投擲

To make them run easily and swiftly, the axles of carriages are anointed; and for much the same purpose, some whalers perform an analogous operation upon their boat; they grease the bottom. ...Queequeg believed strongly in anointing his boat... rubbing in the unctuousness as though diligently seeking to insure a crop of hair from the craft’s bald keel. He seemed to be working in obedience to some particular presentiment. Nor did it remain unwarranted by the event.

為使馬車跑得輕快迅捷，會給車軸上油（anointed）；出於大致相同的目的，有些捕鯨人也對他們的小艇做類似的（analogous）事——給艇底塗油。而既然這做法無害、又可能有不小的好處（這點無庸置疑）：考慮到油與水相斥、油又是滑溜的東西，而眼下的目標正是要讓艇漂亮地滑行。魁魁格深信給他的艇塗油這套；德國船處女號消失後不久的某天早晨，他在這活兒上花的工夫比平常還多——鑽到吊在舷外的艇底下、把那油脂（unctuousness）揉進去，彷彿勤勉地要確保這艇光禿的龍骨「長出一頭毛髮」。他似乎是在聽從某種特別的「預感（presentiment）」而工作。而後來的事件，也並未使這預感落空（unwarranted）。

Towards noon whales were raised; but so soon as the ship sailed down to them, they turned and fled with swift precipitancy; a disordered flight, as of Cleopatra’s barges from Actium. Nevertheless, the boats pursued, and Stubb’s was foremost. ...the stricken whale, without at all sounding, still continued his horizontal flight, with added fleetness. ...It became imperative to lance the flying whale, or be content to lose him. ...What then remained?

近正午時，發現了鯨；可船一駛近牠們，牠們便迅疾倉皇地（precipitancy）轉身逃竄——一場混亂的逃亡，像阿克提姆（Actium）海戰中克麗奧佩特拉的船隊潰逃。儘管如此，眾艇仍追擊，斯塔布的艇領先。費了大力，塔斯蒂哥終於紮上了一支鐵器；可那中標的鯨根本不下潛、仍以更快的速度繼續牠水平的奔逃。這樣對紮上的鐵器不斷地猛拉，遲早不可避免地會把它扯出來。當務之急（imperative）是給這奔逃的鯨補上長矛、否則就只能甘心失掉牠。但要把艇拉到牠的脅側已不可能——牠游得太快、太猛。那麼，還剩什麼辦法？

Of all the wondrous devices and dexterities, the sleights of hand and countless subtleties, to which the veteran whaleman is so often forced, none exceed that fine manœuvre with the lance called pitchpoling. ...It is only indispensable with an inveterate running whale; its grand fact and feature is the wonderful distance to which the long lance is accurately darted from a violently rocking, jerking boat, under extreme headway. ...the staff is much slighter than that of the harpoon, and also of a lighter material—pine. It is furnished with a small rope called a warp... by which it can be hauled back to the hand after darting.

在老練捕鯨人常被逼出的一切奇妙手法與靈巧身手（dexterities）、種種手上的戲法（sleights of hand）與數不清的精微之中，沒有一個能勝過那以長矛施展的精妙絕技（manœuvre）——叫「投擲（pitchpoling）」。小劍、闊劍的一切招式，都誇不出像它這樣的東西。它只在對付一頭「死命奔逃的鯨（an inveterate running whale）」時才不可或缺；它偉大的特色，就是把那長矛從一艘劇烈搖晃、顛簸、極速前衝的艇上，精準地擲出那麼遠的距離。連鋼帶木，整支矛約十到十二呎長；矛桿比標槍的細得多、也用更輕的材料——松木。它配著一根叫「warp」的細繩、相當長，擲出後可藉它把矛拉回手中。

But before going further, it is important to mention here, that though the harpoon may be pitchpoled in the same way with the lance, yet it is seldom done; and when done, is still less frequently successful, on account of the greater weight and inferior length of the harpoon... As a general thing, therefore, you must first get fast to a whale, before any pitchpoling comes into play.

但在繼續之前，這裡有必要一提：標槍雖也能像長矛一樣被「投擲」，卻很少這麼做；而即使做了，成功的也更少——因為標槍比長矛更重、更短，這在實際上成了嚴重的缺陷。所以一般而言，你必須先「紮上」一頭鯨，投擲才輪得到上場。

Look now at Stubb; a man who from his humorous, deliberate coolness and equanimity in the direst emergencies, was specially qualified to excel in pitchpoling. ...Then holding the lance full before his waistband’s middle, he levels it at the whale... thereby elevating the point till the weapon stands fairly balanced upon his palm, fifteen feet in the air. He minds you somewhat of a juggler, balancing a long staff on his chin. Next moment with a rapid, nameless impulse, in a superb lofty arch the bright steel spans the foaming distance, and quivers in the life spot of the whale. Instead of sparkling water, he now spouts red blood.

現在看斯塔布——這人憑著他在最危急關頭那幽默的、從容的冷靜與沉著（equanimity），特別適合在投擲上出類拔萃。看他：他直立在飛馳小艇顛簸的船首上；裹在絨毛般的（fleecy）泡沫裡，那拖曳的鯨在四十呎前。他輕巧地握著長矛、沿矛身瞄個兩三回看它是否筆直，吹著口哨把那盤「warp」繩攏在一隻手裡（好抓牢繩的自由端、讓其餘的不受阻礙）。然後，他把長矛端正地舉在腰帶正中之前、瞄準那鯨；用矛對準牠後，他穩穩地把手中的矛尾下壓（depresses the butt-end），從而抬高矛尖，直到那武器在他掌上、十五呎的高空中端端正正地平衡著。他叫你有點想起一個雜耍人（juggler），把一根長棍平衡在下巴上。下一刻，憑著一記迅疾、無可名狀的衝勁，那明亮的鋼以一道華麗高聳的弧線、跨過泡沫的距離，顫巍巍地扎進了鯨的命門（life spot）。此刻，牠噴出的不再是閃光的水、而是紅血。

“That drove the spigot out of him!” cried Stubb. “’Tis July’s immortal Fourth; all fountains must run wine today! ...Then, Tashtego, lad, I’d have ye hold a canakin to the jet, and we’d drink round it! ...we’d brew choice punch in the spread of his spout-hole there, and from that live punch-bowl quaff the living stuff.”

「這把牠的塞子（spigot）拔出來了！」斯塔布喊，「今天是七月不朽的四號（美國國慶）；今天所有的泉都該流酒！但願這會兒是陳年的奧爾良威士忌、陳年的俄亥俄、或妙不可言的陳年莫農加希拉（Monongahela）！那樣，塔斯蒂哥小子，我要你拿個小杯（canakin）對著那噴流、我們繞著它喝個痛快！是啊，真的，弟兄們，我們要在牠張開的噴孔處調一缽上好的潘趣酒（punch）、就從那活的潘趣酒缽，暢飲（quaff）那活生生的東西。」

Again and again to such gamesome talk, the dexterous dart is repeated, the spear returning to its master like a greyhound held in skilful leash. The agonized whale goes into his flurry; the tow-line is slackened, and the pitchpoler dropping astern, folds his hands, and mutely watches the monster die.

一遍又一遍地，伴著這樣玩鬧的（gamesome）話，那靈巧的矛被一擲再擲，矛像一隻被巧妙牽著繩（leash）的靈猩般，回到牠主人的手裡。受著劇痛的鯨進入牠的「迴光返照（flurry）」；拖繩鬆開了，投擲手退到船尾、交叉起雙手，默默地看著這巨獸死去。