宣誓書

So far as what there may be of a narrative in this book; and, indeed, as indirectly touching one or two very interesting and curious particulars in the habits of sperm whales, the foregoing chapter, in its earlier part, is as important a one as will be found in this volume; but the leading matter of it requires to be still further and more familiarly enlarged upon, in order to be adequately understood, and moreover to take away any incredulity which a profound ignorance of the entire subject may induce in some minds, as to the natural verity of the main points of this affair.

就本書中或有的「敘事」成分而言；也確實就它間接觸及抹香鯨習性中一兩個非常有趣、奇特的細節而言——前一章的前半部，是本書中數一數二重要的一章；但它的主要內容還需進一步、更親切地加以闡發，才能被充分理解，更要藉此打消某些人因對整個題目的深度無知，而對這樁事主要論點之「天然真實性」可能生出的任何懷疑。

I care not to perform this part of my task methodically; but shall be content to produce the desired impression by separate citations of items, practically or reliably known to me as a whaleman; and from these citations, I take it—the conclusion aimed at will naturally follow of itself.

我這部分的任務不想做得有條有理；只願以分項援引的方式——援引那些作為捕鯨人、我在實務上或可靠地知道的事例——來造成我所要的印象；而從這些援引，我認為，所要達致的結論自會水到渠成。

First: I have personally known three instances where a whale, after receiving a harpoon, has effected a complete escape; and, after an interval (in one instance of three years), has been again struck by the same hand, and slain; when the two irons, both marked by the same private cypher, have been taken from the body. ... Here are three instances, then, which I personally know the truth of; but I have heard of many other instances from persons whose veracity in the matter there is no good ground to impeach.

第一：我親身知道三起案例——一頭鯨中了魚叉後完全逃脫，隔了一段時間（一例隔了三年），又被同一隻手叉中、殺死；事後從牠身上取出的那兩支鐵叉，都刻著同一個私人記號。（在那兩支魚叉相隔三年的例子裡——我想或許還不止三年——擲叉的人在那期間恰好搭一艘商船去非洲航行，在那兒上岸、加入一支探險隊、深入內陸，在那兒漂泊了近兩年之久，常受蛇、野人、虎、毒瘴、以及在未知地域腹地漫遊所有其他尋常凶險的威脅。與此同時，他叉中的那鯨也想必在牠的旅途上；無疑牠已三度環繞地球、以脅腹擦過非洲所有的海岸；卻是徒然。這人與這鯨再度相遇，一方制服了另一方。我說我自己親身知道三起與此類似的案例；其中兩例，我親眼見鯨被叉中；並在第二次攻擊時，見到那兩支各刻著相應記號的鐵叉，事後從死鯨身上取出。在隔三年那例，恰好我兩次都在艇上，頭一次與最後一次，且最後那次清楚認出鯨眼下方一顆奇特的大痣——那是我三年前在那兒就觀察到的。我說三年，但我相當確定不止三年。）那麼，這裡有三起我親身知其為真的案例；而我還從一些在此事上之誠信毫無理由可質疑的人那兒，聽說過許多別的案例。

Secondly: It is well known in the Sperm Whale Fishery, however ignorant the world ashore may be of it, that there have been several memorable historical instances where a particular whale in the ocean has been at distant times and places popularly cognisable. ... Like some poor devils ashore that happen to know an irascible great man, they make distant unobtrusive salutations to him in the street, lest if they pursued the acquaintance further, they might receive a summary thump for their presumption.

第二：在抹香鯨漁業裡眾所周知（無論岸上的世界對此多麼無知）：曾有過好幾起值得記載的歷史案例——大洋裡某一頭特定的鯨，在相隔遙遠的時間與地點，都被人們普遍認得出來。一頭鯨之所以變得如此「有標記」，最初並非全然因為牠身體上有別於其他鯨的特異之處；因為，任何偶然的鯨在這方面再怎麼特異，人們很快就會把牠殺掉、煉成一種特別值錢的油，從而了結牠的特異。不：原因是這個——由於漁業中那些致命的經驗，這樣一頭鯨身上罩著一種可怕的「凶險威名」，正如里納爾多·里納爾迪尼（傳奇大盜）身上那般；以致大多數漁人，當發現牠在海上他們近旁悠游時，寧可只是碰碰自己的油布帽（致意）便算認得牠了，並不想去培養更親密的交情。就像岸上某些可憐蟲，碰巧認得一位脾氣暴躁的大人物，便在街上遠遠地、不顯眼地向他致個意，唯恐若再進一步攀交情，會因自己的冒昧而當場挨一記重拳。

But not only did each of these famous whales enjoy great individual celebrity... Was it not so, O Timor Tom!... Was it not so, O New Zealand Jack!... Was it not so, O Morquan! King of Japan... Was it not so, O Don Miguel!... In plain prose, here are four whales as well known to the students of Cetacean History as Marius or Sylla to the classic scholar.

然而，這些有名的鯨不僅各自享有極大的個體名聲——不，你可以稱之為「全洋皆知的盛名」；不僅生前出名、死後在船頭故事裡不朽，而且還被賦予了一個「名號」所有的權利、特權與尊榮；牠真有個名號，跟岡比西斯或凱撒一樣響亮。難道不是嗎，啊，帝汶湯姆！你這聞名的巨獸，傷痕累累如一座冰山，曾長久潛伏在那以你為名的東方海峽裡，你的噴水常從翁拜那棕櫚海灘上被望見？難道不是嗎，啊，紐西蘭傑克！你這令一切在「刺青之地」近旁穿越你航跡的巡獵船聞風喪膽者？難道不是嗎，啊，莫昆！日本之王，據說你那高聳的噴水，有時在天空映成一個雪白十字架的形狀？難道不是嗎，啊，唐·米格爾！你這智利的鯨，背上像隻老龜般刻著神祕的象形文字！說白了，這裡有四頭鯨，對研究鯨類史的學者而言，就像馬略或蘇拉之於古典學者一樣有名。

But this is not all. New Zealand Tom and Don Miguel, after at various times creating great havoc among the boats of different vessels, were finally gone in quest of, systematically hunted out, chased and killed by valiant whaling captains, who heaved up their anchors with that express object as much in view, as in setting out through the Narragansett Woods, Captain Butler of old had it in his mind to capture that notorious murderous savage Annawon, the headmost warrior of the Indian King Philip.

但這還不是全部。紐西蘭湯姆與唐·米格爾，在不同時候對不同船隻的小艇造成大破壞後，最終被勇敢的捕鯨船長尋蹤、系統性地獵出、追殺——這些船長起錨時，心中明確懷著這個目標，正如當年巴特勒上尉動身穿越納拉甘西特森林時，一心要捉拿那惡名昭彰、兇殘的野人安納翁——印第安王腓力麾下的頭號戰士。

I do not know where I can find a better place than just here, to make mention of one or two other things, which to me seem important... they might scout at Moby Dick as a monstrous fable, or still worse and more detestable, a hideous and intolerable allegory.

我不知道還有哪裡比此處更適合，來提一兩件在我看來很重要的事——它們以印刷的形式，在各方面確立了整個白鯨故事（尤其那場大災難）的合理性。因為，這正是那種令人氣餒的情形之一：真相所需的支撐，竟與謬誤所需的一樣多。大多數陸地人對世上某些最明擺、最顯而易見的奇蹟竟如此無知，以致若不給他們一些關於漁業的、歷史的及其他的事實的提示，他們可能會把莫比敵嗤之為一個荒誕的寓言，或者更糟、更可惡——一個醜陋而不堪忍受的「託喻（allegory）」。

First: Though most men have some vague flitting ideas of the general perils of the grand fishery... For God’s sake, be economical with your lamps and candles! not a gallon you burn, but at least one drop of man’s blood was spilled for it.

第一：儘管大多數人對這宏大漁業的一般凶險有些模糊飄忽的概念，他們卻全然沒有對那些凶險、及其發生之頻繁的、固定而鮮明的認識。原因之一或許是：漁業中實際的災難與意外死亡，五十起裡也未必有一起會在家鄉留下任何公開記錄——哪怕那記錄轉瞬即逝、立刻被遺忘。你以為此刻那邊那個可憐人——也許正在新幾內亞外海被鯨索纏住、被那深潛的巨獸拖向海底——你以為那可憐人的名字，會出現在你明早早餐時讀的報紙訃聞裡嗎？不會：因為這裡與新幾內亞之間的郵路很不規律。事實上，你可曾聽過任何可稱為「定期」的、直接或間接來自新幾內亞的消息？然而我告訴你：在我去太平洋的某一趟航程中，在許多艘之外，我們搭話過三十艘不同的船，每一艘都有人被鯨害死，有些不止一人，還有三艘各自損失了一整艇的人。看在上帝份上，省著點用你的燈與燭吧！你每燒一加侖油，至少有一滴人血為它而流。

Secondly: People ashore have indeed some indefinite idea that a whale is an enormous creature of enormous power; but I have ever found that when narrating to them some specific example of this two-fold enormousness, they have significantly complimented me upon my facetiousness; when, I declare upon my soul, I had no more idea of being facetious than Moses, when he wrote the history of the plagues of Egypt.

第二：岸上的人確實對「鯨是一種有著巨大力量的龐大生物」有某種模糊的概念；但我向來發現，當我向他們講述這「雙重龐大」的某個具體例子時，他們總意味深長地稱讚我「真會說笑」；而我以靈魂發誓，我絲毫沒有說笑之意——正如摩西寫埃及十災的歷史時，絕無說笑之意一樣。

But fortunately the special point I here seek can be established upon testimony entirely independent of my own. That point is this: The Sperm Whale is in some cases sufficiently powerful, knowing, and judiciously malicious, as with direct aforethought to stave in, utterly destroy, and sink a large ship; and what is more, the Sperm Whale has done it.

但幸好，我此處所求的這特定論點，可由完全獨立於我自己之外的證詞來確立。那論點是這個：抹香鯨在某些情況下，力量足夠強大、足夠機敏、且足夠審慎地惡毒，能夠帶著直接的蓄謀，去撞穿、徹底毀滅、撞沉一艘大船；而且更甚者——抹香鯨真的做過。

First: In the year 1820 the ship Essex, Captain Pollard, of Nantucket, was cruising in the Pacific Ocean. ... Dashing his forehead against her hull, he so stove her in, that in less than “ten minutes” she settled down and fell over. ... I have seen Owen Chace, who was chief mate of the Essex at the time of the tragedy; I have read his plain and faithful narrative; I have conversed with his son; and all this within a few miles of the scene of the catastrophe.

第一：1820 年，南塔克特的船 Essex 號、由波拉德船長指揮，在太平洋巡獵。一天她望見噴水、放下小艇，去追一群抹香鯨。不久，幾頭鯨受了傷；這時，一頭極大的鯨突然從那群裡逃出、徑直朝船衝來。牠用額頭猛撞她的船身，把她撞出個大破洞，不到「十分鐘」她就下沉、傾覆。從那以後，她沒有一塊倖存的船板被見過。歷盡最嚴酷的風吹日曬之後，部分船員乘小艇抵岸。終於回到家後，波拉德船長再度指揮另一艘船駛向太平洋，可諸神又一次把他送上不知名的礁石與碎浪；他的船第二度全毀，他便當即發誓棄海、從此不再涉險。時至今日，波拉德船長是南塔克特的居民。我見過歐文·切斯——悲劇發生時 Essex 號的大副；我讀過他樸實而忠實的記述；我跟他兒子談過；而這一切，都在距那場大災難現場幾哩之內。（＊以下是切斯記述的摘錄……）

*The following are extracts from Chace’s narrative: “Every fact seemed to warrant me in concluding that it was anything but chance which directed his operations; ... His aspect was most horrible, and such as indicated resentment and fury. He came directly from the shoal which we had just before entered, and in which we had struck three of his companions, as if fired with revenge for their sufferings.” ...

＊以下是切斯記述的摘錄：「每一個事實都彷彿讓我有理由斷定：指揮牠行動的，絕非偶然；牠對船發動了兩次、相隔不久的攻擊，依其方向看，兩次都計算著要對我們造成最大的傷害——從正前方撞來、藉此把兩個物體的速度合在一起來形成那一撞；要達成這個，牠所做的那精確的機動是必要的。牠的神情極其可怖，顯出怨恨與狂怒。牠徑直從我們方才剛闖入、並在其中叉中了牠三個同伴的那群鯨裡衝出，彷彿為同伴的受苦而被復仇之火點燃。」又：「無論如何，全部情形合起來看，全發生在我自己眼前，並在當時在我心中造成『那鯨懷著決然、有計算的惡意』的印象（其中許多印象我如今已無法回想），這些使我確信我的看法是正確的。」

Here are his reflections some time after quitting the ship, during a black night in an open boat... “the dismal looking wreck, and the horrid aspect and revenge of the whale, wholly engrossed my reflections, until day again made its appearance.”

這是他棄船一段時間之後、在一個漆黑的夜裡、在一艘敞篷小艇上、幾乎絕望於抵達任何好客的岸時的省思：「那黑暗的大洋與洶湧的水算不得什麼；被某場可怕風暴吞沒、或撞上暗礁的恐懼，連同其他一切尋常可怖的思慮，似乎都不值得片刻一想；那慘澹的殘骸、那鯨可怖的神情與復仇，完全占據了我的思緒，直到白晝再度出現。」

In another place—p. 45,—he speaks of “the mysterious and mortal attack of the animal.”

在另一處——第 45 頁——他提到「那動物神祕而致命的攻擊」。

Secondly: The ship Union, also of Nantucket, was in the year 1807 totally lost off the Azores by a similar onset...

第二：同樣屬南塔克特的船 Union 號，於 1807 年在亞速群島外，因類似的一撞而全毀；但這場災難確切的詳情，我從未碰巧遇見過，雖然我不時從捕鯨人那兒聽到對它隨口的提及。

Thirdly: Some eighteen or twenty years ago Commodore J——, then commanding an American sloop-of-war of the first class... He peremptorily denied for example, that any whale could so smite his stout sloop-of-war as to cause her to leak so much as a thimbleful. ... I am not superstitious, but I consider the Commodore’s interview with that whale as providential. Was not Saul of Tarsus converted from unbelief by a similar fright? I tell you, the sperm whale will stand no nonsense.

第三：約莫十八到二十年前，某位 J 准將——當時指揮著一艘一級的美國戰鬥單桅艦——恰好在三明治群島（夏威夷）歐胡港、一艘南塔克特船上，與一群捕鯨船長共餐。話題轉到鯨，這位准將樂得對在座那些專業人士所說的鯨之驚人力量表示懷疑。比方說，他斷然否認任何鯨能把他那堅固的戰鬥單桅艦撞得哪怕漏出一頂針的水來。很好；但後頭還有。幾週後，這位准將駕著這艘「堅不可摧」的船出航駛向瓦爾帕萊索。可他在途中被一頭魁梧的抹香鯨攔下，那鯨求他「機密地談幾分鐘事」。那「事」就是給准將的船這麼一撞，撞得他開足所有的抽水泵，仍只能徑直駛向最近的港口去翻修。我不迷信，但我認為這位准將與那鯨的會面是「天意」。大數的掃羅，不也是被一場類似的驚嚇從不信中皈依的嗎？我告訴你，抹香鯨可不容人胡鬧。

I will now refer you to Langsdorff’s Voyages for a little circumstance in point... Captain Langsdorff thus begins his seventeenth chapter:

我現在要請你參看朗斯多夫的《航海記》中一件切題的小事，這事對本文作者尤其有趣。順帶你須知道，朗斯多夫在本世紀初隸屬於俄國海軍上將克魯森斯特恩那著名的「發現遠征隊」。朗斯多夫船長的第十七章這樣開頭：

“By the thirteenth of May our ship was ready to sail... An uncommon large whale, the body of which was larger than the ship itself, lay almost at the surface of the water... raised the ship three feet at least out of the water. ... but we found that very happily it had escaped entirely uninjured.”

「到五月十三日，我們的船已備好啟航，第二天我們已出到外海，駛往鄂霍次克。天氣非常晴朗宜人，卻冷得難以忍受，我們不得不一直穿著皮衣。有幾天風很小；直到十九日，一陣強勁的西北風才颳起。一頭異常大的鯨——其身軀比船本身還大——幾乎平躺在水面上，可船上沒人察覺到牠，直到那一刻——滿帆航行的船幾乎已撞上牠，根本來不及防止撞上去。我們因此陷入最迫近的危險，因為這巨大的生物一拱起牠的背，至少把船抬離水面三呎。桅杆搖晃，帆全落了下來，我們這些在下面的人立刻全衝上甲板，斷定我們撞上了某塊礁石；可不是這樣，我們看見那怪物以最莊重、最肅穆的姿態揚長而去。德沃爾夫船長立即啟動抽水泵，檢查船是否因這一撞而受損；可我們發現，很幸運地，它完全毫髮無傷。」

Now, the Captain D’Wolf here alluded to as commanding the ship in question, is a New Englander... I have the honor of being a nephew of his. I have particularly questioned him concerning this passage in Langsdorff. He substantiates every word. ...

卻說，此處提到指揮該船的德沃爾夫船長，是個新英格蘭人——作為海船船長度過漫長一生不尋常的冒險之後，今日定居在波士頓附近的多徹斯特村。我有幸是他的外甥。我特地就朗斯多夫書中這一段問過他。他證實了每一個字。不過那船絕非一艘大船：那是一艘在西伯利亞海岸建造的俄國船，我舅舅把他從家鄉開出的那艘船易物換掉後買下的。

In that up and down manly book of old-fashioned adventure... the voyage of Lionel Wafer... “In our way thither,” he says, “about four o’clock in the morning... our ship felt a terrible shock... we took it for granted the ship had struck against a rock; but when the amazement was a little over, we cast the lead, and sounded, but found no ground. ... Captain Davis, who lay with his head on a gun, was thrown out of his cabin!” ... But I should not much wonder if, in the darkness of that early hour of the morning, the shock was after all caused by an unseen whale vertically bumping the hull from beneath.

在那本起伏跌宕、有男子氣概的老派冒險之書裡——它也滿是誠實的奇聞——萊昂內爾·韋弗（古航海家丹皮爾的老夥伴之一）的航海記中，我發現一件記載得與方才引自朗斯多夫的那件如此相像，以致我忍不住把它插在這裡，作為一個佐證的例子，倘若需要的話。看來萊昂內爾正在去「約翰·費南多」（即今日的胡安·費南德斯島）的路上。「在我們去那兒的途中，」他說，「約莫凌晨四點，當我們離美洲大陸約一百五十里格時，我們的船感到一陣可怕的震撼，把我們的人嚇得幾乎說不出自己在哪、該想什麼；但人人都開始準備赴死。而那一撞確實如此突然猛烈，以致我們想當然地以為船撞上了一塊礁石；可當驚愕稍過，我們拋出測深錘探測，卻探不到底。＊＊＊那一撞的突然，使大炮在炮架上彈跳，好幾個人從吊床裡被震了出來。頭枕在一門炮上躺著的戴維斯船長，被拋出了他的艙房！」萊昂內爾接著把這一撞歸因於一場地震，並似乎以「大約那時某處確實發生過一場大地震、沿西班牙陸地造成大破壞」來佐證這歸因。但我不會太奇怪：在清晨那個時辰的黑暗裡，那一撞說到底，或許是一頭看不見的鯨從船底垂直頂撞所致。

I might proceed with several more examples... But I must be content with only one more and a concluding illustration... so that for the millionth time we say amen with Solomon—Verily there is nothing new under the sun.

我大可再舉好幾個我以這樣那樣方式知道的、關於抹香鯨那有時巨大的力量與惡意的例子。（不止一次，牠不僅把來犯的小艇追回到船邊，還會追逐船本身、久久頂住從甲板上向牠投擲的一切長槍。英國船 Pusie Hall 號就能就此講一個故事；至於牠的力氣，容我說：曾有過這樣的例子——在風平浪靜時，繫在一頭奔逃的抹香鯨身上的繩索被轉移、固定到船上，那鯨竟拖著她龐大的船身在水中走，像一匹馬拉著一輛車揚長而去。再者，人們也常觀察到：抹香鯨一旦被叉中、若給牠時間重整，牠接下來往往不是憑盲目的暴怒、而是懷著對追獵者蓄意、深思熟慮的毀滅意圖而行動；牠被攻擊時，還常會張開嘴、把它保持在那可怕的張口狀態好幾分鐘——這也頗能傳達出牠性格的某種雄辯指證。）但我必須滿足於只再舉一個、作為結尾的例證；一個非凡而最有深意的例子，由它你不會看不出：本書中最不可思議的事件，不僅被當今明擺的事實所佐證，而且這些奇蹟（如一切奇蹟）不過是各時代的重演；所以，我們第一百萬次與所羅門同說一聲「阿們」——「日光之下，並無新事。」

In the sixth Christian century lived Procopius, a Christian magistrate of Constantinople, in the days when Justinian was Emperor and Belisarius general. ... he has always been considered a most trustworthy and unexaggerating historian...

在基督紀元第六世紀，住著普羅科匹厄斯——君士坦丁堡的一位基督徒行政官，當時查士丁尼為皇帝、貝利薩留為將軍。如許多人所知，他寫了他自己那時代的歷史，一部各方面都價值非凡的著作。據最權威的看法，他向來被視為一位最可靠、不誇張的史家，除了一兩個細節之外——而那些細節絲毫不影響眼下將要提及的事。

Now, in this history of his, Procopius mentions that, during the term of his prefecture at Constantinople, a great sea-monster was captured in the neighboring Propontis, or Sea of Marmora, after having destroyed vessels at intervals in those waters for a period of more than fifty years. ... But as he destroyed ships, as well as for other reasons, he must have been a whale; and I am strongly inclined to think a sperm whale. ... hence a sperm whale could, by the same route, pass out of the Mediterranean into the Propontis.

卻說，在他這部歷史裡，普羅科匹厄斯提到：在他於君士坦丁堡任行政官期間，鄰近的普羅滂提斯（即馬爾馬拉海）裡捕獲了一頭巨大的海怪——牠在那片水域裡，斷斷續續地毀船達五十多年之久。一個如此載入紮實史冊的事實，是不容易被否認的。也沒有任何理由該否認它。這海怪究竟是何種類，並未提及。但既然牠毀船——以及基於其他理由——牠必定是一頭鯨；而我強烈傾向於認為是一頭抹香鯨。我來告訴你為什麼。我曾長期以為抹香鯨在地中海及與之相連的深水域裡向來不為人知。即便現在，我也確信那些海域不是、且或許在目前萬物的格局下永遠不可能成為牠習慣性成群棲息之地。但近來進一步的調查向我證明：近代確有抹香鯨出現在地中海的零星實例。我從可靠的權威處得知，在巴巴里海岸，英國海軍的一位戴維斯准將曾發現一具抹香鯨的骨骸。那麼，既然一艘戰艦可輕易通過達達尼爾海峽，抹香鯨便能循同一路徑，從地中海進入普羅滂提斯。

In the Propontis, as far as I can learn, none of that peculiar substance called brit is to be found, the aliment of the right whale. But I have every reason to believe that the food of the sperm whale—squid or cuttle-fish—lurks at the bottom of that sea... you will clearly perceive that, according to all human reasoning, Procopius’s sea-monster, that for half a century stove the ships of a Roman Emperor, must in all probability have been a sperm whale.

就我所能查知，普羅滂提斯裡找不到那種叫「brit（微小浮游生物）」的特殊物質——那是露脊鯨的食物。但我有充分的理由相信，抹香鯨的食物——魷魚或墨魚——潛伏在那片海的底部，因為人們曾在它的水面發現過一些大型的（雖絕非那類中最大的）這種生物。那麼，倘若你把這些陳述恰當地拼合起來、稍加推理，你便會清楚看出：按一切人類的推理，普羅科匹厄斯那頭半個世紀裡撞毀一位羅馬皇帝船隻的海怪，十之八九必定是一頭抹香鯨。