英語聽書《白鯨記》第226期

They are mostly young, of stalwart frames; fellowswho have felled forests, and now seek to drop theaxe and snatch the whale-lance. Many are as greenas the Green Mountains whence they came. In somethings you would think them but a few hours old.Look there! that chap strutting round the corner. Hewears a beaver hat and swallow-tailed coat, girdledwith a sailor-belt and a sheath-knife. Here comesanother with a sou'-wester and a bombazine cloak.

他們大都是一些體格魁梧的小伙子;都是一些砍過了山林,現(xiàn)在卻想放下斧頭.抓起捕鯨槍的人。有許多人就跟他們所來自的青山一樣嫩。在某些事情上,人們也許會把他們看成不過是剛生下來的嬰孩。瞧那個在那邊角落里裝模作樣地踱著方步的家伙!他戴了一頂獺皮帽,穿著一件燕尾服,束著一根水手用的腰帶,還佩著一把帶鞘的刀。喏,這邊又來了一個戴著風帽.穿著羽紗大氅的家伙。

No town-bred dandy will compare with a country-bred one--I mean a downright bumpkindandy--a fellow that, in the dog-days, will mow his two acres in buckskin gloves for fear oftanning his hands. Now when a country dandy like this takes it into his head to make adistinguished reputation, and joins the great whale-fishery, you should see the comicalthings he does upon reaching the seaport. In bespeaking his sea-outfit, he orders bell-buttonsto his waistcoats; straps to his canvas trowsers. Ah, poor Hay-Seed! how bitterly will burstthose straps in the first howling gale, when thou art driven, straps, buttons, and all, down thethroat of the tempest.

隨便哪一個城里的闊少都比不上一個鄉(xiāng)下土少爺...我指的是一種道地的鄉(xiāng)下闊少爺...這種人物,因為怕太陽曬黑他的雙手,竟在三伏天里戴起鹿皮手套,去割他那兩英畝地的草。現(xiàn)在當這樣一個鄉(xiāng)下土少爺,突然心血來潮,想一舉而功成名遂,跑來干這種偉大的捕鯨業(yè)時,那么,他一到這個海港,準教你可以看到他做出許多有趣的事兒來。拿他的海上服裝來說吧,他教裁縫師傅在他的背心上裝起鈴式撳鈕;在帆布褲子上加吊帶?？蓱z的鄉(xiāng)下佬呵!等到你連人帶撳鈕,吊帶都一股腦兒給狂風暴雨扣住了的時候,頭一陣呼嘯的大風,就會把那些吊帶都給吹崩得多慘。

But think not that this famous town has only harpooneers, cannibals, and bumpkins to show hervisitors. Not at all. Still New Bedford is a queer place. Had it not been for us whalemen, thattract of land would this day perhaps have been in as howling condition as the coast of Labrador.As it is, parts of her back country are enough to frighten one, they look so bony. The townitself is perhaps the dearest place to live in, in all New England.

可是,別以為旅客們在這個名城里只能看到一些標槍手。生番和鄉(xiāng)下佬。全然不是這樣。新貝德福究竟是個奇妙的地方。不過,如果沒有我們這些捕鯨者,那么,這片地方也許直到現(xiàn)在還是跟拉布拉多海岸一樣荒僻。事實上,它那些邊遠地區(qū)就荒涼貧瘠得怕人.雖然就整個新英格蘭說來,這城市本身也許是個最適宜于居住的可愛的地方。