It must be borne in mind that all this time we have a Sperm Whale’s prodigious head hanging to the Pequod’s side. —
务必记住，这段时间我们一直有一头庞大的抹香鲸头挂在佩夸德号的船边。 —

But we must let it continue hanging there a while till we can get a chance to attend to it. —
但是我们必须让它继续挂在那里一段时间，直到我们有机会处理它。 —

For the present other matters press, and the best we can do now for the head, is to pray heaven the tackles may hold.
眼下其他事情紧迫，我们现在对头部能做的最好事情就是祈祷吊车能够撑住。

Now, during the past night and forenoon, the Pequod had gradually drifted into a sea, which, by its occasional patches of yellow brit, gave unusual tokens of the vicinity of Right Whales, a species of the Leviathan that but few supposed to be at this particular time lurking anywhere near. —
在过去的一晚和上午期间，佩夸德号逐渐漂移到了一个海域，偶尔可以看到些许黄斑驳，这表明直接鲸鱼可能在附近潜伏，而此刻很少有人会认为在这个特定时刻附近有这种庞然大物。 —

And though all hands commonly disdained the capture of those inferior creatures; —
尽管所有人通常都鄙视捕捉这些次等生物； —

and though the Pequod was not commissioned to cruise for them at all, and though she had passed numbers of them near the Crozetts without lowering a boat; —
尽管佩夸德号根本不是委托去巡逻捕捉它们的，尽管她在克罗泽群岛附近经过时也没有放下小艇； —

yet now that a Sperm Whale had been brought alongside and beheaded, to the surprise of all, the announcement was made that a Right Whale should be captured that day, if opportunity offered.
然而，由于一头抹香鲸已经被拖到船旁并被斩首，所有人都感到惊讶，宣布若有机会，那天应该捕捉一头直接鲸。

Nor was this long wanting. Tall spouts were seen to leeward; —
这一机会来得正当。向下方看见高高的喷泉； —

and two boats, Stubb’s and Flask’s, were detached in pursuit. —
斯塔布和弗拉斯克的两只小艇被派去追赶。 —

Pulling further and further away, they at last became almost invisible to the men at the masthead. —
他们越拉越远，最终几乎看不到了桅顶上的人。 —

But suddenly in the distance, they saw a great heap of tumultuous white water, and soon after news came from aloft that one or both the boats must be fast. —
但突然远处他们看见了一个巨大的喷溅水花，不久之后来自桅顶的消息说一只或两只小艇一定已经被拖住了。 —

An interval passed and the boats were in plain sight, in the act of being dragged right towards the ship by the towing whale. —
经过一段时间，小艇已经清晰可见，就在被拖曳着的鲸鱼将它们直接拖向船的时候。 —

So close did the monster come to the hull, that at first it seemed as if he meant it malice; —
庞然大物靠得如此之近船体，起初似乎有恶意； —

but suddenly going down in a maelstrom, within three rods of the planks, he wholly disappeared from view, as if diving under the keel. —
但突然在离甲板不到三码的地方钻入了漩涡，完全消失在视野之中，仿佛是潜入龙骨下。 —

“Cut, cut!” was the cry from the ship to the boats, which, for one instant, seemed on the point of being brought with a deadly dash against the vessel’s side. —
船上对小艇的呼叫“切割，切割！”，一度似乎小艇快撞向船舷的致命冲击。 —

But having plenty of line yet in the tubs, and the whale not sounding very rapidly, they paid out abundance of rope, and at the same time pulled with all their might so as to get ahead of the ship. —
但是桶里的绳子还很充足，鲸鱼又没有很快地下潜，他们大量放出绳索，同时全力拉动，以便领先船只。 —

For a few minutes the struggle was intensely critical; —
几分钟内，斗争极为激烈； —

for while they still slacked out the tightened line in one direction, and still plied their oars in another, the contending strain threatened to take them under. —
因为当他们一边放松收紧的绳子，一边划桨的时候，彼此争扯的力量几乎要将他们拖入水中。 —

But it was only a few feet advance they sought to gain. And they stuck to it till they did gain it; —
但是他们只是希望前进几英尺。他们坚持不懈，直到终于达到目标； —

when instantly, a swift tremor was felt running like lightning along the keel, as the strained line, scraping beneath the ship, suddenly rose to view under her bows, snapping and quivering; —
当立刻感到一股快速的颤动沿着龙骨飞快传播，当紧绷的绳子，在船底下突然升到船头下方的视野中，嘎吱作响并颤动； —

and so flinging off its drippings, that the drops fell like bits of broken glass on the water, while the whale beyond also rose to sight, and once more the boats were free to fly. —
因此，绳子露出水面，滴下的水滴如碎玻璃片一般，而远处的鲸鱼也再次显现，小船再次飞舞。 —

But the fagged whale abated his speed, and blindly altering his course, went round the stern of the ship towing the two boats after him, so that they performed a complete circuit.
但是筋疲力尽的鲸鱼放缓了速度，盲目改变了航向，绕过船尾拖着两只小船追赶着他，使它们完成了一整圈。

Meantime, they hauled more and more upon their lines, till close flanking him on both sides, Stubb answered Flask with lance for lance; —
与此同时，他们更加用力地拉动他们的绳索，近距离围绕他两侧，斯塔布以枪对枪回答弗拉斯克； —

and thus round and round the Pequod the battle went, while the multitudes of sharks that had before swum round the Sperm Whale’s body, rushed to the fresh blood that was spilled, thirstily drinking at every new gash, as the eager Israelites did at the new bursting fountains that poured from the smitten rock.
于是，围绕白鲸去年五月月克埃一道进展，鲸鲨由之前游过抹香鲸身体的数以百计，匆忙地趋向新鲜的血液，渴望地在每个新裂口处饮酒，就像急切的以色列人一样，从受击裂开的岩石中涌出的新喷泉中饮酒。

At last his spout grew thick, and with a frightful roll and vomit, he turned upon his back a corpse.
最后，他的水柱变得浓稠，发出可怕的翻滚和呕吐声，他翻转身体，成为一具尸体。

While the two headsmen were engaged in making fast cords to his flukes, and in other ways getting the mass in readiness for towing, some conversation ensued between them.
当两位首领忙于把绳索系在他的尾鳍上，并以其他方式准备好拖曳的物体时，他们进行了一些对话。

“I wonder what the old man wants with this lump of foul lard,” said Stubb, not without some disgust at the thought of having to do with so ignoble a leviathan.
“我想知道老人家想用这块肮脏的油脂做什么，”斯塔布说，对必须与如此卑鄙的大白鲸打交道感到一些厌恶。

“Wants with it?” said Flask, coiling some spare line in the boat’s bow, “did you never hear that the ship which but once has a Sperm Whale’s head hoisted on her starboard side, and at the same time a Right Whale’s on the larboard; —
“用来做什么？”弗拉斯克说，把一些备用绳索盘绕在小船的船头，“你从未听说过吗？那艘船只要一次把一头抹香鲸的头吊在右舷，同时把一头右鲸的头吊在左舷； —

did you never hear, Stubb, that that ship can never afterwards capsize?”
你从未听说过，斯塔布，那艘船将永远不会翻船吗？”

“Why not?
“为什么不呢？

“I don’t know, but I heard that gamboge ghost of a Fedallah saying so, and he seems to know all about ships’ charms. —
“我不知道，但我听到那个Fedallah的喔海魂声说过，他似乎对船的魅力了如指掌。 —

But I sometimes think he’ll charm the ship to no good at last. —
但我有时觉得他最终会给船带来不好的影响。 —

I don’t half like that chap, Stubb. Did you ever notice how that tusk of his is a sort of carved into a snake’s head, Stubb?”
我不太喜欢那家伙，斯塔布。你有没有注意到他的象牙是雕成蛇头的，斯塔布？”

“Sink him! I never look at him at all; but if ever I get a chance of a dark night, and he standing hard by the bulwarks, and no one by; —
“沉了他！我根本不看他；但如果我有一个黑夜的机会，他站在舷梯边上时，周围没人， —

look down there, Flask”–pointing into the sea with a peculiar motion of both hands–“Aye, will I! —
看那里，弗拉斯克”——用双手做一种特殊的动作指向大海──”啊，我会的！ —

Flask, I take that Fedallah to be the devil in disguise. —
弗拉斯克，我认为Fedallah就是魔鬼的化身。 —

Do you believe that cock and bull story about his having been stowed away on board ship? —
你相信他被藏在船上的那些荒谬故事吗？ —

He’s the devil, I say. The reason why you don’t see his tail, is because he tucks it up out of sight; —
我说他是魔鬼。你看不见他的尾巴原因是因为他将它卷起藏起来； —

he carries it coiled away in his pocket, I guess. Blast him! —
我想他把它卷成一团放在口袋里。该死！ —

now that I think of it, he’s always wanting oakum to stuff into the toes of his boots.”
现在我想到了，他总是需要麻絮填入靴子的脚尖处。”

“He sleeps in his boots, don’t he? He hasn’t got any hammock; —
“他是穿着靴子睡觉的吗？他没有吊床； —

but I’ve seen him lay of nights in a coil of rigging.”
但我看到他晚上躺在一捆索具里。”

“No doubt, and it’s because of his cursed tail; —
“毫无疑问，那是因为他那该死的尾巴； —

he coils it down, do ye see, in the eye of the rigging.”
他将它卷下来，你看，在索具的眼里。”

“What’s the old man have so much to do with him for?”
“为什么老头子对他这么看重？”

“Striking up a swap or a bargain, I suppose.”
“开始进行交换或讨价还价，我想。”

“Bargain?–about what?”
“讨价还价？–关于什么？”

“Why, do ye see, the old man is hard bent after that White Whale, and the devil there is trying to come round him, and get him to swap away his silver watch, or his soul, or something of that sort, and then he’ll surrender Moby Dick.”
“你瞧，这老家伙一门心思想要捕捉那头白鲸，魔鬼却在那里试图四处挑拨，想要用银表、灵魂或者类似的东西来诱使他，然后他就会放弃悍鲸。”

“Pooh! Stubb, you are skylarking; how can Fedallah do that?”
“得，斯塔布，你在胡闹；菲达拉怎么可能做到那种事？”

“I don’t know, Flask, but the devil is a curious chap, and a wicked one, I tell ye. —
“我不知道，弗拉斯克，但这魔鬼是个古怪的家伙，我告诉你，邪恶至极。” —

Why, they say as how he went a sauntering into the old flag-ship once, switching his tail about devilish easy and gentlemanlike, and inquiring if the old governor was at home. —
他们说魔鬼曾经一次闲逛进了老旗舰，尾巴轻松而出于绅士风度，询问老总督是否在家。 —

Well, he was at home, and asked the devil what he wanted. —
嗯，他确实在家，于是问魔鬼想要什么。 —

The devil, switching his hoofs, up and says, ‘I want John.’ ‘What for?’ says the old governor. —
魔鬼抖动着蹄子，开口说：“我要约翰。”“为什么？”老总督问道。 —

‘What business is that of yours,’ says the devil, getting mad,–‘I want to use him.’ —
“‘那是你什么事，’魔鬼生气地说，‘我要用他。’” —

‘Take him,’ says the governor– and by the Lord, Flask, if the devil didn’t give John the Asiatic cholera before he got through with him, I’ll eat this whale in one mouthful. —
“‘把他带走，’州长说——我发誓，弗拉斯克，如果魔鬼在折磨他之前没让约翰得到亚洲霍乱，我就把这头鲸一口吞下。” —

But look sharp–ain’t you all ready there? —
“但要快，你们都准备好了吗？” —

Well, then, pull ahead, and let’s get the whale alongside.”
“好了，那么，快点动，让我们把鲸鱼靠近船边。”

“I think I remember some such story as you were telling,” said Flask, when at last the two boats were slowly advancing with their burden towards the ship, “but I can’t remember where.”
“我想我记得你刚才讲的故事，”弗拉斯克说，在最终两只小船慢慢将他们的负担向船靠近时，“但我想不起来在哪听说过。”

“Three Spaniards? Adventures of those three bloody-minded soldadoes? —
“三个西班牙人？那三个嗜血的士兵的冒险故事？” —

Did ye read it there, Flask? I guess ye did?”
“你在哪读到的，弗拉斯克？我猜你肯定读过。”

“No: never saw such a book; heard of it, though. —
“不，从未看过这样的书；虽然听说过。” —

But now, tell me, Stubb, do you suppose that that devil you was speaking of just now, was the same you say is now on board the Pequod?”
“但现在告诉我，史塔布，你觉得你刚才提到的那个魔鬼，是否就是你说现在在‘小猪’号上的那个？”

“Am I the same man that helped kill this whale? Doesn’t the devil live for ever; —
“我是不是帮忙杀死这头鲸的同一个人？魔鬼难道会永生吗；” —

who ever heard that the devil was dead? Did you ever see any parson a wearing mourning for the devil? —
“谁听说过魔鬼死了呢？你见过哪个牧师为魔鬼穿孝吗？” —

And if the devil has a latch-key to get into the admiral’s cabin, don’t you suppose he can crawl into a porthole? —
“如果魔鬼有通往舰长室的门钥，你难道不觉得他能从舷窗爬进来吗？” —

Tell me that, Mr. Flask?”
“告诉我，弗拉斯克先生？”

“How old do you suppose Fedallah is, Stubb?”
“你觉得费达拉有多大年纪，史塔布？”

“Do you see that mainmast there?” pointing to the ship; “well, that’s the figure one; —
“你看见那主桅吗？”指着船说；“好，那是数字一；”。 —

now take all the hoops in the Pequod’s hold, and string ‘em along in a row with that mast, for oughts, do you see; —
现在把所有Pequod货仓里的箍都拿出来，用那根桅杆串在一起，排成一排，你看； —

well, that wouldn’t begin to be Fedallah’s age. —
好吧，那还远远比不上Fedallah的年龄。 —

Nor all the coopers in creation couldn’t show hoops enough to make oughts enough.”
再说，就算所有的桶工们拿出所有箍，也弄不出足够的箍来做出足够的效果。”

“But see here, Stubb, I thought you a little boasted just now, that you meant to give Fedallah a sea-toss, if you got a good chance. —
“但是听我说，斯塔布，我觉得你刚才夸夸其谈，说要给Fedallah一个海上抛弃的机会。 —

Now, if he’s so old as all those hoops of yours come to, and if he is going to live for ever, what good will it do to pitch him overboard– tell me that?
现在，如果他像你那些箍一样古老，如果他要永远活下去，把他扔到海里有什么益处–告诉我这是什么道理？

“Give him a good ducking, anyhow.”
“无论如何给他一个好好的泼水。

“But he’d crawl back.”
“但他会爬回来。

“Duck him again; and keep ducking him.”
继续给他泼水；然后继续给他泼水。

“Suppose he should take it into his head to duck you, though– yes, and drown you–what then?”
“但假如他也有意要泼水给你，然后淹死你–那又如何？

“I should like to see him try it; I’d give him such a pair of black eyes that he wouldn’t dare to show his face in the admiral’s cabin again for a long while, let alone down in the orlop there, where he lives, and hereabouts on the upper decks where he sneaks so much. —
“我很想看看他敢不敢试试；我会给他两只黑眼睛，让他以后不敢在船长的舱房里露面，更别提他住的船尾下面，还有他经常溜达的甲板上了。 —

Damn the devil, Flask; do you suppose I’m afraid of the devil? —
见鬼，弗拉斯克；你以为我害怕魔鬼吗？ —

Who’s afraid of him, except the old governor who daresn’t catch him and put him in double-darbies, as he deserves, but lets him go about kidnapping people; —
除了那个不敢抓捉他并给他双倍皮带的老总督外，还有谁会害怕他，反而让他四处绑架人？ —

aye, and signed a bond with him, that all the people the devil kidnapped, he’d roast for him? —
对，还跟他签了一纸契约，所有魔鬼绑架的人，都要为他焚烧？ —

There’s a governor!”
有这么个总督呢！”

“Do you suppose Fedallah wants to kidnap Captain Ahab?”
“你以为Fedallah想绑架阿哈船长吗？”

“Do I suppose it? You’ll know it before long, Flask. But I am going now to keep a sharp look-out on him; —
“我会看到的，弗拉斯克，在不久之后你就会知道了。但我现在要去好好监视他； —

and if I see anything very suspicious going on, I’ll just take him by the nape of his neck, and say–Look here, Beelzebub, you don’t do it; —
如果我看到任何非常可疑的情况，我会直接抓住他的脖子，说——听着，比尔西布，你不能这样做； —

and if he makes any fuss, by the Lord I’ll make a grab into his pocket for his tail, take it to the capstan, and give him such a wrenching and heaving, that his tail will come short off at the stump–do you see; —
如果他大惊小怪，我就会伸手进他口袋，抓住他的尾巴，把他拖到绞盘边，用力一扭一拉，让他的尾巴从根部脱落–你看明白了吗； —

and then, I rather guess when he finds himself docked in that queer fashion, he’ll sneak off without the poor satisfaction of feeling his tail between his legs.”
然后，我敢肯定，当他发现自己以那种古怪的方式被剪短了尾巴时，他会悄悄溜走，甚至未能感受他的尾巴夹在腿间所带来的可怜的满足。”

“And what will you do with the tail, Stubb?”
“你要用那条尾巴做什么，斯塔布？”

“Do with it? Sell it for an ox whip when we get home;–what else?”
“拿回家当牛鞭子卖；–还能做什么？”

“Now, do you mean what you say, and have been saying all along, Stubb?”
“那么，你说的话，一直都是认真的吗，斯塔布？”

“Mean or not mean, here we are at the ship.”
“认真与否，我们都已到船。”

The boats were here hailed, to tow the whale on the larboard side, where fluke chains and other necessaries were already prepared for securing him.
船上开始拖运鲸鱼，把它固定在左舷，那里已经准备好了尾链和其他必需品。

“Didn’t I tell you so?” said Flask; “yes, you’ll soon see this right whale’s head hoisted up opposite that parmacety’s.”
“我不是告诉过你吗？”弗拉斯克说，“是的，你很快就会看到这头抹香鲸的头被吊起来，就在那头抹香鲸对面。”

In good time, Flask’s saying proved true. —
在合适的时机，弗拉斯克的话成了真的。 —

As before, the Pequod steeply leaned over towards the sperm whale’s head, now, by the counterpoise of both heads, she regained her even keel; —
像之前一样，佩卡德号急剧倾向于那头抹香鲸的头，现在，通过两头的平衡，她恢复了平稳； —

though sorely strained, you may well believe. —
虽然经历了极大的压力，你可以相信。 —

So, when on one side you hoist in Locke’s head, you go over that way; —
所以，当你吊起洛克的头向一边倾斜时，你就朝那边去； —

but now, on the other side, hoist in Kant’s and you come back again; but in very poor plight. —
但现在，在另一边，吊起康德的头你就倒回来了；但状态非常糟糕。“ —

Thus, some minds for ever keep trimming boat. Oh, ye foolish! —
因此，一些头脑永远在修整船只。哦，愚蠢的人！ —

throw all these thunder-heads overboard, and then you will float light and right.
将这些雷云全部抛弃，然后你就能轻松地漂浮。

In disposing of the body of a right whale, when brought alongside the ship, the same preliminary proceedings commonly take place as in the case of a sperm whale; —
在处理一头正鲸的尸体时，当它被带到船边时，通常会像抛弃抹香鲸的情况一样进行同样的预备工作； —

only, in the latter instance, the head is cut off whole, but in the former the lips and tongue are separately removed and hoisted on deck, with all the well known black bone attached to what is called the crown-piece. —
只是，在后一种情况下，头部整个被切下，而在前一种情况中，嘴唇和舌头会被分开移除并吊到甲板上，带着所有众所周知的附着在所谓的冠头上的黑色骨头。 —

But nothing like this, in the present case, had been done. —
但在当前案例中，没有这样的事情发生。 —

The carcases of both whales had dropped astern; —
两头鲸的尸体都已经飘到了船尾； —

and the head-laden ship not a little resembled a mule carrying a pair of overburdening panniers.
装载头部的船不禁让人想起一只背负双重负担的骡子。

Meantime, Fedallah was calmly eyeing the right whale’s head, and ever and anon glancing from the deep wrinkles there to the lines in his own hand. —
与此同时，费达拉镇定地盯着正鲸的头部，不时地从那深沟纹处看向自己手中的线条。 —

And Ahab chanced so to stand, that the Parsee occupied his shadow; —
而阿哈布碰巧站在那里，正巴尔努兹站在他的影子里； —

while, if the Parsee’s shadow was there at all it seemed only to blend with, and lengthen Ahab’s. —
而如果巴尔努兹的影子真的在那里，它似乎只是与阿哈布的影子融为一体，并将其延长。 —

As the crew toiled on, Laplandish speculations were bandied among them, concerning all these passing things.
船员们辛勤劳作着，他们之间互相讨论着所有这些经过的事情。