英語聽書《白鯨記》第847期

And he knows it too. So that what you take for the White Whale's malice is only his awkwardness. For he never means to swallow a single limb; he only thinks to terrify by feints. But sometimes he is like the old juggling fellow, formerly a patient of mine in Ceylon, that making believe swallow jack-knives, once upon a time let one drop into him in good earnest, and there it stayed for a twelvemonth or more; when I gave him an emetic, and he heaved it up in small tacks, d'ye see? No possible way for him to digest that jack-knife, and fully incorporate it into his general bodily system. Yes, Captain Boomer, if you are quick enough about it, and have a mind to pawn one arm for the sake of the privilege of giving decent burial to the other, why, in that case the arm is yours; only let the whale have another chance at you shortly, that's all."

而且，大鯨也有自知之明。因此，你們所謂白鯨的惡毒，只不過是它的笨拙而已。因?yàn)?，它從來就不想一口吞下一只手臂；它只想虛張聲勢，嚇唬嚇唬人。不過，它倒往往有點(diǎn)象我從前在錫蘭的時(shí)候碰到的那個(gè)魔術(shù)家病人，他老是假裝吞下了小刀子，有一次，他竟當(dāng)真把一把小刀吞了下去，小刀居然在他肚子里藏了一年多；等到我給他吃催吐藥后，他才把它一小塊一小塊地吐出來，你們想想看。他實(shí)在無法把那把小刀消化掉，而且也不是他整個(gè)身體組織完全消納得了的。唔，布默船長，如果你對它是很了解的，而且想要爭取另一只手獲得壽終正寢的光榮，不惜再花一只手臂的話，那就不妨一試，好在手臂是你自己的；充其量也不過是立刻讓大鯨再賜你一緣而已。"

No, thank you, Bunger, said the English Captain, "he's welcome to the arm he has, since I can't help it, and didn't know him then; but not to another one. No more White Whales for me; I've lowered for him once, and that has satisfied me. There would be great glory in killing him, I know that; and there is a ship-load of precious sperm in him, but, hark ye, he's best let alone; don't you think so, Captain?"—glancing at the ivory leg.

不，多謝，彭格，那個(gè)英國船長說，"因?yàn)槲耶?dāng)時(shí)毫無辦法，而且也不認(rèn)識它，所以那只手臂只好隨它的便給拿了去；再來一只可不干啦。我再也不敢領(lǐng)教白鯨了；我已經(jīng)放下小艇追擊過它一回，夠教我心滿意足了。我知道，殺倒它有莫大的光榮；況且它身上還有滿滿的名貴抹香鯨腦呢，不過，聽著，還是別去碰它為妙；你覺得對嗎，船長？"——他眼睛瞟著那只牙腿。

He is. But he will still be hunted, for all that.

嗯。不過，無論如何，還得去追擊它。

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