評論
打印
There was nothing so very particular, perhaps, about the appearance of the elderly man I saw; he was brown and brawny, like most old seamen, and heavily rolled up in blue pilot-cloth, cut in the Quaker style; only there was a fine and almost microscopic net-work of the minutest wrinkles interlacing round his eyes, which must have arisen from his continual sailings in many hard gales, and always looking to windward;for this causes the muscles about the eyes to become pursed together. Such eye-wrinkles are very effectual in a scowl.
我所看到的這個老人的容貌,也許一點也沒有什么十分特別的地方,他膚色棕褐,身體結實,跟大多數水手一樣,裹著一件按照桂克款式裁制的藍色舵工衣;不過他那雙眼睛的周圍卻交錯著許多細微的皺紋,是一種細微得簡直要用顯微鏡才看得清楚的網眼,這一定是因為不斷在狂風里航行,經常望著上風的緣故;。使得他眼睛四周的肌肉都縮在一起。這種眼皺作出怒容來倒是效果頗佳。
"Is this the Captain of the Pequod?" said I, advancing to the door of the tent.
"這位可是'裴廓德號,的船長?"我走到那篷帳門口說。
"Supposing it be the Captain of the Pequod, what dost thou want of him?" he demanded.
"假定是'裴廓德號,的船長,你找他做什么?"他問道。
"I was thinking of shipping."
"我想當水手。"
"Thou wast, wast thou? I see thou art no Nantucketer-ever been in a stove boat?"
"你想,是你?我看你不是南塔開特人。可乘過失了事的小艇?"
"No, Sir, I never have."
"沒有,先生,我從來沒有過。"
"Dost know nothing at all about whaling, I dare say-eh?
"根本就不懂得捕鯨這行當吧,我敢說是嗎?"
"Nothing, Sir; but I have no doubt I shall soon learn. I've been several voyages in the merchant service, and I think that-"
"一點也不懂,先生;不過,沒有問題,我很快就可以學起來。我曾經干過幾趟商船,因此,我認為。"
"Merchant service be damned. Talk not that lingo to me. Dost see that leg?I'll take that leg away from thy stern, if ever thou talkest of the merchant service to me again. Marchant service indeed! I suppose now ye feel considerable proud of having served in those marchant ships. But flukes! man, what makes thee want to go a whaling, eh?--it looks a little suspicious, don't it, eh?Hast not been a pirate, hast thou?Didst not rob thy last Captain, didst thou?Dost not think of murdering the officers when thou gettest to sea?"
"干商船的真該死。別跟我扯這些鬼話。你可看到那條腿?。你要是再跟我扯干商船的事,我就要叫你的腿跟屁股分家啦。好個干商船的!我想,你認為干過那種商船是很光彩的吧。可是,算你僥幸吧!喂,我問你,你為什么想干起捕鯨來?。這倒有點可疑,可不是嗎?。你沒有干過海盜吧,干過嗎?。你沒有搶劫過你先前的船長吧,搶劫過嗎?。你出海的時候,該不會想謀殺船上的頭目吧?"
