評論
打印
Nor does it unfrequently occur, that Nantucket captains will send a son of such tender age away from them, for a protracted three or four years' voyage in some other ship than their own; so that their first knowledge of a whaleman's career shall be unenervated by any chance display of a father's natural but untimely partiality, or undue apprehensiveness and concern.
這種情形在南塔開特并不是什么希罕的事情，一般船長們總要打發這樣幼小的兒子離開家門，送到別人的船上，而不是自己的船上，去連續過個三四年的海上生活；這樣，由于做父親的那種自然的，然而是不合時宜的偏愛，或者是不適當的理解與關懷，一個捕鯨者的生涯就首先認識到任何場合都不應顯得軟弱無能。
Meantime, now the stranger was still beseeching his poor boon of Ahab; and Ahab still stood like an anvil, receiving every shock, but without the least quivering of his own.
這時，這個陌生船長還在對亞哈哀求苦告；亞哈也還是象一塊砧板似地安在那里，承受著人家一記記的敲擊，他自己卻毫無所動。
I will not go, said the stranger, "till you say aye to me. Do to me as you would have me do to you in the like case. For you too have a boy, Captain Ahab — though but a child, and nestling safely at home now — a child of your old age too — Yes, yes, you relent; I see it — run, run, men, now, and stand by to square in the yards."
除非你對我說好，否則我就不走。陌生船長說。"請你象在這樣情況下要我幫助你一樣，幫助我一下吧。因為，亞哈船長，你也有個兒子——雖然不過還是個小孩，現在在家里過得平平安安——可也是你的老來子呀——不錯，不錯，你發慈悲了；我看出來了——趕快，趕快，伙伴們，那么，準備把帆桁調一調吧。"
Avast, cried Ahab — "touch not a rope-yarn"; then in a voice that prolongingly moulded every word — "Captain Gardiner, I will not do it. Even now I lose time, Good-bye, good-bye. God bless ye, man, and may I forgive myself, but I must go.
別動，亞哈叫道，"一根繩索都不許碰；"接著就字錘句煉地慢慢地說——"加迪納船長，這事情我不干。就這會工夫，已經叫我浪費了時間，再會，再會。愿上帝保佑你，愿我自己原諒自己，我無論如何得啟航了。
