聖誕快樂

At length, towards noon, upon the final dismissal of the ship’s riggers, and after the Pequod had been hauled out from the wharf, and after the ever-thoughtful Charity had come off in a whale-boat, with her last gift—a night-cap for Stubb, the second mate, her brother-in-law, and a spare Bible for the steward—after all this, the two Captains, Peleg and Bildad, issued from the cabin, and turning to the chief mate, Peleg said:

終於，將近正午時分，船上的索具工全被遣散，裴廓德號也已被拖離碼頭，連一向體貼的慈善姑媽都坐著一艘捕鯨小艇趕來、送上她最後的禮物——給二副、她妹夫斯塔布的一頂睡帽，和給膳務員的一本備用聖經——這一切之後，法勒和比勒達兩位船長從艙裡出來，法勒轉向大副說道：

“Now, Mr. Starbuck, are you sure everything is right? Captain Ahab is all ready—just spoke to him—nothing more to be got from shore, eh? Well, call all hands, then. Muster ’em aft here—blast ’em!”

「好了，斯塔巴克先生，你確定一切都妥當了嗎？亞哈船長全準備好了——我剛跟他說過話——岸上沒別的東西要拿了吧，嗯？那好，召集全體船員。把他們都集合到後甲板這兒來——該死的！」

“No need of profane words, however great the hurry, Peleg,” said Bildad, “but away with thee, friend Starbuck, and do our bidding.”

「再怎麼趕，也用不著說髒話，法勒，」比勒達說，「不過去吧，斯塔巴克朋友，照我們的吩咐辦。」

How now! Here upon the very point of starting for the voyage, Captain Peleg and Captain Bildad were going it with a high hand on the quarter-deck, just as if they were to be joint-commanders at sea, as well as to all appearances in port.

這是怎麼回事！就在啟航的當口，法勒船長和比勒達船長在後甲板上發號施令、大權獨攬，活像他們不只在港內如此、出了海也要當聯合指揮似的。

And, as for Captain Ahab, no sign of him was yet to be seen; only, they said he was in the cabin.

而說到亞哈船長，至今仍不見他半點影子；只說他在艙裡。

But then, the idea was, that his presence was by no means necessary in getting the ship under weigh, and steering her well out to sea.

不過呢，意思是說，起錨開船、把船平穩駛出外海，根本用不著他在場。

Indeed, as that was not at all his proper business, but the pilot’s; and as he was not yet completely recovered—so they said—therefore, Captain Ahab stayed below.

確實，那本就不是他分內的事，而是領航員的活；加上他還沒完全康復——他們是這麼說的——所以亞哈船長便待在下面。

And all this seemed natural enough; especially as in the merchant service many captains never show themselves on deck for a considerable time after heaving up the anchor, but remain over the cabin table, having a farewell merry-making with their shore friends, before they quit the ship for good with the pilot.

這一切看來也夠自然；尤其在商船上，許多船長起錨之後好一陣子根本不上甲板露面，只守著艙裡的桌子，跟岸上的朋友辦個告別小酌，等之後再跟領航員一起永久離船。

But there was not much chance to think over the matter, for Captain Peleg was now all alive. He seemed to do most of the talking and commanding, and not Bildad.

但也沒多少工夫細想這事，因為法勒船長這會兒生龍活虎。看來說話和發令的大半是他，而不是比勒達。

“Aft here, ye sons of bachelors,” he cried, as the sailors lingered at the main-mast. “Mr. Starbuck, drive ’em aft.”

「都到後頭來，你們這幫單身漢養的，」他朝在主桅邊磨蹭的水手喊道。「斯塔巴克先生，把他們趕到後頭去。」

“Strike the tent there!”—was the next order. As I hinted before, this whalebone marquee was never pitched except in port; and on board the Pequod, for thirty years, the order to strike the tent was well known to be the next thing to heaving up the anchor.

「把那帳篷拆了！」——這是下一道命令。如我先前所暗示的，這座鯨骨大棚只在港內才搭；而在裴廓德號上，三十年來人人都知道：「拆帳篷」這道令，緊接著就是起錨。

“Man the capstan! Blood and thunder!—jump!”—was the next command, and the crew sprang for the handspikes.

「上絞盤！轟雷閃電的——跳起來幹！」——這是下一道令，於是船員們撲向那些絞盤桿。

Now in getting under weigh, the station generally occupied by the pilot is the forward part of the ship.

卻說起錨開船時，領航員通常待的位置是船的前部。

And here Bildad, who, with Peleg, be it known, in addition to his other officers, was one of the licensed pilots of the port—he being suspected to have got himself made a pilot in order to save the Nantucket pilot-fee to all the ships he was concerned in, for he never piloted any other craft—Bildad, I say, might now be seen actively engaged in looking over the bows for the approaching anchor, and at intervals singing what seemed a dismal stave of psalmody, to cheer the hands at the windlass, who roared forth some sort of a chorus about the girls in Booble Alley, with hearty good will.

而此處的比勒達——須知他和法勒一樣，除了別的職務，還是港口持照的領航員之一；有人懷疑他考領航執照，是為了給他有份的所有船省下南塔克特的領航費，因為他從不替任何別的船領航——我是說，這會兒只見比勒達正忙著從船頭探看那漸漸升起的錨，還不時哼唱起一段彷彿陰鬱的聖詩，給絞盤旁的水手打氣；那些水手卻興高采烈地對唱起某支關於「布柏巷姑娘」的合唱來。

Nevertheless, not three days previous, Bildad had told them that no profane songs would be allowed on board the Pequod, particularly in getting under weigh; and Charity, his sister, had placed a small choice copy of Watts in each seaman’s berth.

然而，還不到三天前，比勒達才告誡過他們：裴廓德號上不准唱穢歌，起錨時尤其不准；而他姊姊慈善，還在每個水手的鋪位上放了一本精選的瓦茨聖詩小集。

Meantime, overseeing the other part of the ship, Captain Peleg ripped and swore astern in the most frightful manner.

與此同時，在船的另一頭督陣的法勒船長，在船尾用最嚇人的架勢又咒又罵。

I almost thought he would sink the ship before the anchor could be got up; involuntarily I paused on my handspike, and told Queequeg to do the same, thinking of the perils we both ran, in starting on the voyage with such a devil for a pilot.

我幾乎以為錨還沒起，他就要先把船弄沉了；我不由自主地停下手裡的絞盤桿，也叫魁魁格停手，心想我倆跟這麼個魔鬼當領航員出海，要冒多大的險。

I was comforting myself, however, with the thought that in pious Bildad might be found some salvation, spite of his seven hundred and seventy-seventh lay; when I felt a sudden sharp poke in my rear, and turning round, was horrified at the apparition of Captain Peleg in the act of withdrawing his leg from my immediate vicinity. That was my first kick.

不過我正這麼自我安慰著——想著虔誠的比勒達身上或許找得到幾分救贖，儘管他開的是那「第七百七十七股」——這時我屁股冷不防被狠狠戳了一下，回頭一看，赫然見法勒船長正把他那條腿從我身邊收回去，把我嚇了一跳。那是我頭一回挨踹。

“Is that the way they heave in the marchant service?” he roared. “Spring, thou sheep-head; spring, and break thy backbone! Why don’t ye spring, I say, all of ye—spring! Quohog! spring, thou chap with the red whiskers; spring there, Scotch-cap; spring, thou green pants. Spring, I say, all of ye, and spring your eyes out!” And so saying, he moved along the windlass, here and there using his leg very freely, while imperturbable Bildad kept leading off with his psalmody. Thinks I, Captain Peleg must have been drinking something to-day.

「商船上就是這麼起錨的嗎？」他吼道。「跳啊，你這羊腦袋；跳啊，跳到把你的脊梁骨跳斷！我說，你們怎麼不跳哪——跳！Quohog！跳啊，你這紅鬍子的傢伙；跳啊，那邊的蘇格蘭帽；跳啊，你這綠褲子。我說，你們全給我跳，跳到把眼珠子都跳出來！」說著，他沿絞盤一路走，東一腳西一腳地把那條腿使得很順手，而不動聲色的比勒達則只管領唱他的聖詩。我心想：法勒船長今天準是喝了什麼。

At last the anchor was up, the sails were set, and off we glided. It was a short, cold Christmas; and as the short northern day merged into night, we found ourselves almost broad upon the wintry ocean, whose freezing spray cased us in ice, as in polished armor. The long rows of teeth on the bulwarks glistened in the moonlight; and like the white ivory tusks of some huge elephant, vast curving icicles depended from the bows.

終於錨起了、帆張了，我們滑行出海。這是個短暫而寒冷的聖誕；北地短短的白晝沒入夜色時，我們已差不多置身於冬日的大洋之上，那冰冷的浪花把我們凍裹成一身冰，像裹著一副磨亮的鎧甲。舷牆上那一長排鯨牙在月光下閃閃發亮；船首則垂下一根根巨大彎曲的冰柱，像某頭龐大象牙般的白牙。

Lank Bildad, as pilot, headed the first watch, and ever and anon, as the old craft deep dived into the green seas, and sent the shivering frost all over her, and the winds howled, and the cordage rang, his steady notes were heard,—

瘦長的比勒達身為領航員，領頭值第一班；每隔一陣，當這老船深深扎進綠色的海濤、把顫慄的寒霜潑灑滿身、狂風嚎叫、索具錚鳴之際，便聽得見他那穩穩的歌聲，——

“Sweet fields beyond the swelling flood, Stand dressed in living green. So to the Jews old Canaan stood, While Jordan rolled between.”

「漲潮彼岸甜美的田野，／披著生機盎然的青翠。／昔日迦南於猶太人正如此屹立，／其間有約旦河滾滾相隔。」

Never did those sweet words sound more sweetly to me than then. They were full of hope and fruition. Spite of this frigid winter night in the boisterous Atlantic, spite of my wet feet and wetter jacket, there was yet, it then seemed to me, many a pleasant haven in store; and meads and glades so eternally vernal, that the grass shot up by the spring, untrodden, unwilted, remains at midsummer.

那甜美的詞句，從沒有哪一刻比此時聽來更甜美。它們滿是希望與圓滿。儘管身處狂暴大西洋上這冰冷的冬夜、儘管我的腳濕了、外套更濕，可那時在我看來，前方仍有許多宜人的港灣等著；還有那永恆春青的草甸與林間空地，春天抽出的青草，無人踐踏、不曾枯萎，直到仲夏依舊。

At last we gained such an offing, that the two pilots were needed no longer. The stout sail-boat that had accompanied us began ranging alongside.

終於我們駛到了夠遠的海面，兩位領航員再也用不著了。一路隨行的那艘結實小帆船，開始靠攏到船邊來。

It was curious and not unpleasing, how Peleg and Bildad were affected at this juncture, especially Captain Bildad.

這當口，法勒和比勒達——尤其是比勒達船長——那副動容的模樣，既古怪又叫人不討厭。

For loath to depart, yet; very loath to leave, for good, a ship bound on so long and perilous a voyage—beyond both stormy Capes; a ship in which some thousands of his hard earned dollars were invested; a ship, in which an old shipmate sailed as captain; a man almost as old as he, once more starting to encounter all the terrors of the pitiless jaw; loath to say good-bye to a thing so every way brimful of every interest to him,—poor old Bildad lingered long; paced the deck with anxious strides; ran down into the cabin to speak another farewell word there; again came on deck, and looked to windward; looked towards the wide and endless waters, only bounded by the far-off unseen Eastern Continents; looked towards the land; looked aloft; looked right and left; looked everywhere and nowhere; and at last, mechanically coiling a rope upon its pin, convulsively grasped stout Peleg by the hand, and holding up a lantern, for a moment stood gazing heroically in his face, as much as to say, “Nevertheless, friend Peleg, I can stand it; yes, I can.”

因為他還捨不得走；極捨不得就此永遠離開這樣一艘船——一艘要去闖過兩個風暴角、踏上如此漫長兇險航程的船；一艘投入了他幾千血汗錢的船；一艘由老船友當船長的船——那人年紀幾乎跟他一樣大，如今又一次出發去迎戰那無情巨顎的種種恐怖；捨不得跟一件對他來說處處牽腸掛肚的東西道別，——可憐的老比勒達流連了好久；焦躁地大步在甲板上踱來踱去；跑下艙去再道一句別；又回到甲板，望向上風處；望向那除了遠方看不見的東方大陸別無邊際的茫茫海水；望向陸地；望向桅頂；左顧右盼；看遍每一處、又什麼也沒看；最後，他機械地把一根繩子盤繞在繫栓上，痙攣似地一把握住壯實的法勒的手，舉起一盞燈，凝視著他的臉片刻，那神情彷彿在說：「不管怎樣，法勒老友，我撐得住；是的，我撐得住。」

As for Peleg himself, he took it more like a philosopher; but for all his philosophy, there was a tear twinkling in his eye, when the lantern came too near. And he, too, did not a little run from cabin to deck—now a word below, and now a word with Starbuck, the chief mate.

至於法勒本人，他倒看得豁達些，像個哲學家；可儘管他那麼豁達，當燈太靠近時，他眼裡仍有一滴淚在閃。而他也沒少在艙與甲板之間來回跑——一會兒下去說句話，一會兒又跟大副斯塔巴克交代兩句。

But, at last, he turned to his comrade, with a final sort of look about him,—“Captain Bildad—come, old shipmate, we must go. Back the main-yard there! Boat ahoy! Stand by to come close alongside, now! Careful, careful!—come, Bildad, boy—say your last. Luck to ye, Starbuck—luck to ye, Mr. Stubb—luck to ye, Mr. Flask—good-bye and good luck to ye all—and this day three years I’ll have a hot supper smoking for ye in old Nantucket. Hurrah and away!”

但最後，他帶著一種訣別的神情轉向同伴，——「比勒達船長——來吧，老船友，我們得走了。把主桅桁掉轉過來！小艇喂——！準備靠攏過來，就現在！小心，小心！——來吧，比勒達老弟——把最後的話說了。祝你好運，斯塔巴克——祝你好運，斯塔布先生——祝你好運，弗拉斯克先生——再會了，祝你們大家好運——三年後的今天，我在老南塔克特給你們備好一頓熱氣騰騰的晚飯。歡呼一聲，開船！」

“God bless ye, and have ye in His holy keeping, men,” murmured old Bildad, almost incoherently. “I hope ye’ll have fine weather now, so that Captain Ahab may soon be moving among ye—a pleasant sun is all he needs, and ye’ll have plenty of them in the tropic voyage ye go. Be careful in the hunt, ye mates. Don’t stave the boats needlessly, ye harpooneers; good white cedar plank is raised full three per cent. within the year. Don’t forget your prayers, either. Mr. Starbuck, mind that cooper don’t waste the spare staves. Oh! the sail-needles are in the green locker! Don’t whale it too much a’ Lord’s days, men; but don’t miss a fair chance either, that’s rejecting Heaven’s good gifts. Have an eye to the molasses tierce, Mr. Stubb; it was a little leaky, I thought. If ye touch at the islands, Mr. Flask, beware of fornication. Good-bye, good-bye! Don’t keep that cheese too long down in the hold, Mr. Starbuck; it’ll spoil. Be careful with the butter—twenty cents the pound it was, and mind ye, if—”

「願上帝祝福你們、把你們護在祂神聖的看顧裡，弟兄們，」老比勒達喃喃地說，幾乎語無倫次。「我盼你們這就遇上好天氣，好讓亞哈船長能早點在你們中間走動——他只需要一輪和煦的太陽，而你們這趟熱帶航程裡，太陽多的是。捕獵時當心，各位船副。別沒事就撞壞小艇，各位魚叉手；好的白雪松板，一年裡漲了足足三成呢。也別忘了禱告。斯塔巴克先生，看著那桶匠別浪費了備用的桶板。噢！補帆針在綠櫃子裡！主日別捕得太兇，弟兄們；可也別錯過好機會，那等於是拒絕上天的恩賜。盯著那桶糖蜜，斯塔布先生；我看它有點漏。要是你們在海島靠岸，弗拉斯克先生，當心別犯淫亂。再會，再會！那塊乳酪別在艙底擱太久，斯塔巴克先生；會壞的。奶油要當心——那可是一磅二十分錢，記著，要是——」

“Come, come, Captain Bildad; stop palavering,—away!” and with that, Peleg hurried him over the side, and both dropt into the boat.

「行了，行了，比勒達船長；別嘮叨了——走吧！」說著，法勒急忙催他翻過船舷，兩人一齊落進了小艇。

Ship and boat diverged; the cold, damp night breeze blew between; a screaming gull flew overhead; the two hulls wildly rolled; we gave three heavy-hearted cheers, and blindly plunged like fate into the lone Atlantic.

船與艇漸漸分開；又冷又濕的夜風從中間吹過；一隻尖叫的海鷗從頭頂掠過；兩邊船身狂亂地搖晃；我們發出三聲沉重的歡呼，便像命運一般、盲然地一頭扎進了那孤寂的大西洋。