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Chapter 65 The Whale as a Dish
第六十五章 做菜的鯨
That mortal man should feed upon the creature that feeds his lamp, and, like Stubb, eat him by his own light, as you may say; this seems so outlandish a thing that one must needs go a little into the history and philosophy of it.
你也許會說：世間竟有人會飽嘗那種供給他燈火的動物，而且，竟有人象斯塔布那樣，借它的光吃它的肉；這事情，似乎十分野蠻，非稍微研究一下它的歷史和哲理不可。
It is upon record, that three centuries ago the tongue of the Right Whale was esteemed a great delicacy in France, and commanded large prices there. Also, that in Henry VIIIth's time, a certain cook of the court obtained a handsome reward for inventing an admirable sauce to be eaten with barbacued porpoises, which, you remember, are a species of whale. Porpoises, indeed, are to this day considered fine eating. The meat is made into balls about the size of billiard balls, and being well seasoned and spiced might be taken for turtle-balls or veal balls. The old monks of Dunfermline were very fond of them. They had a great porpoise grant from the crown.
據記載，三百年前，法國把露脊鯨的舌頭當做一種珍饈美味，而且價錢賣得非常之高。同時，據說，在亨利八世（亨利八世（1509—1547）——英國國王。）的時代，有某個御廚，因為發明了一種蘸全烤小鯨用的美味醬油，得到了一筆相當可觀的賞金。（那種小鯨，你該記得，也是鯨的一種。）不錯，直到今天，人們還是把小鯨看做一種可口的食品。用它的肉做成跟彈子球差不多大小的肉球，加了好作料，也許會被當成海鱉肉球或者小牛肉球。丹斐謨林（丹斐謨林——蘇格蘭的一個自治都市，該地有一個建立于十一世紀的大修道院。）的老修道士們，就非常愛吃這種東西。國王還曾賞給他們一條體積很大的小鯨。
The fact is, that among his hunters at least, the whale would by all hands be considered a noble dish, were there not so much of him; but when you come to sit down before a meat-pie nearly one hundred feet long, it takes away your appetite. Only the most unprejudiced of men like Stubb, nowadays partake of cooked whales; but the Esquimaux are not so fastidious.
事實上，如果大鯨本身不是很好的話，那么，至少在捕鯨人中，決不會把它當做一種高貴的魚。不過，當你坐將下來，看到面前擺著一塊長達一百英尺的肉餅時，也準會叫你大倒胃口。現在只有象斯塔布這樣毫無成見的人才會嘗一嘗煮鯨肉；那些愛斯基摩人可也不是這么挑三剔四。
