英語聽書《白鯨記》第762期

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I mention this circumstance, because, as if the cows and calves had been purposely locked up in this innermost fold; and as if the wide extent of the herd had hitherto prevented them from learning the precise cause of its stopping; or, possibly, being so young, unsophisticated, and every way innocent and inexperienced; however it may have been, these smaller whales— now and then visiting our becalmed boat from the margin of the lake— evinced a wondrous fearlessness and confidence, or else a still becharmed panic which it was impossible not to marvel at. Like household dogs they came snuffling round us, right up to our gunwales, and touching them; till it almost seemed that some spell had suddenly domesticated them. Queequeg patted their foreheads; Starbuck scratched their backs with his lance; but fearful of the consequences, for the time refrained from darting it.

我所以要提到這種情況，是因為那些母牛、小犢，仿佛是被故意扣在這極里圈；仿佛直到這時，還不讓浩大的鯨群知道這種停下來的真正的原因；這也許可能因為它們都還年紀太輕，不懂世故，各方面都很天真，缺乏經(jīng)驗的緣故；總之，不管怎樣，這些小鯨——不時地從湖邊來到我們這只無法前進的小艇旁邊探望一番——可以說都顯出了一種出奇的無所畏懼和自信心，也可以說，是因為這種失魂落魄的惶恐使它們不能不感到驚奇。它們象一群家狗，在我們周圍嗅來嗅去，把鼻子直伸到我們的舷壁，碰碰我們的舷壁，簡直象有什么符咒突然把它們弄馴服了?？褫p拍著它們的前額；斯達巴克用他的捕鯨槍搔搔它們的背脊；只因怕會出什么事，才暫時不去戳它們。

But far beneath this wondrous world upon the surface, another and still stranger world met our eyes as we gazed over the side. For, suspended in those watery vaults, floated the forms of the nursing mothers of the whales, and those that by their enormous girth seemed shortly to become mothers. The lake, as I have hinted, was to a considerable depth exceedingly transparent; and as human infants while suckling will calmly and fixedly gaze away from the breast, as if leading two different lives at the time;

但是，當我們伏在船舷邊往下凝視時，遠處在上面這個希奇的世界的下邊，卻另有一個更為奇特的天地映入了我們的眼簾。因為貼在這種水晶宮里的蒼穹中，漂泛有許多在哺小鯨的母鯨的形體，還有一些從它們那粗大的腰圍看來，似乎不久就將做母親的母鯨。這個大湖，我已說過了，雖然很深，卻非常明澈；一如小孩在吃奶時，安靜而定睛地撇開一下母親的胸脯，望一望別的地方，仿佛同時在過著兩種不同的生活：