Hand in hand, ship and breeze blew on; but the breeze came faster than the ship, and soon the Pequod began to rock.
手牵手，船和微风并驾齐驱；但微风比船更快，很快白鲸号开始摇晃。

By and by, through the glass the stranger’s boats and manned mast-heads proved her a whale-ship. —
随着时间的推移，透过望远镜，陌生船上的小艇和操纵桅杆证实她是一艘捕鲸船。 —

But as she was so far to windward, and shooting by, apparently making a passage to some other ground, the Pequod could not hope to reach her. —
但因为她距风向航行，而且看起来正在前往其他地点，白鲸号无法希望赶上她。 —

So the signal was set to see what response would be made.
因此发出信号，以查看会有什么回应。

Here be it said, that like the vessels of military marines, the ships of the American Whale Fleet have each a private signal; —
这里应该说，就像军队海军的舰船一样，美国捕鲸船队的船只都有各自的私人信号； —

all which signals being collected in a book with the names of the respective vessels attached, every captain is provided with it. —
所有这些信号都被汇编在一本书中，附有各自船只的名称，每位船长都有这本书。 —

Thereby, the whale commanders are enabled to recognise each other upon the ocean, even at considerable distance, and with no small facility.
继而，捕鲸指挥官们可以在海洋上相互识别，即使在相当远的距离，也能很容易地识别。

The Pequod’s signal was at last responded to by the stranger’s setting her own; —
最后，白鲸号的信号得到了陌生船的回应； —

which proved the ship to be the Jeroboam of Nantucket. —
这证明那艘船是南塔基特的耶罗波安号。 —

Squaring her yards, she bore down, ranged abeam under the Pequod’s lee, and lowered a boat; —
摇动她的帆，她下降，横穿在白鲸号的风帆下方，在白鲸号的右舷下横穿，并放下了一艘小艇； —

it soon drew nigh; but, as the side-ladder was being rigged by Starbuck’s order to accommodate the visiting captain, the stranger in question waved his hand from his boat’s stern in token of that proceeding being entirely unnecessary. —
它很快靠近；但是，由于斯塔布克的命令要安装舷梯以方便接待客座船长，所以问题中的陌生人从他的小艇艏部挥手示意，表明这一举动完全不必要。 —

It turned out that the Jeroboam had a malignant epidemic on board, and that Mayhew, her captain, was fearful of infecting the Pequod’s company. —
结果发现，耶罗波安号上爆发了恶性传染病，船长梅休害怕传染白鲸号的船员。 —

For, though himself and the boat’s crew remained untainted, and though his ship was half a rifle-shot off, and an incorruptible sea and air rolling and flowing between; —
因为虽然他和船员们保持不受污染，而且他的船距离大约半支步枪之遥，而且不受腐蚀的海水和空气在两者之间滚动和流动； —

yet conscientiously adhering to the timid quarantine of the land, he peremptorily refused to come into direct contact with the Pequod.
然而，他遵循陆地的胆小检疫规定，坚决拒绝与白鲸号直接接触。

But this did by no means prevent all communications. —
但这丝毫不妨碍所有的交流。 —

Preserving an interval of some few yards between itself and the ship, the Jeroboam’s boat by the occasional use of its oars contrived to keep parallel to the Pequod, as she heavily forged through the sea (for by this time it blew very fresh), with her main-topsail aback; —
保持距离船只数码之间，杰罗博姆号的小艇偶尔划桨以确保与佩克德号平行航行，佩克德号在大海中沉重地前行（此时风势已经变得很大），主上桅帆正挂着。 —

though, indeed, at times by the sudden onset of a large rolling wave, the boat would be pushed some way ahead; —
但确实有时候因为一大浪突然袭来，小艇会被推到前方一段距离； —

but would be soon skilfully brought to her proper bearings again. —
不过很快又会被巧妙地重新调整到正确的方向。 —

Subject to this, and other the like interruptions now and then, a conversation was sustained between the two parties; —
除了受到这种和其他类似干扰时，两方之间保持着一段谈话； —

but at intervals not without still another interruption of a very different sort.
但偶尔还会发生不同性质的另一种干扰。

Pulling an oar in the Jeroboam’s boat, was a man of a singular appearance, even in that wild whaling life where individual notabilities make up all totalities. —
杰罗博姆号的小艇上进行划桨的是一个外貌奇特的人，在那个狂野的捕鲸生活中，个人的特殊性构成了整体。 —

He was a small, short, youngish man, sprinkled all over his face with freckles, and wearing redundant yellow hair. —
他是一个身材矮小、年轻的人，脸上布满雀斑，头发浓密且呈黄色。 —

A long-skirted, cabalistically-cut coat of a faded walnut tinge enveloped him; —
一件长长的裙式，用一种褪色的核桃色切割的外套包裹着他； —

the overlapping sleeves of which were rolled up on his wrists. —
这件外套的袖子重叠在他的手腕上卷了起来。 —

A deep, settled, fanatic delirium was in his eyes.
他的眼中流露出一种深沉、固执、狂热的狂乱。

So soon as this figure had been first descried, Stubb had exclaimed– “That’s he! that’s he! —
一旦这个人影被第一次看到，斯塔布就呼喊道–“那是他！那是他！ —

–the long-togged scaramouch the Town-Ho’s company told us of!” —
–那个长袍蹒跚的傀儡，故事中Town-Ho的船员告诉我们的！” —

Stubb here alluded to a strange story told of the Jeroboam, and a certain man among her crew, some time previous when the Pequod spoke the Town-Ho. According to this account and what was subsequently learned, it seemed that the scaramouch in question had gained a wonderful ascendency over almost everybody in the Jeroboam. —
斯塔布指的是Jeroboam号上传闻的一个奇怪的故事，关于她的船员中的一个人，之前当白鲸号与Town-Ho号交谈时。根据这个说法和后来获知的情况，似乎所说的那个傀儡在Jeroboam号上已经奇迹般地获得了几乎所有人的影响力。 —

His story was this:
他的故事是这样的：

He had been originally nurtured among the crazy society of Neskyeuna Shakers, where he had been a great prophet; —
他最初是在Neskyeuna Shakers这个疯狂社团中培养起来的，他曾是一个伟大的先知； —

in their cracked, secret meetings having several times descended from heaven by the way of a trapdoor, announcing the speedy opening of the seventh vial, which he carried in his vest-pocket; —
在他们那些疯狂的秘密会议中，他几次通过一个地板上的陷阱楼从天堂降临，宣布第七瓶将很快打开，而这个瓶子他放在背心口袋里； —

but, which, instead of containing gunpowder, was supposed to be charged with laudanum. —
但是，这个瓶子并没有装火药，而是被认为充满了鸦片。 —

A strange, apostolic whim having seized him, he had left Neskyeuna for Nantucket, where, with that cunning peculiar to craziness, he assumed a steady, common sense exterior, and offered himself as a green-hand candidate for the Jeroboam’s whaling voyage. —
他突然有了一个古怪的使徒式的怪念头，于是他离开Neskyeuna前往Nantucket，在那里，凭借着疯狂所特有的狡猾，他装出了一种稳重、常识的外表，并自荐自己作为Jeroboam号捕鲸航行的一个新手候选人。 —

They engaged him; but straightway upon the ship’s getting out of sight of land, his insanity broke out in a freshet. —
他们雇佣了他；但船离开陆地后不久，他的疯狂就爆发了。 —

He announced himself as the archangel Gabriel, and commanded the captain to jump overboard. —
他宣布自己是大天使加百利，并命令船长跳下船。 —

He published his manifesto, whereby he set himself forth as the deliverer of the isles of the sea and vicar-general of all Oceanica. —
他发布了他的宣言，宣称自己是海岛的解救者和所有Oceanica的教皇。 —

The unflinching earnestness with which he declared these things; —
他声明这些事情的毫不畏惧的认真态度； —

–the dark, daring play of his sleepless, excited imagination, and all the preternatural terrors of real delirium, united to invest this Gabriel in the minds of the majority of the ignorant crew, with an atmosphere of sacredness. —
—— 他那不眠、兴奋的想象力中暗黑而大胆的戏剧性，以及真正的精神错乱所带来的超自然恐怖，使得这个加百列在愚昧船员心中带有一种神圣的气息。 —

Moreover, they were afraid of him. As such a man, however, was not of much practical use in the ship, especially as he refused to work except when he pleased, the incredulous captain would fain have been rid of him; —
此外，他们也害怕他。然而，因为这样的一个人在船上并没有太大的实际用处，尤其是他除非高兴否则拒绝工作，怀疑的船长就想摆脱他； —

but apprised that that individual’s intention was to land him in the first convenient port, the archangel forthwith opened all his seals and vials–devoting the ship and all hands to unconditional perdition, in case this intention was carried out. —
但得知那人的意图是在第一个方便的港口让他下船的话，大天使立即打开了他的所有封印和瓶子 —— 宣告如果这个意图得以实现，船和所有船员都将被毁灭。 —

So strongly did he work upon his disciples among the crew, that at last in a body they went to the captain and told him if Gabriel was sent from the ship, not a man of them would remain. —
他如此强烈地影响了他在船员中的门徒，以至最后他们一致去找船长，告诉他如果加百列被赶离船，他们中没有一个人会留下。 —

He was therefore forced to relinquish his plan. —
于是他被迫放弃了自己的计划。 —

Nor would they permit Gabriel to be any way maltreated, say or do what he would; —
他们也不允许任何方式对待加百列，无论他说或做什么； —

so that it came to pass that Gabriel had the complete freedom of the ship. —
如此一来，加百列在船上完全自由了。 —

The consequence of all this was, that the archangel cared little or nothing for the captain and mates; —
这一切的后果是，这位大天使对船长和领班几乎不在意； —

and since the epidemic had broken out, he carried a higher hand than ever; —
自从这场瘟疫爆发以来，他比以往更加高高在上； —

declaring that the plague, as he called it, was at his sole command; —
宣称这场瘟疫，正如他所称呼的，完全由他来支配； —

nor should it be stayed but according to his good pleasure. —
只有按照他的喜好，它才会停止。 —

The sailors, mostly poor devils, cringed, and some of them fawned before him; —
水手们，大多数都是可怜的家伙，卑躬屈膝，有些人在他面前讨好； —

in obedience to his instructions, sometimes rendering him personal homage, as to a god. —
顺从他的指示，有时对他表示个人的敬意，如同对神一般。 —

Such things may seem incredible; but, however wondrous, they are true. —
这些事情可能看似难以置信；但不管多么奇妙，它们是真实的。 —

Nor is the history of fanatics half so striking in respect to the measureless self-deception of the fanatic himself, as his measureless power of deceiving and bedevilling so many others. —
狂热者的历史在狂热者自己的无限自欺中或许不及，但在于他能够欺骗和迷惑那么多其他人的无限能力。 —

But it is time to return to the Pequod.
但是现在是时候回到小母鲸号了。

“I fear not thy epidemic, man,” said Ahab from the bulwarks, to Captain Mayhew, who stood in the boat’s stern; “come on board.”
“我不怕你传染病，人类，” Ahab站在船舷上对站在船尾的Mayhew船长说，“上船吧。”

But now Gabriel started to his feet.
但现在加百利站起来了。

“Think, think of the fevers, yellow and bilious! Beware of the horrible plague!”
“想想，想想那些黄热病、黄疸病！”小心那可怕的瘟疫！

“Gabriel! Gabriel!” cried Captain Mayhew; —
“加百利！加百利！”梅休船长喊道； —

“thou must either-” But that instant a headlong wave shot the boat far ahead, and its seethings drowned all speech.
“你必须要么-” 但就在那一瞬间，一股猛烈的巨浪将小船冲得远远地，它的波涛声淹没了一切言语。

“Hast thou seen the White Whale?” demanded Ahab, when the boat drifted back.
“你见过白鲸吗？” Ahab问道，当小船漂回来时。

“Think, think of thy whale-boat, stoven and sunk! Beware of the horrible tail!”
“想想，想想你的捕鲸船，破烂沉没！小心那可怕的鲸尾！”

“I tell thee again, Gabriel, that-” But again the boat tore ahead as if dragged by fiends. —
“再告诉你一次，加百利，那个-” 但小船又被恶魔般地拖得飞快前进。 —

Nothing was said for some moments, while a succession of riotous waves rolled by which by one of those occasional caprices of the seas were tumbling, not heaving it. —
一些时刻内没有说话，这时海浪奔涌而过，一些偶然性的海洋之间的突发状况使它们翻滚，而不是推动着它。 —

Meantime, the hoisted sperm whale’s head jogged about very violently, and Gabriel was seen eyeing it with rather more apprehensiveness than his archangel nature seemed to warrant.
与此同时，扬起的抹香鲸头非常剧烈地颠簸，而看到加百利似乎比他大天使的本性所应有的更多地有些恐惧。

When this interlude was over, Captain Mayhew began a dark story concerning Moby Dick; —
当这个插曲结束时，梅休船长开始讲述关于白鲸Moby Dick的黑暗故事； —

not, however, without frequent interruptions from Gabriel, whenever his name was mentioned, and the crazy sea that seemed leagued with him.
然而，每次提到他的名字，以及那个似乎与他联合在一起的疯狂的海洋，都会有加百利频繁打断。

It seemed that the Jeroboam had not long left home, when upon speaking a whale-ship, her people were reliably apprised of the existence of Moby Dick, and the havoc he had made. —
似乎Jeroboam离开家没多久就在海上遇到了一艘捕鲸船，船上的人们得知了白鲸Moby Dick的存在以及它所造成的破坏。 —

Greedily sucking in this intelligence, Gabriel solemnly warned the captain against attacking the White Whale, in case the monster should be seen; —
贪婪地吸收这一信息后，加百利郑重警告船长不要攻击白鲸，万一看到那个怪物； —

in his gibbering insanity, pronouncing the White Whale to be no less a being than the Shaker God incarnated; —
在他疯狂的狂言中，宣称白鲸不是别的，正是沐浴会派的神灵化身； —

the Shakers receiving the Bible. But when, some year or two afterwards, Moby Dick was fairly sighted from the mast-heads, Macey, the chief mate, burned with ardor to encounter him; —
夏克们接收了《圣经》。但是一两年后，当从桅顶清楚地看到白鲸慕比迪克时，马西，首席副手，燃起了与其交锋的热情； —

and the captain himself being not unwilling to let him have the opportunity, despite all the archangel’s denunciations and forewarnings, Macey succeeded in persuading five men to man his boat. —
尽管所有大天使的谴责和预言，船长本人也不反对给他这个机会，马西成功地说服了五个人划他的小船； —

With them he pushed off; and, after much weary pulling, and many perilous, unsuccessful onsets, he at last succeeded in getting one iron fast. —
带着他们，他推开了船；经过漫长而疲惫的拉拽，和许多危险、不成功的进攻，他最终成功地让一根铁勾着了； —

Meantime, Gabriel, ascending to the main-royal mast-head, was tossing one arm in frantic gestures, and hurling forth prophecies of speedy doom to the sacrilegious assailants of his divinity. —
与此同时，加百利上升到主帆杆顶，挥动着一只手，疯狂地喊着，射向亵渎其神性的袭击者即将遭受速死的预言； —

Now, while Macey, the mate, was standing up in his boat’s bow, and with all the reckless energy of his tribe was venting his wild exclamations upon the whale, and essaying to get a fair chance for his poised lance, lo! —
此时，马西，副船长，正站在船头，以其种族所有的鲁莽能量，喊着野蛮的话，猛地攻击鲸鱼，并试图为他准备好的鱼叉找到一个合适的机会，瞧！ —

a broad white shadow rose from the sea; by its quick, fanning motion, temporarily taking the breath out of the bodies of the oarsmen. —
一片宽广的白影从海中升起，凭借其快速扇动的动作，瞬间使划手们都气息奄奄； —

Next instant, the luckless mate, so full of furious life, was smitten bodily into the air, and making a long arc in his descent, fell into the sea at the distance of about fifty yards. —
下一刻，那个不走运的副手，充满狂暴生命力的人，被一下子活生生打入空中，下坠时长弧线，约五十码远落入海中； —

Not a chip of the boat was harmed, nor a hair of any oarsman’s head; —
船上丝毫没有受损，没有一名划手的头发被伤到； —

but the mate for ever sank.
但副手却永远沉了下去。

It is well to parenthesize here, that of the fatal accidents in the Sperm-Whale Fishery, this kind is perhaps almost as frequent as any. —
这里值得插一句，对于抓捕抹香鲸的致命事故，这种情况也许与其他差不多频繁； —

Sometimes, nothing is injured but the man who is thus annihilated; —
有时，只有那些被歼灭的人受伤； —

oftener the boat’s bow is knocked off, or the thigh-board, on which the headsman stands, is torn from its place and accompanies the body. —
更常见的是船头被撞碎，或者砍断切里切板，头领站立的地方，被撕裂从而伴随着尸体。 —

But strangest of all is the circumstance, that in more instances than one, when the body has been recovered, not a single mark of violence is discernible the man being stark dead.
但最奇怪的是，在多于一次的情况下，当尸体被找回时，看不出任何暴力痕迹，那人已经彻底死去。

The whole calamity, with the falling form of Macey, was plainly descried from the ship. —
整个灾祸，以及马西倒下的景象，从船上清楚地看见。 —

Raising a piercing shriek–“The vial! the vial!” —
发出尖锐的尖叫声–“小瓶！小瓶！” —

Gabriel called off the terror-stricken crew from the further hunting of the whale. —
加百利叫停了恐惧的船员继续追捕鲸鱼。 —

This terrible event clothed the archangel with added influence; —
这可怕的事件使大天使更具影响力； —

because his credulous disciples believed that he had specifically fore-announced it, instead of only making a general prophecy, which any one might have done, and so have chanced to hit one of many marks in the wide margin allowed. —
因为他轻信的门徒相信他具体预言了这件事，而不仅仅是做了个普通的预言，任何人都可能做到，并且碰巧命中了众多预测之一。 —

He became a nameless terror to the ship.
他成为这艘船上无名的恐怖。

Mayhew having concluded his narration, Ahab put such questions to him, that the stranger captain could not forbear inquiring whether he intended to hunt the White Whale, if opportunity should offer. —
梅休讲完他的故事后，艾哈布向他提出了一些问题，那位陌生的船长忍不住问他是否打算捕捉白鲸，如果有机会的话。 —

To which Ahab answered–“Aye.” Straightway, then, Gabriel once more started to his feet, glaring upon the old man, and vehemently exclaimed, with downward pointed finger–“Think, think of the blasphemer– dead, and down there! —
艾哈布回答道–“是的。” 加百利立即再次站起来，瞪着老人，怒气冲冲地大声说，用下指着–“想想亵渎者–死了，在那里！ —

–beware of the blasphemer’s end!”
–当心亵渎者的下场！”

Ahab stolidly turned aside; then said to Mayhew, “Captain, I have just bethought me of my letter-bag; there is a letter for one of thy officers, if I mistake not. —
艾哈布无动于衷地转身，然后对梅休说，”船长，我突然想起我的信袋；里面应该有一封给你的军官的信。 —

Starbuck, look over the bag.”
斯塔布克，翻翻信袋看看。”

Every whale-ship takes out a goodly number of letters for various ships, whose delivery to the persons to whom they may be addressed, depends upon the mere chance of encountering them in the four oceans. —
每艘捕鲸船带出许多信件，投向各种船只，信件能否送到收信人手中，完全取决于在四大洋中遇见它们的机会。 —

Thus, most letters never reach their mark; —
因此，大多数信件都未能送达目的地； —

and many are only received after attaining an age of two or three years or more.
许多信件只有在两三年甚至更久后才被收到。

Soon Starbuck returned with a letter in his hand. —
不久，斯塔布克手里拿着一封信回来。 —

It was sorely tumbled, damp, and covered with a dull, spotted, green mould, in consequence of being kept in a dark locker of the cabin. —
信封看上去破破烂烂，潮湿，覆盖着晦暗、斑驳的绿色霉斑，因为一直放在船舱的一个黑暗储物柜里。 —

Of such a letter, Death himself might well have been the post-boy.
死神本人都可能是这封信的邮递员。

“Can’st not read it?” cried Ahab. “Give it me, man. Aye, aye, aye it’s but a dim scrawl; —
“你看不懂吗?” 艾哈布叫道。 “给我看看，伙计。嗯，嗯，嗯，这只是一个模糊的涂鸦； —

–what’s this?” As he was studying it out, Starbuck took a long cutting-spade pole, and with his knife slightly split the end, to insert the letter there, and in that way, hand it to the boat, without its coming any closer to the ship.
– 这是什么？” 当他在研究它的时候，斯塔布克拿起了一根长长的削板桨，用刀稍微劈开了末端，插入信件，然后递给小船，这样就不会让小船靠得太近。

Meantime, Ahab holding the letter, muttered, “Mr. Har– yes, Mr. Harry–(a woman’s pinny hand,–the man’s wife, I’ll wager)–Aye–Mr. Harry Macey, Ship Jeroboam; —
与此同时，艾哈布拿着这封信，喃喃道，”哈– 是的，哈利先生–(一个女人的围裙手，–我打赌是那个男人的妻子)–啊–哈利·梅西先生，‘耶罗波安’号船长； —

why it’s Macey, and he’s dead!”
看，是梅西，他已经去世了！”

“Poor fellow! poor fellow! and from his wife,” sighed Mayhew; “but let me have it.”
“可怜的家伙！可怜的家伙！还有他的妻子。” 梅休叹息道，”但让我看看这封信吧。”

“Nay, keep it thyself,” cried Gabriel to Ahab; “thou art soon going that way.”
“不，你留着吧，” 加百利对艾哈布说； “你很快就要去那边了。”

“Curses throttle thee!” yelled Ahab. “Captain Mayhew, stand by now to receive it”; —
“诅咒扼住你！” 耶啰叫道。 “梅休船长，准备接收吧”； —

and taking the fatal missive from Starbuck’s hands, he caught it in the slit of the pole, and reached it over towards the boat. —
然后从斯塔布克手中接过这封致命的信，他把它插入桨的缝隙里，然后递给小船。 —

But as he did so, the oarsmen expectantly desisted from rowing; —
但就在他这样做的时候，划手们停止了划桨； —

the boat drifted a little towards the ship’s stern; —
小船稍稍漂向船尾； —

so that, as if by magic, the letter suddenly ranged along with Gabriel’s eager hand. —
施了魔法一样，信件突然跟着加百利急切的手一起靠过来。 —

He clutched it in an instant, seized the boat-knife, and impaling the letter on it, sent it thus loaded back into the ship. —
他立刻抓住了它，拿起了船上的刀，把这封信串在刀上，然后把它带回了船上。 —

It fell at Ahab’s feet. Then Gabriel shrieked out to his comrades to give way with their oars, and in that manner the mutinous boat rapidly shot away from the Pequod.
它落在艾哈布脚下。然后加百利对同伴们大喊，让他们荡桨，这样叛变的小船迅速地从“小白鲸”号上射离。

As, after this interlude, the seamen resumed their work upon the jacket of the whale, many strange things were hinted in reference to this wild affair.
在这段插曲之后，水手们再次开始处理鲸鱼的夹克时，许多奇怪的事情与这次疯狂的事件有关。