英语听书《白鲸记》第811期

Gurry, so called, is a term properly belonging to right whalemen, but sometimes incidentally used by the sperm fishermen. It designates the dark, glutinous substance which is scraped off the back of the Greenland or right whale, and much of which covers the decks of those inferior souls who hunt that ignoble Leviathan.

还有一种原来是捕露脊鲸者所谓"碎肉"的专门名称，不过，它有时也偶尔被捕抹香鲸者使用了。这指的是从格陵兰鲸或者露脊鲸的背上剥下来的那种黑色的胶状物，那些专捕这种贱鲸的下等人物的船板上就尽是这些东西。

Nippers. Strictly this word is not indigenous to the whale's vocabulary. But as applied by whalemen, it becomes so. A whaleman's nipper is a short firm strip of tendinous stuff cut from the tapering part of Leviathan's tail: it averages an inch in thickness, and for the rest, is about the size of the iron part of a hoe. Edgewise moved along the oily deck, it operates like a leathern squilgee; and by nameless blandishments, as of magic, allures along with it all impurities.

滚子（原文nippers应为"钳子"，但从文中意思看来，称为"滚子"比较妥当。）。这个名称，严格说来，并不是捕鲸业的原有的词儿。不过，由于捕鲸人使用了它，也就成为一种捕鲸词汇了。捕鲸人的所谓"滚子"就是从鲸尾的尖梢上割下来的一种坚硬的短腱块，它一般是一英寸厚，等而下的，大小约等于锹子的那块铁板。拿它斜斜地沿着油腻腻的甲板上滚去，它滚得象只橡皮滚子那样，真有说不出的圆滑灵巧，就象使用了不干不净的魔法那样。

But to learn all about these recondite matters, your best way is at once to descend into the blubber-room, and have a long talk with its inmates. This place has previously been mentioned as the receptacle for the blanket-pieces, when stript and hoisted from the whale. When the proper time arrives for cutting up its contents, this apartment is a scene of terror to all tyros, especially by night. On one side, lit by a dull lantern, a space has been left clear for the workmen. They generally go in pairs,—a pike-and-gaffman and a spade-man.

但是，要把所有这些奥妙的东西都弄清楚，最好还是请你立刻下到鲸脂间里去，跟那里边的人好好地长谈一番。这地方以前已经说过，等到毡子从鲸身上吊剥下来后，它就是一个藏毡子的仓库。不过，到了应该斩割大鲸的内脏时，这间房间，在一切生手看来，尤其是在夜里，可真是个恐怖的场所。一只昏暗的灯笼挂在一边，空出一块容工作人员站立的地方。他们一般地是两个人成双成对地在操作——一个拿着捕鲸枪和钩子，一个拿着只铲子。

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