英語聽書《白鯨記》 第50期

Look now at the wondrous traditional story of howthis island was settled by the red-men.

最早定居于這塊不毛之地的是紅種人。

Thus goes the legend.

關(guān)于此，還有一段傳說呢。

In olden times an eagle swooped down upon theNew England coast, and carried off an infant Indianin his talons.

說是很早很早以前，在新英格蘭的海岸上，一只鷹突然沖了下來，叼走了一個印第安嬰兒。

With loud lament the parents saw their child borne out of sight over the wide waters.

嬰兒的父母悲痛欲絕地看著老鷹叼著孩子消失在大海上，

They resolved to follow in the same direction. Setting out in their canoes, after a perilouspassage they discovered the island,

他們毫不猶豫地劃起獨木舟追了上去。 經(jīng)過千難萬險，他們追到了這個島上。

and there they found an empty ivory casket,the poor little Indian's skeleton.

在島上他們發(fā)現(xiàn)了那個嬰兒的一小堆兒白骨!

What wonder, then, that these Nantucketers, born on a beach, should take to the sea for alivelihood!

他們就是南塔開特人的祖先。

They first caught crabs and quohogs in the sand;

他們先是在海灘上捕蟹捉蛤，

grown bolder, they waded out with nets for mackerel; more experienced, they pushed off inboats and captured cod;

在淺水區(qū)拉網(wǎng)捕魚，然后劃上小艇到深海區(qū)作業(yè)，

and at last, launching a navy of great ships on the sea, explored this watery world;

后來造了大船，開始了大洋上的巡弋。

put an incessant belt of circumnavigations round it; peeped in at Behring's Straits;

不停的環(huán)球航行從此拉開帷幕，而在白令海峽也有了他們的身影;

and in all seasons and all oceans declared everlasting war with the mightiest animated massthat has survived the flood;most monstrous and most mountainous!

他們一年四季漂泊在海上，同那些洪荒時代遺留下來的巨大水獸做著不屈不撓的斗爭。

That Himmalehan, salt-sea Mastodon, clothed with such portentousness of unconscious power,

龐然巨物等統(tǒng)統(tǒng)都不是他們的對手,

that his very panics are more to be dreaded than his most fearless and malicious assaults!

他們所面臨的危機(jī)有時候甚至比這些無畏和惡意的攻擊更可怕!