手机APP下载

您现在的位置: 首页 > 英语听力 > 双语有声读物 > 白鲸记 > 正文

英语听书《白鲸记》第476期

来源:可可英语 编辑:villa   可可英语APP下载 |  可可官方微信:ikekenet
  


扫描二维码进行跟读打分训练

Secondly: It is well known in the Sperm Whale Fishery, however ignorant the world ashore may be of it, that there have been several memorable historical instances where a particular whale in the ocean has been at distant times and places popularly cognisable. Why such a whale became thus marked was not altogether and originally owing to his bodily peculiarities as distinguished from other whales; for however peculiar in that respect any chance whale may be, they soon put an end to his peculiarities by killing him, and boiling him down into a peculiarly valuable oil. No: the reason was this: that from the fatal experiences of the fishery there hung a terrible prestige of perilousness about such a whale as there did about Rinaldo Rinaldini, insomuch that most fishermen were content to recognise him by merely touching their tarpaulins when he would be discovered lounging by them on the sea, without seeking to cultivate a more intimate acquaintance. Like some poor devils ashore that happen to known an irascible great man, they make distant unobtrusive salutations to him in the street, lest if they pursued the acquaintance further, they might receive a summary thump for their presumption.

第二,在捕抹香鲸业中,有过几次颇为著名而难忘的历史实例(尽管这可能是岸上人一无所知的),那就是:大海里有一条特殊的鲸,一向不拘时地之久远,都是一看就教人认出来的。这条鲸之所以这样教人一看就识,倒并不完全是因为它身体上本来具有什么跟其它大鲸不同的特点;因为任何一条鲸不论在这方面具有什么特点,人们还是会针对它这种特点立刻把它杀了,把它熬成特别贵重的油。不,理由是这样的:根据捕鱼界的出生入死的经验,这种大鲸跟里纳尔多。里纳尔第尼(里纳尔多。里纳尔第尼——基督圣军一个勇士,"他不要财,不要势,只要出名",十五岁参加圣军,杀了人后,自动去流放了。)一般,天生有一种可怕而危险的名声,因此,大多数捕鱼人一发现它在海上,在他们旁边游荡的时候,他们无须跟它多打交道。只要轻轻地招呼一声他们的伙伴来见识见识它,就已是心满意足。他们象岸上一些穷鬼那样,偶尔在街上认识一个脾气急躁的大人物,他们都敬而远之,对他遥致敬意,因为如果他们想要更亲近些,就难免要因为冒昧而当场挨到一拳。

But not only did each of these famous whales enjoy great individual celebrity--nay, you may call it an oceanwide renown; not only was he famous in life and now is immortal in forecastle stories after death, but he was admitted into all the rights, privileges, and distinctions of a name; had as much a name indeed as Cambyses or Caesar. Was it not so, O Timor Tom! thou famed leviathan, scarred like an iceberg, who so long did'st lurk in the Oriental straits of that name, whose spout was oft seen from the palmy beach of Ombay? Was it not so, O New Zealand Jack! thou terror of all cruisers that crossed their wakes in the vicinity of the Tattoo Land? Was it not so, O Morquan! King of Japan, whose lofty jet they say at times assumed the semblance of a snow-white cross against the sky? Was it not so, O Don Miguel! thou Chilian whale, marked like an old tortoise with mystic hieroglyphics upon the back! In plain prose, here are four whales as well known to the students of Cetacean History as Marius or Sylla to the classic scholar.

不过,这种著名的鲸不但条条都拥有鼎鼎大名的殊誉——而且,你还可以说是具有一种四海闻名的声望呢,它不但生前著名,死后也是现在船头楼的传说中的不朽角色,而且还被认为是个天公地道,理所当然的大显贵;其名望足以与坎拜栖兹(坎拜栖兹——古波斯国王,在位期为公元前529—522年。)或者恺撒大帝相媲美。蒂摩尔。汤姆(蒂摩尔。汤姆——指马来亚蒂摩尔群岛一带的大鲸。),你这著名的大海兽呵!满身伤痕如象一座冰山,它并不是长期隐存在以它命名的东方海峡,它那喷水不是常常从奥姆湾(奥姆湾——在蒂摩尔群岛北面的小岛。)的长满棕榈的海滩上就望得见吗?新西兰的杰克(新西兰的杰克——新西兰的大鲸的意思。)呵!那些驶近这个"文身的国土"("文身的国土"——新西兰的土人都在面上。身上文着图形人像,故称。)附近的巡洋舰不也都是怕你吗?号称日本皇帝的魔冠(日本皇帝的魔冠—即日本的大鲸。)呵!它那高耸的喷水,不是据说有时象顶天矗立的白十字架吗?唐。米格尔呵!你这智利的大鲸呀!背上象一只乌龟似的刻了神秘的象形文字!简单明白地说,这里所说的四种大鲸,对于鲸类学的研究者说来,就跟古典学者之于马留或者西拉(马留(公元前156—86年)——罗马将军。西拉(公元前138—78年)——公元前一○七年隶属于马留麾下,因功绩超过马留,两人互相倾轧,终将马留打败,掌握大权,成为独裁者。)一样的著名。

重点单词   查看全部解释    
summary ['sʌməri]

想一想再看

n. 摘要
adj. 概要的,简略的

联想记忆
lurk [lə:k]

想一想再看

n. 潜伏,潜行 v. 潜藏,潜伏,埋伏

联想记忆
ignorant ['ignərənt]

想一想再看

adj. 不知道的,无知的,愚昧的

 
plain [plein]

想一想再看

n. 平原,草原
adj. 清楚的,坦白的,简

 
merely ['miəli]

想一想再看

adv. 仅仅,只不过

 
distinguished [di'stiŋgwiʃt]

想一想再看

adj. 卓著的,尊敬的 动词distinguish的过

联想记忆
renown [ri'naun]

想一想再看

n. 名望,声誉 vt. 使有名望

 
assumed [ə'sju:md]

想一想再看

adj. 假装的;假定的

 
intimate ['intimeit,'intimit]

想一想再看

adj. 亲密的,私人的,秘密的
n. 密友<

联想记忆
cultivate ['kʌltiveit]

想一想再看

vt. 培养,耕作,栽培,结交(朋友), 促进增长,教养

联想记忆

发布评论我来说2句

    最新文章

    可可英语官方微信(微信号:ikekenet)

    每天向大家推送短小精悍的英语学习资料.

    添加方式1.扫描上方可可官方微信二维码。
    添加方式2.搜索微信号ikekenet添加即可。