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Perhaps the only formal whaling code authorized by legislative enactment, was that of Holland. It was decreed by the States-General in A.D. 1695. But though no other nation has ever had any written whaling law, yet the American fishermen have been their own legislators and lawyers in this matter. They have provided a system which for terse comprehensiveness surpasses Justinian's Pandects and the By-laws of the Chinese Society for the Suppression of Meddling with other People's Business. Yes; these laws might be engraven on a Queen Anne's farthing, or the barb of a harpoon, and worn round the neck, so small are they.
由立法手續制訂出來的唯一正式的捕鯨法典，也許應該算是荷蘭那部法典。這部法典，由國會頒布于一六九五年。雖然其它國家從來沒有訂過任何捕鯨的成文法，然而，美國的捕鯨者在這方面卻有他們自己的立法者和律師。他們規定了一套制度，這套制度，就其簡單明了說來，可說遠遠超過《查士丁尼法典》（《查士丁尼法典》——東羅馬拜占庭皇帝查士丁尼（483—565）所編纂的一部《羅馬民法法典》。）和中國社會通行的莫管閑事的私法（這里是作者的諷喻，意指我國舊社會的俗諺："各人自掃門前雪，莫管他人瓦上霜"。）。真的，這些法律條文之簡短，也許可以把它鐫刻在一個安妮女王的銅元上，刻在標槍倒鉤上或掛在頸脖子上。
I. A Fast-Fish belongs to the party fast to it.
（1）有主鯨屬于將鯨拴住的一方。
II. A Loose-Fish is fair game for anybody who can soonest catch it.
（2）無主鯨是誰先捉到，就歸誰所有的一種來路正當的獵物。
But what plays the mischief with this masterly code is the admirable brevity of it, which necessitates a vast volume of commentaries to expound it.
可是，這個巧妙的規章的毛病，正是出在它本身的過于簡賅上，這須得寫下一卷注釋浩瀚的書，才能把它說得清楚。
First: What is a Fast-Fish? Alive or dead a fish is technically fast, when it is connected with an occupied ship or boat, by any medium at all controllable by the occupant or occupants,—a mast, an oar, a nine-inch cable, a telegraph wire, or a strand of cobweb, it is all the same.
首先：什么叫做有主鯨？活鯨和死鯨之所以跟一艘有主船或一只有主小艇發生關系，顧名思義，是因為所有主通過完全由其掌握的任何工具——比如一支桅，一把槳，一根九英寸長的纜索，一根電線，或者一張網等等將鯨拴住了，
