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Now, mustering the spare poles from below, and selecting one of hickory, with the bark still investing it, Ahab fitted the end to the socket of the iron. A coil of new tow-line was then unwound, and some fathoms of it taken to the windlass, and stretched to a great tension. Pressing his foot upon it, till the rope hummed like a harp-string, then eagerly bending over it, and seeing no strandings, Ahab exclaimed, "Good! and now for the seizings."
于是，亚哈打甲板上捡起几根备用的杆子，挑了一根上面还有枝桠的胡桃木，把它插进标枪的承口。接着，抖开一捆新缆索，撒了十几英尺，结在绞车上，拉扯得紧绷绷的。亚哈一只脚踏在索上，把绳索弄得直象一支竖琴弦在嗡嗡发响后，急忙俯身下去，看到索股没有散开，高声大叫起来，"好极啦！哼，现在可以去抓它啦。"
At one extremity the rope was unstranded, and the separate spread yarns were all braided and woven round the socket of the harpoon; the pole was then driven hard up into the socket; from the lower end the rope was traced halfway along the pole's length, and firmly secured so, with inter-twistings of twine. This done, pole, iron, and rope — like the Three Fates — remained inseparable, and Ahab moodily stalked away with the weapon; the sound of his ivory leg, and the sound of the hickory pole, both hollowly ringing along every plank. But ere he entered his cabin, a light, unnatural, half-bantering, yet most piteous sound was heard. Oh! Pip, thy wretched laugh, thy idle but unresting eye; all thy strange mummeries not unmeaningly blended with the black tragedy of the melancholy ship, and mocked it!
绳尾的索股散开来了，那些散开来的绳股又被辫扎起来，然后，把标枪的承口绕来绕去扎住了；于是，杆子就跟承口接得牢牢靠靠；再把下面的绳头缠到杆子半中间，以交叉的缠法顺着杆子直绕上去，紧紧地缚住。这样都弄舒齐后，杆子，标枪头和绳索，就象是命运三女神一般难分难舍了。于是，亚哈心事重重地拿着这支标枪蹑手蹑足走开了；他那条牙腿和那根胡桃木杆的声响，沿着船板空洞洞地响着。但是，他还没有走进他的舱室，却听到一阵轻轻的、不自然的、半开玩笑的，然而却是最可怜的声音。啊！比普，你那令人讨厌的笑声，你那空幻而眨个不停的眼色，你所有的奇特的哑剧，跟这艘忧郁的船的凶恶的悲剧混在一起，可不是毫无意义的呀！你嘲弄它吧！
