來吧;讓我們把手捏個轉(zhuǎn)遍吧;不,讓我們彼此都捏在一起吧;讓我們把我們自己一起融化在這種乳油交融的友情里吧。
Would that I could keep squeezing that sperm for ever! For now, since by many prolonged, repeated experiences, I have perceived that in all cases man must eventually lower, or at least shift, his conceit of attainable felicity; not placing it anywhere in the intellect or the fancy; but in the wife, the heart, the bed, the table, the saddle, the fire-side; the country; now that I have perceived all this, I am ready to squeeze case eternally. In thoughts of the visions of the night, I saw long rows of angels in paradise, each with his hands in a jar of spermaceti.
要是我能夠這樣把抹香鯨油一直捏下去,可多好呵!我因為有許多長時期的反復(fù)的經(jīng)驗,現(xiàn)在體會到,不管怎樣,到頭來,人類對于他那種自以為可以獲得的幸福,是必須加以降低或者至少得加以修正了,幸福并不是隨便靠智力或者幻想就能獲得的,而是存在于妻子,心坎,床上,桌上,馬背上,火爐邊和田舍間的;既然我已經(jīng)體會到了這一切,我就準(zhǔn)備永遠(yuǎn)地捏下去。我沉浸在夜空似的幻覺里,我看到了天堂里一長列一長列的天使,各人手里都拿著一罐抹香鯨腦。
Now, while discoursing of sperm it behooves to speak of other things akin to it, in the business of preparing the sperm whale for the try-works.
說到抹香鯨腦,似乎應(yīng)該把那些跟它有關(guān)的事情也說一說,說一說把抹香鯨送到煉油間去的準(zhǔn)備工作。
First comes white-horse, so called, which is obtained from the tapering part of the fish, and also from the thicker portions of his flukes. It is tough with congealed tendons—a wad of muscle—but still contains some oil. After being severed from the whale, the white-horse is first cut into portable oblongs ere going to the mincer. They look much like blocks of Berkshire marble.
第一就是那種所謂"白馬"的東西,白馬就是來自大鯨的尖梢和裂尾的粗大的部分的東西。它因為有許多凝結(jié)的筋筋——一疊肌肉——而顯得很硬,不過,那里邊還有些油。把白馬從鯨身上割下來后,先把它切成長方形的塊塊,然后送到剁碎器去。它那樣子很象柏克郡(柏克郡——英國南部的一個郡。)的一塊塊的大理石。