英語聽書《白鯨記》第214期

It was now quite plain that he must be someabominable savage or other shipped aboard of awhaleman in the South Seas, and so landed in thisChristian country. I quaked to think of it. A peddlerof heads too--perhaps the heads of his own brothers.He might take a fancy to mine--heavens! look at thattomahawk!

現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)很明顯了,他一定是哪兒的一個討厭的野人,搭上一條南海的捕鯨船,就這樣來到這個文明的國家。一想到這里,我不由渾身打戰(zhàn)。而且還是個人頭販子...說不定販的就是他的親弟兄的頭呢。他也許會看中我的腦袋...天呀!瞧他那支煙斗斧!

But there was no time for shuddering, for now the savage went about something thatcompletely fascinated my attention, and convinced me that he must indeed be a heathen.Going to his heavy grego, or wrapall, or dreadnaught, which he had previously hung on achair, he fumbled in the pockets, and produced at length a curious little deformed image witha hunch on its back, and exactly the color of a three days' old Congo baby. Remembering theembalmed head, at first I almost thought that this black manikin was a real baby preserved insome similar manner. But seeing that it was not at all limber, and that it glistened a good deallike polished ebony, I concluded that it must be nothing but a wooden idol, which indeed itproved to be. For now the savage goes up to the empty fire-place, and removing the paperedfire-board, sets up this little hunch-backed image, like a tenpin, between the andirons. Thechimney jambs and all the bricks inside were very sooty, so that I thought this fire-place madea very appropriate little shrine or chapel for his Congo idol.

但是,已經(jīng)沒有時間發(fā)抖了,因為這時候那野人又在搞什么鬼了,把我的全部注意力都吸引住,這一來更教我肯定他是個異教徒。他走到他先前掛在椅子上那件又象大氅,又象斗篷,又象厚外套的衣服眼前,在口袋里摸了一陣,結(jié)果摸出一個稀奇古怪的畸形小偶像來,它的背上還有個駝峰,顏色就跟一個生下來三天的剛果嬰孩一般無二。一想起那只香料制的頭,我起先幾乎把這個小黑人當(dāng)成一個也是用同樣方法制的真嬰孩。但是,看到它根本是硬繃繃的,而且亮得頗象磨光的烏木,因此我斷定它不過是個木制的偶像,事實證明也是這樣。因為這時候,那野人走到空壁爐跟前,拿開那塊紙隔板,把那只駝背的小偶像,象只球釘一樣豎在壁爐的兩個柴架中間。里面的煙囪石壁和磚頭本來全都熏得漆黑,因此,我心里想,這只壁爐做他的剛果偶像的神龕或者小教堂,倒真是十分適宜。

I now screwed my eyes hard towards the half hidden image, feeling but ill at ease meantime--tosee what was next to follow. First he takes about a double handful of shavings out of his gregopocket, and places them carefully before the idol; then laying a bit of ship biscuit on top andapplying the flame from the lamp, he kindled the shavings into a sacrificial blaze.

這時,我竭力瞇起雙眼望著那只半遮半掩的偶像,雖然覺得很不好受,卻同時又想看看他還要干些什么。他先從斗篷口袋里雙手捧了一把刨花出來,小心翼翼地放在偶像面前;然后把一小塊硬面包放在刨花上,用蠟燭引了火,把刨花燒成一簇祭火。