英語聽書《白鯨記》第371期

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抹香鯨的情況遠比不上一切已被捕獲的大鯨,關(guān)于它的生活情形仍是一片空白。

Now the various species of whales need some sort ofpopular comprehensive classification, if only aneasy outline one for the present, hereafter to befilled in all-outward its departments by subsequentlaborers. As no better man advances to take thismatter in hand, I hereupon offer my own poorendeavors. I promise nothing complete; because anyhuman thing supposed to be complete must for that very reason infallibly be faulty. I shall notpretend to a minute anatomical description of the various species, or--in this space atleast-to much of any description. My object here is simply to project the draught of asystematization of cetology. I am the architect, not the builder.

現(xiàn)在對各種大鯨必須作出一種通俗易懂的分類來,如果暫時能夠做出一個簡便的綱要,讓以后的勞作者去分門別類地進行補充也就不錯了。既然沒有高明人士來做這種事情,那我就不揣冒昧地嘗試一番。我一點也不敢說能做得完滿,因為任何一個自以為會做得完滿的人,一定會由此而招致錯誤。我也不想從解剖學(xué)角度詳細記述各種大鯨,也不想...至少在這里...做出任何過多的記述。我的目的只想勾勒出一幅鯨類學(xué)的有系統(tǒng)的草圖來。我是工程師,而不是營造者。

But it is a ponderous task; no ordinary letter-sorter in the Post-Office is equal to it. To gropedown into the bottom of the sea after them; to have one's hands among the unspeakablefoundations, ribs, and very pelvis of the world; this is a fearful thing. What am I that I shouldessay to hook the nose of this leviathan! The awful tauntings in Job might well appal me. "Willhe (the leviathan) make a covenant with thee? Behold the hope of him is vain! But I haveswam through libraries and sailed through oceans; I have had to do with whales with thesevisible hands; I am in earnest; and I will try. There are some preliminaries to settle.

不過,這可是一件煩重的工作,決不是通常的郵政局檢信員所能勝任的。得鉆到海底里跟蹤摸索,得把雙手去探索世間所無法描摹的噴泉。肋骨和骨盆;這是一件可怕的事情。我是什么人,竟敢企圖去鉤住這種大海獸的鼻子!約伯遭到的那種可怕的奚落就足以把我嚇壞了。"他(大海獸)豈肯與你立約?人們指望捉拿他,是徒然的!"但是,我已經(jīng)跑遍了許多圖書館,航遍了各大洋;我只得用我這雙看得見的手來處置這些大鯨;我是認認真真的,因此,我要試一試。這里得把一些準(zhǔn)備工作安排一下。