英語(yǔ)聽(tīng)書(shū)《白鯨記》第475期

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Chapter 45 The Affidavit

第四十五章 宣誓書(shū)

So far as what there may be of a narrative in this book; and, indeed, as indirectly touching one ortwo very interesting and curious particulars in the habits of sperm whales, the foregoing chapter, in its earlier part, is as important a one as will be found in this volume; but the leading matter of it requires to be still further and more familiarly enlarged upon, in order to be adequately understood, and moreover to take away any incredulity which a profound ignorance of the entire subjectmay induce in some minds, as to the natural verity of the main points of this affair.

就本書(shū)中可以稱為故事的章節(jié)說(shuō)來(lái)，就間接地提到抹香鯨一兩件十分有趣而奇特的習(xí)性說(shuō)來(lái)，上一章的開(kāi)頭部分，倒確是這部書(shū)的最重要的章節(jié)。不過(guò)，為了使得人們更能充分領(lǐng)會(huì)，還得就它的主要內(nèi)容更進(jìn)一步。更通俗地絮述一下，還得排除人們由于對(duì)整個(gè)題材之極其不理解而可能產(chǎn)生的任何懷疑，以便對(duì)事物的要點(diǎn)獲得本來(lái)的真面目。

I care not to perform this part of my task methodically; but shall be content to produce the desired impression by separate citations of items, practically or reliably known to me as a whaleman; andfrom these citations, I take it-- the conclusion aimed at will naturally follow of itself.

我不想把這份工作做得怎樣有條不紊，只求能借助那些對(duì)我這個(gè)捕鯨者說(shuō)來(lái)，是切合實(shí)際或者可靠的各種引證，而產(chǎn)生希望得到的印象就心滿意足了。我認(rèn)為，從這些引證中，就會(huì)自然而然地得出所指望的結(jié)論來(lái)。

First: I have personally known three instances where a whale, after receiving a harpoon, has effected a complete escape; and, after an interval (in one instance of three years), has been again struck by the same hand, and slain; when the two irons, both marked by the same private cypher, have been taken from the body. In the instance where three years intervened between the flinging of the twoharpoons; and I think it may have been something more than that; the man who darted them happening,in the interval, to go in a trading ship on a voyage to Africa, went ashore there, joined a discovery party, and penetrated far into the interior, where he travelled for a period of nearly two years, often endangered by serpents, savages, tigers, poisonous miasmas, with all the other common perils incident to wandering in the heart of unknown regions. Meanwhile, the whale he had struck must also have been on its travels; no doubt it had thrice circumnavigated the globe, brushing with its flanks all the coasts of Africa; but to no purpose. This man and this whale again came together, and the one vanquished the other. I say I, myself, have known three instances similar to this; that is in two of them I saw the whales struck; and, upon the second attack, saw the two irons with the respective marks cut in them, afterwards taken from the dead fish. In the three-year instance, it so fell out that I was in the boat both times, first and last, and the last time distinctly recognized a peculiar sort of huge mole under the whale's eye, which I had observed there three years previous. I say three years, but I am pretty sure it was more than that. Here are three instances, then, which I personally know the truth of; but I have heard of many other instances from persons whose veracity in the matter there is no good ground to impeach.

第一，我親自經(jīng)歷過(guò)三個(gè)實(shí)例，就是一只鯨被標(biāo)槍戳過(guò)后，還能安全無(wú)恙地脫逃，而且，經(jīng)過(guò)一段時(shí)間(有一次是三年模樣)，又給同一個(gè)人戳中，殺死了。當(dāng)時(shí)，在鯨身上拿下來(lái)的兩支標(biāo)槍，都刻有同樣的暗記。在這一前后兩支標(biāo)槍相隔三年的實(shí)例中，我認(rèn)為它還有些更為復(fù)雜的經(jīng)過(guò)，在這段期間里，那個(gè)投了兩次標(biāo)槍的人，隨著一艘商船到非洲去，他在那里登岸后，參加了一個(gè)探險(xiǎn)隊(duì)，深入非洲內(nèi)地，在那里奔跑了將近兩年的時(shí)間，經(jīng)常會(huì)遇到毒蛇、野人、猛虎、疫癘、瘴氣，以及在深入蠻荒腹地中隨時(shí)都可碰到的其它種種危險(xiǎn)。這期間，那條曾經(jīng)被他擊中過(guò)的大鯨也一定是在繼續(xù)它的旅行，而且一定已經(jīng)環(huán)游了世界三圈，身軀擦過(guò)了非洲一切沿海的地方，只是毫無(wú)所獲。這個(gè)人和這條大鯨終于又相遇了，這個(gè)人便把大鯨打死了。我說(shuō)，我親自經(jīng)歷過(guò)類似的三個(gè)實(shí)例；就是說(shuō)其中有二次我親眼看到擊中了大鯨；而且在第二次的攻擊后，還看到從死鯨身上取出來(lái)的標(biāo)槍頭上都各刻有記號(hào)。在這個(gè)三年的實(shí)例上，碰巧我前后兩次都在那只小艇上，最初和最后，而且最后一次，我還清清楚楚地看到了大鯨眼睛下面有一顆特別大的黑痣，跟我三年前所看到的一模一樣。我說(shuō)三年，事實(shí)上還要多一些。那么，這里所提出的三個(gè)實(shí)例，都是我親自經(jīng)歷過(guò)的真實(shí)情況；我還從許多人那里聽(tīng)到其它許多實(shí)例，那些實(shí)例的真實(shí)性也是無(wú)可置疑的。