英语听书《白鲸记》第780期

What was America in 1492 but a Loose-Fish, in which Columbus struck the Spanish standard by way of wailing it for his royal master and mistress? What was Poland to the Czar? What Greece to the Turk? What India to England? What at last will Mexico be to the United States? All Loose-Fish.

美洲在一四九二年（哥伦布最早发现美洲的一部分是在一四九二年十月。）不就是一条无主鲸，后来经过哥伦布把西班牙旗降了下来，为他的主子兼主妇在那里插下了一个浮标吗？在沙皇眼中的波兰是什么呢？土耳其眼中的希腊是什么呢？英国眼中的印度是什么呢？最后，美国眼中的墨西哥又是什么呢？这些全都是无主鲸。

What are the Rights of Man and the Liberties of the World but Loose-Fish? What all men's minds and opinions but Loose-Fish? What is the principle of religious belief in them but a Loose-Fish? What to the ostentatious smuggling verbalists are the thoughts of thinkers but Loose-Fish? What is the great globe itself but a Loose-Fish? And what are you, reader, but a Loose-Fish and a Fast-Fish, too?

世界的人权和自由不就是无主鲸么？人类的思想和见解不就是无主鲸么？人们的宗教信仰原则不就是无主鲸么？在专门剽窃美丽词藻的人们看来，思想家的思想不就是无主鲸么？这个大地球本身不就是无主鲸么？还有你，读者先生呀，不也是无主鲸又是有主鲸么？

Chapter 90 Heads or Tails

第九十章 头还是尾

De balena vero sufficit, si rex habeat caput, et regina caudam. BRACTON, L. 3, C. 3. Latin from the books of the Laws of England, which taken along with the context, means, that of all whales captured by anybody on the coast of that land, the King, as Honorary Grand Harpooneer, must have the head, and the Queen be respectfully presented with the tail.

De balena vero sufficit, si rex habeat caput, et regina caudam. 布雷克顿（亨利·德·布雷克顿——十三世纪时英国的法律编纂者，有"法律大师之大师"之称，死于一二六八年。）第三卷第三章这句摘自英国法律典籍的拉丁文，就其上下文意义说来，就是说，任何人在英国沿海所捕到的一切大鲸，鲸头必须献给那位身为名誉的伟大标枪手的国王，鲸尾必须恭呈王后。

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