Forward, there! Heave the log!
前邊的人,注意,拋測程儀嘍!
Two seamen came. The golden-hued Tahitian and the grizzly Manxman. "Take the reel, one of ye, I'll heave."
兩個水手走過來了,一個是金黃色的塔希提人,一個是滿頭白發(fā)的人島人。"你們哪一個來繞線輪,我來拋。"
They went towards the extreme stern, on the ship's lee side, where the deck, with the oblique energy of the wind, was now almost dipping into the creamy, sidelong-rushing sea.
他們走到船梢的邊上,站在船的下風一邊,那地方因為斜風的吹刮,甲板都差不多浸在那打斜沖過來的、奶油般的浪潮里了。
The Manxman took the reel, and holding it high up, by the projecting handle-ends of the spindle, round which the spool of line revolved, so stood with the angular log hanging downwards, till Ahab advanced to him.
那個人島人拿著繞線輪的突出的卷軸柄尾,把它擎得高高的,那上面繞有一卷線,他手里拿著那只掛在下面的棱形的測程儀,站在那里,等候亞哈走過來。
Ahab stood before him, and was lightly unwinding some thirty or forty turns to form a preliminary hand-coil to toss overboard, when the old Manxman, who was intently eyeing both him and the line, made bold to speak.
亞哈站在他面前,輕輕地撒開了三四十圈,以便繞在手里,準備把它拋到海里去,這時,那個全神貫注地緊瞪著亞哈和測量繩的人島老漢,冒昧地開口了。
Sir, I mistrust it; this line looks far gone, long heat and wet have spoiled it.
先生,我不相信這東西,這些繩子,樣子早就不中用啦,一直讓日曬水濺,早就把它糟蹋了。
Twill hold, old gentleman. Long heat and wet, have they spoiled thee? Thou seem'st to hold. Or, truer perhaps, life holds thee; not thou it.
頂用的,老先生。你一直讓日曬水濺,可把你糟蹋了嘛?看來你都撐下來了。啊,也許應該這么說,是生命撐住了你,不是你撐住了生命。
I hold the spool, sir. But just as my captain says. With these grey hairs of mine 'tis not worth while disputing, 'specially with a superior, who'll ne'er confess.
我撐住的是線圈呀,先生。不過,我的船長說的總沒錯。象我這一大把年紀,是不配爭辯的,尤其是不該跟個上司爭辯,上司是決不會認錯的。
What's that? There now's a patched professor in Queen Nature's granite-founded College; but methinks he's too subservient. Where wert thou born?
怎么?這會兒倒來了個自然大學的飯桶教授,不過,我想,他未免太會拍馬屁了。你是哪里人?