Chapter 82 The Honor and Glory of Whaling
第八十二章 捕鲸业的令誉与荣华
There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness is the true method.
有若干冒险事业，它的真正的规律就是小心翼翼而又杂乱无章。
The more I dive into this matter of whaling, and push my researches up to the very spring-head of it so much the more am I impressed with its great honorableness and antiquity; and especially when I find so many great demi-gods and heroes, prophets of all sorts, who one way or other have shed distinction upon it, I am transported with the reflection that I myself belong, though but subordinately, to so emblazoned a fraternity.
我越是钻研捕鲸这事业，更进一步地探索它的源流，就越为它那伟大的光荣和悠久的历史所深深感动；尤其是在我发现有那么许多伟大的神明、英雄以及各式各样的先知时，更是如此，因为他们都多少在这方面有过丰功伟绩，而一想到我自己，不过是个不入流人物，居然也忝属如此显赫的集团，可真教我心荡神移。
The gallant Perseus, a son of Jupiter, was the first whaleman; and to the eternal honor of our calling be it said, that the first whale attacked by our brotherhood was not killed with any sordid intent. Those were the knightly days of our profession, when we only bore arms to succor the distressed, and not to fill men's lamp-feeders. Every one knows the fine story of Perseus and Andromeda; how the lovely Andromeda, the daughter of a king, was tied to a rock on the sea-coast, and as Leviathan was in the very act of carrying her off, Perseus, the prince of whalemen, intrepidly advancing, harpooned the monster, and delivered and married the maid.
丘必特之子，那个英勇的柏修斯就是捕鲸人的鼻祖；而且实际上，就我们这个具有永恒令誉的行业说来，我们的道友所攻打的第一条鲸，并不是怀着任何卑鄙的意图而把它打死的。那还是我们这一行业替天行道的时代，我们只是为了援救落难者，而不是为了要为人类添加油壶，才拿起武器的。人人都知道柏修斯和安特洛美达（安特洛美达——埃塞俄比亚王塞非斯和后卡西俄彼雅之女，因卡西俄彼雅夸其女姿色胜于龙女，遂触海神之怒，以致全国洪水泛滥，妖怪食人。梦中神示，若以其女安特洛美达投海祭妖，乃可免祸。遂将她投海，后得柏修斯杀妖救之，成为柏修斯之妻。）这个绮丽的故事；这个可爱的安特洛美达，这个国王的女儿，被缚在海边一块大石头上，当大海兽正要把她攫走时，那个捕鲸者的王子柏修斯，就勇猛地冲上前去，用标枪把那巨兽戳死，救了这位姑娘，同她成亲。