評論
打印
"Ginger? Do I smell ginger?" suspiciously asked Stubb, coming near. "Yes, this must be ginger," peering into the as yet untasted cup. Then standing as if incredulous for a while, he calmly walked towards the astonished steward slowly saying, "Ginger? ginger? and will you have the goodness to tell me, Mr. Dough-Boy, where lies the virtue of ginger? Ginger! is ginger the sort of fuel you use, Dough-boy, to kindle a fire in this shivering cannibal? Ginger!—what the devil is ginger?— sea-coal? firewood?—lucifer matches?—tinder?—gunpowder?—what the devil is ginger, I say, that you offer this cup to our poor Queequeg here."
"姜嗎？我聞到姜的味兒嗎？"斯塔布走攏來后，懷疑地問道。"不錯，這準是姜，"他直瞧著那只還未上口的杯子。他仿佛深表懷疑似地站了一會兒，心平氣和地走到那個滿懷驚訝的茶房跟前，慢吞吞地說，"姜？姜？可不可以勞駕告訴我一下，我的湯團先生，姜有些什么功效呀？姜！姜就是你所用的柴火，湯團，想在這個索索抖的野人肚皮里生火嗎？姜！姜究竟是什么？海上的煤炭？——燒火的柴爿？——黃磷火柴？——火絨？——火藥？——姜究竟是什么？我說，你為什么要把這杯東西給我們這個可憐的魁魁格？"
"There is some sneaking Temperance Society movement about this business," he suddenly added, now approaching Starbuck, who had just come from forward. "Will you look at that kannakin, sir; smell of it, if you please." Then watching the mate's countenance, he added, "The steward, Mr. Starbuck, had the face to offer that calomel and jalap to Queequeg, there, this instant off the whale. Is the steward an apothecary, sir? and may I ask whether this is the sort of bitters by which he blows back the life into a half-drowned man?"
"這事情倒象是在偷偷地搞禁酒運動了，"他突然補上一句，走到正從船頭走過來的斯達巴克跟前去。"請你看一看那一小杯東西，聞它一聞，先生。"接著他望著這大副的面色，又說："這個茶房呀，斯達巴克先生，魁魁格剛從鯨身上爬上來，他竟好意思給他拿來這種甘汞和瀉藥。這茶房是個藥劑師么，先生？我可不可以問一聲，他究竟是不是想拿這種辣東西來謀害一個淹得半死的人？"
"I trust not," said Starbuck, "it is poor stuff enough."
"我相信不是這樣，"斯達巴克說，"這確是夠糟的東西。"
