英語(yǔ)聽(tīng)書(shū)《白鯨記》 第163期

The classification of the constituents of a chaos,nothing less is here essayed.

這其中包括著各式各類的人，從有權(quán)有勢(shì)的人到一般的小人物，

Listen to what the best and latest authorities havelaid down.

從捕鯨界的老手到只出過(guò)幾次海的新手，從陸地上的人到真正出海的人……

No branch of Zoology is so much involved as thatwhich is entitled Cetology, says Captain Scoresby,A.D. 1820.

涉及這個(gè)學(xué)科的人不計(jì)其數(shù)，僅是成名成家并且發(fā)表了自己著述的人名就可以羅列出一大串來(lái)。

It is not my intention, were it in my power, to enter into the inquiry as to the true method ofdividing the cetacea into groups and families....

之所以會(huì)產(chǎn)生這樣的情況，實(shí)在是因?yàn)樵谒袆?dòng)物學(xué)的分支中，鯨類學(xué)可以稱做是最復(fù)雜，牽扯最廣，涉及面最大的一個(gè)學(xué)科。

Utter confusion exists among the historians of this animal, says Surgeon Beale, A.D. 1839.

可是這近三十位大家中，真正見(jiàn)到過(guò)活鯨的人物，

Unfitness to pursue our research in the unfathomable waters.

卻只有五六分之一，其余的則是在陸地上靠解剖或其他方法得來(lái)的結(jié)論。

Impenetrable veil covering our knowledge of the cetacea. A field strewn with thorns. All theseincomplete indications but serve to torture us naturalists.

不過(guò)他的發(fā)言權(quán)也僅僅局限于格陵蘭鯨和露脊鯨，關(guān)于抹香鯨他就沒(méi)有什么了解了。