It was far down the afternoon; and when all the spearings of the crimson fight were done; and floating in the lovely sunset sea and sky, sun and whale both stilly died together; then, such a sweetness and such plaintiveness, such inwreathing orisons curled up in that rosy air, that it almost seemed as if far over from the deep green convent valleys of the Manilla isles, the Spanish land-breeze, wantonly turned sailor, had gone to sea, freighted with these vesper hymns.
已是將近傍晚時分,一切動刀動槍的血腥場面已告結(jié)束,大鯨和太陽都一起靜悄悄地斷了氣,漂泛在可愛的落日的海空中,這時,在那玫瑰色的空中,突然激起這樣一種動人而又這樣憂傷的情調(diào),這樣一種象是在堆滿花圈的氛圍里作禱告的景況,簡直象是遠從馬尼拉群島那郁郁蒼蒼的修道院似的幽谷里,刮來一陣西班牙的陸風,讓個放蕩不羈的水手載著這些晚禱的贊美歌聲出海去了。
Soothed again, but only soothed to deeper gloom, Ahab, who had sterned off from the whale, sat intently watching his final wanings from the now tranquil boat. For that strange spectacle observable in all sperm whales dying — the turning sunwards of the head, and so expiring — that strange spectacle, beheld of such a placid evening, somehow to Ahab conveyed a wondrousness unknown before.
心里雖然又輕松了一陣,可是結(jié)果卻更其感到憂郁。亞哈往后倒劃,離開了那條鯨后,坐在那只現(xiàn)在很平靜的小艇上,全神貫注地望著那條鯨在作最后掙扎。因為一般抹香鯨臨死時都會出現(xiàn)這種奇特的景象——腦袋轉(zhuǎn)向了太陽一會,就慢慢地咽了氣——在如此靜謐的黃昏中,看到這種奇特的景象,好象讓亞哈看到一種過去從未發(fā)現(xiàn)的奇妙的東西似的。
He turns and turns him to it, — how slowly, but how steadfastly, his homage-rendering and invoking brow, with his last dying motions. He too worships fire; most faithful, broad, baronial vassal of the sun! — Oh that these too-favoring eyes should see these too-favoring sights.
它轉(zhuǎn)呀轉(zhuǎn)的,轉(zhuǎn)向了太陽——轉(zhuǎn)得多慢,可又轉(zhuǎn)得多堅定,看它那股虔虔敬敬而又象是懇求的神情,還有它那最后的臨終的動作。它也是拜火的;是太陽的最明顯。最忠誠的堂堂的臣民!——啊,它那雙至福的眼睛當然應(yīng)該看到這種至福的景象。