長(zhǎng)期以來(lái),我一直有一個(gè)愿望,尤其是從我開始給諸位講述“裴廓德號(hào)”的故事以后,就更強(qiáng)烈了。
It may be worth while, therefore, previously toadvert to those curious imaginary portraits of himwhich even down to the present day confidently challenge the faith of the landsman.
這個(gè)愿望就是:給一只大鯨畫像,畫一個(gè)大鯨的真正的畫像。
It is time to set the world right in this matter, by proving such pictures of the whale all wrong.
然而這個(gè)愿望此時(shí)此刻卻無(wú)法實(shí)現(xiàn),因?yàn)榇霞葲](méi)有畫布,我也沒(méi)有畫家的手筆。
It may be that the primal source of all those pictorial delusions will be found among theoldest Hindoo, Egyptian, and Grecian sculptures. For ever since those inventive butunscrupulous times when on the marble panellings of temples, the pedestals of statues, andon shields, medallions, cups, and coins, the dolphin was drawn in scales of chain-armor likeSaladin's, and a helmeted head like St.George's; ever since then has something of the samesort of license prevailed, not only in most popular pictures of the whale, but in manyscientific presentations of him.
那我只能用嘴來(lái)畫給大家聽。 我會(huì)畫得很仔細(xì),很逼真,讓所有捕鯨的人都確信它就是他們追殺至死,剛剛拖回船邊的那頭鯨。 只有贏得了捕鯨人的贊同,這被我用嘴畫出來(lái)的東西才能被稱為是鯨。