🔊 Had you stepped on board the Pequod at a certain juncture of this post-mortemizing of the whale; and had you strolled forward nigh the windlass, pretty sure am I that you would have scanned with no small curiosity a very strange, enigmatical object, which you would have seen there, lying along lengthwise in the lee scuppers. Not the wondrous cistern in the whale's huge head; not the prodigy of his unhinged lower jaw; not the miracle of his symmetrical tail; none of these would so surprise you, as half a glimpse of that unaccountable cone,-longer than a Kentucky man is tall, nigh a foot in diameter at the base, and jet-black as Yojo, the ebony idol of Queequeg. And an idol, indeed, it is; or, rather, in old times, its likeness was. Such an idol as that found in the secret groves of Queen Maachah in Judea; and for worshipping which, King Asa, her son, did depose her, and destroyed the idol, and burnt it for an abomination at the brook Kedron, as darkly set forth in the 15th chapter of the First Book of Kings.

假若你在鲸尸解剖的某个时刻登上裴廓德号,闲步至绞盘附近,我敢断言,你定会以不小的好奇心,端详一个躺在背风排水孔旁、顺着船身延展的奇异诡谲之物。既非鲸首中奇妙的贮水槽,也非它脱臼下颚的异象,更非它匀称尾鳍的神迹；所有这些奇观,都不及你瞥见那不可名状的圆锥体一半那样令人惊异--它高过肯塔基汉子,底径近一英尺,漆黑如魁魁格的乌木神像约约。这确实是一尊神像；或者更确切地说,在古代,它的模样正是神像。恰如犹地亚玛迦女王秘密林苑中所发现的神像；因崇拜此像,她的儿子亚撒王废黜了她,摧毁神像,在汲沦溪畔将其焚为可憎之物,正如《列王纪上》第十五章所隐晦记述的那样。

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post-mortemizing /ˌpoʊst ˈmɔːrtəmaɪzɪŋ/

v. 进行死后检查或分析➕

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enigmatical /ˌenɪɡˈmætɪkl/

adj. 难以理解的,神秘的➕

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prodigy /ˈprɒdɪdʒi/

n. 非凡的人或事物,神童➕

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unhinged /ʌnˈhɪndʒd/

adj. 脱离铰链的；精神不稳定的➕

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symmetrical /sɪˈmetrɪkl/

adj. 对称的➕

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unaccountable /ˌʌnəˈkaʊntəbl/

adj. 无法解释的,难以理解的➕

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jet-black /ˌdʒet ˈblæk/

adj. 乌黑的,深黑色的➕

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ebony /ˈebəni/

n. 乌木；乌黑色的➕

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depose /dɪˈpoʊz/

v. 罢免,废黜➕

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abomination /əˌbɒmɪˈneɪʃn/

n. 憎恶之物,令人厌恶的事物➕

🔊 Look at the sailor, called the mincer, who now comes along, and assisted by two allies, heavily backs the grandissimus, as the mariners call it, and with bowed shoulders, staggers off with it as if he were a grenadier carrying a dead comrade from the field. Extending it upon the forecastle deck, he now proceeds cylindrically to remove its dark pelt, as an African hunter the pelt of a boa. This done he turns the pelt inside out, like a pantaloon leg; gives it a good stretching, so as almost to double its diameter; and at last hangs it, well spread, in the rigging, to dry. Ere long, it is taken down; when removing some three feet of it, towards the pointed extremity, and then cutting two slits for arm-holes at the other end, he lengthwise slips himself bodily into it. The mincer now stands before you invested in the full canonicals of his calling. Immemorial to all his order, this investiture alone will adequately protect him, while employed in the peculiar functions of his office.

看那唤作切脂手的水手,此刻走来,在两同伴协助下,沉重地驮起那被水手们称为“巨物”的东西,他弓着肩,踉跄而行,宛若掷弹兵从战场扛回阵亡同袍。将其铺展在前甲板上,他随即如非洲猎人剥巨蟒皮般,将这黑皮呈圆柱状剥下。事毕,他将皮子像灯笼裤腿般翻到里面；用力拉伸,使其直径几乎倍增；最后将其充分展开,悬在索具上风干。不久后,取下这皮；从尖端约三英尺处切下一段,在另一端割出两个袖孔,然后纵身滑入其中。此刻,切脂手便身披其行当的全套圣服,站在你面前。自古以来,唯有这身装束能给予他周全的庇佑,以执行其独特的职责。

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mincer /ˈmɪnsər/

n. 切碎者或切碎机➕

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mariners /ˈmærɪnərz/

n. 海员,水手➕

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forecastle /ˈfəʊksl/

n. 船首楼,船的前部➕

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pelt /pelt/

n. 动物的毛皮➕

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boa /ˈbəʊə/

n. 蟒蛇➕

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rigging /ˈrɪɡɪŋ/

n. 船的索具系统➕

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Immemorial /ˌɪməˈmɔːriəl/

adj. 远古的,无法追忆的➕

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investiture /ɪnˈvestɪtʃə(r)/

n. 授职仪式,授予职位或权力的仪式➕

🔊 That office consists in mincing the horse-pieces of blubber for the pots; an operation which is conducted at a curious wooden horse, planted endwise against the bulwarks, and with a capacious tub beneath it, into which the minced pieces drop, fast as the sheets from a rapt orator's desk. Arrayed in decent black; occupying a conspicuous pulpit; intent on bible leaves; what a candidate for an archbishopric, what a lad for a Pope were this mincer!*

他的职责在于将鲸脂块剁碎以备入锅；此操作在一奇巧的木马旁进行,木马直抵船舷,下设巨桶,碎脂纷落其中,疾如入神的演说家从讲坛飞撒的稿页。他身披庄重的黑袍；站在显眼的布道坛上；潜心于“圣经纸页”--这切脂手俨然是角逐大主教之位的候选人,简直是教皇宝座的少年候选者！*

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blubber /ˈblʌbə(r)/

n. 鲸脂,鲸的脂肪➕

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endwise /ˈendwaɪz/

adv. 末端朝前地,以末端向前➕

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bulwarks /ˈbʊlwərks/

n. 船的舷墙,防护墙➕

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capacious /kəˈpeɪʃəs/

adj. 容量大的,宽敞的➕

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rapt /ræpt/

adj. 全神贯注的,着迷的➕

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orator's /ˈɒrətərz/

n. 演说家的（所有格形式）➕

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Arrayed /əˈreɪd/

v. 穿着或排列➕

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conspicuous /kənˈspɪkjuəs/

adj. 显眼的,引人注目的➕

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pulpit /ˈpʊlpɪt/

n. 讲道坛,教堂中的讲台➕

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archbishopric /ˌɑːtʃˈbɪʃəprɪk/

n. 大主教职位或辖区➕

🔊 * Bible leaves! Bible leaves! This is the invariable cry from the mates to the mincer. It enjoins him to be careful, and cut his work into as thin slices as possible, inasmuch as by so doing the business of boiling out the oil is much accelerated, and its quantity considerably increased, besides perhaps improving it in quality.

* “圣经纸页！圣经纸页！”这是大副们对切脂手一贯的呼喊。这呼喊命令他要仔细,将活儿切成尽可能薄的片,因为这样做能大大加速熬油的过程,显著增加油量,或许还能提高油的品质。

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invariable /ɪnˈveəriəbl/

adj. 不变的,恒定的➕

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enjoins /ɪnˈdʒɔɪnz/

v. 命令,吩咐➕

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inasmuch as /ˌɪnəzˈmʌtʃ æz/

conj. 由于,因为➕

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accelerated /əkˈseləreɪtɪd/

v. 加速的,加快的➕

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considerably /kənˈsɪdərəbli/

adv. 相当地,在很大程度上➕

🔊 A cassock is a long, close-fitting garment worn by priests and other church officials. The mincer's cassock, made from the skin of the whale's penis, is a dark, leathery affair, which, when properly prepared and donned, reaches from his neck to his ankles. It is his protective garment while performing his greasy task.

法衣是牧师等神职人员所穿的一种贴身的肃穆长袍。而这位切脂手的法衣,是用鲸的阴茎皮制成的,是一件色黑质韧的皮具,经适当鞣制后穿上,从颈部直盖到脚踝--这是他执行那项油腻工作时所穿的防护服。

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cassock /ˈkæsək/

n. 法衣,神职人员穿的长袍➕

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close-fitting /ˌkləʊs ˈfɪtɪŋ/

adj. 紧身的,贴身的➕

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leathery /ˈleðəri/

adj. 像皮革的,坚韧如皮革的➕

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donned /dɒnd/

v. 穿上,穿戴➕

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greasy /ˈɡriːsi/

adj. 油腻的,沾有油脂的➕

🔊 I have forgotten to say, that there is a grand contest held in the ship on the occasion of the mincer's investiture. It is a race between him and the blubber-room cook, as to which shall first get through with his work. The mincer wins, of course. But this is not all. The mincer is also entitled to the marrow-bones of the whale for his perquisite. These he cracks after the manner of a walnut, and extracts the sweet kernel. Indeed, so highly is this dainty prized, that scarce any inducement can prevail on the mincer to part with one of these bones to a messmate. Sometimes, if very pressed, he will consent to sell one for a plug of tobacco.

我忘记提及,在切脂手着装之际,船上会举行一场盛大赛事。这是他与鲸脂舱厨工之间的竞速,比赛谁先完成工作。切脂手自然胜出。但这还不是全部。切脂手还享有鲸髓骨作为他的特权赏赐。他如砸核桃般将其敲开,取出甘美的骨髓。确实,这珍馐备受推崇,纵有千般诱惑,也难使切脂手让出一根骨头给同餐伙伴。有时若被紧逼,他会同意用一根髓骨换一撮烟草。

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marrow-bones /ˈmæroʊ boʊnz/

n. 骨髓骨,含有骨髓的骨头➕

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perquisite /ˈpɜːrkwɪzɪt/

n. 额外收入,津贴或小费➕

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extracts /ɪkˈstrækts/

v. 提取,取出➕

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kernel /ˈkɜːrnl/

n. 内核,核心部分➕

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dainty /ˈdeɪnti/

adj. 美味的,精致的➕

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scarce /skeəs/

adj. 稀少的,缺乏的➕

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inducement /ɪnˈdjuːsmənt/

n. 诱因,激励物➕

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prevail /prɪˈveɪl/

v. 盛行,占优势；说服➕

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messmate /ˈmesmeɪt/

n. 同餐战友,一起吃饭的同伴➕

Chapter ninety-five: The Cassock (第九十五章:法衣)

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