评论
打印
On the occasion in question, Queequeg figured in the Highland costume— a shirt and socks—in which to my eyes, at least, he appeared to uncommon advantage; and no one had a better chance to observe him, as will presently be seen.
在这种场合上，魁魁格穿的是苏格兰高地人的服装——一件衬衫，一双短袜——他这副装束，至少据我看来，显得非常好看；谁也不会有象现在这样来看他的好机会。
Being the savage's bowsman, that is, the person who pulled the bow-oar in his boat (the second one from forward), it was my cheerful duty to attend upon him while taking that hard-scrabble scramble upon the dead whale's back. You have seen Italian organ-boys holding a dancing-ape by a long cord. Just so, from the ship's steep side, did I hold Queequeg down there in the sea, by what is technically called in the fishery a monkey-rope, attached to a strong strip of canvas belted round his waist.
我因为是做了这个野人的前桨手，就是说，是一个扳他小艇的前桨人（坐在前边第二个位子上），因此，我的愉快的责任就是在他摇摇晃晃攀上那死鲸背的时候，照料着他。你们总看过意大利的风琴手，用一根长绳子牵着一只蹦蹦跳跳的猢狲吧。我就是这么个做法，当他从那险峻的船舷下到海里去的时候，我就用一条捕鱼业上所谓猴索的绳子牵着魁魁格，索子结在他腰际一条坚牢的帆布带子上。
It was a humorously perilous business for both of us. For, before we proceed further, it must be said that the monkey-rope was fast at both ends; fast to Queequeg's broad canvas belt, and fast to my narrow leather one. So that for better or for worse, we two, for the time, were wedded; and should poor Queequeg sink to rise no more, then both usage and honor demanded, that instead of cutting the cord, it should drag me down in his wake. So, then, an elongated Siamese ligature united us. Queequeg was my own inseparable twin brother; nor could I any way get rid of the dangerous liabilities which the hempen bond entailed.
这对我们俩说来，可真是一件既滑稽又危险的差使。因为，在我们站着不动的时候，应该说这条猴索的两头都是结得很牢靠的：一头紧缚在魁魁格那条帆布阔腰带上，一头缚在我的狭皮带上。所以我们两个人暂时确是有福共享，有祸同当的了；万一可怜的魁魁格沉将下去，就此再不浮上来，那么，为了习俗和名誉，我不是把索子割断，而是必须跟他一起让它拖下去。这样，一根细长的暹逻绳子就把我们连结在一起。魁魁格就是我的难分难舍的孪生弟兄，我随便怎样都无法摆脱这条麻绳需要负担的危险责任了。
