"Ginger? Do I smell ginger?" suspiciously asked Stubb, coming near. "Yes, this must be ginger," peering into the as yet untasted cup. Then standing as if incredulous for a while, he calmly walked towards the astonished steward slowly saying, "Ginger? ginger? and will you have the goodness to tell me, Mr. Dough-Boy, where lies the virtue of ginger? Ginger! is ginger the sort of fuel you use, Dough-boy, to kindle a fire in this shivering cannibal? Ginger!—what the devil is ginger?— sea-coal? firewood?—lucifer matches?—tinder?—gunpowder?—what the devil is ginger, I say, that you offer this cup to our poor Queequeg here."
"姜吗？我闻到姜的味儿吗？"斯塔布走拢来后，怀疑地问道。"不错，这准是姜，"他直瞧着那只还未上口的杯子。他仿佛深表怀疑似地站了一会儿，心平气和地走到那个满怀惊讶的茶房跟前，慢吞吞地说，"姜？姜？可不可以劳驾告诉我一下，我的汤团先生，姜有些什么功效呀？姜！姜就是你所用的柴火，汤团，想在这个索索抖的野人肚皮里生火吗？姜！姜究竟是什么？海上的煤炭？——烧火的柴爿？——黄磷火柴？——火绒？——火药？——姜究竟是什么？我说，你为什么要把这杯东西给我们这个可怜的魁魁格？"
"There is some sneaking Temperance Society movement about this business," he suddenly added, now approaching Starbuck, who had just come from forward. "Will you look at that kannakin, sir; smell of it, if you please." Then watching the mate's countenance, he added, "The steward, Mr. Starbuck, had the face to offer that calomel and jalap to Queequeg, there, this instant off the whale. Is the steward an apothecary, sir? and may I ask whether this is the sort of bitters by which he blows back the life into a half-drowned man?"
"这事情倒象是在偷偷地搞禁酒运动了，"他突然补上一句，走到正从船头走过来的斯达巴克跟前去。"请你看一看那一小杯东西，闻它一闻，先生。"接着他望着这大副的面色，又说："这个茶房呀，斯达巴克先生，魁魁格刚从鲸身上爬上来，他竟好意思给他拿来这种甘汞和泻药。这茶房是个药剂师么，先生？我可不可以问一声，他究竟是不是想拿这种辣东西来谋害一个淹得半死的人？"
"I trust not," said Starbuck, "it is poor stuff enough."
"我相信不是这样，"斯达巴克说，"这确是够糟的东西。"