英语听书《白鲸记》第669期
日期:2017-05-29 11:41

(单词翻译:单击)

In short, he is what the fishermen technically call a "grey-headed whale."
总之,它就是捕鱼人特称为"白头鲸"的东西。
Let us now note what is least dissimilar in these heads— namely, the two most important organs, the eye and the ear. Far back on the side of the head, and low down, near the angle of either whale's jaw, if you narrowly search, you will at last see a lashless eye, which you would fancy to be a young colt's eye; so out of all proportion is it to the magnitude of the head.
现在我们不妨来看看这两只头的最为相似的地方吧——那就是,那两种最主要的器官:眼睛和耳朵。在鲸头的极后边,还要下面一些,在靠近嘴角的左右两边,如果你仔细地找一找,最后就可以看到一只没有睫毛的眼睛,你也许会把它当做一只小马的眼睛,因为眼睛之小跟那头颅之大竟是如此极不相称。
Now, from this peculiar sideway position of the whale's eyes, it is plain that he can never see an object which is exactly ahead, no more than he can one exactly astern. In a word, the position of the whale's eyes corresponds to that of a man's ears; and you may fancy, for yourself, how it would fare with you, did you sideways survey objects through your ears. You would find that you could only command some thirty degrees of vision in advance of the straight side-line of sight; and about thirty more behind it. If your bitterest foe were walking straight towards you, with dagger uplifted in broad day, you would not be able to see him, any more than if he were stealing upon you from behind. In a word, you would have two backs, so to speak; but, at the same time, also, two fronts (side fronts): for what is it that makes the front of a man— what, indeed, but his eyes?
那么,从大鲸的眼睛这样长在侧方的特殊位置上看来,它显然是决不可能看到正前方的东西,也同样看不到正后方的东西了。总括一句,鲸眼的位置正相当于人类的耳朵的位置。那么,你可以想一想,换了是你,你该怎么办,你曾经用你的耳朵往斜里看过东西么?你准会发觉你只能控制正斜方前后三十度的视力。因此,如果你的最狠心的敌人,在大白天里,手里举起一把匕首,直冲着你走过来的时候,你一定无法看到他,正如你无法看到他从背后蹑手蹑脚来攻击你一样。总之,仿佛你就该长两个背脊,而且,同时,也得长有两个面孔(侧脸),因为构成一个人的面孔的是什么呀——不正是一对眼睛吗?

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