英語聽書《白鯨記》 第334期

As Queequeg and I are now fairly embarked in this business of whaling; and as this business of whaling has somehow come to be regarded among landsmen as a rather unpoetical and disreputable pursuit; therefore, I am all anxiety to convince ye, ye landsmen, of the injustice hereby done to us hunters of whales.

因為我和魁魁格現(xiàn)在都順利地參加了捕鯨這一行業(yè);又因為捕鯨這個行業(yè),不知怎地,總被陸地人看成是一種頗為缺乏詩意而又聲名狼藉的職業(yè);因此,我真急于要使你們,要使你們這些陸地人,認識到對我們這些獵鯨者的這種看法是不公道的。

In the first place, it may be deemed almost superfluous to establish the fact, that among people at large, the business of whaling is not accounted on a level with what are called the liberal professions. If a stranger were introduced into any miscellaneous metropolitan society, it would but slightly advance the general opinion of his merits, were he presented to the company as a harpooneer, say; and if in emulation of the naval officers he should append the initials S.W.F. (Sperm Whale Fishery) to his visiting card, such a procedure would be deemed preeminently presuming and ridiculous.

要澄清這一事實,首先也許會被認為簡直是多余的,因為一般人并不把捕鯨業(yè)看作是同那所謂自由職業(yè)相等的。如果把一個陌生人引進到大城市任何性質(zhì)的交際界中,比如說,如果把他你為一個標槍手介紹給交際場的人,那是只會引起大家對他訾議一番而已,而如果他也仿效一般海軍官員的做法,在他的名片上印上他的職號的簡稱字母S.W.F.(捕抹香鯨業(yè)),那么,這般作法準會被人們認為非常放肆荒唐。

Doubtless one leading reason why the world declines honoring us whalemen, is this: they think that, at best, our vocation amounts to a butchering sort of business; and that when actively engaged therein, we are surrounded by all manner of defilements. Butchers we are, that is true. But butchers, also, and butchers of the bloodiest badge have been all Martial Commanders whom the world invariably delights to honor. And as for the matter of the alleged uncleanliness of our business, ye shall soon be initiated into certain facts hitherto pretty generally unknown, and which, upon the whole, will triumphantly plant the sperm whale-ship at least among the cleanliest things of this tidy earth. But even granting the charge in question to be true; what disordered slippery decks of a whale-ship are comparable to the unspeakable carrion of those battle-fields from which so many soldiers return to drink in all ladies' plaudits?

毫無疑問,世人之所以不肯尊敬我們這些捕鯨者,主要的理由就是:他們都認為,我們這個職業(yè)充其量也不過是等于一種屠宰業(yè);認為凡是實際從事這一行業(yè)的,都難免沾有各式各樣的污穢。不錯,我們的確是屠夫。但是,同是屠夫,那些嗜殺成性的屠夫卻都做了大將,世人還都一定尊敬他們。至于說到我們這一行業(yè)之所謂不干凈,那么立刻就可以教你接觸到一些迄今不很受世人普遍了解的事實,而且,這些事實,一般說來,還至少可以得意洋洋地將捕抹香鯨的船只列為這個干凈的人間的最干凈的東西呢。不過,話得說回來,就算這種非難是千真萬確的,捕鯨船的雜亂無章的滑溜溜的甲板,怎么比得過那擺著許多說不出的臭尸的戰(zhàn)場?