英語聽書《白鯨記》 第138期

Moreover, in the infancy of the first Australiansettlement,

這樣說不僅僅是因為捕鯨者是較早登上那塊大陸的人，

the emigrants were several times saved fromstarvation by the benevolent biscuit of the whale-ship luckily dropping an anchor in their waters.

在以后的數(shù)十年中，澳洲的早期開發(fā)者常常因為饑荒而面臨絕境，幾乎每次他們都是從路過那里的捕鯨船上獲得硬面包，而幸免于難的。

The uncounted isles of all Polynesia confess the same truth, and do commercial homage tothe whale-ship,

玻利尼亞尼島嶼上的人們便十分坦誠地承認(rèn)這一事實，并且明白地向捕鯨船致以誠摯的敬意。

that cleared the way for the missionary and the merchant, and in many cases carried theprimitive missionaries to their first destinations.

捕鯨船還為牧師、商人開了路，事先就為那些蠻荒之地灌輸了一定的宗教與買賣的觀念。

If that double-bolted land, Japan, is ever to become hospitable, it is the whale-ship alone towhom the credit will be due; for already she is on the threshold.

就說那一向閉關(guān)鎖國的日本吧，它的開放可以說應(yīng)該完全歸功于捕鯨船，是捕鯨船開到了它的大門口，把外面世界的文明帶給了它。

But if, in the face of all this, you still declare that whaling has no aesthetically nobleassociations connected with it,

你也許會說，從審美的角度講，捕鯨者與他們自身的業(yè)績是不相配的;你還會說，

then am I ready to shiver fifty lances with you there, and unhorse you with a split helmetevery time.

好吧，你如果這樣說的話，我可要和你斗上幾十個回合了。不把你打得人仰馬翻我是不會善罷甘休的。

The whale has no famous author, and whaling no famous chronicler, you will say.

以鯨魚為體裁的作品沒有什么名著，捕鯨者中也沒出過什么有名的作家。