And now the time of tide has come; the ship casts off her cables; and from the deserted wharf the uncheered ship for Tarshish, all careening, glides to sea. That ship, my friends, was the first of recorded smugglers! the contraband was Jonah. But the sea rebels; he will not bear the wicked burden. A dreadful storm comes on, the ship is like to break. But now when the boatswain calls all hands to lighten her; when boxes, bales, and jars are clattering overboard; when the wind is shrieking, and the men are yelling, and every plank thunders with trampling feet right over Jonah's head; in all this raging tumult, Jonah sleeps his hideous sleep. He sees no black sky and raging sea, feels not the reeling timbers, and little hears he or heeds he the far rush of the mighty whale, which even now with open mouth is cleaving the seas after him. Aye, shipmates, Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship-a berth in the cabin as I have taken it, and was fast asleep. But the frightened master comes to him, and shrieks in his dead ear, 'What meanest thou, O, sleeper! arise!' Startled from his lethargy by that direful cry, Jonah staggers to his feet, and stumbling to the deck, grasps a shroud, to look out upon the sea. But at that moment he is sprung upon by a panther billow leaping over the bulwarks. Wave after wave thus leaps into the ship, and finding no speedy vent runs roaring fore and aft, till the mariners come nigh to drowning while yet afloat. And ever, as the white moon shows her affrighted face from the steep gullies in the blackness overhead, aghast Jonah sees the rearing bowsprit pointing high upward, but soon beat downward again towards the tormented deep.

现在,潮水上来了;船一解缆,这只不愉快的船就离开那冷落无人的码头,船身完全侧斜着,悄悄地驶向他施。那只船,朋友们,是第一只有记录的走私船!违禁品就是约拿。但是大海反抗起来了;它不愿意背负这种邪恶的重担。突然起了一阵吓人的暴风雨,那只船就象要被冲破似的。但是,当水手长要大家都来卸箱笼。货物和瓶瓶罐罐都唏哩哗啦抛进海里;风在尖啸,人们在狂喊,每块船板都给人们踩得直在约拿的头顶轰隆隆响,这样大吵大闹的这个时候,约拿还在做他的恶梦。他看不到漆黑的天际和汹涌的大洋,感觉不到那摇摇晃晃的船身,更听不到也没有注意到那条大鲸这时正在急奔前来,甚至已经是大张着嘴,破浪前进在追赶他了。哎,船友们,约拿已经给晃得缩在舱侧里...就是在我上面说的睡舱里那只铺位上熟睡着。可是,那个吓坏了的船主跑到他跟前来,直对着他那死人似的耳朵尖叫着,你这沉睡的人呵!怎么啦,起来呀!那声惨叫把他从昏睡里吓醒过来了,约拿摇摇摆摆地立起来,跌跌撞撞地摸上甲板,抓住一根护桅索,望着海上。可是,就在这时,从舷墙上冲过来的,犹如一只巨豹似的狂涛直泼在他身上。浪潮就这样后浪推前浪。不住地冲进船来,因为找不到可以迅速出水的地方,水就从船头哗啦啦地涌到船尾,狂奔猛流,直弄得船虽未沉,可是水手们却差不多要给淹死了。这时候,从漆黑的上空那象在深沟巨壑里闪出惊惶的脸色的月光中,吓得发呆的约拿看到了那支耸立在船头斜桅,飕地高高往上翘起,但立刻又猛地往下一翻,落到惊险的深渊里。