英語聽書《白鯨記》第416期

Hark ye yet again-the little lower layer. All visible objects, man, are but as pasteboard masks.

你再聽著...你這小不點兒的拆賬者。朋友,一切眼所能見到的東西,都不過是硬紙板做的面具。

But in each event-in the living act, the undoubted deed--there, some unknown but still reasoning thing puts forth the mouldings of its features from behind the unreasoning mask.

但是,在每一件事中...在人的行動中,在無可置疑的事實中...卻有若干未被發(fā)現(xiàn)然而卻是有根有據(jù)的事物,在無根無據(jù)的面具底下表現(xiàn)出它的面型來的。

If man will strike, strike through the mask!

如果人類會戳穿,戳穿那面具就好啦!

How can the prisoner reach outside except by thrusting through the wall?

囚犯除了打穿墻壁怎能跑到外面來呢?

To me, the white whale is that wall, shoved near to me.

對我說來,那條白鯨就是那堵墻,那堵緊逼著我的墻。

Sometimes I think there's naught beyond.

有時候,我認(rèn)為外邊什么也沒有。

But it's enough. He tasks me; he heaps me; I see in him outrageous strength, with an inscrutable malice sinewing it.

但是,這就夠了。它使我作苦役;它盡給我增加份量;我在它身上看到一股兇暴的力量,有一種不可思議的惡念支持著那種力量。

That inscrutable thing is chiefly what I hate; and be the white whale agent, or be the white whale principal, I will wreak that hate upon him.

那種不可思議的東西就是我所憎恨的主要的東西;不管白鯨是走狗,還是主犯,我都要向它泄恨雪仇。

Talk not to me of blasphemy, man; I'd strike the sun if it insulted me.

別對我說什么褻瀆神明,朋友,如果太陽侮辱我,我也要戳穿它。

For could the sun do that, then could I do the other; since there is ever a sort of fair play herein, jealousy presiding over all creations.

因為如果太陽會這樣做,我也會那樣做;自從世上有一種光明正大的競爭以來,妒忌一直在主宰天地萬物。

But not my master, man, is even that fair play. Who's over me? Truth hath no confines.

可是,朋友,甚至那種光明正大也控制不了我,那么,是誰在控制我?真理是沒有邊的。

Take off thine eye! more intolerable than fiends' glarings is a doltish stare!

別盯住我吧,比刻毒的瞪眼還要難受的就是一種傻里傻氣的凝視!