And, perhaps, other fools like her may tell thee the same. I wish to warn thee. It's a lie. I know Captain Ahab well; I've sailed with him as mate years ago; I know what he is-a good man-not a pious, good man, like Bildad, but a swearing good man-something like me-only there's a good deal more of him. Aye, aye, I know that he was never very jolly; and I know that on the passage home he was a little out of his mind for a spell; but it was the sharp shooting pains in his bleeding stump that brought that about, as any one might see. I know, too, that ever since he lost his leg last voyage by that accursed whale, he's been a kind of moody-desperate moody, and savage sometimes; but that will all pass off. And once for all, let me tell thee and assure thee, young man, it's better to sail with a moody good captain than a laughing bad one. So good-bye to thee-and wrong not Captain Ahab, because he happens to have a wicked name. Besides, my boy, he has a wife-not three voyages wedded-a sweet, resigned girl. Think of that; by that sweet girl that old man had a child: hold ye then there can be any utter, hopeless harm in Ahab? No, no, my lad; stricken, blasted, if he be, Ahab has his humanities!"
所以,象她那樣的其他一些傻瓜也許會告訴你同樣的事情。我要警告你。這是說謊。我很知道亞哈船長;好多年以前我跟他一起出過航,是他的大副;我知道他的為人...是個好人...可不是個虔誠的好人,象比勒達那樣,而是一個愛罵人的好人...有點象我...不過,他比我要好得多。呵,呵,我知道他從來就不是很愉快的;在歸航的時候,我知道他有過一陣子失魂落魄;但那是因為他那鮮血淋漓的殘腿上的針刺似的疼痛的緣故,這也是誰都看得出的。我也知道打從上次航程給那條該死的鯨搞掉了一條腿后,他就變得郁郁不樂了...非常的郁郁不樂,有時還要耍蠻;不過,那是慢慢就會消失的。總之,我再告訴你,跟你保險,小伙子,跟一個嘻嘻哈哈的壞船長出航,那是不如跟一個郁郁不樂的好船長好得多。那么,再見吧...請別錯看亞哈船長,因為他湊巧有一個邪惡的名字。再說,我的朋友,他還有一個老婆...結婚到現(xiàn)在還不滿三次航程...真是個可愛的。唯命是從的姑娘。你想一想;老頭兒靠這個可愛的姑娘還生了一個小孩呢,那么,難道你還以為亞哈是個無可救藥,十足有害的人么?不,不,小伙子;盡管他苦惱,傷殘,亞哈可還是有人性的!"
As I walked away, I was full of thoughtfulness; what had been incidentally revealed to me of Captain Ahab, filled me with a certain wild vagueness of painfulness concerning him. And somehow, at the time, I felt a sympathy and a sorrow for him, but for I don't know what, unless it was the cruel loss of his leg. And yet I also felt a strange awe of him; but that sort of awe, which I cannot at all describe, was not exactly awe; I do not know what it was. But I felt it; and it did not disincline me towards him; though I felt impatience at what seemed like mystery in him, so imperfectly as he was known to me then. However, my thoughts were at length carried in other directions, so that for the present dark Ahab slipped my mind.
我心事重重地走了;我剛才偶然得知的關于亞哈船長的情形,真教我對他有一種無法抑止的茫然的難過。不知怎地,我當時還對他感到同情和悲傷,但是,究竟是為了什么,我也不明白,也許是因為他慘痛地失去了一條腿的緣故。然而,我也對他懷有一種奇特的敬畏;不過,那種我所無法描摹的敬畏,卻不是真正的敬畏;我不知道那是一種什么敬畏。但是,我卻感到敬畏;雖然這種敬畏并不使我對他生厭;不過我同時也對他那種仿如神秘的情形感到不耐煩起來,因為當時我對他是這么弄不清楚。好在我的思路終于又轉移到別的方面上去,所以,神秘的亞哈就暫時從我的腦際消失了。
評論
打印
