Gentlemen, a strange fatality pervades the whole career of these events, as if verily mapped out before the world itself was charted. The mutineer was the bowsman of the mate, and when fast to a fish, it was his duty to sit next him, while Radney stood up with his lance in the prow, and haul in or slacken the line, at the word of command. Moreover, when the four boats were lowered, the mate's got the start; and none howled more fiercelywith delight than did Steelkilt, as he strained at his oar. After a stiff pull, their harpooneer got fast, and, spear in hand, Radney sprang to the bow.
諸位先生,這種種事變的整個(gè)發(fā)展過(guò)程就是充滿著一種奇妙的天意,仿佛在世界本身還未形成以前就已經(jīng)正確地策劃完妥。這個(gè)叛亂者,剛好是大副那只小艇的頭槳手,而且,等到要拴鯨的時(shí)候,按照職守,他還應(yīng)該坐在大副身邊,那時(shí),拉德尼手里拿著魚(yú)槍,站在船頭,他就得隨著命令,把捕鯨索或拉或放。而當(dāng)那四只小艇都放下去的時(shí)候,大副的小艇又必須先劃出去;斯蒂爾基爾特一扳著槳,他那快活的號(hào)叫聲真是再響也沒(méi)有了。死勁地劃了一陣后,標(biāo)槍手就把鯨拴住了,于是拉德尼手里拿著魚(yú)槍,跳到了船頭。
He was always a furious man, it seems, in a boat. And now his bandaged cry was, to beach him on the whale's topmost back. Nothing loath, his bowsman hauled him up and up, through a blinding foam that blent two whitenesses together; till of a sudden the boat struck as against a sunken ledge, and keeling over, spilled out the standing mate. That instant, as he fell on the whale's slippery back, the boat righted, and was dashed aside by the swell, while Radney was tossed over into the sea, on the other flank of the whale. He struck out through thespray, and, for an instant, was dimly seen through that veil, wildly seeking to remove himself from the eye ofMoby Dick.
這個(gè)人往往是一上小艇,就好像變成個(gè)狂暴的人。這時(shí),他那扎著繃帶的嘴里大叫大嚷地要他們把他送上大鯨那高聳的背峰。他的頭槳手高高興興地把他曳上去,越曳越高,四周盡是一片叫人發(fā)眩的泡沫,把兩種白色交混在一起;突然間,小艇像是碰上沉在海里的巖架,砰咚一撞,翻了過(guò)去,把那個(gè)站著的大副給倒了出去。就在他跌落在滑溜溜的鯨背上的這個(gè)時(shí)候,小艇又翻過(guò)身來(lái),被滾滾的浪濤沖到一旁:拉德尼被浪濤一陣翻騰,掉進(jìn)海里,摔到大鯨的另一邊去。他從浪花里掙了出來(lái),一時(shí)間透過(guò)那重霧障,還可以依稀看到他在狂急地設(shè)法不讓莫比-迪克看到他。