The season for the Line at length drew near; —
季节渐渐接近航线的长度； —

and every day when Ahab, coming from his cabin cast his eyes aloft, the vigilant helmsman would ostentatiously handle his spokes, and the eager mariners quickly run to the braces, and would stand there with all their eyes centrally fixed on the nailed doubloon; —
当每天阿哈布从船舱出来，抬头朝上看时，警惕的舵手会炫耀地操作方向盘，渴望的水手们会迅速跑到拉索处，凝视着钉在甲板上的金币； —

impatient for the order to point the ship’s prow for the equator. In good time the order came. —
迫不及待地等待着船首指向赤道的命令。命令及时而至。 —

It was hard upon high noon; and Ahab, seated in the bows of his high-hoisted boat, was about taking his wonted daily observation of the sun to determine his latitude.
差不多到正午时分；阿哈布坐在高高升起的小艇船头，正要进行他每天的日常日晒观测，以确定纬度。

Now, in that Japanese sea, the days in summer are as freshets of effulgences. —
在那个日本海，夏天的日子就像是光芒四射的急流。 —

That unblinkingly vivid Japanese sun seems the blazing focus of the glassy ocean’s immeasurable burning-glass. —
那个毫不眨眼的生动的日本太阳，似乎是平静的海洋里无穷的燃烧玻璃的炙热中心。 —

The sky looks lacquered; clouds there are none; the horizon floats; —
天空看起来涂漆般闪亮；云彩都消失了；地平线漂浮着； —

and this nakedness of unrelieved radiance is as the insufferable splendors of God’s throne. —
这种无遮无挡的光芒，就像上帝宝座上不可忍受的辉煌。 —

Well that Ahab’s quadrant was furnished with colored glasses, through which to take sight of that solar fire. —
幸好阿哈布的四分仪配备了彩色镜片，可以透过它来观测那太阳之火。 —

So, swinging his seated form to the roll of the ship, and with his astrological-looking instrument placed to his eye, he remained in that posture for some moments to catch the precise instant when the sun should gain its precise meridian. —
于是，他的身子随船的摇摆而摇摆，眼镜放在眼睛上，保持这个姿势，为了捕捉太阳达到精确子午线的时刻。 —

Meantime while his whole attention was absorbed, the Parsee was kneeling beneath him on the ship’s deck, and with face thrown up like Ahab’s, was eyeing the same sun with him; —
与此同时，当他全神贯注时，波斯人跪在他的脚下，脸庞仰向太阳，与他一同凝视着同一太阳； —

only the lids of his eyes half hooded their orbs, and his wild face was subdued to an earthly passionlessness. —
只是他眼睛的眼皮半遮住了眼珠，他狂野的脸被调和成一种无地上的冷静。 —

At length the desired observation was taken; —
最终进行了想要的观测； —

and with his pencil upon his ivory leg, Ahab soon calculated what his latitude must be at that precise instant. —
阿哈布很快在他的象牙腿上用铅笔计算出了那个精确时刻自己的纬度。 —

Then falling into a moment’s revery, he again looked up towards the sun and murmured to himself: —
然后他陷入片刻的沉思，再次朝太阳看去，低声自言自语： —

“Thou seamark! thou high and mighty Pilot! —
“你，作为航标! 你这位崇高而强大的领航员！ —

thou tellest me truly where I am–but canst thou cast the least hint where I shall be? —
你准确告诉我我所在的位置–但你能否稍稍透露一下我将会去哪里？ —

Or canst thou tell where some other thing besides me is this moment living? Where is Moby Dick? —
或者你能告诉我除了我以外此刻还有其他什么东西生存在哪里吗？白鲸在哪里？ —

This instant thou must be eyeing him. These eyes of mine look into the very eye that is even now beholding him; —
此时此刻你必定在盯着它。我的眼睛注视着正在注视它的那双眼睛； —

aye, and into the eye that is even now equally beholding the objects on the unknown, thither side of thee, thou sun!”
是的，也注视着此刻同样注视着你所不知道的那一侧的物体的眼睛，太阳啊！”

Then gazing at his quadrant, and handling, one after the other, its numerous cabalistical contrivances, he pondered again, and muttered: —
他又凝视着他的四分仪，一一操纵着它众多的绝密装置，再次沉思着，并喃喃道： —

“Foolish toy! babies’ plaything of haughty Admirals, and Commodores, and Captains; —
“愚蠢的玩具！高傲的海军上将、提督和船长的婴儿玩物； —

the world brags of thee, of thy cunning and might; —
世人夸耀你，夸耀你的机智和力量； —

but what after all canst thou do, but tell the poor, pitiful point, where thou thyself happenest to be on this wide planet, and the hand that holds thee: —
但你到底能做些什么呢，除了告诉可怜的一点，告诉你自己此时所在的这片广阔地球上的位置和握着你的手： —

no! not one jot more! Thou canst not tell where one drop of water or one grain of sand will be to-morrow noon; —
仅此而已！你不能预测，明日正午时分的一滴水或一粒沙子将会在哪里； —

and yet with thy impotence thou insultest the sun! Science! Curse thee, thou vain toy; —
然而带着你的无能，你竟然侮辱太阳！科学！该诅咒你，你这虚荣的玩具； —

and cursed be all the things that cast man’s eyes aloft to that heaven, whose live vividness but scorches him, as these old eyes are even now scorched with thy light, O sun! —
咒骂所有引诱人仰望那片天空的事物，那明亮夺目的天空只会让他蒙受灼热之苦，就如同我的这双老眼睛此刻正在被你的光所灼烧，太阳啊！ —

Level by nature to this earth’s horizon are the glances of man’s eyes; —
人的眼睛由本性决定，视线平视于这个地球的地平线之上； —

not shot from the crown of his head, as if God had meant him to gaze on his firmament. —
不是从他头顶射出，好像上帝本意是让他凝视天空。 —

Curse thee, thou quadrant!” dashing it to the deck, “no longer will I guide my earthly way by thee; —
该诅咒你，四分仪！” 把它砸在甲板上， “我再也不愿意用你来引领我的世俗之路； —

the level ship’s compass, and the level deadreckoning, by log and by line; —
水平的船舶罗盘，和水平的航海推算，通过日志和罗盘； —

these shall conduct me, and show me my place on the sea. —
这些将引导我，并显示我在海上的位置。 —

Aye,” lighting from the boat to the deck, “thus I trample on thee, thou paltry thing that feebly pointest on high; —
“啊，”从小船上跳到甲板上，“我这样践踏你，你这微不足道的东西，微弱地指向高处； —

thus I split and destroy thee!”
我将击碎你，毁灭你！”

As the frantic old man thus spoke and thus trampled with his live and dead feet, a sneering triumph that seemed meant for Ahab, and a fatalistic despair that seemed meant for himself– these passed over the mute, motionless Parsee’s face. —
当这位狂热的老人这样说着，这样用他的活脚和死脚践踏时，一种对亚哈似乎是嘲笑的胜利感和对自己似乎是宿命般绝望的气氛，都在那个哑口无声、不动声色的波斯人的脸上流露出来。 —

Unobserved he rose and glided away; while, awestruck by the aspect of their commander, the seamen clustered together on the forecastle, till Ahab, troubledly pacing the deck, shouted out–“To the braces! —
他不被注意地起身溜走；与此同时，船员们因为他们指挥官的表情而震惊地聚集在舰桅前，直到亚哈焦躁地在甲板上踱步，大声喊道–“拉索！ —

Up helm!–square in!”
舵杆上去！-方向微调！”

In an instant the yards swung round; and as the ship half-wheeled upon her heel, her three firm-seated graceful masts erectly poised upon her long, ribbed hull, seemed as the three Horatii pirouetting on one sufficient steed.
在一瞬间，船船庭一转；当船在机壳上半侧时，她那三座端庄坚固的华丽桅杆傲然矗立在长长的肋骨船身上，仿佛三位霍拉提在一匹足够的骏马上旋转。

Standing between the knight-heads, Starbuck watched the Pequod’s tumultuous way, and Ahab’s also, as he went lurching along the deck.
斯塔巴克站在骑士头部之间，目睹着佩克德号的喧嚣前行，也目睹着艾哈伯摇摆踱步于甲板上。

“I have sat before the dense coal fire and watched it all aglow, full of its tormented flaming life; —
“我曾坐在浓烈的煤火前，看着它熊熊燃烧的生命，充满了痛苦的激情； —

and I have seen it wane at last, down, down, to dumbest dust. Old man of oceans! —
我看着它最终消逝，直至默默的尘土。海洋的老人！ —

of all this fiery life of thine, what will at length remain but one little heap of ashes!”
你那火红的生命，最后能留下什么，除了一小堆灰烬之外！”

“Aye,” cried Stubb, “but sea-coal ashes–mind ye that, Mr. Starbuck– sea-coal, not your common charcoal. —
“是的，”斯塔布大叫道，”但海煤灰–记住这一点，史塔巴克先生–海煤，不是你们通常的木炭。 —

Well, well! I heard Ahab mutter, ‘Here some one thrusts these cards into these old hands of mine; —
好吧！我听到艾哈布嘀咕着，’这里有人将这些牌推到我的老手中； —

swears that I must play them, and no others.’ —
发誓说我必须打这些牌，并且别无选择。’ —

And damn me, Ahab, but thou actest right; —
该死，艾哈布，但你做对了； —

live in the game, and die in it!”
活在游戏中，死在其中！”