英語聽書《白鯨記》第478期
But fortunately the special point I here seek can be established upon testimony entirely independent of my own. That point is this: The Sperm Whale is in some cases sufficiently powerful, knowing, and judiciously malicious, as with direct aforethought to stave in, utterly destroy, and sink a large ship; and what is more, the Sperm Whale HAS done it.
不過，幸而我在這里找到的一個(gè)特別論點(diǎn)。倒能夠證實(shí)完全與我本人無關(guān)的證據(jù)。這個(gè)論點(diǎn)就是：在某些方面說來。抹香鯨是力大無比而狡猾的。善于及時(shí)使出惡毒的念頭。又象懷有明白的預(yù)謀。充滿殺性地要把一艘大船擊沉；而且。抹香鯨也已經(jīng)這樣做過了。
First: In the year 1820 the ship Essex, Captain Pollard, of Nantucket, was cruising in the Pacific Ocean. One day she saw spouts, lowered her boats, and gave chase to a shoal of sperm whales. Ere long, several of the whales were wounded; when, suddenly, a very large whale escaping from the boats, issued from the shoal, and bore directly down upon the ship. Dashing his forehead against her hull, he so stove her in, that in less than "ten minutes" she settled down and fell over. Not a surviving plank of her has been seen since. After the severest exposure, part of the crew reached the land in their boats. Being returned home at last, Captain Pollard once more sailed for the Pacific in command of another ship, but the gods shipwrecked him again upon unknown rocks and breakers; for the second time his ship was utterly lost, and forthwith forswearing the sea, he has never attempted it since. At this day Captain Pollard is a resident of Nantucket. I have seen Owen Chace, who was chief mate of the Essex at the time of the tragedy; I have read his plain and faithful narrative; I have conversed with his son; and all this within a few miles of the scene of the catastrophe.
第一、一八二0年。南塔開特的波拉德船長所率領(lǐng)的“埃塞克斯號(hào)”。正在太平洋上巡游。有一天。船上的人看到了噴水。就放下小艇。去追逐一群抹香鯨。不久。其中有幾條大鯨被打傷了；這時(shí)。突然有條十分大的鯨逃出了許多小艇的包圍。離開鯨群。直向大船沖上來。它用前額直撞船身。就這樣把船沖破了。不上“十分鐘”工夫。大船翻沉了。從此連一片船板都看不見。水手們經(jīng)過最嚴(yán)酷的風(fēng)浪打擊后。有一部分人坐著他們的小艇上了岸。最后波拉德船長回到家里后。又率領(lǐng)另一艘船再度到太平洋去。神靈又讓他那條船碰上了什么礁巖而遭了難。這艘船又第二次遭到全損。所以他立刻對(duì)海發(fā)誓。從此不再干這海上營生?，F(xiàn)在波拉德船長還住在南塔開特。我曾經(jīng)碰到一個(gè)叫做歐文。蔡斯的。他就是當(dāng)時(shí)遭到慘禍的“埃塞克斯號(hào)”上的大副。我仔細(xì)讀了他那明晰信實(shí)的記載；還跟他兒子談過天；所有這些都是在災(zāi)難的現(xiàn)場方圓幾英里內(nèi)所目擊的。
The following are extracts from Chace's narrative: "Every fact seemed to warrant me in concluding that it was anything but chance which directed his operations; he made two several attacks upon the ship, at a short interval between them, both of which, according to their direction, were calculated to do us the most injury, by being made ahead, and thereby combining the speed of the two objects for the shock; to effect which, the exact manoeuvres which he made were necessary. His aspect was most horrible, and such as indicated resentment and fury. He came directly from the shoal which we had just before entered, and in which we had struck three of his companions, as if fired with revenge for their sufferings." Again: "At all events, the whole circumstances taken together, all happening before my own eyes, and producing, at the time, impressions in my mind of decided, calculating mischief, on the part of the whale (many of which impressions I cannot now recall), induce me to be satisfied that I am correct in my opinion."
(原注：下面是蔡斯文章的摘錄：“各種事實(shí)都似乎迫得我不能不做出這樣的結(jié)論：那條大鯨之采取行動(dòng)。決不是偶然的。它對(duì)船只攻擊兩次以上。間隔時(shí)間很短。根據(jù)那種攻擊看來。那幾次攻擊都是存心要使我們?cè)馐茏钪卮蟮膫ΑＲ驗(yàn)樗鼪_向前頭后。就兩次并一次地死勁一沖；為了要奏奇效。它所采取的那種正確的策略倒也是必要的。它那副相貌真嚇人。就象是一個(gè)滿臉憎恨和忿怒的人。我們剛一駛進(jìn)鯨群。它就離群直沖出來。我們?cè)邛L群里打中了它的三個(gè)同伴。仿佛就激起它要為它們復(fù)仇的心意。”接著，“總之。歸納整個(gè)情況說來。我所目擊的一切。一下子就在我的腦海里產(chǎn)生出這樣的印象：那條大鯨是懷有堅(jiān)決的。有計(jì)劃的惡意的(有許多印象我現(xiàn)在已記不起了)。因此。我自以為我的看法是正確的。”）
