For as the mightiest elephant is but a terrier to Leviathan, so, compared with Leviathan's tail, his trunk is but the stalk of a lily. The most direful blow from the elephant's trunk were as the playful tap of a fan, compared with the measureless crush and crash of the sperm whale's ponderous flukes, which in repeated instances have one after the other hurled entire boats with all their oars and crews into the air, very much as an Indian juggler tosses his balls.
因为在大鲸看来，最大的象也不过是条狗罢了，所以跟鲸尾比较起来，象鼻就不过是一支百合茎。跟抹香鲸的笨重的裂片那种噼里啪啦的无限的冲击力比起来，象鼻的最可怕的打击也不过是一把扇子那么开玩笑的一拍而已，抹香鲸的裂片已经一再出现这种情况，接二连三地把全部小艇连人带桨都给扔到空中去，活象一个变戏法的印第安人在抛掷他的小球。
Footnote: though all comparison in the way of general bulk between the whale and the elephant is preposterous, inasmuch as in that particular the elephant stands in much the same respect to the whale that a dog does to the elephant; nevertheless, there are not wanting some points of curious similitude; among these is the spout. It is well known that the elephant will often draw up water or dust in his trunk, and then elevating it, jet it forth in a stream.
原注：这样就鲸和象两者间的一般躯干上来做种种比较，未免颇为荒谬，因为就这方面说来，象之与鲸犹如狗之与象；不过，话虽如此，两者之间可仍不乏若干奇特的类似之点的；其中，喷水就是一种。据说象也时常用大鼻子吸起水或者垃圾来，然后把它高高举起，把这些东西象一条小溪那样向前喷去。
The more I consider this mighty tail, the more do I deplore my inability to express it. At times there are gestures in it, which, though they would well grace the hand of man, remain wholly inexplicable. In an extensive herd, so remarkable, occasionally, are these mystic gestures, that I have heard hunters who have declared them akin to Free-Mason signs and symbols; that the whale, indeed, by these methods intelligently conversed with the world.
我越想到这种巨尾，越痛恨我的能力薄弱，无法把它完全表达出来。那尾巴好象时时在做手势，虽说这给人类的手大增光辉，却也完全令人费解。我曾经听到猎手们说，偶然看到一大群鲸这种神秘的手势真是非常希奇，他们说，那种手势有如互济会（互济会——欧洲一种以互济友爱为目的的秘密结社，发源于石工工会。）的各种标志。因为实际上，大鲸就借这种聪明的方法跟人间打交道。