🔊 Ere quitting, for the nonce, the Sperm Whale's head, I would have you, as a sensible physiologist, simply—particularly remark its front aspect, in all its compacted collectedness. I would have you investigate it now with the sole view of forming to yourself some unexaggerated, intelligent estimate of whatever battering-ram power may be lodged there. Here is a vital point; for you must either satisfactorily settle this matter with yourself, or for ever remain an infidel as to one of the most appalling, but not the less true events, perhaps anywhere to be found in all recorded history.

此刻,在暂别这抹香鲸的头颅之前,我恳请你--一位明智的生理学家--只需特别留意其前部那紧凑集中的形态。我恳请你此刻探究它,唯一目的便是为自己形成一种毫不夸张、明智的估量,以评估那里可能蕴藏的攻城槌般的力量。此乃要害所在；因你若不就此满意地了结此事,便只得永远对那或许于一切有载史册中皆可寻得的最骇人、却同样真切的事件之一,持怀疑态度。

🔊

physiologist /ˌfɪziˈɒlədʒɪst/

n. 生理学家➕

🔊

compacted /kəmˈpæktɪd/

adj. 压缩的,紧密的➕

🔊

collectedness /kəˈlɛktɪdnəs/

n. 集中,镇定➕

🔊

unexaggerated /ˌʌnɪɡˈzædʒəreɪtɪd/

adj. 未夸张的,实事求是的➕

🔊

battering-ram /ˈbætərɪŋ ræm/

n. 攻城槌➕

🔊

vital /ˈvaɪtl/

adj. 至关重要的,生死攸关的➕

🔊

satisfactorily /ˌsætɪsˈfæktərəli/

adv. 令人满意地➕

🔊

infidel /ˈɪnfɪdəl/

n. 不信教者,异教徒➕

🔊

appalling /əˈpɔːlɪŋ/

adj. 可怕的,骇人听闻的➕

🔊

recorded history /rɪˈkɔːdɪd ˈhɪstəri/

n. phrase. 有记录的历史➕

🔊 You observe that in the ordinary swimming position of the Sperm Whale, the front of his head presents an almost wholly vertical plane to the water; you observe that the lower part of that front slopes considerably backwards, so as to furnish more of a retreat for the long socket of his jaw; you observe that the mouth is entirely under the head, much in the same way, indeed, as though your own mouth were entirely under your chin. Moreover you observe that the whale has no external nose; and that what nose he has—his spout hole—is on the top of his head; you observe that his eyes and ears are at the sides of his head, nearly one third of his entire length from the front. Wherefore, you must now have perceived that the front of the Sperm Whale's head is a dead, blind wall, without a single organ or tender prominence of any sort whatsoever.

诸位当知,抹香鲸于寻常游弋之姿,其首前部几近全然垂直水面；诸位当知,那前部下端大幅向后倾斜,以便为长颌骨槽腾出更多退避空间；诸位当知,其口全然位于首下,恰似诸君之口,全然位于下颌之下一般。再者,诸位当知,鲸鱼并无外鼻；而其所具之鼻--其喷水孔--乃在头顶；诸位当知,其眼与耳皆在首侧,距前端近乎身长三分之一。是故,诸位此刻必已察知,抹香鲸首前乃是一堵死寂、盲瞽之壁,绝无半丝器官或柔弱突起。

🔊

considerably /kənˈsɪdərəbli/

adv. 相当地,非常➕

🔊

furnish /ˈfɜːnɪʃ/

v. 提供,配备➕

🔊

retreat /rɪˈtriːt/

n. 撤退,避难所➕

🔊

socket /ˈsɒkɪt/

n. 插座,窝➕

🔊

external /ɪkˈstɜːnl/

adj. 外部的,外来的➕

🔊

spout hole /spaʊt həʊl/

n. phrase. 喷水孔（指鲸的呼吸孔）➕

🔊

Wherefore /ˈweəfɔː(r)/

conj. 因此,为何➕

🔊

perceived /pəˈsiːvd/

v. 感知,认识到➕

🔊

tender prominence /ˈtendə ˈprɒmɪnəns/

n. phrase. 柔软的凸起➕

🔊 Furthermore, you are now to consider that only in the extreme, lower, backward sloping part of the front of the head, is there the slightest vestige of bone; and not till you get near twenty feet from the forehead do you come to the full cranial development. So that this whole enormous boneless mass is as one wad. Finally, though, as will soon be revealed, its contents partly comprise the most delicate oil; yet, you are now to be apprised of the nature of the substance which so impregnably invests all that apparent effeminacy. In some previous place I have described to you how the blubber wraps the body of the whale, as the rind wraps an orange. Just so with the head; but with this difference: about the head this envelope, though not so thick, is of a boneless toughness, inestimable by any man who has not handled it. The severest pointed harpoon, the sharpest lance darted by the strongest human arm, impotently rebounds from it. It is as though the forehead of the Sperm Whale were paved with horses' hoofs. I do not think that any sensation lurks in it.

此外,诸位现须思量,唯有在首前极尽低处、向后倾斜之部分,方存丝毫骨迹；直至近前额二十英尺处,始见完整颅骨发育。故而,这整团硕大无朋、不见骨骼的实体,浑然如一块填塞物。末了,虽则其内部分蕴有至为精纯的油液--此事稍后即明--然诸位现须知晓,那坚不可摧包裹此等看似柔弱之物的实质为何。前处我曾向诸君描述,鲸脂如何裹覆鲸身,犹如橘皮裹橙。首部亦然,然有一异:首部此层外衣虽不甚厚,却具一种无骨之韧,凡未亲手触者,皆不可估量。最锋锐之捕鲸枪,最强健臂膀所掷之最尖锐长矛,皆无力自其上弹回。仿佛那抹香鲸的额首,竟是用无数马蹄铁铺就而成。吾意,其中并无知觉潜藏。

🔊

vestige /ˈvestɪdʒ/

n. 痕迹,残余➕

🔊

cranial /ˈkreɪniəl/

adj. 颅骨的➕

🔊

boneless /ˈbəʊnləs/

adj. 无骨的➕

🔊

wad /wɒd/

n. 一团,一卷➕

🔊

delicate /ˈdelɪkət/

adj. 精致的,脆弱的➕

🔊

apprised /əˈpraɪzd/

v. 通知,告知➕

🔊

impregnably /ɪmˈpreɡnəbli/

adv. 坚不可摧地➕

🔊

invests /ɪnˈvɛsts/

v. 包围,投资➕

🔊

effeminacy /ɪˈfemɪnəsi/

n. 柔弱,女子气➕

🔊

blubber /ˈblʌbə(r)/

n. 鲸脂,脂肪➕

🔊

rind /raɪnd/

n. 外皮,果皮➕

🔊

envelope /ˈenvələʊp/

n. 信封,包层➕

🔊

inestimable /ɪnˈestɪməbl/

adj. 无法估计的,无价的➕

🔊

severest /sɪˈvɪərɪst/

adj. 最严厉的,最严重的➕

🔊

harpoon /hɑːˈpuːn/

n. 鱼叉➕

🔊

lance /lɑːns/

n. 长矛,手术刀➕

🔊

impotently /ɪmˈpəʊtəntli/

adv. 无力地,无效地➕

🔊

rebounds /rɪˈbaʊndz/

v. 弹回,反弹➕

🔊

paved /peɪvd/

v. 铺砌,铺设➕

🔊

sensation /senˈseɪʃn/

n. 感觉,轰动➕

🔊

lurks /lɜːks/

v. 潜伏,潜藏➕

🔊 Bethink yourself also of another thing. When two large, loaded Indiamen are meeting in the mid-Atlantic—as two large loaded Indiamen are—there is a terrible risk to both. So with two whales meeting. For not only would their relative velocity be great, but being both massive, their momentum would be proportionally great. Do you not see, then, that the Sperm Whale is well qualified for a battering-ram? And that headwise he strikes? For in the ordinary act of sounding, with what velocity he sinks! And when, after rising to the surface, he makes a dash at a boat, with what vast impetus he charges! All this is as true as that a schoolboy's slate-pencil, pointed at both ends, will dart through the air when propelled by a rubber string.

再者,请思量另一事。当两艘满载的印度商船于大西洋中部相遇时--正如两艘满载印度商船那般--双方皆临可怖之险。鲸鱼相遇亦复如是。盖因不仅其相对速度极大,且二者皆庞然巨物,其动量亦按比例巨大。然则,诸位岂不见抹香鲸正堪当攻城槌乎？且其以首撞击乎？因其于寻常潜沉之际,其下沉之迅疾！而当浮出水面后冲向小舟时,其冲撞之势之磅礴！凡此种种,皆如学童两端削尖之石板铅笔,借橡皮筋之力弹射而出,便会破空疾飞一样确凿无疑。

🔊

Bethink /bɪˈθɪŋk/

v. 思考,想起➕

🔊

Indiamen /ˈɪndiəmən/

n. 印度商船➕

🔊

mid-Atlantic /mɪd ətˈlæntɪk/

adj. 大西洋中部的➕

🔊

relative velocity /ˈrelətɪv vəˈlɒsəti/

n. phrase. 相对速度➕

🔊

massive /ˈmæsɪv/

adj. 巨大的,大量的➕

🔊

momentum /məˈmentəm/

n. 动量,势头➕

🔊

proportionally /prəˈpɔːʃənəli/

adv. 成比例地➕

🔊

qualified /ˈkwɒlɪfaɪd/

adj. 合格的,有资格的➕

🔊

headwise /ˈhɛdwaɪz/

adv. 以头朝前的方式➕

🔊

sounding /ˈsaʊndɪŋ/

n. 测深,潜水➕

🔊

velocity /vəˈlɒsəti/

n. 速度➕

🔊

impetus /ˈɪmpɪtəs/

n. 动力,推动力➕

🔊

charges /tʃɑːdʒɪz/

v. 冲锋,充电➕

🔊

propelled /prəˈpeld/

v. 推进,推动➕

🔊 Thus, then, I leave this grave matter of the head. But before finally quitting it, I cannot forbear to call your attention to a most curious thing concerning it. In the case of almost all other animals, the two eyes are so placed as to produce one picture; but in the whale, owing to the peculiar position of the eyes on opposite sides of the head, the two fields of vision are entirely distinct; so that the whale, strictly speaking, has no more a single, distinct, front view of any object, than he has a side view. He is as a man with two separate portraits of the same scene, but seen from different points. Is it not curious, then, that in all his furious dartings, the whale never once strikes his head against rocks, ships, or other obstacles? Now, how is this? I will suggest an explanation. Possibly, the whale's brain is so constituted that the two images, one from each eye, are blended into one; or else, that having no binocular vision, he is guided by some other sense, perhaps that of hearing. But this is a matter for physiologists to decide.

是以,我且搁下这关于首部的严肃话题。然于最终离去之前,我禁不住要提请诸君注意一桩极奇特之事。在几乎所有其他动物的大脑中,双目之位使得能生一幅图像；然于鲸鱼,因其目位于首部相对两侧之殊位,两者的视野全然迥异；故严格言之,鲸鱼对任何物体既无单一、清晰之前观,亦无侧观。这情形,好比一人手握同一景致的两帧独立画像,然自不同视角观之。然则,奇哉怪也,于其所有狂猛冲击中,鲸鱼从未一次以首撞击岩石、舟船或其他障碍物？此是何故？容我提出一解。或许,鲸鱼之脑构造使得两幅图像--每目一幅--融合为一；抑或,因无双眼视觉,其受他感引导,或为听觉。然此事须由生理学家定夺。

🔊

grave /ɡreɪv/

adj. 严重的,重大的➕

🔊

forbear /fɔːˈbeə(r)/

v. 克制,忍耐➕

🔊

peculiar /pɪˈkjuːliə(r)/

adj. 独特的,奇怪的➕

🔊

distinct /dɪˈstɪŋkt/

adj. distinct的,清晰的➕

🔊

furious /ˈfjʊəriəs/

adj. 狂怒的,激烈的➕

🔊

dartings /ˈdɑːtɪŋz/

n. 猛冲,突进➕

🔊

obstacles /ˈɒbstəklz/

n. 障碍,阻碍➕

🔊

constituted /ˈkɒnstɪtjuːtɪd/

v. 构成,组成➕

🔊

blended /ˈblendɪd/

v. 混合,融合➕

🔊

binocular vision /baɪˈnɒkjʊlə ˈvɪʒn/

n. phrase. 双眼视觉➕

🔊 I have now done with the head. On to the body!

关于头部,我已言尽。现在,转向身体！

Chapter seventy-six: The Battering-Ram. (第七十六章:攻城槌)

🔒 使用该功能需要授权码