To which Ahab answered—"Aye." Straightway, then, Gabriel once more started to his feet, glaring upon the old man, and vehemently exclaimed, with downward pointed finger—"Think, think of the blasphemer— dead, and down there!—beware of the blasphemer's end!"
亞哈對此回答道,"當(dāng)然嘍。"于是,迦百列又再次跳了起來,直瞅著這老頭,一邊伸著指頭,朝下指著,一邊激烈地叫道,——"想一想,想一想那個褻瀆神明的人——就正死在這下面!——當(dāng)心那個褻瀆神明者的結(jié)局!"
Ahab stolidly turned aside; then said to Mayhew, "Captain, I have just bethought me of my letter-bag; there is a letter for one of thy officers, if I mistake not. Starbuck, look over the bag."
亞哈遲鈍地往旁邊一望,然后對梅休說,"船長,我剛正想起我的信袋;好象有給你的頭目的一封信。斯達巴克,去瞧一瞧那袋子。"
Every whale-ship takes out a goodly number of letters for various ships, whose delivery to the persons to whom they may be addressed, depends upon the mere chance of encountering them in the four oceans. Thus, most letters never reach their mark; and many are only received after attaining an age of two or three years or more.
每只捕鯨船都帶有交給各種船只的不少信件,而信件是否能交給收信人,就全靠在四海中彼此能否有相遇的機會。這樣,大部分信件永遠落不到收信人手里,有許多甚至要在兩三年后才收到。
Soon Starbuck returned with a letter in his hand. It was sorely tumbled, damp, and covered with a dull, spotted, green mould, in consequence of being kept in a dark locker of the cabin. Of such a letter, Death himself might well have been the post-boy.
不一會,斯達巴克手里拿著一封信回來了,因為是藏在艙房里那只不見天日的柜子里的緣故,這封信顯得又皺又潮,而且蒙著一層滿布灰綠點子的霉土。象這樣一封信,最適當(dāng)?shù)男挪钜苍S就是死神本人。
Can'st not read it? CRIed Ahab. "Give it me, man. Aye, aye, aye it's but a dim scrawl;—what's this?" As he was studying it out, Starbuck took a long cutting-spade pole, and with his knife slightly split the end, to insert the letter there, and in that way, hand it to the boat, without its coming any closer to the ship.
看不出來么?亞哈叫道。"給我,老朋友。是啊,是啊,字跡顯得潦草模糊點;——怎么?"他在細認的時候,斯達巴克拿起一支割鯨的鏟子長柄,用小刀輕輕剖開柄端,把信夾了進去,使小艇不必再靠攏大船,就可以把信遞給小艇。