英語聽書《白鯨記》第977期
See! that thing rests on two line-tubs, full of tow-lines. A most malicious wag, that fellow. Rat-tat! So man's seconds tick! Oh! how immaterial are all materials! What things real are there, but imponderable thoughts? Here now's the very dreaded symbol of grim death, by a mere hap, made the expressive sign of the help and hope of most endangered life. A life-buoy of a coffin! Does it go further? Can it be that in some spiritual sense the coffin is, after all, but an immortality-preserver! I'll think of that. But no. So far gone am I in the dark side of earth, that its other side, the theoretic bright one, seems but uncertain twilight to me. Will ye never have done, Carpenter, with that accursed sound? I go below; let me not see that thing here when I return again. Now, then, Pip, we'll talk this over; I do suck most wondrous philosophies from thee! Some unknown conduits from the unknown worlds must empty into thee!
你瞧！那只放在兩只索桶上的東西縛了多少拖索。那家伙，是個(gè)存心挺壞的小丑。嘞——噠——噠！跟人的心臟在跳一樣！一切有形的東西可又多么無形呀！除了無法估量的思想以外，有什么真實(shí)的東西？這就是猙獰的死神的最可怕的象征，只要一有機(jī)會，就對最危險(xiǎn)的生命意味深長地表示得救和希望。一只棺材做的救生圈！它可經(jīng)用么？在精神意義上說，棺材會不會不過是一種使人不朽的保藏器呢！我倒要想一想?？墒?，不。我已經(jīng)在人間的陰暗面混得太久了，因此，我覺得人間的另一面，即從理論上說來是光明的一面，只不過是一種陰晴未定的曙光。木匠呀，你可以別再弄出那種該死的聲響來嗎？我還是到下邊去吧，但愿我再上來的時(shí)候，不會再看到這東西。哼，那么，比普，咱們倆去把這事情談一談吧；我從你那里，的確得到了許多最奇妙的哲理！你渾身一定裝滿了可以了解許多未知的事物的導(dǎo)管。
