On the occasion in question, Queequeg figured in the Highland costume— a shirt and socks—in which to my eyes, at least, he appeared to uncommon advantage; and no one had a better chance to observe him, as will presently be seen.
在這種場合上,魁魁格穿的是蘇格蘭高地人的服裝——一件襯衫,一雙短襪——他這副裝束,至少據我看來,顯得非常好看;誰也不會有象現在這樣來看他的好機會。
Being the savage's bowsman, that is, the person who pulled the bow-oar in his boat (the second one from forward), it was my cheerful duty to attend upon him while taking that hard-scrabble scramble upon the dead whale's back. You have seen Italian organ-boys holding a dancing-ape by a long cord. Just so, from the ship's steep side, did I hold Queequeg down there in the sea, by what is technically called in the fishery a monkey-rope, attached to a strong strip of canvas belted round his waist.
我因為是做了這個野人的前槳手,就是說,是一個扳他小艇的前槳人(坐在前邊第二個位子上),因此,我的愉快的責任就是在他搖搖晃晃攀上那死鯨背的時候,照料著他。你們總看過意大利的風琴手,用一根長繩子牽著一只蹦蹦跳跳的猢猻吧。我就是這么個做法,當他從那險峻的船舷下到海里去的時候,我就用一條捕魚業(yè)上所謂猴索的繩子牽著魁魁格,索子結在他腰際一條堅牢的帆布帶子上。
It was a humorously perilous business for both of us. For, before we proceed further, it must be said that the monkey-rope was fast at both ends; fast to Queequeg's broad canvas belt, and fast to my narrow leather one. So that for better or for worse, we two, for the time, were wedded; and should poor Queequeg sink to rise no more, then both usage and honor demanded, that instead of cutting the cord, it should drag me down in his wake. So, then, an elongated Siamese ligature united us. Queequeg was my own inseparable twin brother; nor could I any way get rid of the dangerous liabilities which the hempen bond entailed.
這對我們倆說來,可真是一件既滑稽又危險的差使。因為,在我們站著不動的時候,應該說這條猴索的兩頭都是結得很牢靠的:一頭緊縛在魁魁格那條帆布闊腰帶上,一頭縛在我的狹皮帶上。所以我們兩個人暫時確是有福共享,有禍同當的了;萬一可憐的魁魁格沉將下去,就此再不浮上來,那么,為了習俗和名譽,我不是把索子割斷,而是必須跟他一起讓它拖下去。這樣,一根細長的暹邏繩子就把我們連結在一起??窬褪俏业碾y分難舍的孿生弟兄,我隨便怎樣都無法擺脫這條麻繩需要負擔的危險責任了。