英語聽書《白鯨記》第639期

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Chapter 70 The Sphynx

第七十章 獅身人頭怪物

It should not have been omitted that previous to completely stripping the body of the leviathan, he was beheaded. Now, the beheading of the Sperm Whale is a scientific anatomical feat, upon which experienced whale surgeons very much pride themselves: and not without reason.

這里必須一提的是，那條大海獸是被砍了頭后，才把它的身體剝得活脫精光的。且說砍抹香鯨頭，倒是一種具有科學(xué)方法的解剖術(shù)，許多富有經(jīng)驗的大鯨外科醫(yī)生所以深深以此自傲，并不是毫無理由的。

Consider that the whale has nothing that can properly be called a neck; on the contrary, where his head and body seem to join, there, in that very place, is the thickest part of him. Remember, also, that the surgeon must operate from above, some eight or ten feet intervening between him and his subject, and that subject almost hidden in a discolored, rolling, and oftentimes tumultuous and bursting sea. Bear in mind, too, that under these untoward circumstances he has to cut many feet deep in the flesh; and in that subterraneous manner, without so much as getting one single peep into the ever-contracting gash thus made, he must skilfully steer clear of all adjacent, interdicted parts, and exactly divide the spine at a CRItical point hard by its insertion into the skull. Do you not marvel, then, at Stubb's boast, that he demanded but ten minutes to behead a sperm whale?

請想一想，鯨本來就沒有一個可以適當稱之為頸脖子的東西，相反地，似乎在它的頭身相連的那個地方，卻就是它身體的最粗的部分。同時，請不要忘記，外科醫(yī)生必須由上而下地動手術(shù)，他跟他那解剖對象的距離約有八英尺到十英尺，而那對象又差不多是沉在污濁的、滾滾的，而且時常是迸射洶涌的海里。又得請你謹記在心的是，在這種不很順手的情況下，他還得在它肉里砍個幾英尺深；而且在那種隱秘的情況下，就是要看一看砍過了后的。卻又始終在收縮著的裂口也不大容易，因此，他必須又熟練又靈敏地避開那些附近的不應(yīng)該砍下去的部分，應(yīng)該朝那銜接著頭顱與脊柱的分界點準確地砍將下去。所以，你對于斯塔布自吹自擂，說是他只消十分鐘就可把抹香鯨的頭砍下來，可不覺得驚奇么？

When first severed, the head is dropped astern and held there by a cable till the body is stripped.

頭一砍下來后，人們就把它丟在船尾，用一條大纜把它縛住，等到身體剝皮完畢再作處理。