A day or two passed, and there was great activity aboard the Pequod. —
一两天过去了，皮克德号上一片忙碌的景象。 —

Not only were the old sails being mended, but new sails were coming on board, and bolts of canvas, and coils of rigging; —
老帆布不仅在修补，还有新帆布和一捆捆的缆绳正在被搬上船； —

in short, everything betokened that the ship’s preparations were hurrying to a close. —
简而言之，一切迹象表明船只的准备工作正在赶紧进行。 —

Captain Peleg seldom or never went ashore, but sat in his wigwam keeping a sharp look-out upon the hands: —
皮尔格船长很少或从不上岸，而是坐在自己的帐篷里，严密监视着船上的人手； —

Bildad did all the purchasing and providing at the stores; —
比尔达德负责所有在商店的采购和准备工作； —

and the men employed in the hold and on the rigging were working till long after night-fall.
舱内和装配的工人们工作到深夜才散去。

On the day following Queequeg’s signing the articles, word was given at all the inns where the ship’s company were stopping, that their chests must be on board before night, for there was no telling how soon the vessel might be sailing. —
在昆埃格签署合同的第二天，船员们住宿的所有客栈都发布通知，要求他们的箱子必须在晚上之前搬上船，因为船可能很快就要启航了。 —

So Queequeg and I got down our traps, resolving, however, to sleep ashore till the last. —
因此昆埃格和我收拾好行李，但决定睡在岸上直到最后一刻。 —

But it seems they always give very long notice in these cases, and the ship did not sail for several days. —
但事实证明，在这类情况下，他们总是提前通知很长一段时间，船只还要过几天才能启航。 —

But no wonder; there was a good deal to be done, and there is no telling how many things to be thought of, before the Pequod was fully equipped.
但这也不足为奇；皮克德号在完全装备好之前还有很多事情要做。

Every one knows what a multitude of things–beds, sauce-pans, knives and forks, shovels and tongs, napkins, nut-crackers, and what not, are indispensable to the business of housekeeping. —
每个人都知道，家政工作中必不可少的东西–床、平底锅、刀叉、铲子和夹子、餐巾、坚果夹子等等。 —

Just so with whaling, which necessitates a three-years’ housekeeping upon the wide ocean, far from all grocers, costermongers, doctors, bakers, and bankers. —
捕鲸也一样，需要在茫茫大海上进行三年的家务管理，远离所有的杂货店、水果摊、医生、面包师和银行家。 —

And though this also holds true of merchant vessels, yet not by any means to the same extent as with whalemen. —
尽管这也适用于商船，但与捕鲸船相比却远远不及。 —

For besides the great length of the whaling voyage, the numerous articles peculiar to the prosecution of the fishery, and the impossibility of replacing them at the remote harbors usually frequented, it must be remembered, that of all ships, whaling vessels are the most exposed to accidents of all kinds, and especially to the destruction and loss of the very things upon which the success of the voyage most depends. —
因为除了漫长的捕鲸航行，还有许多特有于捕鲸业务的物品，并且无法在通常会停靠的偏远港口替换它们，必须记住，所有船只中，捕鲸船是最容易遭遇各种事故的，尤其是最重要的物品的毁坏和丢失。 —

Hence, the spare boats, spare spars, and spare lines and harpoons, and spare everythings, almost, but a spare Captain and duplicate ship.
因此，备用小船、备用桅杆、备用绳索和鱼叉，以及几乎所有东西的备件，除了备用船长和复制的船。

At the period of our arrival at the Island, the heaviest storage of the Pequod had been almost completed; —
在我们抵达这个岛屿时，Pequod号的最大存储量已经基本完成; —

comprising her beef, bread, water, fuel, and iron hoops and staves. —
包括她的牛肉、面包、水、燃料、以及铁箍和木条。 —

But, as before hinted, for some time there was a continual fetching and carrying on board of divers odds and ends of things, both large and small.
但是，正如前面所暗示的，有段时间一直有人在船上搬运各种大小不一的杂物。

Chief among those who did this fetching and carrying was Captain Bildad’s sister, a lean old lady of a most determined and indefatigable spirit, but withal very kindhearted, who seemed resolved that, if she could help it, nothing should be found wanting in the Pequod, after once fairly getting to sea. —
在这些来回搬运的人当中，最主要的是彼达的姐姐，一个瘦削、意志坚定且不知疲倦的老太太，但又非常善良。她似乎下定决心，一旦Pequod号安全到达海上，就决不会缺少任何东西。 —

At one time she would come on board with a jar of pickles for the steward’s pantry; —
有时候她会带着一个罐头坛上船放在管事的储藏室里; —

another time with a bunch of quills for the chief mate’s desk, where he kept his log; —
另一次带着一捆羽毛笔给大副的书桌，大副在那里记录日志; —

a third time with a roll of flannel for the small of some one’s rheumatic back. —
又一次带着一卷法兰绒给某个人的背部作风湿治疗。 —

Never did any woman better deserve her name, which was Charity–Aunt Charity, as everybody called her. —
没人比她更配得上她的名字，她的名字叫慈善——慈善阿姨，大家都叫她这个名字。 —

And like a sister of charity did this charitable Aunt Charity bustle about hither and thither, ready to turn her hand and heart to anything that promised to yield safety, comfort, and consolation to all on board a ship in which her beloved brother Bildad was concerned, and in which she herself owned a score or two of well-saved dollars.
就像一位慈善的护士一样，这位慈善阿姨在船上来来去去，愿意在一切有望为船上所有人提供安全、舒适和慰藉的事情中奉献自己的双手和心灵，这艘船是她心爱的哥哥彼达关心的，她自己也投资了几十个省下来的美元。

But it was startling to see this excellent hearted Quakeress coming on board, as she did the last day, with a long oil-ladle in one hand, and a still longer whaling lance in the other. —
但看到这位优秀的心地善良的贵格教徒最后一天进船，专门拿着一个长长的舀油勺和一个更长的捕鲸长矛，还是令人吃惊的。 —

Nor was Bildad himself nor Captain Peleg at all backward. —
彼达本人和皮里格船长也毫不退缩。 —

As for Bildad, he carried about with him a long list of the articles needed, and at every fresh arrival, down went his mark opposite that article upon the paper. —
至于彼达，他一直随身携带着所需物品的长清单，每一次新货送达，他都在纸上对着相应物品做记号。 —

Every once in a while Peleg came hobbling out of his whalebone den, roaring at the men down the hatchways, roaring up to the riggers at the mast-head, and then concluded by roaring back into his wigwam.
皮里格不时从他的鲸骨巢穴里蹦出来，对着下面甲板上的人吼叫，对着桅杆上的索具工吼叫，然后吼叫着回进自己的帐篷。

During these days of preparation, Queequeg and I often visited the craft, and as often I asked about Captain Ahab, and how he was, and when he was going to come on board his ship. —
在这些准备的日子里，奎克格和我经常去船上参观，我经常询问艾哈伯船长的情况，他怎么了，何时才能上船。 —

To these questions they would answer, that he was getting better and better, and was expected aboard every day; —
对于这些问题他们会回答说，他越来越好，预计每天都会上船； —

meantime, the two Captains, Peleg and Bildad, could attend to everything necessary to fit the vessel for the voyage. —
与此同时，两位船长皮里格和彼尔达德可以处理好所有必要的事情，使船只为航行做好准备。 —

If I had been downright honest with myself, I would have seen very plainly in my heart that I did but half fancy being committed this way to so long a voyage, without once laying my eyes on the man who was to be the absolute dictator of it, so soon as the ship sailed out upon the open sea. —
如果我当时对自己坦诚，我会很清楚地意识到，我并不十分喜欢在没有见过即将在航行中成为绝对统治者的那个人的情况下，被迫参与如此漫长的航程。 —

But when a man suspects any wrong, it sometimes happens that if he be already involved in the matter, he insensibly strives to cover up his suspicions even from himself. —
但当一个人怀疑到任何不正当的事情时，有时候，如果他已经卷入其中，他会下意识地努力掩盖自己的怀疑，甚至隐藏在自己内心深处。 —

And much this way it was with me. I said nothing, and tried to think nothing.
对我来说情况就是这样。我什么也没说，尽量不去想。

At last it was given out that some time next day the ship would certainly sail. —
最后传出消息称明天船只肯定会启航。 —

So next morning, Queequeg and I took a very early start.
第二天早上，基韦格和我起了个大早。