英语听书《白鲸记》第352期

In like manner, the Greenland whalers sailing out ofHull or London, put in at the Shetland Islands, toreceive the full complement of their crew. Uponthe passage homewards, they drop them thereagain. How it is, there is no telling, but Islandersseem to make the best whalemen. They were nearlyall Islanders in the Pequod, Isolatoes too, I call such,not acknowledging the common continent of men,but each Isolato living on a separate continent of hisown. Yet now, federated along one keel, what a setthese Isolatoes were! An Anacharsis Clootzdeputation from all the isles of the sea, and all the ends of the earth, accompanying Old Ahab inthe Pequod to lay the world's grievances before that bar from which not very many of them evercome back. Black Little Pip-- he never did--oh, no! he went before. Poor Alabama boy! On thegrim Pequod's forecastle, ye shall ere long see him, beating his tambourine; prelusive of theeternal time, when sent for, to the great quarter-deck on high, he was bid strike in withangels, and beat his tambourine in glory; called a coward here, hailed a hero there!

同样地,格陵兰的捕鲸船也从赫尔或者伦敦驶出来,开进设得兰群岛去招收他们的全部水手。等到回航的时候,又再把他们卸在原地。究竟是怎么一回事,那可说不上来,不过,岛民似乎生来都是最优秀的捕鲸者。"裴廓德号"上的水手,就几乎全是岛民,也是一些与世隔绝的人,我之所以这样称法,并不是泛指一般的陆地人,而是指各有一个小天地的与世隔绝者。不过现在是,大家都同在一条船上相依为命,还成什么与世隔绝者呢!一个从天涯海角各岛各屿汇合拢来的安纳萨西。克罗茨的代表团陪着"裴廓德号"的亚哈老头,想把人间的牢骚诉诸那个庭上。即普鲁士人约翰。巴蒂斯特。克罗茨子爵,一七九二年改籍法国。他环游欧洲后,在一七八九年法国大革命爆发时,来到巴黎参加雅各宾派俱乐部。隔年,他在国民议会的庭上宣称他和他的徒众是"人权宣言"的拥护者,自此以后,他自称为"人类的演说家"。后因触怒罗伯斯庇尔,被处斩刑。据说他在国民议会的庭上演说时,是代表着巴黎一群咖啡馆,下等酒馆,茶楼的各式人等的,故作者在此处有如是说法。可是,能够从那个法庭生还的却为数寥寥。比普这黑小子呀...他从来就没有回来过...啊,不,他以前去过了。可怜的亚拉巴马。孩子呀!在"裴廓德号"那不祥的船头楼上,你们不久就将看到他敲着他的小手鼓,弹出永恒的时间前奏曲。当他被派到高高的后甲板去的时候,人家吩咐他响亮地敲起小手鼓,他便有如天使附体一般大敲特敲,一会儿叫懦夫壮起胆来,一会儿又向英雄致敬。