評論
打印
"Good again. Now then, thou not only wantest to go a-whaling, to find out by experience what whaling is, but ye also want to go in order to see the world? Was not that what ye said? I thought so. Well then, just step forward there, and take a peep over the weather bow, and then back to me and tell me what ye see there."
"很好,很好。那么,你不單是要干捕鯨,要體驗一下捕鯨是怎么回事,而且還要借此去見見世面吧?你剛才是不是這樣說的?我想是這么說的。好吧,那么,我只要你向前走,在船頭的上風地方瞧一瞧,然后來告訴我,你在那邊看到了些什么。"
For a moment I stood a little puzzled by this curious request, not knowing exactly how to take it, whether humorously or in earnest. But concentrating all his crow's feet into one scowl, Captain Peleg started me on the errand.
這一奇特的要求,使我有點兒迷惑地楞了一會兒,不知道這要求究竟應該怎樣理解,是說說玩的還是正經的。但是,一看到他眼角的皺紋都已皺得怒沖沖了,法勒船長可把我嚇得連忙去干這差使了。
Going forward and glancing over the weather bow, I perceived that the ship swinging to her anchor with the flood-tide, was now obliquely pointing towards the open ocean. The prospect was unlimited, but exceedingly monotonous and forbidding; not the slightest variety that I could see.
我走到前邊,在船頭的上風地方看了一陣,我看出由于漲潮,曳著船錨搖晃著的船身,現在正斜對著遼闊的海洋。一望無際的景色,而且極其單調而又可怕;我一點也看不出什么變化。
"Well, what's the report?" said Peleg when I came back; "what did ye see?"
"好吧,報告上來吧。"我一回來,法勒就說;"你看到些什么?"
"Not much," I replied--"nothing but water; considerable horizon though, and there's a squall coming up, I think."
"沒有什么,"我答道。"只不過是一片海洋;遼闊得很,就要發大風了,我想。"
"Well, what dost thou think then of seeing the world? Do ye wish to go round Cape Horn to see any more of it, eh? Can't ye see the world where you stand?"
"啊,那么,你對于見見世面有什么看法呢?你可想環游一下合恩角,再多見識一些么?在你站著的地方你不能看到世面嗎?"
I was a little staggered, but go a-whaling I must, and I would; and the Pequod was as good a ship as any--I thought the best-- and all this I now repeated to Peleg. Seeing me so determined, he expressed his willingness to ship me.
我有點兒支吾起來了,不過,捕鯨我是一定要去的,會去的;"裴廓德號"也是一條很不錯的船。我認為是最好的。于是,我把這些話對法勒再說一遍。他看到我如此堅決,就表示愿意雇用我。
"And thou mayest as well sign the papers right off," he added--"come along with ye." And so saying, he led the way below deck into the cabin.
"那么,你不如就馬上簽約吧,"接著他又說。"跟我來。"說著,他領我下了甲板,到艙里去。
