You would have thought we were offering up ten thousand red oxen to the sea gods.
人們準(zhǔn)會以為我們正在用一萬只血淋淋的大公牛祭海神。
In the first place, the enormous cutting tackles, among other ponderous things comprising a cluster of blocks generally painted green,
首先要提到的就是那兩架割油的復(fù)滑車,它除了有各種笨重的東西,還有一大串通常漆著綠色的滑轤,
and which no single man can possibly lift—this vast bunch of grapes was swayed up to the main-top and firmly lashed to the lower mast-head,
這不是單人獨力能夠把它吊起的——得把這一大串葡萄扯到主桅樓上,緊緊地縛在下桅頂,
the strongest point anywhere above a ship's deck.
也就是縛在船上最牢靠的地方。
The end of the hawser-like rope winding through these intricacies, was then conducted to the windlass,
那根似大纜的索端打這些錯綜復(fù)雜的東西彎彎曲曲地穿過后,就給拉上絞車,
and the huge lower block of the tackles was swung over the whale;
而把復(fù)滑車上最低下的一只大滑轤轉(zhuǎn)到鯨身上,
to this block the great blubber hook, weighing some one hundred pounds, was attached.
達只滑轤掛有一只重約一百磅的、吊鯨脂用的大鉤。
And now suspended in stages over the side, Starbuck and Stubb, the mates, armed with their long spades,
這時,大副斯達巴克和二副斯塔布,手里拿著長長的鏟子,站在船邊的小掛梯上,
began cutting a hole in the body for the insertion of the hook just above the nearest of the two side-fins.
便開始在鯨身上最靠近兩鰭的上端割出一個洞孔,以便掛搭鉤子。
This done, a broad, semicircular line is cut round the hole, the hook is inserted,
這樣割開后,又在洞孔四周劃了一條粗大的半圓形的紋路,就把鉤子搭上去。
and the main body of the crew striking up a wild chorus, now commence heaving in one dense crowd at the windlass.
接著,那一大群水手突然粗野地唱起一陣大合唱,開始密擠在絞車邊,絞起來了。
When instantly, the entire ship careens over on her side;
這時,整個船身立刻都側(cè)向一邊,
every bolt in her starts like the nailheads of an old house in frosty weather;
每一絞動,船身便猛地一顫,有如嚴(yán)冬時節(jié)一間有釘頭狀裝飾的古老房屋。
she trembles, quivers, and nods her frighted mast-heads to the sky.
船身震顫一番,抖動一下,它那些受嚇?biāo)频奈斠渤爝狄幌骂^。
More and more she leans over to the whale, while every gasping heave of the windlass is answered by a helping heave from the billows;
船身越來越傾向大鯨那一邊,絞車每一急劇地絞轉(zhuǎn),浪濤也幫襯似的沖擊一陣。
till at last, a swift, startling snap is heard;
最后,聽到了一陣迅疾的,可怕的啪嗒聲,嘩啦啦的一聲巨響,船身便前俯后仰地翻騰起來,跟鯨分開了,那只奏凱的復(fù)滑車往上一冒,便拖出第一塊割下來的半圓形的鯨脂。