And, perhaps, other fools like her may tell thee the same. I wish to warn thee. It's a lie. I know Captain Ahab well; I've sailed with him as mate years ago; I know what he is-a good man-not a pious, good man, like Bildad, but a swearing good man-something like me-only there's a good deal more of him. Aye, aye, I know that he was never very jolly; and I know that on the passage home he was a little out of his mind for a spell; but it was the sharp shooting pains in his bleeding stump that brought that about, as any one might see. I know, too, that ever since he lost his leg last voyage by that accursed whale, he's been a kind of moody-desperate moody, and savage sometimes; but that will all pass off. And once for all, let me tell thee and assure thee, young man, it's better to sail with a moody good captain than a laughing bad one. So good-bye to thee-and wrong not Captain Ahab, because he happens to have a wicked name. Besides, my boy, he has a wife-not three voyages wedded-a sweet, resigned girl. Think of that; by that sweet girl that old man had a child: hold ye then there can be any utter, hopeless harm in Ahab? No, no, my lad; stricken, blasted, if he be, Ahab has his humanities!"
所以,象她那样的其他一些傻瓜也许会告诉你同样的事情。我要警告你。这是说谎。我很知道亚哈船长;好多年以前我跟他一起出过航,是他的大副;我知道他的为人...是个好人...可不是个虔诚的好人,象比勒达那样,而是一个爱骂人的好人...有点象我...不过,他比我要好得多。呵,呵,我知道他从来就不是很愉快的;在归航的时候,我知道他有过一阵子失魂落魄;但那是因为他那鲜血淋漓的残腿上的针刺似的疼痛的缘故,这也是谁都看得出的。我也知道打从上次航程给那条该死的鲸搞掉了一条腿后,他就变得郁郁不乐了...非常的郁郁不乐,有时还要耍蛮;不过,那是慢慢就会消失的。总之,我再告诉你,跟你保险,小伙子,跟一个嘻嘻哈哈的坏船长出航,那是不如跟一个郁郁不乐的好船长好得多。那么,再见吧...请别错看亚哈船长,因为他凑巧有一个邪恶的名字。再说,我的朋友,他还有一个老婆...结婚到现在还不满三次航程...真是个可爱的。唯命是从的姑娘。你想一想;老头儿靠这个可爱的姑娘还生了一个小孩呢,那么,难道你还以为亚哈是个无可救药,十足有害的人么?不,不,小伙子;尽管他苦恼,伤残,亚哈可还是有人性的!"
As I walked away, I was full of thoughtfulness; what had been incidentally revealed to me of Captain Ahab, filled me with a certain wild vagueness of painfulness concerning him. And somehow, at the time, I felt a sympathy and a sorrow for him, but for I don't know what, unless it was the cruel loss of his leg. And yet I also felt a strange awe of him; but that sort of awe, which I cannot at all describe, was not exactly awe; I do not know what it was. But I felt it; and it did not disincline me towards him; though I felt impatience at what seemed like mystery in him, so imperfectly as he was known to me then. However, my thoughts were at length carried in other directions, so that for the present dark Ahab slipped my mind.
我心事重重地走了;我刚才偶然得知的关于亚哈船长的情形,真教我对他有一种无法抑止的茫然的难过。不知怎地,我当时还对他感到同情和悲伤,但是,究竟是为了什么,我也不明白,也许是因为他惨痛地失去了一条腿的缘故。然而,我也对他怀有一种奇特的敬畏;不过,那种我所无法描摹的敬畏,却不是真正的敬畏;我不知道那是一种什么敬畏。但是,我却感到敬畏;虽然这种敬畏并不使我对他生厌;不过我同时也对他那种仿如神秘的情形感到不耐烦起来,因为当时我对他是这么弄不清楚。好在我的思路终于又转移到别的方面上去,所以,神秘的亚哈就暂时从我的脑际消失了。