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Some harpooneers will consume almost an entire morning in this business, carrying the line high aloft and then reeving it downwards through a block towards the tub, so as in the act of coiling to free it from all possible wrinkles and twists.
有些標槍手簡直把整個早晨的工夫都花在繞索子上，他們把索子拎得高高，然后把它往下穿過一個轆轤，朝小桶不住地繞，這樣繞法，索子就不會打結(jié)和糾纏在一起。
In the English boats two tubs are used instead of one; the same line being continuously coiled in both tubs. There is some advantage in this; because these twin-tubs being so small they fit more readily into the boat, and do not strain it so much; whereas, the American tub, nearly three feet in diameter and of proportionate depth, makes a rather bulky freight for a craft whose planks are but one-half inch in thickness; for the bottom of the whale-boat is like critical ice, which will bear up a considerable distributed weight, but not very much of a concentrated one. When the painted canvas cover is clapped on the american line-tub, the boat looks as if it were pulling off with a prodigious great wedding-cake to present to the whales.
在英國人的小艇上，用的不是一只而是兩只小桶；他們把這種繩子不住地繞進兩只小桶。這樣做法，有些好處；因為這一對桶子很小，可以更容易地把它們安在小艇里，不必費多大的力氣；反之，美國人那種小桶，直徑近三英尺，深度也相仿佛，給小艇增加了不少負擔(dān)，因為一只捕鯨小艇的船板也不過一英寸半厚，它的艇底有如一層薄冰，雖然經(jīng)得起相當(dāng)大的分散重量，卻經(jīng)不住很大的集中重量。如果把一張漆布蓋在美國的捕鯨索桶上，那只小艇就好象是在裝著一塊龐大的結(jié)婚蛋糕去送給大鯨了。
Both ends of the line are exposed; the lower end terminating in an eye-splice or loop coming up from the bottom against the side of the tub, and hanging over its edge completely disengaged from everything. This arrangement of the lower end is necessary on two accounts.
索子兩頭都露在外面；下邊的一頭打著一只活結(jié)，從桶底沿著桶邊蜿蜒而上，完全無牽無掛地掛在桶邊。下邊的一頭所以要這樣處理法，有兩個必要的理由:
