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You would have thought we were offering up ten thousand red oxen to the sea gods.
人们准会以为我们正在用一万只血淋淋的大公牛祭海神。
In the first place, the enormous cutting tackles, among other ponderous things comprising a cluster of blocks generally painted green,
首先要提到的就是那两架割油的复滑车，它除了有各种笨重的东西，还有一大串通常漆着绿色的滑轳，
and which no single man can possibly lift—this vast bunch of grapes was swayed up to the main-top and firmly lashed to the lower mast-head,
这不是单人独力能够把它吊起的——得把这一大串葡萄扯到主桅楼上，紧紧地缚在下桅顶，
the strongest point anywhere above a ship's deck.
也就是缚在船上最牢靠的地方。
The end of the hawser-like rope winding through these intricacies, was then conducted to the windlass,
那根似大缆的索端打这些错综复杂的东西弯弯曲曲地穿过后，就给拉上绞车，
and the huge lower block of the tackles was swung over the whale;
而把复滑车上最低下的一只大滑轳转到鲸身上，
to this block the great blubber hook, weighing some one hundred pounds, was attached.
达只滑轳挂有一只重约一百磅的、吊鲸脂用的大钩。
And now suspended in stages over the side, Starbuck and Stubb, the mates, armed with their long spades,
这时，大副斯达巴克和二副斯塔布，手里拿着长长的铲子，站在船边的小挂梯上，
began cutting a hole in the body for the insertion of the hook just above the nearest of the two side-fins.
便开始在鲸身上最靠近两鳍的上端割出一个洞孔，以便挂搭钩子。
This done, a broad, semicircular line is cut round the hole, the hook is inserted,
这样割开后，又在洞孔四周划了一条粗大的半圆形的纹路，就把钩子搭上去。
and the main body of the crew striking up a wild chorus, now commence heaving in one dense crowd at the windlass.
接着，那一大群水手突然粗野地唱起一阵大合唱，开始密挤在绞车边，绞起来了。
When instantly, the entire ship careens over on her side;
这时，整个船身立刻都侧向一边，
every bolt in her starts like the nailheads of an old house in frosty weather;
每一绞动，船身便猛地一颤，有如严冬时节一间有钉头状装饰的古老房屋。
she trembles, quivers, and nods her frighted mast-heads to the sky.
船身震颤一番，抖动一下，它那些受吓似的桅顶也朝天叩一下头。
More and more she leans over to the whale, while every gasping heave of the windlass is answered by a helping heave from the billows;
船身越来越倾向大鲸那一边，绞车每一急剧地绞转，浪涛也帮衬似的冲击一阵。
till at last, a swift, startling snap is heard;
最后，听到了一阵迅疾的，可怕的啪嗒声，哗啦啦的一声巨响，船身便前俯后仰地翻腾起来，跟鲸分开了，那只奏凯的复滑车往上一冒，便拖出第一块割下来的半圆形的鲸脂。
