英語聽書《白鯨記》 第293期

No.But what the stingy old Bildad might have amighty deal to say about shipping hands, especiallyas I now found him on board the Pequod, quite athome there in the cabin, and reading his Bible as ifat his own fireside. Now while Peleg was vainly tryingto mend a pen with his jack-knife, old Bildad, to myno small surprise, considering that he was such aninterested party in these proceedings; Bildad neverheeded us, but went on mumbling to himself out ofhis book, Lay not up for yourselves treasures uponearth, where moth-

不過,我就弄不懂,為什么這個吝嗇的比勒達老頭又會有掌理雇用水手的大權(quán),尤其是我這時看到他在裴廓德號上,舒服地坐在艙房里,念著他的《圣經(jīng)》,仿佛是坐在自己家里的火爐旁邊。這時,正當法勒在用他的小刀想修補那支筆而修補不好的時候,叫我吃驚不小的是,比勒達卻始終沒有理會我們,只是繼續(xù)在念他的書,不要為自己積攢財寶在地上,地上有蟲子。

Well, Captain Bildad, interrupted Peleg, what d'ye say, what lay shall we give this young man?

那么,比勒達船長,法勒打斷他說,你怎么說,我們該給這個小伙子多少拆賬呢?

Thou knowest best, was the sepulchral reply, the seven hundred and seventy-seventh wouldn'tbe too much, would it?--'where moth and rust do corrupt, but lay-'

你比我懂得多,他陰森森地回答道,七百七十七分之一不會太多吧,會嗎?地上有蟲子咬,能銹壞,只要積攢。

Lay, indeed, thought I, and such a lay! the seven hundred and seventy-seventh! Well, oldBildad, you are determined that I, for one, shall not lay up many lays here below, where mothand rust do corrupt. It was an exceedingly long lay that, indeed; and though from themagnitude of the figure it might at first deceive a landsman, yet the slightestconsideration will show that though seven hundred and seventy-seven is a pretty largenumber, yet, when you come to make a teenth of it, you will then see, I say, that the sevenhundred and seventy-seventh part of a farthing is a good deal less than seven hundred andseventy-seven gold doubloons; and so I thought at the time.

我心里想,好一個積攢,這樣的拆賬!七百七十七分之一!好吧,比勒達老頭,你已經(jīng)肯定了我這個人不該把許多拆賬積攢在地下了,因為,在那里,有蟲子咬,能銹壞。這倒真是個了不起的大拆賬,雖然從那個大數(shù)字看來,也許一開始騙得了一個陸地人,然而,略為思索一下,就會知道盡管七百七十七是個相當可觀的數(shù)目,可是,如果你把它當做一個分母看,那我說,你就知道一個法尋的七百七十七分之一跟七百七十七塊金圓卻是天差地別的了;當時,我心里就這么想著。

Why, blast your eyes, Bildad, cried Peleg, Thou dost not want to swindle this young man! hemust have more than that.

怎么,見你的鬼,比勒達,法勒嚷了起來,你該不想誆騙這個小伙子吧!他必須拿得比這多些。