英語聽書《白鯨記》 第253期

No more my splintered heart and maddened handwere turned against the wolfish world. This soothingsavage had redeemed it. There he sat, his veryindifference speaking a nature in which therelurked no civilized hypocrisies and bland deceits.Wild he was; a very sight of sights to see; yet Ibegan to feel myself mysteriously drawn towardshim. And those same things that would have repelledmost others, they were the very magnets that thusdrew me. I'll try a pagan friend, thought I, sinceChristian kindness has proved but hollowcourtesy. I drew my bench near him, and made some friendly signs and hints, doing my bestto talk with him meanwhile. At first he little noticed these advances; but presently, upon myreferring to his last night's hospitalities, he made out to ask me whether we were again to bebedfellows. I told him yes; whereat I thought he looked pleased, perhaps a little complimented.

我的破碎的心和瘋狂的手再也不想反抗這個虎狼的世界。這個鎮(zhèn)定的野人已把眾生給超度了。他坐在那里,他那種十分冷漠的態(tài)度,證明他天生毫無文明人的虛偽和甜言蜜語的奸詐。他雖然是個野人,雖然看來是個絕無僅有的人物,我卻已開始覺得我自己是在神秘地向著他了。而那些本來會排斥大部分別的事物的感情,卻成為這樣吸住了我的磁石。我要結(jié)交一個異教徒的朋友,我心里想,因為文明人的仁慈原來只是一種虛偽的好意。我把我的坐凳拉到他旁邊,友善地指手劃腳,盡我所能地跟他談話。起先,他并不理會這種親近的態(tài)度;但是,經(jīng)過我指出他昨天晚上的殷勤態(tài)度后,不多久,他就領(lǐng)會了,問我們是否還要做睡伴。我對他說要,我頓即看出他顯得很高興,或許還有點兒領(lǐng)情。

We then turned over the book together, and I endeavored to explain to him the purpose of theprinting, and the meaning of the few pictures that were in it.

于是,我們一起翻書,我力圖向他解釋那本印刷物的用處和書上那幾幅畫的意義。

Thus I soon engaged his interest; and from that we went to jabbering the best we could aboutthe various outer sights to be seen in this famous town.

這樣一來,我立刻激起他的興趣,接著,我們便盡可能地從那事情拉扯到我們在這名城里所見到的形形色色。

Soon I proposed a social smoke; and, producing his pouch and tomahawk, he quietly offeredme a puff.

我一提起要抽煙,他就掏出他的煙袋和那支煙斗斧來,悄悄地遞給我吸一口。

And then we sat exchanging puffs from that wild pipe of his, and keeping it regularly passingbetween us.

我們就這么坐在那里,輪番抽著他那支野里野氣的煙斗,把它有規(guī)律地遞來遞去。

If there yet lurked any ice of indifference towards me in the Pagan's breast, this pleasant,genial smoke we had, soon thawed it out, and left us cronies.

如果說,這個異教徒的心里本來對我還隱存有任何的冷漠的態(tài)度的話,那么,經(jīng)過我們這番愉快而親切的抽煙后,這種態(tài)度已立刻冰消雪化,我們也做起老朋友了。