評論
打印
Suspended over the side in one of the stages, Tashtego and Daggoo continually flourished over his head a couple of keen whale-spades, wherewith they slaughtered as many sharks as they could reach. This procedure of theirs, to be sure, was very disinterested and benevolent of them. They meant Queequeg's best happiness, I admit; but in their hasty zeal to befriend him, and from the circumstance that both he and the sharks were at times half hidden by the blood-muddled water, those indiscreet spades of theirs would come nearer amputating a leg than a tall. But poor Queequeg, I suppose, straining and gasping there with that great iron hook—poor Queequeg, I suppose, only prayed to his Yojo, and gave up his life into the hands of his gods.
塔斯蒂哥和大個兒在船邊一只吊梯上，掄起兩只銳利的鯨鏟，不斷地在魁魁格頭頂揮舞，在他們夠得到的地方大肆屠殺鯊魚。他們這種做法，自然是毫無私心而且慈善為懷的。我雖然認為，他們是存心為了魁魁格的安全；不過，在他們急想庇護他的熱情中，再從魁魁格和鯊魚群時常是半隱在血腥糊涂的海水里的情形說來，他們這兩支不很慎重的鏟子，就差不多更有砍到一條腿而不是砍到魚的可能了。可是我想，可憐的魁魁格在那里煞費氣力、氣喘吁吁地擺弄那只大鐵鉤——我想可憐的魁魁格只有懇求他的約約，把他的生命交給他的天神了。
Well, well, my dear comrade and twin-brother, thought I, as I drew in and then slacked off the rope to every swell of the sea— what matters it, after all? Are you not the precious image of each and all of us men in this whaling world? That unsounded ocean you gasp in, is Life; those sharks, your foes; those spades, your friends; and what between sharks and spades you are in a sad pickle and peril, poor lad.
當我合著海浪的起伏，把那根索子一會兒拉緊，一會兒放松的時候，我心里想，好吧，好吧，我親愛的伙伴和孿生弟兄，說到底，這算得了什么呢？你可不就是我們這個捕鯨界里大家的寶貝么？你所渴望的那個深不可測的海洋就是生命；那些鯊魚就是你的仇敵；那些鏟子就是你的朋友；在你這樣左右為難的險境中，鯊魚跟鏟子又有什么區別呢，可憐的伙伴呀。
But courage! there is good cheer in store for you, Queequeg. For now, as with blue lips and blood-shot eyes the exhausted savage at last climbs up the chains and stands all dripping and involuntarily trembling over the side; the steward advances, and with a benevolent, consolatory glance hands him—what? Some hot Cognac? No! hands him, ye gods! hands him a cup of tepid ginger and water!
可是，拿出勇氣來呀！歡欣鼓舞正在等著你呢，魁魁格。現在這個精疲力竭、嘴唇發青、眼睛充血的野人，終于攀上了錨鏈，不由自主地抖抖索索翻過船舷，全身濕淋淌滴地站在那里了；那個茶房帶著一種仁慈、安慰的眼色走上前去，拿給他——什么呀？熱的白蘭地么？不！給他，天呀！給他一杯不冷不熱的姜湯！
