It seemed not a whale; and yet is this Moby Dick? thought Daggoo. Again the phantom went down, but on re-appearing once more, with a stiletto-like cry that startled every man from his nod, the negro yelled out--"There! there again! there she breaches! right ahead! The White Whale, the White Whale!"
這似乎不是鯨,然而,難道是莫比-迪克么?大個兒心里想。那妖物又沉下去了,可是,等它又再度出現(xiàn)的時候,這個黑人不禁高聲大叫起來,聲音之尖,直象小劍,一下子把大家都從打盹中嚇醒過來:"看啊,又來啦!它跳起來啦!就在正前方!白鯨啊,白鯨!"
Upon this, the seamen rushed to the yard-arms, as in swarming-time the bees rush to the boughs. Bare-headed in the sultry sun, Ahab stood on the bowsprit, and with one hand pushed far behind in readiness to wave his orders to the helmsman, cast his eager glance in the direction indicated aloft by the outstretched motionless arm of Daggoo.
水手們一聽到這叫聲,都連忙沖到桁臂那邊去,好象成群出窩的蜜蜂沖到嫩枝上去那樣。亞哈在烈陽下,光著腦袋,站在船頭斜桅上,一只手撒得老后,準(zhǔn)備隨時對掌舵人揮手發(fā)令,眼色熱切地望著上邊大個兒那只伸得挺直不動的手所指的方向。
Whether the flitting attendance of the one still and solitary jet had gradually worked upon Ahab, so that he was now prepared to connect the ideas of mildness and repose with the first sight of the particular whale he pursued; however this was, or whether his eagerness betrayed him; whichever way it might have been, no sooner did he distinctly perceive the white mass, than with a quick intensity he instantly gave orders for lowering.
究竟是不是這種孤寂的噴水的突然出現(xiàn)逐漸打動了亞哈的心,這才使他現(xiàn)在要把這個文靜的怪物跟那乍一看就是他要追捕的大鯨給聯(lián)系起來,還是他身不由己地把他那份熱切的心情給泄露了出來;總之,不管是不是這樣,他一清晰地看到那團(tuán)白色的東西,就非常緊張地立刻下令放下小艇。
The four boats were soon on the water; Ahab's in advance, and all swiftly pulling towards their prey. Soon it went down, and while, with oars suspended, we were awaiting its reappearance, lo! in the same spot where it sank, once more it slowly rose.
不一會兒,四只小艇就在海面上,由亞哈那只小艇打頭,全都迅疾地向著他們的獵物劃去。那團(tuán)東西不久就下沉了,可是,就在我們把槳擱起,想等它再度出現(xiàn)的時候,噯喲!在它剛才下沉的地方,它又慢慢地升了起來。