He seemed to be working in obedience to some particular presentiment. Nor did it remain unwarranted by the event.
他好象是听凭一阵预感的支配在擦着，而且预感就是事实那样。
Towards noon whales were raised; but so soon as the ship sailed down to them, they turned and fled with swift precipitancy; a disordered flight, as of Cleopatra's barges from Actium.
将近午刻时分，又发现大鲸了。可是，船一驶过去，它们却又慌忙掉了头，迅速逃走了。鲸群乱七八糟，象是从亚克兴（亚克兴——古希腊的阿克内尼亚海岬，公元前三一年九月二日，安东尼和克莉奥佩屈拉同阿格力巴在这里有过一场大海战。）来的克莉奥佩屈拉那些御船。
Nevertheless, the boats pursued, and Stubb's was foremost. By great exertion, Tashtego at last succeeded in planting one iron; but the stricken whale, without at all sounding, still continued his horizontal flight, with added fleetness. Such unintermitted strainings upon the planted iron must sooner or later inevitably extract it. It became imperative to lance the flying whale, or be content to lose him. But to haul the boat up to his flank was impossible, he swam so fast and furious. What then remained?
然而，几只小艇还是继续追逐下去，由斯塔布的小艇打前锋。费了很大的劲，塔斯蒂哥终于击中了一枪，可是，那条被击中的鲸，却不完全沉下去，还继续横游过去，只是速度加快了一点。这样连续不断的狂奔，那支插在它身上的枪头，一定迟早会给挤出来。于是，只得对这条如飞的大鲸再补上一枪，否则只好听它逃脱。可是，又无法把小艇划到它身边去，它游得那么快那么急。那么，该怎么办呢？
Of all the wondrous devices and dexterities, the sleights of hand and countless subtleties, to which the veteran whaleman is so often forced, none exceed that fine manoeuvre with the lance called pitchpoling. Small sword, or broad sword, in all its exercises boasts nothing like it. It is only indispensable with an inveterate running whale; its grand fact and feature is the wonderful distance to which the long lance is accurately darted from a violently rocking, jerking boat, under extreme headway.
在老捕鲸手往往不得不使用的一切奇计妙策、娴熟的手法与无数灵巧的办法中，莫过于巧妙地使用那种叫做投杆的捕鲸枪了。小剑或者大剑，使用起来总不及这种东西。对付一只使人又气又恨的拼命狂奔的鲸，非得仰仗它不可，它的主要特色，就是能够从一只高速前进的，急腾急跳的小艇上，在极远的距离内一枪中的。