評(píng)論
打印
The whale never figured in any grand imposing way? In one of the mighty triumphs given to a Roman general upon his entering the world's capital, the bones of a whale, brought all the way from the Syrian coast, were the most conspicuous object in the cymballed procession.
大鯨本身從來(lái)就沒(méi)有被當(dāng)做什么大了不起的么?在為一個(gè)羅馬將軍進(jìn)入這個(gè)世界的古都所舉行的壯麗的凱旋式上,那根從敘利亞沿海路遠(yuǎn)迢迢運(yùn)來(lái)的鯨骨,正是那鐃鈸齊鳴的行列中最引人注目的東西。
See subsequent chapters for something more on this head.
你既然這樣旁征博引,那就算它是這樣吧;
Grant it, since you cite it; but say what you will, there is no real dignity in whaling.
不過(guò),隨你怎樣說(shuō),捕鯨業(yè)可真沒(méi)有什么威風(fēng)。
No dignity in whaling? The dignity of our calling the very heavens attest. Cetus is a constellation in the South! No more! Drive down your hat in presence of the Czar, and take it off to Queequeg! No more! I know a man that, in his lifetime has taken three hundred and fifty whales. I account that man more honorable than that great captain of antiquity who boasted of taking as many walled towns.
捕鯨業(yè)沒(méi)有什么威風(fēng)么?我們這個(gè)職業(yè)的威風(fēng)是只有上天才能加以證實(shí)。鯨座就是南方的一個(gè)星座!再也不能多了!如果你在沙皇面前得拉掉帽子,那么,你也對(duì)魁魁格脫下帽子吧!再也不能多了!我知道一個(gè)人,他一生捕到了三百五十條大鯨。我認(rèn)為那個(gè)人遠(yuǎn)比那些大吹其奪取了同樣數(shù)目的城邑的古代大酋長(zhǎng)還更光榮。
And, as for me, if, by any possibility, there be any as yet undiscovered prime thing in me; if I shall ever deserve any real repute in that small but high hushed world which I might not be unreasonably ambitious of; if hereafter I shall do anything that, upon the whole, a man might rather have done than to have left undone; if, at my death, my executors, or more properly my creditors, find any precious MSS. in my desk, then here I prospectively ascribe all the honor and the glory to whaling; for a whale-ship was my Yale College and my Harvard.
至于說(shuō)到我,如果萬(wàn)一在我身上還有一些尚未發(fā)現(xiàn)的最好的東西;如果我在這個(gè)小小而非常靜寂的世界上,尚配享受一點(diǎn)我所不想渴求的真實(shí)的聲譽(yù);如果一般說(shuō)來(lái),從此我還能做些別人所愿意做的一點(diǎn)事情;如果在我死后,我所指定的遺囑執(zhí)行人,或者不如更正確地說(shuō),我的債權(quán)人,在我的寫字臺(tái)里,能夠找到任何珍貴的手稿,那么,我得在這里預(yù)先把一切榮耀都?xì)w之于捕鯨業(yè):因?yàn)橐凰也饿L船就是我的耶魯大學(xué)和哈佛大學(xué)。
