評(píng)論
打印
Doubtless one leading reason why the world declines honouring us whalemen, is this:
別人一定認(rèn)你的腦子多少有點(diǎn)毛病。
they think that, at best, our vocation amounts to a butchering sort of business;
人們認(rèn)為我們屬于屠宰業(yè)中的一支，
and that when actively engaged therein, we are surrounded by all manner of defilements.
雙手沾滿了鮮血，身上有屠戮者的污穢和腥臭。
Butchers we are, that is true.
說我們是屠夫，也對(duì)
But butchers, also, and butchers of the bloodiest badge have been all Martial Commanders whom the world invariably delights to honour.
其實(shí)，人們對(duì)殺戮他們的同類的那些人反倒沒有這種感覺了，他們稱那些殺人如麻的家伙為將軍。
And as for the matter of the alleged uncleanliness of our business, ye shall soon be initiated into certain facts hitherto pretty generally unknown,
和那些尸臭沖天的戰(zhàn)場(chǎng)比起來，捕鯨船上滑溜溜的甲板不知要干凈多少倍呢！
and which, upon the whole, will triumphantly plant the sperm whale-ship at least among the cleanliest things of this tidy earth.
那些操縱殺人武器的士兵們回到后方時(shí)，會(huì)受到人們的熱烈歡迎，肉林酒池的招待會(huì)讓他們昏昏然。
But even granting the charge in question to be true;
但也不盡然。
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?
不過，如果讓他們?nèi)ッ鎸?duì)抹香鯨的尾巴，大概沒有幾個(gè)還能站住腳而不癱在地上。人類頭腦中的恐怖觀念，無論如何也是不能與神秘的上帝奇觀相比較的。
