英語聽書《白鯨記》第780期

What was America in 1492 but a Loose-Fish, in which Columbus struck the Spanish standard by way of wailing it for his royal master and mistress? What was Poland to the Czar? What Greece to the Turk? What India to England? What at last will Mexico be to the United States? All Loose-Fish.

美洲在一四九二年（哥倫布最早發(fā)現(xiàn)美洲的一部分是在一四九二年十月。）不就是一條無主鯨，后來經(jīng)過哥倫布把西班牙旗降了下來，為他的主子兼主婦在那里插下了一個浮標嗎？在沙皇眼中的波蘭是什么呢？土耳其眼中的希臘是什么呢？英國眼中的印度是什么呢？最后，美國眼中的墨西哥又是什么呢？這些全都是無主鯨。

What are the Rights of Man and the Liberties of the World but Loose-Fish? What all men's minds and opinions but Loose-Fish? What is the principle of religious belief in them but a Loose-Fish? What to the ostentatious smuggling verbalists are the thoughts of thinkers but Loose-Fish? What is the great globe itself but a Loose-Fish? And what are you, reader, but a Loose-Fish and a Fast-Fish, too?

世界的人權(quán)和自由不就是無主鯨么？人類的思想和見解不就是無主鯨么？人們的宗教信仰原則不就是無主鯨么？在專門剽竊美麗詞藻的人們看來，思想家的思想不就是無主鯨么？這個大地球本身不就是無主鯨么？還有你，讀者先生呀，不也是無主鯨又是有主鯨么？

Chapter 90 Heads or Tails

第九十章 頭還是尾

De balena vero sufficit, si rex habeat caput, et regina caudam. BRACTON, L. 3, C. 3. Latin from the books of the Laws of England, which taken along with the context, means, that of all whales captured by anybody on the coast of that land, the King, as Honorary Grand Harpooneer, must have the head, and the Queen be respectfully presented with the tail.

De balena vero sufficit, si rex habeat caput, et regina caudam. 布雷克頓（亨利·德·布雷克頓——十三世紀時英國的法律編纂者，有"法律大師之大師"之稱，死于一二六八年。）第三卷第三章這句摘自英國法律典籍的拉丁文，就其上下文意義說來，就是說，任何人在英國沿海所捕到的一切大鯨，鯨頭必須獻給那位身為名譽的偉大標槍手的國王，鯨尾必須恭呈王后。

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