評論
打印
I protested my innocence of these things. I saw that under the mask of these half humorous innuendoes, this old seaman, as an insulated Quakerish Nantucketer, was full of his insular prejudices, and rather distrustful of all aliens, unless they hailed from Cape Cod or the Vineyard.
我堅決聲明我從來沒有干過這些事情。我看出,在這些半幽默的諷刺話底里,這個老水手,這個與世隔絕的桂克派的南塔開特人,是有滿腦子的島民偏見的,他除了科德角人或者是維因耶德以外,是很不信任一切外地人的。
"But what takes thee a-whaling? I want to know that before I think of shipping ye."
"但是,你為什么要干起捕鯨來呢?我得弄清楚這個后,才來考慮雇用你。"
"Well, sir, I want to see what whaling is. I want to see the world."
"啊,先生,我想要看看捕鯨是怎么回事,我想見見世面,開開眼界。"
"Want to see what whaling is, eh? Have ye clapped eye on Captain Ahab?"
"要看看捕鯨是怎么回事,是嗎?你可瞥見亞哈船長么?"
"Who is Captain Ahab, sir?"
"亞哈船長是誰,先生?"
"Aye, aye, I thought so. Captain Ahab is the Captain of this ship."
"啊,啊,我想是這樣。亞哈船長就是這只船的船長。"
"I am mistaken then. I thought I was speaking to the Captain himself."
"那么,我弄錯了。我還以為我是在跟船長本人談話呢。"
"Thou art speaking to Captain Peleg--that's who ye are speaking to, young man. It belongs to me and Captain Bildad to see the Pequod fitted out for the voyage, and supplied with all her needs, including crew. We are part owners and agents. But as I was going to say, if thou wantest to know what whaling is, as thou tellest ye do, I can put ye in a way of finding it out before ye bind yourself to it, past backing out. Clap eye on Captain Ahab, young man, and thou wilt find that he has only one leg."
"你是在跟法勒船長談話。這就是你跟他談話的人,小伙子。我跟比勒達船長一起負責準備'裴廓德號,開航種種事情,給它裝備各種必需的東西,包括水手在內。我們都是股東老板兼經理人。不過,我要說的是,如果你要想知道捕鯨是怎么一回事,象你剛才所說的,那么,在你保證要干這行當,不打退堂鼓之前,我倒要讓你弄弄明白。你得去瞧一瞧亞哈船長,小伙子,那么,你就可以看到,他只有一條腿。"
"What do you mean, sir? Was the other one lost by a whale?"
"你這是什么意思,先生?還有一條腿是讓大鯨給搞掉的嗎?"
