Now, of course, this canal is filled with much the same strangely fibrous substance—the spinal cord—as the brain; and directly communicates with the brain. And what is still more, for many feet after emerging from the brain's cavity, the spinal cord remains of an undecreasing girth, almost equal to that of the brain. Under all these circumstances, would it be unreasonable to survey and map out the whale's spine phrenologically? For, viewed in this light, the wonderful comparative smallness of his brain proper is more than compensated by the wonderful comparative magnitude of his spinal cord.
这根脊管自然也跟头脑一样，有着极其相似的奇特的纤维质——脊柱纤维质；而且直接通向头脑。此外这种脊柱纤维质，从脑窝里向外露出好多英尺后，还有一根象没有缩短的肚带似的东西，大小几乎跟头脑一样。根据这种情形说来，凭骨相学的见地来探测出大鲸的脊骨，难道不是很合情理么？因为，从这个角度来观察，它那正式的头脑之相当小得出奇，是远非那又大得相当出奇的脊柱纤维质所能弥补的。
But leaving this hint to operate as it may with the phrenologists, I would merely assume the spinal theory for a moment, in reference to the Sperm Whale's hump. This august hump, if I mistake not, rises over one of the larger vertebrae, and is, therefore, in some sort, the outer convex mould of it. From its relative situation then, I should call this high hump the organ of firmness or indomitableness in the Sperm Whale. And that the great monster is indomitable, you will yet have reason to know.
但是，这种分析，还是让骨相学家们去做吧，我不过是暂时借用这种脊骨理论，来说一说抹香鲸的背峰而已。这一个威风凛凛的背峰，如果我没有弄错的话，它是通过一根较大的脊骨耸出来的，因此，它有点象是这根脊骨的外部的凸出物。于是，从它的相关的情况看来，我将管这只高高的背峰叫做抹香鲸的坚定的或者是不屈不挠的器官。至于这只巨兽之所以是不屈不挠的，以后你还可以得到相信的根据。