Ere quitting, for the nonce, the Sperm Whale’s head, I would have you, as a sensible physiologist, simply–particularly remark its front aspect, in all its compacted collectedness. —
在暂时离开抹香鲸的头部之前，我希望你作为一名明智的生理学家，特别地注意其前方面貌，以其紧凑而集中的特点。 —

I would have you investigate it now with the sole view of forming to yourself some unexaggerated, intelligent estimate of whatever battering-ram power may be lodged there. —
我希望你现在调查它，只是为了形成对其中可能存在的任何撞击力量做一个不夸大、明智的评估。 —

Here is a vital point; for you must either satisfactorily settle this matter with yourself, or for ever remain an infidel as to one of the most appalling, but not the less true events, perhaps anywhere to be found in all recorded history.
这是一个关键点; 因为你必须要么与自己满意地解决这个问题，要么永远保持怀疑态度，对所有记载史上可能发生的最令人震惊，但并不少见的真实事件之一。

You observe that in the ordinary swimming position of the Sperm Whale, the front of his head presents an almost wholly vertical plane to the water; —
你会注意到，在抹香鲸正常游泳的位置中，它的前方头部近乎完全垂直于水面； —

you observe that the lower part of that front slopes considerably backwards, so as to furnish more of a retreat for the long socket which receives the boom-like lower jaw; —
你会观察到，前方的下部坡度相当向后倾斜，为接收类似长臂般的下颚提供更多的藏身之处； —

you observe that the mouth is entirely under the head, much in the same way, indeed, as though your own mouth were entirely under your chin. —
你会观察到，口腔完全位于头部下方，实际上很像你自己的口腔完全位于下巴下方一样。 —

Moreover you observe that the whale has no external nose; —
此外你会看到鲸鱼没有外部鼻子； —

and that what nose he has–his spout hole– is on the top of his head; —
而它拥有的鼻子 —— 喷孔 —— 位于头部顶部； —

you observe that his eyes and ears are at the sides of his head; —
你会看到它的眼睛和耳朵位于头部的侧面； —

nearly one third of his entire length from the front. —
离前方头部的位置占据了它整个长度的近三分之一。 —

Wherefore, you must now have perceived that the front of the Sperm Whale’s head is a dead, blind wall, without a single organ or tender prominence of any sort whatsoever. —
因此，现在你必定已经注意到，抹香鲸头部的前方是一堵死板、无一器官或娇嫩凸起的墙壁。 —

Furthermore, you are now to consider that only in the extreme, lower, backward sloping part of the front of the head, is there the slightest vestige of bone; —
此外，你现在需要考虑，在头部前方极端、较低、向后倾斜的部分，只有一丝骨头的痕迹； —

and not till you get near twenty feet from the forehead do you come to the full cranial development. So that this whole enormous boneless mass is as one wad. —
而only是在你离前额接近二十英尺处才会发现完整的颅骨发育。 因此，整个这个无骨质的庞大质量就如同一个填塞物。 —

Finally, though, as will soon be revealed, its contents partly comprise the most delicate oil; —
最后，尽管，如将很快被揭示，它的内容部分包括最精致的油； —

yet, you are now to be apprised of the nature of the substance which so impregnably invests all that apparent effeminacy. —
然而，你现在需要知悉的是，无论表面看似柔软的物质的本质是什么。 —

In some previous place I have described to you how the blubber wraps the body of the whale, as the rind wraps an orange. —
在以前的某个地方，我曾经向你描述过鲸鱼的鲸脂是如何包裹鲸鱼的身体，就像果皮包裹橙子一样。 —

Just so with the head; but with this difference: —
头部也是如此；但有一个区别： —

about the head this envelope, though not so thick is of a boneless toughness, inestimable by any man who has not handled it. —
关于头部的这个包裹，虽然没有那么厚，却有着无骨本质的坚韧度，如果没有亲手触摸过的人是无法估量其价值的。 —

The severest pointed harpoon, the sharpest lance darted by the strongest human arm, impotently rebounds from it. —
最尖锐的鱼叉、由最强壮人类手臂发射的最锋利标枪，都对其束手无策地弹回。 —

It is as though the forehead of the Sperm Whale were paved with horses’ hoofs. —
就像抹上马蹄一样，头上的皮层仿佛铺满了马蹄。 —

I do not think that any sensation lurks in it.
我认为其中并没有什么感觉。

Bethink yourself also of another thing. When two large, loaded Indian-men chance to crowd and crush towards each other in the docks, what do the sailors do? —
另外也要考虑一个问题。当两艘大型装载的印度货船在码头拥挤并互相挤压时，水手们会怎么做？ —

They do not suspend between them, at the point of coming contact, any merely hard substance, like iron or wood. —
他们不会挂一个硬物，比如铁或木头，在接触点之间。 —

No, they hold there a large, round wad of tow and cork, enveloped in the thickest and toughest of ox-hide. —
不，他们在那里放着一大块用最厚最坚韧的牛皮包裹的棉花和软木团。 —

That bravely and uninjured takes the jam which would have snapped all their oaken handspikes and iron crow-bars. —
那坚强无恙地承受住了本来会打断所有他们的橡木杆和铁撬的挤压。 —

By itself this sufficiently illustrates the obvious fact I drive at. —
单单这个就足以说明我要说的明显事实。 —

But supplementary to this, it has hypothetically occurred to me, that as ordinary fish possess what is called a swimming bladder in them, capable, at will, of distension or contraction; —
但除此之外，我还假设，普通的鱼体内有所谓的游泳囊，能够自由地膨胀或收缩； —

and as the Sperm Whale, as far as I know, has no such provision in him; —
而就我所知，抹香鲸身上没有这种构造； —

considering, too, the otherwise inexplicable manner in which he now depresses his head altogether beneath the surface, and anon swims with it high elevated out of the water; —
考虑到他现在是如何奇怪地把头完全压在水下，然后又把头高高地抬出水面游动； —

considering the unobstructed elasticity of its envelope; —
考虑到包裹的无阻力弹性； —

considering the unique interior of his head; —
考虑他头部独特的内部结构； —

it has hypothetically occurred to me, I say, that those mystical lung-celled honeycombs there may possibly have some hitherto unknown and unsuspected connexion with the outer air, so as to be susceptible to atmospheric distension and contraction. —
我假设，我说，那些神秘的肺细胞蜂窝可能与外部空气有某种迄今未知且未被怀疑的连接，以便受大气膨胀和收缩的影响； —

If this be so, fancy the irresistibleness of that might, to which the most impalpable and destructive of all elements contributes.
如果是这样，想象一下那肆无忌惮的力量，使得那最不可触摸且破坏性极大的元素贡献其能量；

Now, mark. Unerringly impelling this dead, impregnable, uninjurable wall, and this most buoyant thing within; —
现在，注意。毫不犹豫地推动这面死的、坚不可摧、不可伤害的墙壁和其中那个最轻盈的东西； —

there swims behind it all a mass of tremendous life, only to be adequately estimated as piled wood is– by the cord; —
有一个巨大的生命质量在其后游动，只能通过码堆积木来适当评估； —

and all obedient to one volition, as the smallest insect. —
所有都顺从于一个意愿，如同最小的昆虫。 —

So that when I shall hereafter detail to you all the specialities and concentrations of potency everywhere lurking in this expansive monster; —
所以当我以后将向你详述这庞大怪兽各处潜藏的特殊和强大力量时； —

when I shall show you some of his more inconsiderable braining feats; —
当我向你展示他一些更微不足道的头脑技巧时； —

I trust you will have renounced all ignorant incredulity, and be ready to abide by this; —
我相信你会放弃所有无知的怀疑，准备接受这个观点； —

that though the Sperm Whale stove a passage through the Isthmus of Darien, and mixed the Atlantic with the Pacific, you would not elevate one hair of your eye-brow. —
即使抹香鲸在达连地峡开辟了一条通道，将大西洋与太平洋混为一体，你也不会皱一下眉头。 —

For unless you own the whale, you are but a provincial and sentimentalist in Truth. But clear Truth is a thing for salamander giants only to encounter; —
因为除非你能掌握抹香鲸，否则在真理面前，你只是一个局外人和情感主义者。但清晰的真理只有火蜥蜴巨人们才能面对； —

how small the chances for the provincials then? —
对于局外人来说，机会有多小？ —

What befell the weakling youth lifting the dread goddess’s veil at Lais?
那个软弱的青年把Lais女神的面纱揭开后会发生什么？