It is well to parenthesize here, that of the fatal accidents in the Sperm-Whale Fishery, this kind is perhaps almost as frequent as any. Sometimes, nothing is injured but the man who is thus annihilated; oftener the boat's bow is knocked off, or the thigh-board, on which the headsman stands, is torn from its place and accompanies the body. But strangest of all is the circumstance, that in more instances than one, when the body has been recovered, not a single mark of violence is discernible the man being stark dead.
这里应该附带说一下,在捕抹香鲸业的许多意外之灾中,这类情况也差不多是屡见不鲜的。有时,除了那个就这样完蛋的人以外,其余却一概没有损伤;更平常的是艇头被撞烂了,或者是指挥人站的那块粗板,连人带板给碰掉了。但是,最奇怪而不止发生一次的情况是,等到尸体找到的时候,身上竟连一点伤痕都看不出来,而那个人却已死得绷绷硬了。
The whole calamity, with the falling form of Macey, was plainly descried from the ship. Raising a piercing shriek—"The vial! the vial!" Gabriel called off the terror-stricken crew from the further hunting of the whale. This terrible event clothed the archangel with added influence; because his credulous disciples believed that he had specifically fore-announced it, instead of only making a general prophecy, which any one might have done, and so have chanced to hit one of many marks in the wide margin allowed. He became a nameless terror to the ship.
这整个灾难以及梅赛跌下去的身体,船上的人都看得一清二楚。可是,突然传来了刺耳的尖叫———"那只碗,那只碗!"迦百列把那些吓得要命的水手弄得不敢继续去猎击那条大鲸了。这个可怕的事件又给这个天使长添了不少声势;因为他那些轻信的门徒都认为他早已特地宣示过了,认为这并不仅仅是个普通的预言,普通的预言谁都会做,谁都会有碰巧而幸中一次的机会。他就此成为船上一种不可名状的恐怖。
Mayhew having concluded his narration, Ahab put such questions to him, that the stranger captain could not forbear inquiring whether he intended to hunt the White Whale, if opportunity should offer.
梅休刚把故事讲完,亚哈就对他提出几个问题,弄得那个陌生船长不禁反问亚哈一声,如果有机会的话,他是否想去打那白鲸。