英語聽書《白鯨記》 第215期

Presently, after many hasty snatches into the fire,and still hastier withdrawals of his fingers (wherebyhe seemed to be scorching them badly), he at lastsucceeded in drawing out the biscuit; then blowingoff the heat and ashes a little, he made a polite offerof it to the little negro.

隔了一會,他急急地伸手向火里去抓硬面包,又趕快縮回來(好象把手燙得很痛似的),這樣有好幾次,總算把硬面包從火里拿了出來;于是他把那塊硬面包吹吹涼,吹掉一些灰,便把它作為一種祭品,恭恭敬敬地獻(xiàn)給那小黑人。

But the little devil did not seem to fancy such dry sort of fare at all; he never moved his lips.

但是,那個(gè)小魔鬼好象對這樣干巴巴的食物完全不發(fā)生興趣似的,嘴巴動都不動。

All these strange antics were accompanied by still stranger guttural noises from the devotee,who seemed to be praying in a sing-song or else singing some pagan psalmody or other, duringwhich his face twitched about in the most unnatural manner.

就在做出這些希奇古怪的動作的同時(shí),這位信男的喉嚨里還發(fā)出種種更加古怪的聲音,象是哼祈禱歌,或者是在唱什么異教的贊美詩,唱的時(shí)候,臉上還七歪八扭地做出種種怪相。

At last extinguishing the fire, he took the idol up very unceremoniously, and bagged it again inhis grego pocket as carelessly as if he were a sportsman bagging a dead woodcock.

最后,他把火吹熄,隨隨便便地抓起那只小偶像,往斗篷口袋里一塞,就象個(gè)獵人把一只死山雞放進(jìn)袋里一樣的漫不經(jīng)心。

All these queer proceedings increased my uncomfortableness, and seeing him now exhibitingstrong symptoms of concluding his business operations, and jumping into bed with me, Ithought it was high time, now or never, before the light was put out, to break the spell in whichI had so long been bound.

所有這些古怪的行動使我越來越感到不安。看來他的公事已告結(jié)束,就要跳上床來跟我睡在一起了。我象碰到鬼似的,這半天都呆在這里不開口;我認(rèn)為,時(shí)機(jī)不可再失,要末現(xiàn)在,要末就來不及,我得在他熄燈之前,掙扎出一句話來。

But the interval I spent in deliberating what to say, was a fatal one.

我心里在盤算該說些什么好的這段時(shí)間,真是個(gè)性命交關(guān)的時(shí)分。

Taking up his tomahawk from the table, he examined the head of it for an instant, and thenholding it to the light, with his mouth at the handle, he puffed out great clouds of tobaccosmoke. The next moment the light was extinguished, and this wild cannibal, tomahawk betweenhis teeth, sprang into bed with me.

他打桌子上拿起那支煙斗斧,檢視一下頭子,就拿來對著火,嘴銜著柄子,噴出一大口煙來。一轉(zhuǎn)眼間,燈已經(jīng)熄掉,這個(gè)嘴里咬著煙斗斧的野人,就跳上床來跟我睡在一起。

I sang out, I could not help it now; and giving a sudden grunt of astonishment he beganfeeling me.

我大聲叫了出來,我現(xiàn)在再也禁不住自己了;他發(fā)出一聲嗥叫,詫異之極,就動手來摸我。

Stammering out something, I knew not what, I rolled away from him against the wall, and thenconjured him, whoever or whatever he might be, to keep quiet, and let me get up and light thelamp again.

我嘴里結(jié)結(jié)巴巴地說了些話,什么話連我自己也不知道,身子滾到墻邊躲他,后來又跟他講了許多好話,說不管他是何等樣人,請他不要鬧,先放我起來,把燈重新點(diǎn)亮。

But his guttural responses satisfied me at once that he but ill comprehended my meaning.

他喉嚨里咕嚕著回答,我聽了立刻明白他原來誤解了我的意思。