第一百零八章亞哈和木匠
The Deck — First Night Watch
甲板上——初夜班
(Carpenter standing before his vice-bench, and by the light of two lanterns busily filing the ivory joist for the leg, which joist is firmly fixed in the vice. Slabs of ivory, leather straps, pads, screws, and various tools of all sorts lying about the bench. Forward, the red flame of the forge is seen, where the blacksmith is at work.)
(木匠站在他那虎鉗條凳跟前,借著兩支燈籠的亮光,正在忙著銼平那塊做腿用的牙骨,這塊骨頭已給牢牢地嵌在虎鉗里。條凳上攤著一片片的牙骨,皮帶,襯料,螺絲和各式各樣工具。前邊,熔鐵爐發(fā)出熊熊的火光,鐵匠正在那里干活。)
Drat the file, and drat the bone! That is hard which should be soft, and that is soft which should be hard. So we go, who file old jaws and shin bones. Let's try another. Aye, now, this works better (sneezes). Halloa, this bone dust is (sneezes)—why it's (sneezes)—yes it's (sneezes)—bless my soul, it won't let me speak! This is what an old fellow gets now for working in dead lumber. Saw a live tree, and you don't get this dust; amputate a live bone, and you don't get it (sneezes). Come, come, you old Smut, there, bear a hand, and let's have that ferrule and buckle-screw; I'll be ready for them presently.
可惡的銼子,可惡的骨頭!該軟的時(shí)候偏偏硬,該硬的時(shí)候卻偏偏軟。哼,算了吧,誰(shuí)高興銼挺硬的牙門骨和脛骨。另外找塊來(lái)試試吧。是呀,現(xiàn)在這塊骨頭做起來(lái)可麻利得多啦。(打噴嚏)喂,啊呀!這塊骨頭銼出來(lái)的灰倒(打噴嚏)——哼,倒是(打噴嚏)——不錯(cuò),真是(打噴嚏)——哎呀!它連話都不讓我說(shuō)!怪不得上了年紀(jì)的人都喜歡用滑溜溜的木頭做活。鋸倒一株活樹,就沒有這種灰了;砍斷一根生骨頭,也不會(huì)有灰。(打噴嚏)喂,喂,你老人家(指老鐵匠。),幫一幫忙,我要小鐵箍和旋釘了;我立刻就要用了。