Good again; but then all confess that somehow whaling is not respectable.
又有人说,捕鲸业不大体面。
WHALING NOT RESPECTABLE? Whaling is imperial! By old English statutory law, the whale is declared a royal fish.
这大概要看一下捕鲸者所捕的鲸在人们心目中的地位了:在古代的英国,鲸鱼是皇族崇尚的钦定鱼。
Oh, that's only nominal! The whale himself has never figured in any grand imposing way.
哦,这只是名义上的!我记得史实中有这样的记载:
THE WHALE NEVER FIGURED IN ANY GRAND IMPOSING WAY?
又有人说了,捕鲸吗,总归是不大威风吧!
In one of the mighty triumphs given to a Roman general upon his entering the world's capital, the bones of a whale, brought all the way from the Syrian coast,
在为一个罗马将军进行的欢迎仪式上,摆着一架特意从叙利亚运来的鲸骨,
were the most conspicuous object in the cymballed procession.
以示隆重。
See subsequent chapters for something more on this head.
鲸座是天上的一个星座,捕鲸者是何等的威风也便可想而知了。如果你对沙皇脱帽的话,那么我相信你也会对魁魁格脱帽的!
Grant it, since you cite it; but, say what you will, there is no real dignity in whaling.
噢,天知道,人们除了捕鲸还有什么可以称为威风的事呢?
NO DIGNITY IN WHALING?
总归是不大威风?