There are certain queer times and occasions in this strange mixed affair we call life when a man takes this whole universe for a vast practical joke, though the wit thereof he but dimly discerns, and more than suspects that the joke is at nobody’s expense but his own. —
有某些奇怪的时刻和场合，在这个我们称之为生活的怪异混合物中，一个人会把整个宇宙当作一个巨大的实用笑话，尽管他对其中的智慧感知不清楚，他更多地怀疑这个笑话并不是在任何人的费用上开玩笑。 —

However, nothing dispirits, and nothing seems worth while disputing. —
然而，没有任何事物使人消沉，也没有任何事物值得争辩。 —

He bolts down all events, all creeds, and beliefs, and persuasions, all hard things visible and invisible, never mind how knobby; —
他吞下所有事件、所有信条、信仰和坚持，所有坚硬的东西，无论是可见还是不可见的，也不在乎多么难以消化； —

as an ostrich of potent digestion gobbles down bullets and gun flints. —
就像一只强壮消化能力的鸵鸟吞下子弹和燧石。 —

And as for small difficulties and worryings, prospects of sudden disaster, peril of life and limb; —
至于一些小困难和烦恼，突如其来的灾害前景，生命和肢体的危险； —

all these, and death itself, seem to him only sly, good-natured hits, and jolly punches in the side bestowed by the unseen and unaccountable old joker. —
所有这些，包括死亡本身，在他看来只是不可见的老顽童给予的疯狂、友好的打击，是传播的和给予的。 —

That odd sort of wayward mood I am speaking of, comes over a man only in some time of extreme tribulation; —
我所说的那种古怪的一时兴起，只会在极度痛苦的时候出现； —

it comes in the very midst of his earnestness, so that what just before might have seemed to him a thing most momentous, now seems but a part of the general joke. —
它在他的严肃中间发生，以致刚才看来对他而言最重要的事情，现在却只是整个笑话的一部分。 —

There is nothing like the perils of whaling to breed this free and easy sort of genial, desperado philosophy; —
捕鲸的危险临近会培养出这种自由、随意的豪迈、暴徒哲学； —

and with it I now regarded this whole voyage of the Pequod, and the great White Whale its object.
我现在将这整个小三桅船的航行，以及它的目标大白鲸，看作与此相关。

“Queequeg,” said I, when they had dragged me, the last man, to the deck, and I was still shaking myself in my jacket to fling off the water; —
“齐格，”我说，当他们把我拖上甲板，我还穿着夹克在甩掉水； —

“Queequeg, my fine friend, does this sort of thing often happen?” —
“齐格，我的好朋友，这种事经常发生吗？” —

Without much emotion, though soaked through just like me, he gave me to understand that such things did often happen.
毫不动感情，尽管像我一样湿透了，他让我明白这样的事情经常发生。

“Mr. Stubb,” said I, turning to that worthy, who, buttoned up in his oil-jacket, was now calmly smoking his pipe in the rain; —
“斯塔伯克先生，”我对那位值得尊敬的人说，他穿着油布外套，现在正在雨中冷静地抽烟； —

“Mr. Stubb, I think I have heard you say that of all whalemen you ever met, our chief mate, Mr. Starbuck, is by far the most careful and prudent. —
“斯塔伯克先生，我记得你说过，你遇到的所有捕鲸者中，我们的大副斯塔伯克先生无疑是最小心谨慎的。” —

I suppose then, that going plump on a flying whale with your sail set in a foggy squall is the height of a whaleman’s discretion?”
我认为，在有雾的狂风中，乘坐一只飞鲸，帆展得鼓鼓的，才是一个捕鲸者最谨慎的选择?”

“Certain. I’ve lowered for whales from a leaking ship in a gale off Cape Horn.”
“当然。我曾经在好望角的狂风暴雨中，从一个漏水的船上下海捕鲸。”

“Mr. Flask,” said I, turning to little King-Post, who was standing close by; —
“弗拉斯克先生,“我转身对站在旁边的小金桅说; —

“you are experienced in these things, and I am not. —
“你对这些事很有经验，而我不懂。 —

Will you tell me whether it is an unalterable law in this fishery, Mr. Flask, for an oarsman to break his own back pulling himself back-foremost into death’s jaws?”
你能告诉我，在这渔业中，是不是有一条不可改变的法则，就是桨手为了自己跳进死亡的大嘴里而拼命划桨要折断背脊？”

“Can’t you twist that smaller?” said Flask. “Yes, that’s the law. —
“能不能简洁点？”弗拉斯克说。”是的，那就是法则。 —

I should like to see a boat’s crew backing water up to a whale face foremost. —
我很想看到一支划船队面对鲸鱼头部划水。” —

Ha, ha! the whale would give them squint for squint, mind that!”
哈，哈！鲸鱼会以眼还眼的方式来回应他们，记住这一点！

Here then, from three impartial witnesses, I had a deliberate statement of the entire case. —
因此，我从三个公正的证人那里得到了整个案件的审慎陈述。 —

Considering, therefore, that squalls and capsizings in the water and consequent bivouacks on the deep, were matters of common occurrence in this kind of life; —
考虑到在水中遇到的阵风和倾覆，以及随之而来的在海上露宿是这种生活中常见的事情； —

considering that at the superlatively critical instant of going on to the whale I must resign my life into the hands of him who steered the boat– oftentimes a fellow who at that very moment is in his impetuousness upon the point of scuttling the craft with his own frantic stampings; —
考虑到当我正准备上鲸鱼时，在最关键的瞬间，我必须把自己的生命交给那位操船的人——往往是当时正处于疯狂踩踏着自己船只要么猛的家伙； —

considering that the particular disaster to our own particular boat was chiefly to be imputed to Starbuck’s driving on to his whale almost in the teeth of a squall, and considering that Starbuck, notwithstanding, was famous for his great heedfulness in the fishery; —
考虑到我们自己的船遭受的特别灾难主要归因于斯塔布克冒着狂风，几乎直冲过去和他的鲸鱼，并考虑到尽管如此，斯塔布克在捕鱼方面以其极高的谨慎而著称； —

considering that I belonged to this uncommonly prudent Starbuck’s boat; —
考虑到我属于这位非同寻常的谨慎斯塔布克的船； —

and finally considering in what a devil’s chase I was implicated, touching the White Whale: —
最后考虑到我被牵扯入的关于白鲸的魔鬼追逐： —

taking all things together, I say, I thought I might as well go below and make a rough draft of my will. —
总的来说，我想我不妨下去然后草拟一下我的遗嘱。 —

“Queequeg,” said I, “come along, you shall be my lawyer, executor, and legatee.”
“奎哥，”我说，“来吧，你将成为我的律师、遗嘱执行人和继承人。”

It may seem strange that of all men sailors should be tinkering at their last wills and testaments, but there are no people in the world more fond of that diversion. —
或许似乎奇怪，所有人中为何唯独水手们会在他们的遗嘱和遗产中操心，但世界上没有人比他们更喜欢这种消遣。 —

This was the fourth time in my nautical life that I had done the same thing. —
这已经是我在航海生涯中第四次做同样的事情。 —

After the ceremony was concluded upon the present occasion, I felt all the easier; —
在这次仪式结束后，我感觉轻松了许多； —

a stone was rolled away from my heart. Besides, all the days I should now live would be as good as the days that Lazarus lived after his resurrection; —
一块石头从我的心上滚过。此外，我现在过的每一天将如同拉撒路复活后所过的日子一样美好； —

a supplementary clean gain of so many months or weeks as the case may be. I survived myself; —
相当于我多活了数月或数周，具体情况可能有所不同。我活了下来； —

my death and burial were locked up in my chest. —
我的死亡和葬礼被锁在我的箱子里。 —

I looked round me tranquilly and contentedly, like a quiet ghost with a clean conscience sitting inside the bars of a snug family vault.
我平静而满足地环顾四周，就像是一个安静的鬼魂，怀着清白的良心坐在一个温馨家族坟墓的铁栅栏里。

Now then, thought I, unconsciously rolling up the sleeves of my frock, here goes for a cool, collected dive at death and destruction, and the devil fetch the hindmost.
我心想，不知不觉地卷起了外套的袖子，现在就去冷静果断地面对死亡和毁灭，让魔鬼来收取最后一位。