啊,先生,它會鉗碎骨頭的——小心,小心!
No fear; I like a good grip; I like to feel something in this slippery world that can hold, man. What's Prometheus about there?— the blacksmith, I mean—what's he about?
怕什么;我就喜歡好鉗力;在這個活里活絡(luò)的世界上,我就喜歡碰碰鉗得住的東西,老朋友。那個普洛米修斯(普洛米修斯——希臘神話中那個拿火給人類的神,這里借指鐵匠。)在那邊忙些什么?——我說的是那個鐵匠——他在忙些什么呀?
He must be forging the buckle-screw, sir, now.
啊,先生,這會兒,他一定是在打旋釘。
Right. It's a partnership; he supplies the muscle part. He makes a fierce red flame there!
對,這就是合作互助;他供給筋肉方面的東西。他正在那邊燒起通紅的火焰!
Aye, sir; he must have the white heat for this kind of fine work.
是呀,先生,要做這種精巧活兒,就得有白熱。
Um-m. So he must. I do deem it now a most meaning thing, that that old Greek, Prometheus, who made men, they say, should have been a blacksmith, and animated them with fire; for what's made in fire must properly belong to fire; and so hell's probable. How the soot flies! This must be the remainder the Greek made the Africans of. Carpenter, when he's through with that buckle, tell him to forge a pair of steel shoulder-blades; there's a pedlar aboard with a crushing pack.
唔——唔。他是一定要有白熱。我承認這是樁最有意義的事情,據(jù)說那個古希臘人,那個創(chuàng)造了人類的普洛米修斯,原來也必定是干過鐵匠的,他這才使人類火氣十足;因為凡是火做成的東西,當(dāng)然就一定屬于火;地獄可能也是這樣。那煙炱騰得多高!這一定是那個希臘人創(chuàng)造了非洲人剩下來的東西。木匠,等他打完了螺旋釘后,要他打一副鋼肩胛骨;船上還有一個販子給擔(dān)子壓得透不過氣來呢。
Sir?
先生?
Hold; while Prometheus is about it, I'll order a complete man after a desirable pattern.
住嘴,趁普洛米修斯正在忙著,我倒要他按照我合意的樣式做出個完整的人來。