首次放艇

The phantoms, for so they then seemed, were flitting on the other side of the deck, and, with a noiseless celerity, were casting loose the tackles and bands of the boat which swung there. ... But strangely crowning this ebonness was a glistening white plaited turban, the living hair braided and coiled round and round upon his head. Less swart in aspect, the companions of this figure were of that vivid, tiger-yellow complexion peculiar to some of the aboriginal natives of the Manillas...

那些幽靈——當時看來確是幽靈——在甲板另一側飛快地閃動著，以無聲的敏捷，解開那兒懸著的小艇的滑車與繫帶。這艘艇向來被當作備用艇之一，雖技術上稱「船長艇」，因為它掛在右舷後側。此刻立於艇首的那個身影，高大而黝黑，鋼鐵般的雙唇間，邪邪地斜伸出一顆白牙。一件皺巴巴的黑棉中式上衣，喪服般地裹著他，配著同樣黑布的寬大黑褲。可奇異地給這一身烏黑加冕的，是一條閃亮的白色編織纏頭——是活生生的頭髮，一圈圈編繞、盤在他頭上。這身影的同伴們，相貌沒那麼黝黑，而是那種鮮明的、虎黃色的膚色——馬尼拉某些土著所特有的；那是一個以某種狡詐的「魔性」聞名的種族，被某些老實的白人水手疑為「魔鬼（他們的主子）在水上付薪的密探與祕密心腹」——他們以為魔鬼的帳房開在別處。

While yet the wondering ship’s company were gazing upon these strangers, Ahab cried out to the white-turbaned old man at their head, “All ready there, Fedallah?”

正當驚詫的全船船員凝視著這些陌生人時，亞哈朝為首那白纏頭的老人喊道：「都備好了嗎，費達拉？」

“Ready,” was the half-hissed reply.

「備好了，」那回答半是嘶聲。

“Lower away then; d’ye hear?” shouting across the deck. “Lower away there, I say.”

「那就放艇下海；聽見沒？」他朝甲板那頭喊。「我說，放艇。」

Such was the thunder of his voice, that spite of their amazement the men sprang over the rail; the sheaves whirled round in the blocks; with a wallow, the three boats dropped into the sea; while, with a dexterous, off-handed daring, unknown in any other vocation, the sailors, goat-like, leaped down the rolling ship’s side into the tossed boats below.

他嗓音如雷，以致儘管驚詫，眾人還是翻過欄杆；滑輪在滑車裡飛轉；三艘小艇「撲通」落進海裡；而那些水手，以一種別的行當裡見不到的、俐落而隨意的膽量，像山羊般，從搖晃的船舷縱身躍下、進到下方顛簸的小艇裡。

Hardly had they pulled out from under the ship’s lee, when a fourth keel, coming from the windward side, pulled round under the stern, and showed the five strangers rowing Ahab... But with all their eyes again riveted upon the swart Fedallah and his crew, the inmates of the other boats obeyed not the command.

他們剛從船的背風側划出來，一艘第四號小艇就從上風側繞到船尾，露出那五個陌生人正划著亞哈——亞哈在艇尾挺立著，大聲招呼斯塔巴克、斯塔布和弗拉斯克，叫他們把艇散得遠遠的、好覆蓋一大片水面。但眾人的目光又全釘在黝黑的費達拉與他那船員身上，別的艇上的人竟沒聽從這命令。

“Captain Ahab?—” said Starbuck.

「亞哈船長？——」斯塔巴克說。

“Spread yourselves,” cried Ahab; “give way, all four boats. Thou, Flask, pull out more to leeward!”

「散開，」亞哈喊道；「划，四艘艇都划。你，弗拉斯克，再往下風划遠些！」

“Aye, aye, sir,” cheerily cried little King-Post... “There she blows right ahead, boys!—lay back!”

「是，是，先生，」小「中柱」歡快地喊著，揮轉他那把大舵槳。「使勁往後扳！」他對他的船員說。「那兒！——那兒！——又在那兒！她就在正前方噴水呢，小子們！——往後扳！」

“Never heed yonder yellow boys, Archy.”

「別理那邊那些黃皮小子，阿契。」

“Oh, I don’t mind ’em, sir,” said Archy; “I knew it all before now. Didn’t I hear ’em in the hold? And didn’t I tell Cabaco here of it? ... They are stowaways, Mr. Flask.”

「噢，我才不在乎他們呢，先生，」阿契說；「這些我早就知道了。我不是聽見他們在艙裡嗎？我不是跟這兒的卡巴科講過嗎？你說是吧，卡巴科？他們是偷渡客，弗拉斯克先生。」

“Pull, pull, my fine hearts-alive; pull, my children; pull, my little ones,” drawlingly and soothingly sighed Stubb to his crew... “never mind the brimstone—devils are good fellows enough. ... Why in the name of gudgeons and ginger-cakes don’t ye pull?—pull and break something! pull, and start your eyes out! Here!” whipping out the sharp knife from his girdle; “every mother’s son of ye draw his knife, and pull with the blade between his teeth. ... Start her, marling-spikes!”

「拉啊，拉啊，我那群活蹦亂跳的好心肝；拉啊，我的孩子們；拉啊，我的小寶貝們，」斯塔布拖長著、安撫般地對他的船員嘆道——他們有些人還露出不安。「你們怎麼不把脊梁骨拉斷呢，小子們？你們盯著什麼看？那邊那艇裡的傢伙？嘁！他們不過是又來了五個幫手——管他從哪兒來——人多熱鬧嘛。拉啊，倒是拉啊；別管那硫磺味——魔鬼也夠得上是好夥伴。好，好；這就對了；這一槳值一千鎊；這一槳能把賭注全掃光！為那金盃裡的鯨油歡呼吧，我的英雄們！三聲歡呼，弟兄們——全都打起精神來！輕點，輕點；別急——別急。你們這些無賴怎麼不把槳折斷呢？咬點什麼，你們這些狗！好，好，好，這就對了：——輕輕地，輕輕地！對了——就這樣！又長又有力。划啊，划啊！魔鬼抓了你們去，你們這群衣衫襤褸的流氓胚子；你們全睡著了。別打鼾了，你們這些瞌睡蟲，給我拉。拉，行不行？拉，能不能？拉，肯不肯？看在鯊魚（gudgeon）和薑餅的份上，你們倒是拉啊？——拉，拉斷點什麼！拉，把眼珠子都拉出來！喏！」他從腰帶裡抽出那把利刀；「你們每個娘養的都把刀抽出來，咬在牙間給我拉。對了——就這樣。這下你們總算幹了點事；這才像話，我的鋼牙們。把她開動起來——開動起來，我的銀湯匙們！開動起來，索針們！」

Stubb’s exordium to his crew is given here at large... no oarsman could hear such queer invocations without pulling for dear life, and yet pulling for the mere joke of the thing. ... Stubb was one of those odd sort of humorists, whose jollity is sometimes so curiously ambiguous, as to put all inferiors on their guard in the matter of obeying them.

斯塔布對船員的這段「開場白」之所以在此大段記下，是因為他對他們說話一向有種特別的方式，尤其在「傳授划船這門宗教」時。但你不可由這段樣本就以為他真會對他的「會眾」大發雷霆。絕非如此；而他的主要特點正在於此。他會對船員說最嚇人的話，語氣卻如此奇異地揉合著趣味與凶狠，那凶狠彷彿只是為趣味調的味；以致沒有哪個槳手聽了這般古怪的召喚，能不拚了命地拉、卻又只當這是個玩笑似地拉。何況他自己始終顯得那麼悠閒慵懶、那麼漫不經心地擺弄著舵槳、有時還大張著嘴打哈欠；單是這麼一個打著哈欠的指揮官的模樣，純憑反差之力，就對船員起了魔法般的作用。再者，斯塔布是那種古怪的幽默家之一，他的歡快有時曖昧得出奇，叫一切下屬在服從他這件事上都不得不提防著點。

In obedience to a sign from Ahab, Starbuck was now pulling obliquely across Stubb’s bow... Stubb hailed the mate.

應亞哈的一個手勢，斯塔巴克這會兒斜斜地划過斯塔布的艇首；當兩艇彼此靠近了約莫一分鐘時，斯塔布招呼那大副。

“Mr. Starbuck! larboard boat there, ahoy! a word with ye, sir, if ye please!”

「斯塔巴克先生！那邊左舷的艇，喂——！想跟您說句話，先生，要是您方便！」

“Halloa!” returned Starbuck, turning round not a single inch as he spoke; still earnestly but whisperingly urging his crew; his face set like a flint from Stubb’s.

「喂——！」斯塔巴克應道，說話時連一吋都沒轉過身來；仍懇切卻低聲地催著他的船員；他那張臉硬如燧石、背對著斯塔布。

“What think ye of those yellow boys, sir!”

「您怎麼看那些黃皮小子，先生？」

“Smuggled on board, somehow, before the ship sailed. (Strong, strong, boys!)” ... “A sad business, Mr. Stubb! ... Sperm, sperm’s the play! This at least is duty; duty and profit hand in hand.”

「不知怎地，在開船前被偷運上船的。（用力，用力，小子們！）」他低聲對船員說，然後又高聲道：「一樁傷腦筋的事，斯塔布先生！（煮沸她，煮沸她，我的小子們！）不過別在意，斯塔布先生，一切都是最好的安排。讓你全艇的人使勁拉，不管會怎樣。（蹦起來，弟兄們，蹦起來！）前頭有成桶的鯨油呢，斯塔布先生，那才是你來的目的。（拉啊，小子們！）鯨油，鯨油才是這場戲！這至少是盡本分；盡本分與獲利，攜手並行。」

“Aye, aye, I thought as much,” soliloquized Stubb... “The White Whale’s at the bottom of it. Well, well, so be it! Can’t be helped! All right! Give way, men! It ain’t the White Whale to-day! Give way!”

「哦，哦，我也料到了，」兩艇分開時，斯塔布自言自語道，「我一瞧見他們就這麼想了。對，這就是他常下後艙的緣故，正如麵團小子早就疑心的。他們一直藏在下面。白鯨是這事的根源。罷了，罷了，由它去吧！沒辦法的事！好吧！划，弟兄們！今天追的不是白鯨！划！」

Now the advent of these outlandish strangers at such a critical instant... had not unreasonably awakened a sort of superstitious amazement in some of the ship’s company; but Archy’s fancied discovery having some time previous got abroad among them... For me, I silently recalled the mysterious shadows I had seen creeping on board the Pequod during the dim Nantucket dawn, as well as the enigmatical hintings of the unaccountable Elijah.

這些古怪的陌生人在放艇下海這麼一個緊要關頭的出現，在某些船員心中喚起一種迷信的驚愕，這也不無道理；但阿契那「自以為的發現」先前已在他們間傳開（雖然當時不被採信），這多少讓他們對此事有了點準備，削去了他們驚奇最尖銳的那一截；於是，加上斯塔布那番自信的解釋，他們暫時擺脫了迷信的揣測；儘管這事仍留下大量空間，任各種狂野的臆想去猜那黑色的亞哈從一開始在這事裡究竟扮演了什麼角色。至於我，我默默想起了那些我曾見過、在南塔克特朦朧拂曉裡悄悄爬上裴廓德號的神祕黑影，以及那莫名其妙的以利亞那些謎一般的暗示。

Meantime, Ahab, out of hearing of his officers... was still ranging ahead of the other boats... Those tiger yellow creatures of his seemed all steel and whalebone; like five trip-hammers they rose and fell with regular strokes of strength... As for Fedallah... he had thrown aside his black jacket, and displayed his naked chest... Ahab was seen steadily managing his steering oar as in a thousand boat lowerings ere the White Whale had torn him. ... Boat and crew sat motionless on the sea.

與此同時，亞哈——已划到最上風、聽不見他軍官說話的地方——仍領先於其他各艇；這情形顯示出，划著他的是何等強勁的一組人。他那些虎黃色的傢伙，彷彿全由鋼鐵與鯨骨做成；像五把蒸汽錘，以規律有力的划槳起起落落，週期性地把艇沿水面猛推向前，像密西西比汽船一具水平爆開的鍋爐。至於費達拉，只見他划著標槍手那一槳，已脫下黑上衣，露出赤裸的胸膛、整個上半身高出舷緣，在那起伏的水平線前清晰地映出輪廓；而在艇的另一端，亞哈一臂如劍客般半向後拋向空中，彷彿要抵消任何前傾失足之勢；亞哈穩穩地掌著他的舵槳，一如白鯨撕裂他之前那千百次放艇。突然，那伸出的手臂做了個奇特的動作，隨即定住不動，同時艇上五支槳齊齊揚起。艇與人靜止地坐在海上。後方那三艘散開的艇也立刻在途中停住。那群鯨已不規則地整體沉進了藍色的海裡，因此並未顯出可遠遠辨認的動向，不過從較近處，亞哈已觀察到了。

“Every man look out along his oars!” cried Starbuck. “Thou, Queequeg, stand up!”

「每個人都沿著自己的槳望出去！」斯塔巴克喊道。「你，魁魁格，站起來！」

Nimbly springing up on the triangular raised box in the bow, the savage stood erect there... Likewise upon the extreme stern of the boat... Starbuck himself was seen coolly and adroitly balancing himself to the jerking tossings of his chip of a craft, and silently eyeing the vast blue eye of the sea.

那野人敏捷地躍上艇首三角形的高箱，挺立在那兒，以極其熱切的眼睛望向追獵最後被看見的那片水域。同樣地，在艇尾的最末端——那兒也有一塊與舷緣齊平的三角形平台——只見斯塔巴克本人冷靜而俐落地，隨著他那片小艇般船隻的顛簸抖動保持平衡，默默地凝視著大海那湛藍的巨眼。

Not very far distant Flask’s boat was also lying breathlessly still; its commander recklessly standing upon the top of the loggerhead... But little King-Post was small and short, and at the same time little King-Post was full of a large and tall ambition, so that this loggerhead stand-point of his did by no means satisfy King-Post.

不遠處，弗拉斯克的艇也屏息地靜止著；它的指揮官魯莽地站在「繫纜柱（loggerhead）」頂上——那是一根牢牢扎在龍骨裡、高出艇尾平台約兩呎的粗樁，用來纏繞鯨索。它的頂端不比一個人的手掌寬，站在這麼個底座上，弗拉斯克彷彿棲在一艘除了桅頂全沉了的船的桅頂上。可小「中柱」又矮又小，同時小「中柱」又滿懷又大又高的雄心，所以他這繫纜柱的立足點，絕不能讓「中柱」滿意。

“I can’t see three seas off; tip us up an oar there, and let me on to that.”

「我連三個浪外都看不見；給我豎起一支槳來，讓我上去那上頭。」

Upon this, Daggoo, with either hand upon the gunwale to steady his way, swiftly slid aft, and then erecting himself volunteered his lofty shoulders for a pedestal.

聽了這話，大個兒兩手扶著舷緣穩住身子，迅速地往船尾滑去，然後挺直身子，自願獻出他那高聳的雙肩當底座。

“Good a mast-head as any, sir. Will you mount?”

「跟任何桅頂一樣好用的高台，先生。您要上來嗎？」

“That I will, and thank ye very much, my fine fellow; only I wish you fifty feet taller.”

「我當然要上，多謝你了，我的好兄弟；只可惜我但願你再高五十呎。」

Whereupon planting his feet firmly against two opposite planks of the boat, the gigantic negro... with one dexterous fling landed the little man high and dry on his shoulders. ... Here was Flask now standing, Daggoo with one lifted arm furnishing him with a breastband to lean against and steady himself by.

於是，這巨人般的黑人把雙腳牢牢抵住艇上相對的兩塊板，微微一彎腰，把他平攤的手掌伸到弗拉斯克腳下，再把弗拉斯克的手按上他那「靈車羽飾般」的頭、叫他隨自己一拋之勢往上跳，一個俐落的甩動，便把這小個子高高穩穩地安放在自己肩上。弗拉斯克這會兒就站在那兒，大個兒舉起一條手臂給他當胸帶，供他倚靠、穩住自己。

At any time it is a strange sight to the tyro to see with what wondrous habitude of unconscious skill the whaleman will maintain an erect posture in his boat... But the sight of little Flask mounted upon gigantic Daggoo was yet more curious... On his broad back, flaxen-haired Flask seemed a snow-flake. The bearer looked nobler than the rider. ... So have I seen Passion and Vanity stamping the living magnanimous earth, but the earth did not alter her tides and her seasons for that.

對新手而言，看捕鯨人即便在最狂亂橫衝的海濤拋甩下、仍能在艇上保持挺立的姿態——那種出於不知不覺、奇妙的嫻熟習慣——任何時候都是一幅奇景。看他在這種情況下還暈眩地棲在繫纜柱上，更是奇上加奇。但小弗拉斯克騎在巨人大個兒身上的景象，又更奇了；因為那高貴的黑人以一種冷靜、漠然、自在、不假思索的蠻荒威儀撐著自己，隨海的每一次起伏和諧地搖動著他俊美的身軀。在他寬闊的背上，亞麻色頭髮的弗拉斯克彷彿一片雪花。那馱人者看起來比那騎者更高貴。雖然生氣勃勃、躁動、愛出風頭的小弗拉斯克不時會不耐地跺腳；可他這麼跺，卻沒給那黑人君王般的胸膛添上一絲多餘的起伏。我也曾這樣見過「激情」與「虛榮」在這活生生、寬宏的大地上跺腳，可大地並不為此而改變她的潮汐與季節。

Meanwhile Stubb, the third mate, betrayed no such far-gazing solicitudes. ... He withdrew it from his hatband... but hardly had he ignited his match... when Tashtego, his harpooneer... suddenly dropped like light from his erect attitude to his seat, crying out in a quick phrensy of hurry, “Down, down all, and give way!—there they are!”

與此同時，二副斯塔布卻沒露出這種遠望的焦切。那群鯨也許是做了一次牠們規律的深潛，而非僅僅受驚的暫時一沉；若是這樣，斯塔布——看來這種時候是他的習慣——決意用他的菸斗來慰藉這令人懨懨的間隔。他從帽帶裡抽出菸斗——他總是把它像根羽毛似地斜插在那兒。他裝上菸、用拇指尖把菸料按實；可他剛在他那粗糙如砂紙的手上劃著火柴，他的標槍手塔什特戈——那雙眼一直如兩顆定星般朝上風凝望——突然像道光似地從挺立的姿態落回座位，以一陣急促的瘋狂喊道：「都蹲下，蹲下，划！——牠們在那兒！」

To a landsman, no whale, nor any sign of a herring, would have been visible at that moment; nothing but a troubled bit of greenish white water... the whales were swimming. Seen in advance of all the other indications, the puffs of vapor they spouted, seemed their forerunning couriers and detached flying outriders.

對一個陸地人，那一刻什麼鯨、連條鯡魚的影子都看不見；只有一小片翻騰的青白色水、上面懸著零星稀薄的蒸氣，正瀰漫地朝下風飄散，像白色翻滾浪頭上那混亂的飛沫。四周的空氣突然震顫、刺麻起來，彷彿燒得熾熱的鐵板上方的空氣。在這大氣的波動翻卷之下、也部分在一層薄水之下，那群鯨正游著。比一切其他跡象更先被看見的，是牠們噴出的那一團團蒸氣，彷彿牠們的先行信使、散開飛馳的前導騎兵。

All four boats were now in keen pursuit of that one spot of troubled water and air. ... “Pull, pull, my good boys,” said Starbuck, in the lowest possible but intensest concentrated whisper to his men; while the sharp fixed glance from his eyes darted straight ahead of the bow, almost seemed as two visible needles in two unerring binnacle compasses. ... Only the silence of the boat was at intervals startlingly pierced by one of his peculiar whispers, now harsh with command, now soft with entreaty.

四艘艇此刻都緊追著那一片翻騰的水與氣。可它眼看就要把它們甩開；它越飛越遠，像一團交融的泡沫，被一條急流從山上沖下。「拉，拉，我的好小子們，」斯塔巴克以盡可能最低、卻最凝聚的耳語對他的人說；而他眼中那銳利凝定的一瞥直射向艇首正前方，幾乎像兩根羅盤裡兩枚萬無一失的指針。不過他對船員說得不多，船員也對他不說什麼。只有艇上的靜默，每隔一陣會被他那特別的耳語駭然刺穿——時而嚴厲如命令，時而柔軟如懇求。

How different the loud little King-Post. “Sing out and say something, my hearties... only do that for me, and I’ll sign over to you my Martha’s Vineyard plantation, boys; including wife and children, boys. Lay me on—lay me on! O Lord, Lord! but I shall go stark, staring mad! ...” And so shouting, he pulled his hat from his head, and stamped up and down on it; then picking it up, flirted it far off upon the sea; and finally fell to rearing and plunging in the boat’s stern like a crazed colt from the prairie.

那高聲的小「中柱」可多不一樣。「喊出來，說點什麼呀，我的好漢們。咆哮著拉啊，我的霹靂們！把我衝上去、把我衝上牠們的黑背，小子們；只要替我做到這個，我就把我瑪莎葡萄園的莊園過戶給你們，小子們；連老婆孩子都算上，小子們。把我衝上去——衝上去！噢，主啊，主啊！可我要瘋了、要瞪著眼發瘋了！看！看那白水花！」他這麼喊著，把帽子從頭上扯下、在它上頭跺來跺去；又撿起來、遠遠地往海裡一甩；最後在艇尾又躍又撲，像草原上一匹發了瘋的小馬。

“Look at that chap now,” philosophically drawled Stubb... “He’s got fits, that Flask has. ... Merrily, merrily, hearts-alive. Pudding for supper, you know;—merry’s the word. Pull, babes—pull, sucklings—pull, all. ... Take it easy—why don’t ye take it easy, I say, and burst all your livers and lungs!”

「瞧瞧那傢伙，」斯塔布富哲理地拖長聲調說——他叼著那根沒點的短菸斗、在不遠處跟在後頭——「他發作了，那弗拉斯克。發作？對，給他來點『發作』——正是這詞兒——把『發作』灌進他們裡頭。樂呵呵地，樂呵呵地，活蹦亂跳的弟兄們。晚飯有布丁吃，你們知道的；——樂呵就是訣竅。拉啊，娃娃們——拉啊，吃奶的——拉啊，全都拉。可你們急個什麼勁兒？輕點，輕點，穩著點，弟兄們。只管拉，拉個不停；別的什麼都別管。把你們的脊梁骨全拉裂、把你們的刀咬成兩段——就這麼點事。慢慢來——你們怎麼不慢慢來呢，我說，把你們的肝和肺全給拉爆了！」

But what it was that inscrutable Ahab said to that tiger-yellow crew of his—these were words best omitted here; for you live under the blessed light of the evangelical land. Only the infidel sharks in the audacious seas may give ear to such words, when, with tornado brow, and eyes of red murder, and foam-glued lips, Ahab leaped after his prey.

但那高深莫測的亞哈對他那群虎黃船員所說的話——這些話在此最好略去不錄；因為你們生活在福音之地那受祝福的光照下。只有那放肆海上的、異教的鯊魚，配傾聽這樣的話——當亞哈以颶風般的眉、血腥謀殺般的眼、泡沫黏住的唇，縱身撲向他的獵物時。

Meanwhile, all the boats tore on. The repeated specific allusions of Flask to “that whale,” as he called the fictitious monster which he declared to be incessantly tantalizing his boat’s bow with its tail... But this was against all rule; for the oarsmen must put out their eyes, and ram a skewer through their necks; usage pronouncing that they must have no organs but ears, and no limbs but arms, in these critical moments.

與此同時，四艘艇都疾衝向前。弗拉斯克一再具體地提到「那鯨」——他口中那頭虛構的怪物，他宣稱牠正用尾巴沒完沒了地在他艇首前逗弄；他這些話有時說得如此鮮活逼真，竟害他的人裡有一兩個忍不住越過肩頭驚恐地回頭一望。但這是違反一切規矩的；因為槳手們必須把眼睛閉上、彷彿在脖子上插根扦子（不許回頭）；慣例規定：在這些緊要關頭，他們除了耳朵不許有別的器官、除了手臂不許有別的肢體。

It was a sight full of quick wonder and awe! The vast swells of the omnipotent sea... the brief suspended agony of the boat... the sudden profound dip into the watery glens and hollows... with the wondrous sight of the ivory Pequod bearing down upon her boats with outstretched sails, like a wild hen after her screaming brood;—all this was thrilling.

那是一幕滿是迅疾的驚奇與敬畏的景象！那全能大海的巨浪；它們沿著八道舷緣翻滾時發出的、洶湧而空洞的轟鳴，像一座無邊保齡球場上滾動的巨球；小艇那短暫懸停的痛楚——當它有一瞬傾側在更尖利的浪頭那刀刃般的邊緣上、那浪幾乎像要把它一切為二；驟然深陷進水的峽谷與凹陷裡；為登上對面那座浪丘而拚命的催趕與刺策；再順著它另一側那雪橇般的俯衝滑下；——這一切，連同艇長與標槍手的呼喊、槳手們戰慄的喘息，加上那象牙色的裴廓德號張著帆、朝她的小艇直壓過來的奇景，像一隻野母雞追著她那群尖叫的雛——這一切，都驚心動魄。

Not the raw recruit, marching from the bosom of his wife into the fever heat of his first battle; not the dead man’s ghost encountering the first unknown phantom in the other world;—neither of these can feel stranger and stronger emotions than that man does, who for the first time finds himself pulling into the charmed, churned circle of the hunted sperm whale.

那從妻子懷中走出、踏進他第一場戰役的狂熱中的新兵；那在另一個世界裡遭遇第一個陌生幽靈的死者亡魂；——這兩者所能感到的，都不及那個人所感到的更奇異、更強烈——那個人，第一次發現自己正划進那被獵的抹香鯨周圍那「著了魔的、翻攪的圈子」裡。

The dancing white water made by the chase was now becoming more and more visible... the whales seemed separating their wakes. ... Our sail was now set, and, with the still rising wind, we rushed along; the boat going with such madness through the water, that the lee oars could scarcely be worked rapidly enough to escape being torn from the row-locks.

追獵激起的那舞動的白水花，此刻越來越清晰可見，因為投在海上的烏雲陰影越來越暗了。那一團團蒸氣不再交融，而是四處向左右傾斜；那群鯨彷彿在分開牠們的航跡。各艇也拉得更分散了；斯塔巴克在追三頭朝正下風奔逃的鯨。我們的帆這會兒張起了，藉著仍在增強的風，我們疾衝向前；艇在水中瘋了似地行進，下風那側的槳幾乎來不及划得夠快、以免被從槳架裡扯走。

Soon we were running through a suffusing wide veil of mist; neither ship nor boat to be seen.

不久，我們便穿行在一大片瀰漫的霧幕裡；船也好、艇也好，全看不見了。

“Give way, men,” whispered Starbuck... “there is time to kill a fish yet before the squall comes. There’s white water again!—close to! Spring!”

「划，弟兄們，」斯塔巴克低聲說，把他帆的纜繩又往船尾收緊些；「在狂飆來之前，還來得及殺一條鯨。又有白水花了！——近在咫尺！蹦起來划！」

Soon after, two cries in quick succession on each side of us denoted that the other boats had got fast; but hardly were they overheard, when with a lightning-like hurtling whisper Starbuck said: “Stand up!” and Queequeg, harpoon in hand, sprang to his feet.

不久之後，我們兩側接連傳來兩聲呼喊，表明別的艇已經「叉中（拴住鯨）」了；可這呼喊剛被聽見，斯塔巴克便以一聲閃電般飛掠的耳語說：「站起來！」魁魁格手持魚叉，一躍而起。

Though not one of the oarsmen was then facing the life and death peril so close to them ahead... they knew that the imminent instant had come; they heard, too, an enormous wallowing sound as of fifty elephants stirring in their litter. ... the waves curling and hissing around us like the erected crests of enraged serpents.

雖然當時沒有一個槳手是面朝著前方那麼近的生死之險（他們都背對著）；可他們從艇尾那大副緊繃的神情上，知道千鈞一髮的時刻來了；他們還聽見一陣巨大的翻滾聲，像五十頭大象在牠們的窩裡騷動。與此同時，艇仍轟隆隆地穿過霧氣，浪在我們四周捲曲、嘶嘶作響，像被激怒的群蛇豎起的冠。

“That’s his hump. There, there, give it to him!” whispered Starbuck.

「那是牠的駝峰。那兒，那兒，給牠來一下！」斯塔巴克低聲說。

A short rushing sound leaped out of the boat; it was the darted iron of Queequeg. Then all in one welded commotion came an invisible push from astern... something rolled and tumbled like an earthquake beneath us. The whole crew were half suffocated as they were tossed helter-skelter into the white curdling cream of the squall. Squall, whale, and harpoon had all blended together; and the whale, merely grazed by the iron, escaped.

一聲短促的飛掠聲從艇上躍出；那是魁魁格擲出的鐵叉。接著，在一團焊在一起的騷亂中，一股無形的推力從艇尾湧來，而艇首彷彿撞上了一塊礁石；帆塌了、炸裂開；一股滾燙的蒸氣在近旁噴起；什麼東西在我們底下如地震般翻滾顛簸。全艇的人被拋得東倒西歪、半窒息地摔進那狂飆白色凝乳般的泡沫裡。狂飆、鯨、魚叉全攪和在一起了；而那鯨，只被鐵叉擦中，逃脫了。

Though completely swamped, the boat was nearly unharmed. ... There we sat up to our knees in the sea, the water covering every rib and plank, so that to our downward gazing eyes the suspended craft seemed a coral boat grown up to us from the bottom of the ocean.

雖然完全進了水，艇卻幾乎沒損壞。我們繞著它游、撈起浮著的槳，把它們橫綁在舷緣上，翻身回到各自的位子。我們就坐在那兒、海水及膝，水沒過了每一根肋材與板，以致在我們向下凝望的眼裡，這懸浮的艇彷彿一艘從海底向我們長上來的珊瑚船。

The wind increased to a howl; the waves dashed their bucklers together; the whole squall roared, forked, and crackled around us like a white fire upon the prairie, in which, unconsumed, we were burning; immortal in these jaws of death! ... So, cutting the lashing of the waterproof match keg... Starbuck contrived to ignite the lamp in the lantern; then stretching it on a waif pole, handed it to Queequeg as the standard-bearer of this forlorn hope. There, then, he sat, holding up that imbecile candle in the heart of that almighty forlornness. There, then, he sat, the sign and symbol of a man without faith, hopelessly holding up hope in the midst of despair.

風增強成一聲嚎叫；波浪如盾牌般互相撞擊；整場狂飆在我們四周咆哮、分叉、劈啪炸響，像草原上的一場白火，而我們在其中燃燒、卻不被燒盡；在這死亡的顎中，不死！我們呼喊別的艇也是徒然；那無異於對著熊熊熔爐煙囪裡的活炭呼喊。與此同時，那飛掠的碎雲、亂雲與霧，隨夜色的陰影越來越暗；看不見船的半點蹤影。漲起的海濤使一切舀水的嘗試都成泡影。槳作為推進工具已無用，此刻只能充當救生圈。於是，割開那防水火柴桶的繫繩、經過多次失敗，斯塔巴克總算把提燈裡的燈點著了；然後把它撐在一根浮標桿上，交給魁魁格——這「絕望希望」的掌旗者。於是，他就那樣坐著，在那無邊無際的絕望正中，高舉著那盞無能為力的小燭。於是，他就那樣坐著——一個沒有信仰之人的徵記與象徵，在絕望之中，無望地高舉著希望。

Wet, drenched through, and shivering cold, despairing of ship or boat, we lifted up our eyes as the dawn came on. ... Suddenly Queequeg started to his feet, hollowing his hand to his ear. We all heard a faint creaking... the thick mists were dimly parted by a huge, vague form. Affrighted, we all sprang into the sea as the ship at last loomed into view, bearing right down upon us within a distance of not much more than its length.

渾身濕透、冷得發抖、對船或艇都不抱指望，我們在天亮時抬起眼。霧仍籠罩著海，那空了的提燈壓扁在艇底。忽然，魁魁格一躍而起，把手攏在耳邊。我們全聽見一陣微弱的吱嘎聲，像是先前被風暴蓋住的繩索與桅桁的聲響。那聲音越來越近；濃霧被一個巨大、模糊的形體朦朧地分開。我們驚恐萬狀，全都縱身跳進海裡——因為那船終於破霧現身，正朝我們直壓過來，距離不過比一個船身多一點。

Floating on the waves we saw the abandoned boat, as for one instant it tossed and gaped beneath the ship’s bows like a chip at the base of a cataract; and then the vast hull rolled over it... Again we swam for it... and were at last taken up and safely landed on board. ... The ship had given us up, but was still cruising, if haply it might light upon some token of our perishing,—an oar or a lance pole.

漂在浪上，我們看見那被棄的艇，有一瞬在船首下顛簸張口，像瀑布腳下的一片木屑；隨即那龐大的船身從它上頭輾過，它便不見了，直到在船尾翻浮上來。我們再度游向它、被浪撞向它，終於被撈起、平安地送上了船。狂飆逼近之前，別的艇早已割繩棄鯨、及時回到了船上。船已放棄了我們，卻仍在巡弋著——盼著或許能撞見一點我們罹難的殘跡：一支槳、或一根槍桿。