他從刀鞘里拉出了船刀,一邊把刀鋒擱在捕鯨索上,一邊掉頭對(duì)著斯塔布,探問地嚷道,"割嗎?"這時(shí),比普那只給窒息得鐵青的面孔,很清楚地表示出:看在上帝的份上,請(qǐng)割吧!整個(gè)事情,發(fā)生在不滿半分鐘里,真是倏忽而逝。
Damn him, cut! roared Stubb; and so the whale was lost and Pip was saved.
該死的東西,割!斯塔布咆哮道;于是,失了大鯨,救了比普。
So soon as he recovered himself, the poor little negro was assailed by yells and execrations from the crew. Tranquilly permitting these irregular cursings to evaporate, Stubb then in a plain, business-like, but still half humorous manner, cursed Pip officially; and that done, unofficially gave him much wholesome advice. The substance was, Never jump from a boat, Pip, except—but all the rest was indefinite, as the soundest advice ever is. Now, in general, Stick to the boat, is your true motto in whaling; but cases will sometimes happen when Leap from the boat, is still better. Moreover, as if perceiving at last that if he should give undiluted conscientious advice to Pip, he would be leaving him too wide a margin to jump in for the future; Stubb suddenly dropped all advice, and concluded with a peremptory command "Stick to the boat, Pip, or by the Lord, I won't pick you up if you jump; mind that.
這個(gè)可憐的小黑人剛一恢復(fù)神志,就給水手們叫罵得要死。斯塔布安靜地讓他們把這種不正常的咒罵發(fā)泄過后,就以一種簡(jiǎn)單明了的。然而不免半含幽默的態(tài)度,正式地罵起比普來(lái);這樣罵過了后,又非正式地給他很多有益的教言。那大意是:比普啊,千萬(wàn)別跳出小艇,除非是——不過,其余的可就含含糊糊了。最精采的教言總是這樣,總之,總起來(lái)說(shuō)就是:"千萬(wàn)不要離開小艇",是捕鯨業(yè)中的真正的座右銘;不過,有時(shí)也會(huì)有不得不跳出小艇才比較妥當(dāng)?shù)那闆r發(fā)生。而且,仿佛他最后又預(yù)見到,如果教他對(duì)比普說(shuō)出真正出自良心的教言來(lái),那就未免使比普將來(lái)可以有過多的跳出去的機(jī)會(huì)了;于是,斯塔布突然煞住了一切的教言,而以一種斷然的命令口吻為結(jié)束:"千萬(wàn)不要離開小艇,比普,否則,老實(shí)說(shuō),如果你跳下去,我就不撈你起來(lái)嘍;記住。