最后,拉起錨,扯起帆,我們便開航了,這是一個短促而寒冷的圣誕節(jié);
and as the short northern day merged into night, wefound ourselves almost broad upon the wintry ocean,whose freezing spray cased us in ice, as in polishedarmor.
當(dāng)短促的北方白晝交上日暮的時候,我們發(fā)覺自己簡直是露身在荒涼的海洋上,海里的冰凍的浪花,象一件锃亮的甲胄般,把我們冰封起來。
The long rows of teeth on the bulwarks glistened in the moonlight; and like the white ivorytusks of some huge elephant, vast curving icicles depended from the bows.
舷墻上一長排一長排的耙齒在月光里閃爍;掛在船頭上的那些彎曲的大冰柱,活象是大象的白牙。
Lank Bildad, as pilot, headed the first watch, and ever and anon, as the old craft deep divedinto the green seas,
作為領(lǐng)港人的瘦子比勒達(dá),帶領(lǐng)值第一次班,這艘古老的船猛地扎進(jìn)了碧綠的海洋,
and sent the shivering frost all over her, and the winds howled, and the cordage rang, hissteady notes were heard,
船上彌漫著一股令人顫抖的寒氣,風(fēng)在呼嘯,索具在格格發(fā)響,時時聽到比勒達(dá)那從容的調(diào)子:
Sweet fields beyond the swelling flood, Stand dressed in living green. So to the Jews old Canaanstood, While Jordan rolled between.
良田遠(yuǎn)離滔滔巨浪,身披新綠亭亭玉立。象猶太人眼里的古迦南約旦河在中間滾滾奔流。
Never did those sweet words sound more sweetly to me than then.
那些美妙的詞兒,從沒有象當(dāng)時那樣使我聽來感到如此悅耳。
They were full of hope and fruition.
這些詞兒充滿著希望和成就。
Spite of this frigid winter night in the boisterous Atlantic, spite of my wet feet and wetterjacket, there was yet, it then seemed to me, many a pleasant haven in store;
盡管這是滔天惡浪的大西洋的寒冷的冬夜,盡管我雙腳濕淋淋,外套更其濕漉漉,當(dāng)時我卻覺得,未來將是無限愉快的安樂窩;
and meads and glades so eternally vernal, that the grass shot up by the spring, untrodden,unwilted, remains at midsummer.
那么春色永恒的草地和空林,春天蓬勃生長的草木,到了仲夏時節(jié),還是未遭踐踏,沒有枯萎。
At last we gained such an offing, that the two pilots were needed no longer. The stout sail-boatthat had accompanied us began ranging alongside.
我們終于駛到如此遼闊的海面,不再需要這兩個領(lǐng)港人了。那只跟著我們的牢固的小艇已開始駛到我們的船邊來。