滑膛槍

During the most violent shocks of the Typhoon, the man at the Pequod’s jaw-bone tiller had several times been reelingly hurled to the deck by its spasmodic motions, even though preventer tackles had been attached to it—for they were slack—because some play to the tiller was indispensable.

颱風最猛烈的幾陣震盪裡，裴廓德號那把鯨顎骨舵柄的操舵人，好幾次被它痙攣般的擺動踉蹌地甩倒在甲板上——儘管已經繫上了防護滑車組，可那些索具是鬆的——因為舵柄總得留些活動的餘地。

In a severe gale like this, while the ship is but a tossed shuttlecock to the blast, it is by no means uncommon to see the needles in the compasses, at intervals, go round and round. It was thus with the Pequod’s; at almost every shock the helmsman had not failed to notice the whirling velocity with which they revolved upon the cards; it is a sight that hardly anyone can behold without some sort of unwonted emotion.

在這樣的狂風裡，船不過是任陣風拋擲的一枚羽毛球，羅盤的指針時不時地一圈圈打轉，是再尋常不過的事。裴廓德號的羅盤正是如此；幾乎每一陣震盪，操舵人都看見指針在刻度盤上飛快地旋轉；那是一幅幾乎沒人能看著而不生出某種異樣情緒的景象。

Some hours after midnight, the Typhoon abated so much, that through the strenuous exertions of Starbuck and Stubb—one engaged forward and the other aft—the shivered remnants of the jib and fore and main-top-sails were cut adrift from the spars, and went eddying away to leeward, like the feathers of an albatross, which sometimes are cast to the winds when that storm-tossed bird is on the wing.

午夜後幾個鐘頭，颱風減弱了許多，經斯塔巴克與斯塔布的奮力搶救——一個在前、一個在後——那些被撕碎的船首三角帆與前桅、主桅中帆的殘片，被從桁桿上割了下來，像信天翁的羽毛般打著旋飄向下風處——那種被風暴拋擲的鳥兒振翅時，羽毛有時就這樣被拋撒到風裡。

The three corresponding new sails were now bent and reefed, and a storm-trysail was set further aft; so that the ship soon went through the water with some precision again; and the course—for the present, East-south-east—which he was to steer, if practicable, was once more given to the helmsman. For during the violence of the gale, he had only steered according to its vicissitudes. But as he was now bringing the ship as near her course as possible, watching the compass meanwhile, lo! a good sign! the wind seemed coming round astern; aye, the foul breeze became fair!

三面相應的新帆此刻已掛上、收好，更靠後處又張起一面防風斜桁帆；於是船很快又能較準確地破浪前行；而眼下要操舵人盡量去走的航向——暫定東南偏東——也再度交付給了他。因為在狂風肆虐時，他只能順著風勢的反覆變化掌舵。可正當他一面盯著羅盤、一面盡量把船帶回航線時，瞧！好兆頭！風似乎繞到船尾來了；沒錯，逆風變成了順風！

Instantly the yards were squared, to the lively song of “Ho! the fair wind! oh-ye-ho, cheerly men!” the crew singing for joy, that so promising an event should so soon have falsified the evil portents preceding it.

桁桿立刻被擺正，伴著一支輕快的歌謠：「嗬！順風來啦！喔——咿——嗬，打起精神來，弟兄們！」水手們歡欣鼓舞地唱著，慶幸這樣一個吉利的轉折，這麼快就推翻了先前那些不祥的凶兆。

In compliance with the standing order of his commander—to report immediately, and at any one of the twenty-four hours, any decided change in the affairs of the deck,—Starbuck had no sooner trimmed the yards to the breeze—however reluctantly and gloomily,—than he mechanically went below to apprise Captain Ahab of the circumstance.

遵照船長那道長期有效的命令——一天二十四小時裡，甲板上一有明確變化就須立即稟報——斯塔巴克才剛把桁桿迎著風調好（儘管極不情願、滿心陰鬱），便機械地下到艙裡，去把這情況告知亞哈船長。

Ere knocking at his state-room, he involuntarily paused before it a moment. The cabin lamp—taking long swings this way and that—was burning fitfully, and casting fitful shadows upon the old man’s bolted door,—a thin one, with fixed blinds inserted, in place of upper panels. The isolated subterraneousness of the cabin made a certain humming silence to reign there, though it was hooped round by all the roar of the elements. The loaded muskets in the rack were shiningly revealed, as they stood upright against the forward bulkhead. Starbuck was an honest, upright man; but out of Starbuck’s heart, at that instant when he saw the muskets, there strangely evolved an evil thought; but so blent with its neutral or good accompaniments that for the instant he hardly knew it for itself.

在敲那間艙房的門之前，他不由自主地在門前停了片刻。艙裡的油燈——大幅地來回擺盪——忽明忽暗地燃著，把搖曳的影子投在老人那扇閂上的門上——那是扇薄門，上半截的鑲板換成了固定的百葉。艙室那種與世隔絕、深藏地底般的位置，讓此處籠著一片嗡嗡作響的寂靜，儘管它四周被風暴萬物的咆哮箍得緊緊的。壁架上那幾支上了膛的滑膛槍亮閃閃地顯露出來，直挺挺地靠著前艙壁立著。斯塔巴克是個誠實、正直的人；可就在他瞥見那些槍的剎那，他心底竟詭異地生出一個惡念；只是它與周遭那些中性的、善意的念頭攪和在一起，一時間他幾乎認不出它本來的面目。

“He would have shot me once,” he murmured, “yes, there’s the very musket that he pointed at me;—that one with the studded stock; let me touch it—lift it. Strange, that I, who have handled so many deadly lances, strange, that I should shake so now. Loaded? I must see. Aye, aye; and powder in the pan;—that’s not good. Best spill it?—wait. I’ll cure myself of this. I’ll hold the musket boldly while I think.—I come to report a fair wind to him. But how fair? Fair for death and doom,—that’s fair for Moby Dick. It’s a fair wind that’s only fair for that accursed fish.—The very tube he pointed at me!—the very one; this one—I hold it here; he would have killed me with the very thing I handle now.—Aye and he would fain kill all his crew. Does he not say he will not strike his spars to any gale? Has he not dashed his heavenly quadrant? and in these same perilous seas, gropes he not his way by mere dead reckoning of the error-abounding log? and in this very Typhoon, did he not swear that he would have no lightning-rods? But shall this crazed old man be tamely suffered to drag a whole ship’s company down to doom with him?—Yes, it would make him the wilful murderer of thirty men and more, if this ship come to any deadly harm; and come to deadly harm, my soul swears this ship will, if Ahab have his way. If, then, he were this instant—put aside, that crime would not be his.”

「他當年差點就把我斃了，」他喃喃道，「沒錯，那就是他指著我的那一支槍；——就是那支槍托釘著飾釘的；讓我碰碰它——把它舉起來。怪了，我這個操弄過那麼多致命標槍的人，怪了，此刻竟抖成這樣。上了膛嗎？我得看看。是啊，是啊；藥池裡還有火藥；——這可不妙。最好把它倒掉？——等等。我要治好自己這毛病。我要一邊想，一邊大著膽子把這槍握住。——我是來向他稟報順風的。可哪門子的順風？順了死亡與毀滅的風，——那是順了莫比敵的風。這是一陣只順那條該死的魚的『順』風。——正是他指著我的那根管子！——正是那支；就這支——我這就握在手裡；他差點就用我此刻握著的這同一件東西殺了我。——是啊，他還巴不得把全船的人都殺了。他不是說過任憑什麼風他都不肯收帆嗎？他不是把那台天賜的象限儀都砸了嗎？在這同樣險惡的海上，他不是只靠那部錯誤百出的計程儀、用純粹的死推算摸索著航行嗎？就在這場颱風裡，他不是發誓連避雷針都不要嗎？難道就該任由這瘋癲的老頭，乖乖把全船的人都拖著陪他一起完蛋？——是的，萬一這船遭了什麼致命的禍，那就等於讓他成了三十多條人命的蓄意凶手；而只要亞哈一意孤行，我的靈魂發誓，這船必遭致命之禍。那麼，倘若此刻就把他——挪開，這罪過便不算在他頭上了。」

“Ha! is he muttering in his sleep? Yes, just there,—in there, he’s sleeping. Sleeping? aye, but still alive, and soon awake again. I can’t withstand thee, then, old man. Not reasoning; not remonstrance; not entreaty wilt thou hearken to; all this thou scornest. Flat obedience to thy own flat commands, this is all thou breathest. Aye, and say’st the men have vow’d thy vow; say’st all of us are Ahabs. Great God forbid!—But is there no other way? no lawful way?—Make him a prisoner to be taken home? What! hope to wrest this old man’s living power from his own living hands? Only a fool would try it. Say he were pinioned even; knotted all over with ropes and hawsers; chained down to ring-bolts on this cabin floor; he would be more hideous than a caged tiger, then. I could not endure the sight; could not possibly fly his howlings; all comfort, sleep itself, inestimable reason would leave me on the long intolerable voyage. What, then, remains? The land is hundreds of leagues away, and locked Japan the nearest. I stand alone here upon an open sea, with two oceans and a whole continent between me and law.—Aye, aye, ’tis so.—Is heaven a murderer when its lightning strikes a would-be murderer in his bed, tindering sheets and skin together?—And would I be a murderer, then, if”—and slowly, stealthily, and half sideways looking, he placed the loaded musket’s end against the door.

「哈！他在睡夢裡咕噥嗎？是啊，就在那兒，——就在那裡頭，他睡著了。睡著？是啊，可還活著，而且很快又會醒。那麼，老頭，我抵擋不住你。講道理、規勸、哀求，你一概不聽；這些你全都嗤之以鼻。對你自己那一道道死命令死板地服從，這才是你呼吸的全部。是啊，你還說弟兄們都立了你的誓；說我們所有人都是亞哈。偉大的上帝啊，但願不是如此！——可難道就沒有別的法子？沒有合法的法子？——把他囚起來、押回家去？什麼！指望從這老人活生生的手裡奪走他活生生的權力？只有傻子才會去試。就算把他綁了；用繩索與粗纜五花大綁；用鐵鏈鎖在這艙板的環栓上；他到時也會比一頭關在籠裡的老虎還要可怖。那景象我受不了；他的嚎叫我也躲不開；在那漫長難捱的航程裡，一切安寧、連睡眠本身、連那無價的理智，都會棄我而去。那麼，還剩下什麼法子？陸地遠在數百里格之外，最近的也是那閉關鎖國的日本。我獨自站在這茫茫大海上，我與律法之間，隔著兩座大洋、一整片大陸。——是啊，是啊，正是如此。——當上天的閃電擊中一個躺在床上、心懷殺機的人，把被單與皮肉一同點燃成火絨時，難道上天就是凶手嗎？——那麼，倘若我，難道我就會是凶手嗎，倘若——」他緩緩地、悄悄地、半側著眼，把那支上了膛的滑膛槍的槍口抵上了門。

“On this level, Ahab’s hammock swings within; his head this way. A touch, and Starbuck may survive to hug his wife and child again.—Oh Mary! Mary!—boy! boy! boy!—But if I wake thee not to death, old man, who can tell to what unsounded deeps Starbuck’s body this day week may sink, with all the crew! Great God, where art Thou? Shall I? shall I?—The wind has gone down and shifted, sir; the fore and main topsails are reefed and set; she heads her course.”

「就在這個高度，亞哈的吊床在裡頭晃著；他的頭朝這邊。輕輕一扣扳機，斯塔巴克或許就能活著回去，再摟一摟妻子和孩子。——哦，瑪麗！瑪麗！——兒子！兒子！我的兒啊！——可老頭，我若不是把你喚向死亡而是放過你，誰說得準一週之後的今天，斯塔巴克這副身子，會連同全船的人，一起沉進哪一處深不可測的海底！偉大的上帝啊，你在哪裡？我該下手嗎？我該嗎？——風已經止息、轉向了，先生；前桅與主桅中帆都已收好張起；船正朝著航向前進。」

“Stern all! Oh Moby Dick, I clutch thy heart at last!”

「全速倒退！哦，莫比敵，我終於攫住你的心臟了！」

Such were the sounds that now came hurtling from out the old man’s tormented sleep, as if Starbuck’s voice had caused the long dumb dream to speak. The yet levelled musket shook like a drunkard’s arm against the panel; Starbuck seemed wrestling with an angel; but turning from the door, he placed the death-tube in its rack, and left the place.

這便是此刻從老人飽受折磨的睡夢裡猛然衝出的聲音，彷彿是斯塔巴克的話語，逼得那場久久喑啞的夢開了口。那支仍平舉著的滑膛槍抵在門板上，抖得像醉漢的手臂；斯塔巴克像在與一位天使搏鬥；可他終究別過身去，把那根死亡之管放回壁架，離開了那地方。

“He’s too sound asleep, Mr. Stubb; go thou down, and wake him, and tell him. I must see to the deck here. Thou know’st what to say.”

「他睡得太沉了，斯塔布先生；你下去，把他喚醒，告訴他。這兒的甲板我得照看著。該怎麼說，你心裡有數。」