评论
打印
The edges of these bones are fringed with hairy fibres, through which the Right Whale strains the water,
这些须骨的四边都结有许多毛茸茸的筋筋，它就通过这些筋筋来滤水，
and in whose intricacies he retains the small fish, when openmouthed he goes through the seas of brit in feeding time.
当露脊鲸张开了口，向小鱼群游去捕捉食物的时候，把那些小鱼给留住在这些机关里。
In the central blinds of bone, as they stand in their natural order, there are certain curious marks, curves, hollows, and ridges,
在这些细长窗帘的须骨中间，按照它们那天生的情况，有一些奇怪的记号，有弧形的，有凹空的，有山脊形的，
whereby some whalemen calculate the creature's age, as the age of an oak by its circular rings.
捕鲸人就靠这些东西来计算它的年龄，一如判断橡树的年龄，是靠它外边一圈圈的树轮一样。
Though the certainty of this criterion is far from demonstrable, yet it has the savor of analogical probability.
虽然这种标准的准确性很不可靠，然而，也有几分相近的可能性。
At any rate, if we yield to it, we must grant a far greater age to the Right Whale than at first glance will seem reasonable.
总之，如果我们相信这个算法的话，那我们就得比初眼一看时，给露脊鲸再加很多的岁数，才似乎比较合理。
In old times, there seem to have prevailed the most curious fancies concerning these blinds.
在古代，对于这些细长窗帘，似乎曾流行过一些最为奇特的想法。
One voyager in Purchas calls them the wondrous "whiskers" inside of the whale's mouth; another, "hogs' bristles";
在柏查斯（塞缪尔·柏查斯（1575—1626）——英国作家、牧师，著有《柏查斯游记》五卷。）的著作中，有一个旅客管它们叫做鲸嘴里的"胡须"；又有人管它叫"猪鬃"；
a third old gentleman in Hackluyt uses the following elegant language:
此外，还有一个在哈克鲁特的著作中的老先生，以下列这些文雅的话来说明：
"There are about two hundred and fifty fins growing on each side of his upper chop, which arch over his tongue on each side of his mouth."
"在它上颚两边，各长有约二百五十根鳍状物，各从一边拱罩着它的舌头。"
This reminds us that the Right Whale really has a sort of whisker, or rather a moustache,
这使我们想到，露脊鲸确实有胡须，或者是类似于短髭这样的东西，
consisting of a few scattered white hairs on the upper part of the outer end of the lower jaw.
那就是在它下颚外端的顶上部地方，有稀稀落落的几根白毛。
Sometimes these tufts impart a rather brigandish expression to his otherwise solemn countenance.
这些胡子，往往给它本来很是威严的外貌，增添了一种土匪气。）
