英語聽書《白鯨記》第779期

But often possession is the whole of the law. What are the sinews and souls of Russian serfs and Republican slaves but Fast-Fish, whereof possession is the whole of the law? What to the rapacious landlord is the widow's last mite but a Fast-Fish? What is yonder undetected villain's marble mansion with a doorplate for a waif; what is that but a Fast-Fish? What is the ruinous discount which Mordecai, the broker, gets from the poor Woebegone, the bankrupt, on a loan to keep Woebegone's family from starvation; what is that ruinous discount but a Fast-Fish? What is the Archbishop of Savesoul's income of 100,000 pounds seized from the scant bread and cheese of hundreds of thousands of broken-backed laborers (all sure of heaven without any of Savesoul's help) what is that globular 100,000 but a Fast-Fish. What are the Duke of Dunder's hereditary towns and hamlets but Fast-Fish? What to that redoubted harpooneer, John Bull, is poor Ireland, but a Fast-Fish? What to that apostolic lancer, Brother Jonathan, is Texas but a Fast-Fish? And concerning all these, is not Possession the whole of the law?

不過，有了所有權(quán)往往就有全部的法律。俄羅斯的農(nóng)奴和共和國（共和國——指聯(lián)邦合眾共和國的美國。）的奴隸的精力和靈魂不就是有主鯨么？誰個有了所有權(quán)，不就是有全部的法律么？在貪得無厭的地主看來，連寡婦的最后一個小銅錢（寡婦的一個小錢——見《新約·馬可福音》第十二章四十二節(jié)的"主稱贊寡婦捐錢"。）不也就是有主鯨么？那邊那個西洋鏡還未被人拆穿的惡棍的大理石巨廈上，不是有一塊代替浮標(biāo)的門牌嗎？它不就是有主鯨么？那個掮客摩得開（摩得開即《舊約·以斯帖記》中的末座改，哈曼想殺害猶太族人，猶太族長異常悲哀，事為末底改所知，轉(zhuǎn)告其養(yǎng)女以斯帖（即亞哈隨魯王之妻）。王得知后，討伐哈曼，使猶太人免于被殺，后末底改升為王的首相，并以每年十二月十四，十五兩日為普洱節(jié)。）對破了產(chǎn)的悲哀先生放了一筆債，使悲哀先生的一家免于餓死，而取得了招致毀滅的回扣，那筆招致毀滅的回扣不就是有主鯨么？那個靈魂拯救者的大主教，從千百萬賣命干活的工人（大家都深信一點也得不到拯救靈魂的好處）的微薄的面包和乳酪里，每年刮得十萬英鎊的收益；這筆十萬英鎊的大數(shù)目不就是有主鯨么？那個丹達(dá)公爵（丹達(dá)公爵（Duke of Dunder）——按"丹達(dá)"原系指西印度群島一帶制蔗糖的糖汁渣滓，這里疑系指那些統(tǒng)治西印度群島的英美統(tǒng)治者。）世襲領(lǐng)有的大小村莊城鎮(zhèn)不就是有主鯨么？在那個勇不可當(dāng)?shù)臉?biāo)槍手約翰·布爾（約翰·布爾——英國人的綽號。）看來，可憐的愛爾蘭不就是有主鯨么？在那個使徒似的槍手喬納森弟兄（喬納森弟兄——美國人的綽號。）看來，得克薩斯州（得克薩斯州——美國州名，十七八世紀(jì)時為西班牙殖民者所占，一八三六年曾獨立為共和國，至一八四五年被美國并為聯(lián)邦的一州。作者懷著強(qiáng)烈的反奴隸制度和反擴(kuò)張主義的思想，對這一吞并深表不滿。）可不就是有主鯨么？所有這些事情，不正是說明所有權(quán)就是整個兒的法律嗎？

But if the doctrine of Fast-Fish be pretty generally applicable, the kindred doctrine of Loose-Fish is still more widely so. That is internationally and universally applicable.

不過，如果有主鯨這條原則是頗為通用的話，那么性質(zhì)相似的無主鯨的原則的適用范圍遠(yuǎn)更來得廣泛。那是普天之下到處都通用的。

查看有聲讀物更多精彩內(nèi)容