斯塔布與弗拉斯克殺一頭露脊鯨並議論之

It must be borne in mind that all this time we have a Sperm Whale’s prodigious head hanging to the Pequod’s side. ...the best we can do now for the head, is to pray heaven the tackles may hold.

必須記得，這整段時間，我們右舷一直掛著一顆抹香鯨巨大的頭。但我們只能先讓它掛一會兒、等有空再處理它。眼下別的事更急，此刻我們對那頭所能做的，頂多是祈禱老天讓那些滑車撐得住。

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... 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.

過去一夜與上午，裴廓德號漸漸漂進了一片海；那片海偶爾的黃色 brit 斑塊，給出了露脊鯨就在附近的不尋常徵兆——這種巨獸，當時幾乎沒人料到會在這一帶出沒。雖然全船向來不屑（disdained）捕這種次等生物、雖然裴廓德號根本沒受命去捕牠們、雖然她在克羅澤群島附近曾放過好幾頭、一艇也沒放下；可如今，既然一頭抹香鯨已被拖到船旁、砍了頭，眾人驚訝地聽到一道命令：今天若有機會，要捕一頭露脊鯨。

Tall spouts were seen to leeward; and two boats, Stubb’s and Flask’s, were detached in pursuit. ...suddenly going down in a maelstrom, within three rods of the planks, he wholly disappeared from view... 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.

下風處出現了高高的噴水；斯塔布與弗拉斯克的兩艘小艇被派出追擊。它們越划越遠，最後桅頂的人幾乎看不見了。但突然，遠處見一大堆翻騰的白水，旋即傳來消息：一艘或兩艘艇都紮上了。過了一陣，兩艇清楚可見，正被那拖曳的鯨直直地拽向大船。那怪物逼近船身，起初彷彿懷著惡意；但牠突然在離船板三桿處潛入一個漩渦（maelstrom）、完全消失了，彷彿潛到了龍骨底下。船上向兩艇高喊：「割繩！割繩！」——那兩艇一瞬間眼看就要致命地猛撞上船側。但桶裡還有大量繩，鯨下潛又不太快，他們便放出大量繩、同時拚命划槳搶到船前頭。有幾分鐘形勢萬分危急；可那疲憊的（fagged）鯨放慢了速度、盲目地改變航向，繞過船尾、拖著兩艇跟在後頭，於是它們繞了整整一圈。

Meantime, they hauled more and more upon their lines... Stubb answered Flask with lance for lance; and thus round and round the Pequod the battle went, while the multitudes of sharks... 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.

與此同時，他們越拉越緊各自的繩，直到從兩側緊緊夾住牠；斯塔布以矛還弗拉斯克一矛；就這樣繞著裴廓德號一圈又一圈地激戰。而先前圍著抹香鯨屍游動的成群鯊魚，這時湧向潑灑出的新血，在每一道新傷口上貪渴地暢飲——如同那些焦渴的以色列人，撲向從被擊打的岩石中迸出的新泉。

At last his spout grew thick, and with a frightful roll and vomit, he turned upon his back a corpse. While the two headsmen were engaged in making fast cords to his flukes... some conversation ensued between them.

終於，牠的噴水變濃了，伴著可怕的一翻、一吐，牠仰身翻轉，成了一具屍體。兩位領頭手忙著把繩繫牢在牠尾鰭上、並以其他方式把這龐然之物備好拖曳時，他倆之間起了一段對話。

“I wonder what the old man wants with this lump of foul lard,” said Stubb... “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... that that ship can never afterwards capsize?”

「真不懂老頭要這團噁心的肥油（foul lard）幹嘛，」斯塔布說，一想到要跟這麼下賤（ignoble）的巨獸打交道就有些嫌惡。「要它幹嘛？」弗拉斯克一邊在艇首盤起些備用繩一邊說，「你難道沒聽過嗎——一艘船只要曾經右舷吊起一顆抹香鯨頭、同時左舷吊一顆露脊鯨頭；斯塔布，你難道沒聽過，那船此後就永遠不會傾覆（capsize）？」

“I don’t know, but I heard that gamboge ghost of a Fedallah saying so... Did you ever notice how that tusk of his is a sort of carved into a snake’s head, Stubb?” “Sink him!... I take that Fedallah to be the devil in disguise. ...The reason why you don’t see his tail, is because he tucks it up out of sight; he carries it coiled away in his pocket, I guess.”

「為什麼？」「不知道，是聽那個藤黃色（gamboge）鬼魂似的費達拉說的，他似乎對船的符咒全懂。可我有時想他最後會把船咒得不得好。我不大喜歡那傢伙，斯塔布。你注意過嗎，他那獠牙怎麼像是刻成了一個蛇頭，斯塔布？」「沉了他！我根本從不看他；可哪天我若逮著個黑夜、他正站在舷牆邊、旁邊沒人——你瞧下面那兒，弗拉斯克（用雙手做個古怪的動作指向海）——我會的！弗拉斯克，我看那費達拉就是喬裝的魔鬼。你信他『偷偷藏在船上』那套無稽鬼話？我說，他就是魔鬼。你看不見他尾巴，是因為他把它捲起、藏到看不見的地方——我猜他把它盤起塞在口袋裡呢。」

“He sleeps in his boots, don’t he? He hasn’t got any hammock; but I’ve seen him lay of nights in a coil of rigging.” “No doubt, and it’s because of his cursed tail; he coils it down, do ye see, in the eye of the rigging.”

「他穿著靴子睡，是吧？他沒有吊床；可我見過他夜裡躺在一捲索具裡。」「沒錯，那就是因為他那條該死的尾巴；你瞧，他把尾巴盤進那索眼裡了。」

“What’s the old man have so much to do with him for?” “Striking up a swap or a bargain, I suppose.” ...“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.” “Pooh! Stubb, you are skylarking; how can Fedallah do that?”

「老頭幹嘛跟他那麼多來往？」「我猜，在談一筆對換或交易（swap or a bargain）。」「交易？——換什麼？」「你瞧，老頭死命要追那白鯨，那邊那魔鬼正想哄住他、騙他拿銀錶、或靈魂、或那一類東西去換，然後魔鬼就會把莫比·迪克交出來。」「呸！斯塔布，你瞎扯（skylarking）；費達拉怎麼辦得到那種事？」

“I don’t know, Flask, but the devil is a curious chap, and a wicked one, I tell ye. ...The devil, switching his hoofs, up and says, ‘I want John.’ ...‘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.”

「我不知道，弗拉斯克，可那魔鬼是個古怪傢伙、還是個邪惡的，我告訴你。哎，他們說他有一次大搖大擺晃進那老旗艦、悠閒得活像個紳士地甩著尾巴，問老總督在不在家。嗯，總督在家，問魔鬼要幹嘛。魔鬼甩著蹄子（hoofs）站起來說：『我要約翰。』『要他幹嘛？』老總督問。『關你什麼事，』魔鬼火了，『我要用他。』『拿去吧，』總督說——我敢對天發誓，弗拉斯克，那魔鬼臨打發約翰之前若沒給他染上亞洲霍亂（cholera），我就一口把這頭鯨吞了。但動作快點——你那邊都好了沒？好了就往前划，把鯨弄到船邊。」

“...do you suppose that that devil you was speaking of just now, was the same you say is now on board the Pequod?” “Am I the same man that helped kill this whale? Doesn’t the devil live for ever; who ever heard that the devil was dead? ...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?”

「……你以為你剛說的那魔鬼，跟你說此刻在裴廓德號上的那個，是同一個嗎？」「我還是那個幫忙殺了這頭鯨的人嗎（＝當然是同一個）？魔鬼難道不是永遠活著嗎；誰聽說過魔鬼死了？你可曾見過哪個牧師為魔鬼戴孝？而如果魔鬼有一把進海軍上將艙的鑰匙（latch-key），你不覺得他也爬得進一個舷窗嗎？你倒說說看，弗拉斯克先生？」

“How old do you suppose Fedallah is, Stubb?” “Do you see that mainmast there?”...“well, that’s the figure one; now take all the hoops in the Pequod’s hold, and string along in a row with that mast, for oughts... well, that wouldn’t begin to be Fedallah’s age.”

「你猜費達拉幾歲了，斯塔布？」「你看見那邊那根主桅了嗎？」他指著船，「好，那是數字『1』；現在把裴廓德號艙裡所有的箍圈拿來，跟那桅杆排成一排當『0（oughts）』，你瞧；嗯，那還連費達拉年歲的邊都沾不上。天下所有的箍匠也湊不出夠多的箍圈，去做夠多的『0』。」

“...if he is going to live for ever, what good will it do to pitch him overboard?...” “Give him a good ducking, anyhow.” ...“Who’s afraid of him, except the old governor who daresn’t catch him and put him in double-darbies... but lets him go about kidnapping people; aye, and signed a bond with him, that all the people the devil kidnapped, he’d roast for him? There’s a governor!”

「可你瞧，斯塔布，你剛還有點吹噓說，逮著好機會就要把費達拉拋下海。可他若像你那些箍圈加起來那麼老、又要永遠活著，把他扔下海有什麼用？」「至少給他好好灌個水（ducking）。」「可他會爬回來。」「再灌他；一直灌他。」「萬一他起了念頭反把你灌、把你淹死呢？」「我倒想看他試試；我會給他一對黑眼圈，叫他好長一陣子不敢在上將艙露臉、更別說回他住的那最底艙（orlop）。該死的魔鬼，弗拉斯克；你以為我怕魔鬼？除了那個不敢抓他、不敢給他上雙重鐐銬（double-darbies）——他本該如此——反倒任他四處綁架人、還跟他簽了約：凡魔鬼綁的人、他都替魔鬼烤了——除了那老總督，誰怕他？那才叫總督呢！」

“Do you suppose Fedallah wants to kidnap Captain Ahab?” ...“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... 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...” “And what will you do with the tail, Stubb?” “Do with it? Sell it for an ox whip when we get home;—what else?”

「你以為費達拉想綁架亞哈船長？」「我以為？你不久就會知道，弗拉斯克。我這就去緊盯他；一見有什麼很可疑的勾當，我就揪住他的後頸（nape），說——聽著，別西卜（Beelzebub），你別來這套；他要敢鬧，我對天發誓，我就一把抓進他口袋裡掏他尾巴、拖到絞盤上、給他一陣猛擰猛絞，把他的尾巴從根部齊齊擰斷——你瞧著；那時我估摸，等他發現自己被這樣怪模怪樣地『去了尾』，準會灰溜溜溜走，連『夾著尾巴』那點可憐的安慰都享受不到。」「那尾巴你打算拿來幹嘛，斯塔布？」「拿來幹嘛？回家賣了當趕牛鞭啊——還能幹嘛？」

“Now, do you mean what you say, and have been saying all along, Stubb?” “Mean or not mean, here we are at the ship.” 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.

「斯塔布，你說的這些、一路說來的這些，是當真的嗎？」「當真不當真，反正我們已經到船邊了。」這時兩艇被招呼，把鯨拖到左舷去——那兒繫尾鏈與其他必需的東西都已備好。

“Didn’t I tell you so?” said Flask... 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... So, when on one side you hoist in Locke’s head, you go over that way; but now, on the other side, hoist in Kant’s and you come back again; but in very poor plight. Thus, some minds for ever keep trimming boat. Oh, ye foolish! throw all these thunder-heads overboard, and then you will float light and right.

「我沒說錯吧？」弗拉斯克說，「對，你很快會看見這露脊鯨頭吊在那抹香鯨頭的對面。」不久，弗拉斯克的話應驗了。先前船曾因抹香鯨頭而陡然傾向一側，如今靠兩顆頭的「平衡配重（counterpoise）」，她恢復了平正的吃水（even keel）——雖然你大可相信，是繃得很辛苦的。所以說，當你一邊吊上「洛克（Locke）的頭」，你就往那邊傾；可如今另一邊吊上「康德（Kant）的頭」，你又扳了回來——卻是一副狼狽相。就這樣，有些頭腦永遠在「調平船身（trimming boat）」。哦，你們這些傻瓜！把這些雷雲似的腦袋全扔下海，你們才能又輕、又端正地浮著。

In disposing of the body of a right whale... only, in the latter instance, the head is cut off whole, but in the former the lips and tongue are separately removed... The carcases of both whales had dropped astern; and the head-laden ship not a little resembled a mule carrying a pair of overburdening panniers.

處理露脊鯨身時，通常的初步程序與抹香鯨大致相同；只是後者（抹香鯨）整顆頭被砍下，而前者（露脊鯨）則單獨割下唇與舌、連同那「冠片（crown-piece）」上著名的黑鯨鬚一起吊上甲板。但這回，這些都還沒做。兩頭鯨的屍身都已垂到船尾；這滿載著頭的船，頗有幾分像一頭馱著一對沉重過頭的馱籃（panniers）的騾子。

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. And Ahab chanced so to stand, that the Parsee occupied his shadow; while, if the Parsee’s shadow was there at all it seemed only to blend with, and lengthen Ahab’s. As the crew toiled on, Laplandish speculations were bandied among them...

與此同時，費達拉冷靜地打量著露脊鯨的頭，不時把目光從那兒深深的皺紋、移到自己手掌的紋路上。而亞哈恰巧站在那樣一個位置，使這帕西人（Parsee）佔據了他的影子；同時，那帕西人的影子（若它真在那兒的話），也彷彿只是融進、並拉長了亞哈的影子。水手們繼續勞作時，種種「拉普蘭式（Laplandish）」的玄想，在他們之間流傳。