英語聽書《白鯨記》 第235期

I pondered some time without fully comprehendingthe reason for this. Father Mapple enjoyed such awide reputation for sincerity and sanctity, that Icould not suspect him of courting notoriety by anymere tricks of the stage. No, thought I, there mustbe some sober reason for this thing; furthermore, itmust symbolize something unseen. Can it be, then,that by that act of physical isolation, he signifies hisspiritual withdrawal for the time, from all outwardworldly ties and connexions? Yes, for replenishedwith the meat and wine of the word, to the faithfulman of God, this pulpit, I see, is a self-containing stronghold--a lofty Ehrenbreitstein, with aperennial well of water within the walls.

我對這事情百思而不得其解.梅普爾神甫已因真誠和圣潔而擁有如此名震遐邇的聲譽,我怎能懷疑他不過是靠任何狡詐手法才博得赫赫名聲呢。不,我心里想,在這方面,一定還有更微妙的道理;而且,它一定標(biāo)志著某些眼不能見的東西。那么,難道他會靠這種肉體上暫時跟人們隔離的舉動來表示他在精神上也暫時跟外界一切千絲萬縷的聯(lián)系都割絕了嗎?會的,因為就充滿極樂之泉源說來,我認(rèn)為,這個講壇就是這個上帝的信徒的獨立要塞...一個巍峨的艾倫勃萊茨坦,城垣里還有一口萬年不竭的水井。

But the side ladder was not the only strange feature of the place, borrowed from the chaplain'sformer sea-farings. Between the marble cenotaphs on either hand of the pulpit, the wall whichformed its back was adorned with a large painting representing a gallant ship beating againsta terrible storm off a lee coast of black rocks and snowy breakers. But high above the flyingscud and dark-rolling clouds, there floated a little isle of sunlight, from which beamed forth anangel's face; and this bright face shed a distant spot of radiance upon the ship's tossed deck,something like that silver plate now inserted into the Victory's plank where Nelson fell. "Ah,noble ship," the angel seemed to say, "beat on, beat on, thou noble ship, and bear a hardyhelm; for lo! the sun is breaking through; the clouds are rolling off-serenest azure is at hand."

但是,這張根據(jù)這個牧師以前的海上生活而設(shè)的靠梯還不是這地方的唯一奇特的特點.在講壇兩側(cè)的石碑中間,在它后面的墻壁上還飾有一幅大油畫,畫著一只宏壯的船正在冒著狂風(fēng)暴雨奮勇前進(jìn),想擺脫后邊那許多兇險的巖石和滔天白浪。但是,在泡沫飛濺和滾滾烏云的上面,卻泛著一片小島似的陽光,照射出一個天使的臉來;這張光輝的臉還遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)地對著那只動蕩的船甲板投射出了一束光芒,有點象是那塊現(xiàn)在嵌在"勝利號"("勝利號"為英國托馬斯.斯拉特爵士所設(shè)計的戰(zhàn)艦之一,英國海軍大將納爾遜在受任地中海艦隊司令時曾以它作旗艦,他于一八○五年與拿破侖交戰(zhàn)時被炮彈擊斃于后甲板上。這只船自一九二二年起,即泊在樸茨茅斯的碼頭上以為紀(jì)念,供眾參觀的船板上。紀(jì)念納爾遜陣亡的銀牌."好壯麗的船呵,"那天使似乎在這樣說,"沖呀,沖呀,你這壯麗的船,辛苦地把起舵吧;看哪!太陽正在突圍而出;云朵也在散開了...眼看就是最晴朗的蒼穹啦。"