And as the mighty iron Leviathan of the modern railway is so familiarly known in its every pace, that, with watches in their hands, men time his rate as doctors that of a baby's pulse; and lightly say of it, the up train or the down train will reach such or such a spot, at such or such an hour; even so, almost, there are occasions when these Nantucketers time that other Leviathan of the deep, according to the observed humor of his speed; and say to themselves, so many hours hence this whale will have gone two hundred miles, will have about reached this or that degree of latitude or longitude. But to render this acuteness at all successful in the end, the wind and the sea must be the whaleman's allies; for of what present avail to the becalmed or wind-bound mariner is the skill that assures him he is exactly ninety-three leagues and a quarter from his port? Inferable from these statements, are many collateral subtile matters touching the chase of whales.
而且，也象现代铁路那种铁制的大海兽一样，它的每一动止都为人们所深知熟解，人们手里拿着表，就能象医生数出小孩的脉搏那样，计算出火车的速率，可以轻而易举地说，上行车或者下行车将在某时某刻到达某某个站头；这些南塔开特人，有时候，甚至几乎能够根据对大鲸的游速的观察，计算出这种海里的大海兽的速率来；能暗自估量着，隔了多少钟头，这条大鲸将会走了两百英里的路程，大约可以到达某某地方。不过，要使这种推测结果能够获得成功，捕鲸人还得靠风和潮来相助；因为，如果碰上因风停驶，或逢逆风而不能航行的时候，那么行船的人哪来一种绝技，可以保证他能准确算出离开海港还有多少航程呢？由此，可以这样论断，在有关追击大鲸的这种事情上，是有许多间接相关的微妙的情况的。
The ship tore on; leaving such a furrow in the sea as when a cannonball, missent, becomes a plough-share and turns up the level field.
船只猛冲向前；在海里留下了这么一个深沟，就象一颗错发了的大炮弹，把平地翻成一道犁沟一样。
By salt and hemp! cried Stubb, "but this swift motion of the deck creeps up one's legs and tingles at the heart. This ship and I are two brave fellows! — Ha, ha! Some one take me up, and launch me, spine-wise, on the sea, — for by live-oaks! my spine's a keel. Ha, ha! we go the gait that leaves no dust behind!"
嗨哟，真了不起！斯塔布叫道，"甲板这种迅速的动力可直窜上了我的腿，直刺着我的心。我跟这船就是两个勇敢的家伙——哈，哈！有谁把我举起来，把我的脊柱驶到海上去，——因为天公地道！我的脊骨就是根龙骨呀。哈，哈！我们驶得这样轻快，背后一尘不扬！"
There she blows — she blows! — she blows! — right ahead! was now the mast-head cry.
它在喷水喽——它在喷喽——它在喷喽！——就在正前方！桅顶上叫喊起来了。