英语听书《白鲸记》第639期

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Chapter 70 The Sphynx

第七十章 狮身人头怪物

It should not have been omitted that previous to completely stripping the body of the leviathan, he was beheaded. Now, the beheading of the Sperm Whale is a scientific anatomical feat, upon which experienced whale surgeons very much pride themselves: and not without reason.

这里必须一提的是，那条大海兽是被砍了头后，才把它的身体剥得活脱精光的。且说砍抹香鲸头，倒是一种具有科学方法的解剖术，许多富有经验的大鲸外科医生所以深深以此自傲，并不是毫无理由的。

Consider that the whale has nothing that can properly be called a neck; on the contrary, where his head and body seem to join, there, in that very place, is the thickest part of him. Remember, also, that the surgeon must operate from above, some eight or ten feet intervening between him and his subject, and that subject almost hidden in a discolored, rolling, and oftentimes tumultuous and bursting sea. Bear in mind, too, that under these untoward circumstances he has to cut many feet deep in the flesh; and in that subterraneous manner, without so much as getting one single peep into the ever-contracting gash thus made, he must skilfully steer clear of all adjacent, interdicted parts, and exactly divide the spine at a CRItical point hard by its insertion into the skull. Do you not marvel, then, at Stubb's boast, that he demanded but ten minutes to behead a sperm whale?

请想一想，鲸本来就没有一个可以适当称之为颈脖子的东西，相反地，似乎在它的头身相连的那个地方，却就是它身体的最粗的部分。同时，请不要忘记，外科医生必须由上而下地动手术，他跟他那解剖对象的距离约有八英尺到十英尺，而那对象又差不多是沉在污浊的、滚滚的，而且时常是迸射汹涌的海里。又得请你谨记在心的是，在这种不很顺手的情况下，他还得在它肉里砍个几英尺深；而且在那种隐秘的情况下，就是要看一看砍过了后的。却又始终在收缩着的裂口也不大容易，因此，他必须又熟练又灵敏地避开那些附近的不应该砍下去的部分，应该朝那衔接着头颅与脊柱的分界点准确地砍将下去。所以，你对于斯塔布自吹自擂，说是他只消十分钟就可把抹香鲸的头砍下来，可不觉得惊奇么？

When first severed, the head is dropped astern and held there by a cable till the body is stripped.

头一砍下来后，人们就把它丢在船尾，用一条大缆把它缚住，等到身体剥皮完毕再作处理。