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As an overladen Indiaman bearing down the Hindostan coast with a deck load of frightened horses, careens, buries, rolls, and wallows on her way; so did this old whale heave his aged bulk, and now and then partly turning over on his cumbrous rib-ends, expose the cause of his devious wake in the unnatural stump of his starboard fin. Whether he had lost that fin in battle, or had been born without it, it were hard to say.
如同一只超载的东印度公司贸易船，甲板上装着许多惊惶失措的种马，正在印度斯坦的海面上倾倾斜斜，急急匆匆，翻腾滚动地冲去一样；这条老鲸就是这般情况，曳着它那年迈的体躯，不时地半翻着它那笨重的两侧，叫人看出它那失常的游法，是因为它的右鳍只剩有一段失常的残桩的缘故。究竟那条鳍是它在战斗中失掉了，还是天生就没有的，这却很难说了。
Only wait a bit, old chap, and I'll give ye a sling for that wounded arm, cried cruel Flask, pointing to the whale-line near him.
且等一等，老朋友，让我给你一根吊索，把那只残臂吊住吧，残酷的弗拉斯克指着他身旁一根捕鲸索，叫道。
Mind he don't sling thee with it, cried Starbuck. "Give way, or the German will have him."
当心别让它用吊索把你吊住了，斯达巴克嚷道，"快划呀，要不然，就会给那个德国人捉去啦。"
With one intent all the combined rival boats were pointed for this one fish, because not only was he the largest, and therefore the most valuable whale, but he was nearest to them, and the other whales were going with such great velocity, moreover, as almost to defy pursuit for the time. At this juncture, the Pequod's keels had shot by the three German boats last lowered; but from the great start he had had, Derick's boat still led the chase, though every moment neared by his foreign rivals. The only thing they feared, was, that from being already so nigh to his mark, he would be enabled to dart his iron before they could completely overtake and pass him.
所有这几只争逐的小艇，都一心一意地要追住这条鲸，因为它不但是最大，因而是最贵重的鲸，也是最靠近他们的，而其它那些鲸却那么用劲地游去，简直不是一下子就追击得到。这时，"裴廓德号"的三只小艇已经超在后来放下的三只德国人小艇前边了；可是，由于德立克的小艇本来就已占先一着，他还是抢在前头，虽然他的异国的争逐者随时都有靠近他的可能。不过，因为德立克已经这样靠近了那条鲸，"裴廓德号"的水手们最担心的就是，恐怕他们还来不及完全赶过了他，他也许会把标枪掷了出去。
