英語聽書《白鯨記》第245期

And now behold Jonah taken up as an anchor anddropped into the sea; when instantly an oilycalmness floats out from the east, and the sea isstill, as Jonah carries down the gale with him, leavingsmooth water behind. He goes down in the whirlingheart of such a masterless commotion that hescarce heeds the moment when he drops seethinginto the yawning jaws awaiting him; and the whaleshoots-to all his ivory teeth, like so many whitebolts, upon his prison. Then Jonah prayed unto theLord out of the fish's belly. But observe his prayer,and so many white bolts, upon his prison. Then Jonah prayed unto learn a weighty lesson. Forsinful as he is, Jonah does not weep and wail for direct deliverance. He feels that his dreadfulpunishment is just. He leaves all his deliverance to God, contenting himself with this, that spiteof all his pains and pangs, he will still look towards His holy temple. And here, shipmates, istrue and faithful repentance; not clamorous for pardon, but grateful for punishment. Andhow pleasing to God was this conduct in Jonah, is shown in the eventual deliverance of himfrom the sea and the whale. Shipmates, I do not place Jonah before you to be copied for hissin but I do place him before you as a model for repentance. Sin not; but if you do, take heedto repent of it like Jonah.

這時候,他們把約拿一舉,好象舉起一只錨,拋進海里去;于是,東方立即油然顯出一派風平浪靜的氣象,大海也靜寂下來了,因為約拿已經(jīng)把大風一齊帶走,撇下一泓柔波了。他落到那么一個無法控制的騷動的大渦流中間,以至于一點也沒有留意到他已經(jīng)直掉進了那只正在等他的.張開著的大嘴巴里了;那條大鯨露出了它整副牙齒,象是許多白插銷,把他囚住了。于是,約拿便在魚腹里向上帝做禱告?？墒?我們不妨來看一看他的禱告,記取一個重大的教訓吧。因為約拿雖然罪孽深重,他可沒有哭哭啼啼請求直接救助。他覺得他那種可怕的處罰是公平的。他把救助的事情全都交給上帝安排去,并以此為滿足。他不顧自己的一切苦難,依然仰望上帝的圣殿。這個呀,船友們,就是真心誠意的悔罪;不是吵吵鬧鬧地要求赦免,而是感謝處罰得當。約拿這種行為究竟使上帝喜歡到什么程度,就表現(xiàn)在最后終于把他從海里和大鯨那里救了出來。船友們,我所以要在你們面前提出約拿來,并不是要你們?nèi)ブ氐杆缸锏膹娃H,而是要拿他來作為一個悔罪的榜樣。千萬不要犯罪;不過,如果犯了罪,那么請注意,千萬要象約拿那樣悔罪。

While he was speaking these words, the howling of the shrieking, slanting storm withoutseemed to add new power to the preacher, who, when describing Jonah's sea-storm, seemedtossed by a storm himself. His deep chest heaved as with a ground-swell; his tossed armsseemed the warring elements at work; and the thunders that rolled away from off his swarthybrow, and the light leaping from his eye, made all his simple hearers look on him with a quickfear that was strange to them.

這個傳道者在說這些話的時候,外邊的斜風斜雨的凄厲的號嘯聲似乎更給他增添了力量,當他在敘述約拿在暴風雨里的海中的時候,好象他自己也讓暴風雨顛簸得搖來擺去。他那深厚的胸膛象是澎湃的海洋那樣起伏著;他那雙翻來翻去的胳膊象是狂風暴雨在吹打似的;加上那滾滾閃過他那黑黝黝的眉梢的雷電,以及從他眼睛里閃耀出來的電光,弄得他那些質(zhì)樸的聽眾,個個都帶著一種從未有過的驚訝之色直盯著他。