英語聽書《白鯨記》第401期

It was during the more pleasant weather, that in duerotation with the other seamen my first mast-headcame round.

剛好是個(gè)比較令人愉快的天氣,我跟其他一些水手輪值,挨到我初次去做桅頂望者。

In most American whalemen the mast-heads aremanned almost simultaneously with the vessel'sleaving her port; even though she may have fifteenthousand miles, and more, to sail ere reaching herproper cruising ground.

大多數(shù)美國捕鯨船,差不多船只一離開港埠,就同時(shí)配置了桅頂望者;即使船只到達(dá)它的正式的巡游場,還有一萬五千海里以上的航程也是如此。

And if, after a three, four, or five years' voyage she is drawing nigh home with anything emptyin her-say, an empty vial even-then, her mast-heads are kept manned to the last!

如果在航行了三五年后,船只已將靠近家門,船里什么東西都空了...比如說,連一只小瓶子也空了的時(shí)候,還是要把桅頂望者配置到底,

And not till her skysail-poles sail in among the spires of the port, does she altogetherrelinquish the hope of capturing one whale more.

要到船只的最上桅桿駛進(jìn)港埠的塔尖叢中,才會(huì)完全放棄它那再捉到一條大鯨的希望。

Now, as the business of standing mast-heads, ashore or afloat, is a very ancient andinteresting one, let us in some measure expatiate here.

因?yàn)槲斖@項(xiàng)差使,不論是停泊還是行駛的時(shí)候,都是一樁古趣盎然的工作,所以,我們不妨在這里稍為細(xì)說一番。

I take it, that the earliest standers of mast-heads were the old Egyptians; because, in all myresearches, I find none prior to them.

我認(rèn)為,最早的桅頂?望者就是那些古埃及人,因?yàn)楦鶕?jù)我的調(diào)查研究,我找不到有比他們早的人。

For though their progenitors, the builders of Babel, must doubtless, by their tower, haveintended to rear the loftiest mast-head in all Asia, or Africa either;

雖則他們的先輩巴別的締造者,毫無疑問,一定是想把他們的塔尖造得象最高的船桅一樣,高聳在亞洲或者非洲的空際;

yet (ere the final truck was put to it) as that great stone mast of theirs may be said to havegone by the board, in the dread gale of God's wrath;

然而(在加上最后的頂冠之前),由于他們那塔頂?shù)拇笫瘲U,可以說是被上帝一陣憤怒所刮起的可怕颶風(fēng)一掃,給掃到海里去了;

therefore, we cannot give these Babel builders priority over the Egyptians.

因此,我們不能把這種應(yīng)給埃及人的優(yōu)先權(quán)拿來送給巴別的締造者。