評論
打印
But the tendency to rapid sinking in this substance was in the present instance materially counteracted by the other parts of the head remaining undetached from it, so that it sank very slowly and deliberately indeed, affording Queequeg a fair chance for performing his agile obstetrics on the run, as you may say. Yes, it was a running delivery, so it was.
不過，這種東西的迅速下沉的趨勢，在這一只鯨頭說來，卻由于頭顱中還有未曾割掉的其它的零碎東西而大大地受到了牽制，所以，它才沉得很慢很穩(wěn)，也可以這樣說，這才使得魁魁格能夠有機(jī)會從從容容摸來摸去，進(jìn)行他那敏捷的接生術(shù)。不錯，這就是一種隨機(jī)應(yīng)變的接生術(shù)。
Now, had Tashtego perished in that head, it had been a very precious perishing; smothered in the very whitest and daintiest of fragrant spermaceti; coffined, hearsed, and tombed in the secret inner chamber and sanctum sanctorum of the whale. Only one sweeter end can readily be recalled—the delicious death of an Ohio honey-hunter, who seeking honey in the crotch of a hollow tree, found such exceeding store of it, that leaning too far over, it sucked him in, so that he died embalmed. How many, think ye, have likewise fallen into Plato's honey head, and sweetly perished there?
那么，如果塔斯蒂哥就在那只頭里完了蛋的話，這倒真是一種十分稀奇的慘死，給悶死在那很白很優(yōu)美而芬芳的鯨腦里，裝殮，盛棺，埋葬在那只大鯨的神秘的內(nèi)室和至圣所里。這只能立刻教人想到另一個更為甜美的結(jié)局——想到一個俄亥俄的采蜂蜜人（這里指采野蜂蜜。）的妙死的故事，這個采蜂蜜人，在一棵中空的大樹椏里采蜜的時候，因為發(fā)覺里面蜂蜜不少，上身伸得太猛，竟讓蜜把他汲了進(jìn)去，因而滿身香氣地死了。那么，你們想一想吧，同樣地掉進(jìn)了柏拉圖那如蜜如膠的腦袋里，而美滿地死了的可有多少呀？
Chapter 79 The Prairie
第七十九章 大草原
To scan the lines of his face, or feel the bumps on the head of this Leviathan; this is a thing which no Physiognomist or Phrenologist has as yet undertaken. Such an enterprise would seem almost as hopeful as for Lavater to have scrutinized the wrinkles on the Rock of Gibraltar, or for Gall to have mounted a ladder and manipulated the Dome of the Pantheon.
仔細(xì)地看一看它臉上的紋路，或者摸一摸這只大海獸頭上隆起的頭蓋骨，這是一件連看相先生或者骨相學(xué)家都從來沒有做過的事情。這種行當(dāng)，倒差不多跟拉瓦特（約翰·卡斯柏·拉瓦特（1741—1801）——瑞士相士。）去仔細(xì)觀察直布羅陀人的額上的紋路，或者是跟迦耳（法朗士·約瑟·迦耳（1758—1828）——德國醫(yī)生，骨相學(xué)的創(chuàng)始者。）爬上梯子，去巧妙地?fù)崤獋ト遂簦▊ト遂簟赴屠璧氖ァと漳峋S耶甫教堂。）的圓屋頂一樣很有前途。
