英语听书《白鲸记》第800期
英语课
Chapter 93 The Castaway 第九十三章 被摒弃者
It was but some few days after encountering the Frenchman, 大约是在遇到那艘法国船的几天后,
that a most significant event befell the most insignificant 1 of the Pequod's crew; "裴廓德号"上有一件极其重大的事情落到一个最不足道的水手的头上,
an event most lamentable 2; and which ended in providing the sometimes madly merry and predestinated craft 这是一件最可悲的事情,到头来,这件事情还给这艘始终是嘻嘻哈哈而命运却已注定的船,
with a living and ever accompanying prophecy of whatever shattered sequel might prove her own. 提供了一种生动而始终摆脱不了的预言:它自己总要遭到任何一种粉身碎骨的结局。
Now, in the whale ship, it is not every one that goes in the boats. 且说在捕鲸船上,并不是人人都要下小艇的。
Some few hands are reserved called shipkeepers, whose province it is to work the vessel 3 while the boats are pursuing the whale. 它总要留几个叫做看船人的人,他们的职份就是在小艇追击大鲸时,由他们航驶大船。
As a general thing, these shipkeepers are as hardy 4 fellows as the men comprising the boats' crews. 这些看船人的身体通常都是跟艇上的水手一样壮健。
But if there happen to be an unduly 5 slender, clumsy, or timorous 6 wight in the ship, that wight is certain to be made a ship-keeper. 不过,如果船上恰巧有个非常细弱。笨拙或者是胆小的家伙,那肯定要叫那个家伙来做看船人。
It was so in the Pequod with the little negro Pippin by nick-name, Pip by abbreviation. "裴廓德号"上那个外号叫比平,简称比普的小黑人,就正是这等人物。
Poor Pip! ye have heard of him before; ye must remember his tambourine 7 on that dramatic midnight, so gloomy-jolly. 可怜的比普!你们以前已经听到过他这个名字了;你们一定还记得在那个富有戏剧情调的午夜中,他那只敲得那么乐中透愁的小手鼓吧。
In outer aspect, Pip and Dough-Boy made a match, like a black pony 8 and a white one, 在外表上,比普和汤团倒是活宝一对,有如一匹黑马和一匹白马,
of equal developments, though of dissimilar color, driven in one eccentric span. 种色虽然不同,大小却很相称,是一对志不同道不合的双轭马。
But while hapless Dough-Boy was by nature dull and torpid 9 in his intellects, 那个倒霉的汤团,生性愚笨,又兼智力鲁钝,
Pip, though over tender-hearted, was at bottom very bright, with that pleasant, genial 10, jolly brightness peculiar 11 to his tribe; 至于比普呢,虽然心地过于温厚,内里却十分聪明伶俐,有着他的种族那种可爱、亲切、快活开朗的特点;
a tribe, which ever enjoy all holidays and festivities with finer, freer relish 12 than any other race. 这个种族,逢到大小节日,总是比任何其它民族过得更快活、更放纵。
adj.无关紧要的,可忽略的,无意义的
- In winter the effect was found to be insignificant.在冬季,这种作用是不明显的。
- This problem was insignificant compared to others she faced.这一问题与她面临的其他问题比较起来算不得什么。
adj.令人惋惜的,悔恨的
- This lamentable state of affairs lasted until 1947.这一令人遗憾的事态一直持续至1947年。
- His practice of inebriation was lamentable.他的酗酒常闹得别人束手无策。
n.船舶;容器,器皿;管,导管,血管
- The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
- You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。
adj.勇敢的,果断的,吃苦的;耐寒的
- The kind of plant is a hardy annual.这种植物是耐寒的一年生植物。
- He is a hardy person.他是一个能吃苦耐劳的人。
adv.过度地,不适当地
- He did not sound unduly worried at the prospect.他的口气听上去对前景并不十分担忧。
- He argued that the law was unduly restrictive.他辩称法律的约束性有些过分了。
adj.胆怯的,胆小的
- She is as timorous as a rabbit.她胆小得像只兔子。
- The timorous rabbit ran away.那只胆小的兔子跑开了。
n.铃鼓,手鼓
- A stew without an onion is like a dance without a tambourine.烧菜没有洋葱就像跳舞没有手鼓。
- He is really good at playing tambourine.他很擅长演奏铃鼓。
adj.小型的;n.小马
- His father gave him a pony as a Christmas present.他父亲给了他一匹小马驹作为圣诞礼物。
- They made him pony up the money he owed.他们逼他还债。
adj.麻痹的,麻木的,迟钝的
- He just walked and his mind drifted slowly like a torpid stream.他只是埋头走,脑袋里思想都凝滞了,有如一汪流不动的溪水。
- Even when he was awake he was completely torpid.他醒着的时候也完全麻木不动。
adj.亲切的,和蔼的,愉快的,脾气好的
- Orlando is a genial man.奥兰多是一位和蔼可亲的人。
- He was a warm-hearted friend and genial host.他是个热心的朋友,也是友善待客的主人。
adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的
- He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
- He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。
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