英語聽書《白鯨記》第475期

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Chapter 45 The Affidavit

第四十五章 宣誓書

So far as what there may be of a narrative in this book; and, indeed, as indirectly touching one ortwo very interesting and curious particulars in the habits of sperm whales, the foregoing chapter, in its earlier part, is as important a one as will be found in this volume; but the leading matter of it requires to be still further and more familiarly enlarged upon, in order to be adequately understood, and moreover to take away any incredulity which a profound ignorance of the entire subjectmay induce in some minds, as to the natural verity of the main points of this affair.

就本書中可以稱為故事的章節(jié)說來，就間接地提到抹香鯨一兩件十分有趣而奇特的習性說來，上一章的開頭部分，倒確是這部書的最重要的章節(jié)。不過，為了使得人們更能充分領會，還得就它的主要內容更進一步。更通俗地絮述一下，還得排除人們由于對整個題材之極其不理解而可能產生的任何懷疑，以便對事物的要點獲得本來的真面目。

I care not to perform this part of my task methodically; but shall be content to produce the desired impression by separate citations of items, practically or reliably known to me as a whaleman; andfrom these citations, I take it-- the conclusion aimed at will naturally follow of itself.

我不想把這份工作做得怎樣有條不紊，只求能借助那些對我這個捕鯨者說來，是切合實際或者可靠的各種引證，而產生希望得到的印象就心滿意足了。我認為，從這些引證中，就會自然而然地得出所指望的結論來。

First: I have personally known three instances where a whale, after receiving a harpoon, has effected a complete escape; and, after an interval (in one instance of three years), has been again struck by the same hand, and slain; when the two irons, both marked by the same private cypher, have been taken from the body. In the instance where three years intervened between the flinging of the twoharpoons; and I think it may have been something more than that; the man who darted them happening,in the interval, to go in a trading ship on a voyage to Africa, went ashore there, joined a discovery party, and penetrated far into the interior, where he travelled for a period of nearly two years, often endangered by serpents, savages, tigers, poisonous miasmas, with all the other common perils incident to wandering in the heart of unknown regions. Meanwhile, the whale he had struck must also have been on its travels; no doubt it had thrice circumnavigated the globe, brushing with its flanks all the coasts of Africa; but to no purpose. This man and this whale again came together, and the one vanquished the other. I say I, myself, have known three instances similar to this; that is in two of them I saw the whales struck; and, upon the second attack, saw the two irons with the respective marks cut in them, afterwards taken from the dead fish. In the three-year instance, it so fell out that I was in the boat both times, first and last, and the last time distinctly recognized a peculiar sort of huge mole under the whale's eye, which I had observed there three years previous. I say three years, but I am pretty sure it was more than that. Here are three instances, then, which I personally know the truth of; but I have heard of many other instances from persons whose veracity in the matter there is no good ground to impeach.

第一，我親自經歷過三個實例，就是一只鯨被標槍戳過后，還能安全無恙地脫逃，而且，經過一段時間(有一次是三年模樣)，又給同一個人戳中，殺死了。當時，在鯨身上拿下來的兩支標槍，都刻有同樣的暗記。在這一前后兩支標槍相隔三年的實例中，我認為它還有些更為復雜的經過，在這段期間里，那個投了兩次標槍的人，隨著一艘商船到非洲去，他在那里登岸后，參加了一個探險隊，深入非洲內地，在那里奔跑了將近兩年的時間，經常會遇到毒蛇、野人、猛虎、疫癘、瘴氣，以及在深入蠻荒腹地中隨時都可碰到的其它種種危險。這期間，那條曾經被他擊中過的大鯨也一定是在繼續(xù)它的旅行，而且一定已經環(huán)游了世界三圈，身軀擦過了非洲一切沿海的地方，只是毫無所獲。這個人和這條大鯨終于又相遇了，這個人便把大鯨打死了。我說，我親自經歷過類似的三個實例；就是說其中有二次我親眼看到擊中了大鯨；而且在第二次的攻擊后，還看到從死鯨身上取出來的標槍頭上都各刻有記號。在這個三年的實例上，碰巧我前后兩次都在那只小艇上，最初和最后，而且最后一次，我還清清楚楚地看到了大鯨眼睛下面有一顆特別大的黑痣，跟我三年前所看到的一模一樣。我說三年，事實上還要多一些。那么，這里所提出的三個實例，都是我親自經歷過的真實情況；我還從許多人那里聽到其它許多實例，那些實例的真實性也是無可置疑的。