英语听书《白鲸记》第796期

For amber, though at times found on the sea-coast, is also dug up in some far inland soils, whereas ambergris is never found except upon the sea. Besides, amber is a hard, transparent, brittle, odorless substance, used for mouth-pieces to pipes, for beads and ornaments; but ambergris is soft, waxy, and so highly fragrant and spicy, that it is largely used in perfumery, in pastiles, precious candles, hair-powders, and pomatum. The Turks use it in cooking, and also carry it to Mecca, for the same purpose that frankincense is carried to St. Peter's in Rome. Some wine merchants drop a few grains into claret, to flavor it.

因为琥珀虽则可以不时地在海边找到，但也可以在遥远的内陆的土壤里挖到；而龙涎香，则是除了在海上，随便什么地方都找不到的。此外，琥珀是一种质硬、透明、性脆、毫无味道，可以用来作烟斗上的烟嘴、念珠和装饰品的东西；而龙诞香却是质软，呈蜡黄色，非常馥郁，是被大量使用于香料品、香锭、名贵的蜡烛、发粉和香油的东西。土耳其人用它来煮东西，也把龙诞香带到圣地去，如同人们为了同样的目的把乳香带到罗马的圣彼得教堂去一样。有些酿酒商，还在红葡萄酒里滴它几滴，增加酒香。

Who would think, then, that such fine ladies and gentlemen should regale themselves with an essence found in the inglorious bowels of a sick whale! Yet so it is. By some, ambergris is supposed to be the cause, and by others the effect, of the dyspepsia in the whale. How to cure such a dyspepsia it were hard to say, unless by administering three or four boat loads of Brandreth's pills, and then running out of harm's way, as laborers do in blasting rocks.

那么，谁想得到那些高雅的太太老爷们往自己身上洒上的一滴香精，竟是从一只病鲸的不干不净的肚皮里取出来的呢！然而，事实的确如此。有些人认为龙涎香是大鲸患消化不良症的原因，另一些人则认为它是这种病症的结果。究竟应该怎样治疗这种消化不良症，倒是很难说得上来，除非是装上三四只小艇的布兰德雷思丸药（一种烈性泻药。），这才可以象工人炸岩石那样，消除这一大患。

I have forgotten to say that there were found in this ambergris, certain hard, round, bony plates, which at first Stubb thought might be sailors' trousers buttons; but it afterwards turned out that they were nothing, more than pieces of small squid bones embalmed in that manner.

我还忘记说，在这种龙涎香中，还发现有一种质硬、浑圆而象骨板样的东西，起初斯塔布还当它是水手的裤钮，不过，后来又发现，它原来不过是象搽过香油的乌贼骨那样的东西。

查看有声读物更多精彩内容