut-crackers,  谁都知道有一大堆东西。床,锅,刀,叉,勺子,火钳,餐巾,胡桃钳

and what not, are indispensable to the business of housekeeping.  以及其它等等,都是必不可少的日常用具。

Just so with whaling, which necessitates⁷ a three-years' housekeeping upon the wide ocean, far from all grocers, costermongers, doctors, bakers⁸, and bankers.  捕鲸就是这样,在辽阔的海洋上,远离一切杂货店,叫卖小贩,医生,面包店和钱庄,所以必须装备三年的用具。

And though this also holds true of merchant vessels⁹, yet not by any means to the same extent as with whalemen.  虽说一般商船也是这样,然而,在程度上终究跟捕鲸船不尽相同。

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