But the fagged whale abated his speed, and blindly altering his course, went round the stern of the ship towing the two boats after him, so that they performed a complete circuit.
那條精疲力竭的鯨已經(jīng)降低了速度,盲沖瞎撞地在掉頭,拖著在它后面的兩只小艇,繞到大船梢那兒去,弄得兩只小艇大兜了一個圈子。
Meantime, they hauled more and more upon their lines, till close flanking him on both sides, Stubb answered Flask with lance for lance; and thus round and round the Pequod the battle went, while the multitudes of sharks that had before swum round the Sperm Whale's body, rushed to the fresh blood that was spilled, thirstily drinking at every new gash, as the eager Israelites did at the new bursting fountains that poured from the smitten rock.
這時,他們把捕鯨索越收越緊,直拉得兩只小艇都緊靠著它的兩側(cè),斯塔布跟弗拉斯克便密相呼應(yīng)地一槍一槍地截起來;戰(zhàn)斗就這樣在"裴廓德號"周圍展開,先前那些把抹香鯨尸身團(tuán)團(tuán)圍住的無數(shù)的鯊魚,都一窩蜂擁向剛才潑濺出來的鮮血,如饑似渴地湊著每個新創(chuàng)口狂喝起來,如同心急的以色列人狂飲剛從敲破的巖石爆發(fā)出來的噴泉(見《舊約·民數(shù)記》第二十章十一節(jié)。)。
At last his spout grew thick, and with a frightful roll and vomit, he turned upon his back a corpse.
最后,它的噴水發(fā)稠了,緊接著一陣可怕的翻騰和噴水后,它就肚皮朝天,成了具死尸。
While the two headsmen were engaged in making fast cords to his flukes, and in other ways getting the mass in readiness for towing, some conversation ensued between them.
這兩個指揮人一邊用繩索拴住鯨尾,設(shè)法把這大東西弄得可以拖曳,一邊交談。
I wonder what the old man wants with this lump of foul lard, said Stubb, not without some disgust at the thought of having to do with so ignoble a leviathan.
我不知道那老頭兒(老頭兒——水手們對船長的稱呼。)干嗎要這塊臭油,斯塔布說,他一想到還得來處理這么腌臜的 一只大鯨,就有點(diǎn)厭惡。
Wants with it? said Flask, coiling some spare line in the boat's bow, "did you never hear that the ship which but once has a Sperm Whale's head hoisted on her starboard side, and at the same time a Right Whale's on the larboard; did you never hear, Stubb, that that ship can never afterwards capsize?"
干嗎要?弗拉斯克一邊把多余的繩索纏在艇頭,一邊說,"難道你從來沒有聽說過:一艘船一旦在右舷掛了一只抹香鯨頭,就得在左舷也掛上一個露脊鯨頭,這樣,往后船只就決不會翻身,難道你從來沒有聽說過么,斯塔布?"