But war is pain, and hate is woe. Come in thy lowest form of love, and I will kneel and kiss thee; but at thy highest, come as mere supernal power; and though thou launchest navies of full-freighted worlds, there's that in here that still remains indifferent. Oh, thou clear spirit, of thy fire thou madest me, and like a true child of fire, I breathe it back to thee.
不過,戰(zhàn)爭是苦痛的,憎恨是悲哀的。如果你哪怕以最起碼的愛的形式來對待我,我就會跪倒下來吻著你;可是,如果你只是以至高的權力來壓我;盡管你出動全部裝備充足的海軍,我們這里還是不為所動。你這個真神呵,你用火把我造了出來,我就要象火神的真正的孩子一樣,把火給你吹回去。
(Sudden, repeated flashes of lightning; the nine flames leap lengthwise to thrice their previous height; Ahab, with the rest, closes his eyes, his right hand pressed hard upon them.)
(火光突然一再閃爍;那九股火焰直往上沖,比原先高了三倍;亞哈和其余的人們,都緊閉眼睛,他右手緊蒙著雙眼。)
I own thy speechless, placeless power; said I not so? Nor was it wrung from me; nor do I now drop these links. Thou canst blind; but I can then grope. Thou canst consume; but I can then be ashes. Take the homage of these poor eyes, and shutter-hands. I would not take it. The lightning flashes through my skull; mine eyeballs ache and ache; my whole beaten brain seems as beheaded, and rolling on some stunning ground. Oh, oh! Yet blindfold, yet will I talk to thee. Light though thou be, thou leapest out of darkness; but I am darkness leaping out of light, leaping out of thee!
我承認你具有說不出的。摸不準的權力,我剛才不是這樣說過嘛?這可不是我硬擠出來的話;我這會兒也不放下這些鏈環(huán)了。你能夠使人瞎眼;我只能摸索著走。你能夠燒盡燒光,我只能化成灰。請接受這雙可憐的手和遮掩著的眼睛的敬意吧。我決不僭越?;鸸庹沾┝宋业哪X殼;我的眼球痛得難耐;我整個受傷的腦袋直象被砍了下來,在一種使人立不住腳的地上滾來滾去。啊,啊,盡管我眼睛看不清楚,我還是要跟你說話。雖然你是火光,是從黑暗中跳出來的;我卻是從火光中跳出來的黑暗,是從你那里面跳出來的黑暗!