In most cases this lower jaw—being easily unhinged by a practised artist— is disengaged and hoisted on deck for the purpose of extracting the ivory teeth, and furnishing a supply of that hard white whalebone with which the fishermen fashion all sorts of curious articles including canes, umbrella-stocks, and handles to riding-whips.
這個(gè)下巴頦——有經(jīng)驗(yàn)的老手可以很容易地把它卸下來——大多是在卸下后,就拉上甲板來,以便拔掉它那些象牙一般的牙齒,同時(shí)把那種又白又硬的鯨須去供給捕鯨人做出名式各樣奇珍異品,諸如手杖,雨傘骨,馬鞭柄等等。
With a long, weary hoist the jaw is dragged on board, as if it were an anchor; and when the proper time comes— some few days after the other work—Queequeg, Daggoo, and Tashtego, being all accomplished dentists, are set to drawing teeth. With a keen cutting-spade, Queequeg lances the gums; then the jaw is lashed down to ringbolts, and a tackle being rigged from aloft, they drag out these teeth, as Michigan oxen drag stumps of old oaks out of wild woodlands. There are generally forty-two teeth in all; in old whales, much worn down, but undecayed; nor filled after our artificial fashion. The jaw is afterwards sawn into slabs, and piled away like joists for building houses.
經(jīng)過好久的辛苦拖曳后,那只下巴頦終于象只大錨一般被拖上船來。等到相當(dāng)?shù)臅r(shí)間——干完了其它工作的幾天后——魁魁格、大個(gè)兒和塔斯蒂哥這些本來就是熟練的牙科醫(yī)生,便開始來拔牙齒了。那時(shí)候,魁魁格手里拿著一把銳利的剖魚鏟子,直向牙齦戳去;接著,便把那只下巴頦用繩子緊縛在螺旋釘上,上面早已掛好復(fù)滑車,他們就象密歇根的公牛在野林里拔老橡樹根一般,把這些牙齒給拔了出來。鯨通常長(zhǎng)有四十二只牙齒;至于老鯨,牙齒雖然沒有朽爛,卻大都磨損了,而且也派不了我們那種精巧的手藝品的用場(chǎng)。以后,他們就把下巴頦鋸成片片,好象準(zhǔn)備用來建造房屋的托梁一般,把它們堆在一旁。
Chapter 75 The Right Whale's Head - Contrasted View
第七十五章露脊鯨頭——對(duì)比圖
Crossing the deck, let us now have a good long look at the the Right Whale's head.
現(xiàn)在讓我們穿過甲板,去仔細(xì)地瞧瞧這只露脊鯨頭吧。