英语听书《白鲸记》第394期

But he who in the rightly regal and intelligent spirit presides over his own private dinner-table of invited guests, that man's unchallenged power and dominion of individual influence for the time; that man's royalty of state transcends Belshazzar's, for Belshazzar was not the greatest. Who has but once dined his friends, has tasted what it is to be Caesar. It is a witchery of social czarship which there is no withstanding. Now, if to this consideration you super-add the official supremacy of a ship-master, then, by inference, you will derive the cause of that peculiarity of sea-life just mentioned.

不过,凡是请人吃饭而摆出一副帝王的。凛然不可侵犯的架势的,那种人就暂时具有一种稳如磐石的权力和威信;那种人的王相一定超过了伯沙撒,因为伯沙撒也并不是最了不起的。谁只要曾经请朋友吃过一次饭,谁就体会到做恺撒大帝的味道。这就是一种无可抗拒的社交的王权的魔法。现在,如果再把一个船长的正式的霸权加在这种理由上,那么,一加推断,人们就可以追索出刚才所说的海上生活的特点的道理了。

Over his ivory-inlaid table, Ahab presided like a mute, maned sea-lion on the white coral beach, surrounded by his war-like but still deferential cubs. In his own proper turn, each officer waited to be served. They were as little children before Ahab; and yet, in Ahab, there seemed not to lurk the smallest social arrogance. With one mind, their intent eyes all fastened upon the old man's knife, as he carved the chief dish before him. I do not suppose that for the world they would have profaned that moment with the slightest observation, even upon so neutral a topic as the weather. No! And when reaching out his knife and fork, between which the slice of beef was locked, Ahab thereby motioned Starbuck's plate towards him, the mate received his meat as though receiving alms; and cut it tenderly; and a little started if, perchance, the knife grazed against the plate; and chewed it noiselessly; and swallowed it, not without circumspection.

亚哈坐在他那只镶着牙骨的饭桌上首,有如一只坐在雪白的珊瑚坝上的默默的。有鬃毛的海狮,被他那些尚武而颇谦让的小狮团团围着。每个头目都等着亚哈分给自己的菜。他们在亚哈面前都象小孩一般;然而,亚哈却好象一点也没有社交上的妄自尊大的气态。亚哈在切着他面前那道主菜的时候,他们几双紧张的眼睛都一致凝神不动地盯着那老头的刀子。我认为,无论如何,他们当时是一点也不敢随意说话,哪怕连天气这样无关紧要的话题都不敢谈。不错!当亚哈伸出他的刀叉,中间夹着一片牛肉,并对斯达巴克示意,要他把盆子递过来的时候,这个大副就象接受施舍物般把那块肉接了过来,轻轻地切着;如果偶然刀子跟盆子稍微一碰,就不免要吓了一跳;无声无息地咀嚼着,小心翼翼地把它咽下去。