英语听书《白鲸记》第245期

And now behold Jonah taken up as an anchor anddropped into the sea; when instantly an oilycalmness floats out from the east, and the sea isstill, as Jonah carries down the gale with him, leavingsmooth water behind. He goes down in the whirlingheart of such a masterless commotion that hescarce heeds the moment when he drops seethinginto the yawning jaws awaiting him; and the whaleshoots-to all his ivory teeth, like so many whitebolts, upon his prison. Then Jonah prayed unto theLord out of the fish's belly. But observe his prayer,and so many white bolts, upon his prison. Then Jonah prayed unto learn a weighty lesson. Forsinful as he is, Jonah does not weep and wail for direct deliverance. He feels that his dreadfulpunishment is just. He leaves all his deliverance to God, contenting himself with this, that spiteof all his pains and pangs, he will still look towards His holy temple. And here, shipmates, istrue and faithful repentance; not clamorous for pardon, but grateful for punishment. Andhow pleasing to God was this conduct in Jonah, is shown in the eventual deliverance of himfrom the sea and the whale. Shipmates, I do not place Jonah before you to be copied for hissin but I do place him before you as a model for repentance. Sin not; but if you do, take heedto repent of it like Jonah.

这时候,他们把约拿一举,好象举起一只锚,抛进海里去;于是,东方立即油然显出一派风平浪静的气象,大海也静寂下来了,因为约拿已经把大风一齐带走,撇下一泓柔波了。他落到那么一个无法控制的骚动的大涡流中间,以至于一点也没有留意到他已经直掉进了那只正在等他的.张开着的大嘴巴里了;那条大鲸露出了它整副牙齿,象是许多白插销,把他囚住了。于是,约拿便在鱼腹里向上帝做祷告。可是,我们不妨来看一看他的祷告,记取一个重大的教训吧。因为约拿虽然罪孽深重,他可没有哭哭啼啼请求直接救助。他觉得他那种可怕的处罚是公平的。他把救助的事情全都交给上帝安排去,并以此为满足。他不顾自己的一切苦难,依然仰望上帝的圣殿。这个呀,船友们,就是真心诚意的悔罪;不是吵吵闹闹地要求赦免,而是感谢处罚得当。约拿这种行为究竟使上帝喜欢到什么程度,就表现在最后终于把他从海里和大鲸那里救了出来。船友们,我所以要在你们面前提出约拿来,并不是要你们去重蹈他犯罪的复辙,而是要拿他来作为一个悔罪的榜样。千万不要犯罪;不过,如果犯了罪,那么请注意,千万要象约拿那样悔罪。

While he was speaking these words, the howling of the shrieking, slanting storm withoutseemed to add new power to the preacher, who, when describing Jonah's sea-storm, seemedtossed by a storm himself. His deep chest heaved as with a ground-swell; his tossed armsseemed the warring elements at work; and the thunders that rolled away from off his swarthybrow, and the light leaping from his eye, made all his simple hearers look on him with a quickfear that was strange to them.

这个传道者在说这些话的时候,外边的斜风斜雨的凄厉的号啸声似乎更给他增添了力量,当他在叙述约拿在暴风雨里的海中的时候,好象他自己也让暴风雨颠簸得摇来摆去。他那深厚的胸膛象是澎湃的海洋那样起伏着;他那双翻来翻去的胳膊象是狂风暴雨在吹打似的;加上那滚滚闪过他那黑黝黝的眉梢的雷电,以及从他眼睛里闪耀出来的电光,弄得他那些质朴的听众,个个都带着一种从未有过的惊讶之色直盯着他。