I should say that those New England rocks on the seacoast
我敢說，新英格蘭沿海的那些巖石
which Agassiz imagines to bear the marks of violent scraping contact with vast floating icebergs
也就是阿伽西認為那上面是跟大浮冰塊相碰擊的結果，才有那麼厲害的傷痕
I should say, that those rocks must not a little resemble the Sperm Whale in this particular
我敢說，在這方面說來，那些巖石準是跟抹香鯨極其相似的
It also seems to me that such scratches in the whale are probably made by hostile contact with other whales
我也認為，大鯨之所以有這些搔痕，大概是跟其它大鯨爭鬥所致
for I have most remarked them in the large, full-grown bulls of the species
因為我常常在那種茁壯結實的大鯨身上看到那種搔痕
A word or two more concerning this matter of the skin or blubber of the whale
關於鯨皮或者鯨脂這問題，還得再說一兩句話
It has already been said, that it is stript from him in long pieces, called blanket-pieces
我已經說過，人們把那種從它身上剝下來的長條條叫做絨毯
Like most sea-terms, this one is very happy and significant
這名稱，跟大多數的航海術語一樣，也是十分巧妙而深具意義的
For the whale is indeed wrapt up in his blubber as in a real blanket or counterpane
因為大鯨確實是裹在它的鯨脂裡，好像真的裹著一條絨毯或者被單
or, still better, an Indian poncho slipt over his head, and skirting his extremity
或者，不如更恰切地說，是裹著一件印第安人穿的那種從頭上套下去的硬大衣，把它四周都裹得緊緊密密
It is by reason of this cosy blanketing of his body, that the whale is enabled to keep himself comfortable in all weathers, in all seas, times, and tides
正是由於它身上裹有這種舒適的絨毯，鯨才能夠在各種氣候、各種海洋、各種時間、各種潮汐中過得舒舒服服
What would become of a Greenland whale, say, in those shuddering, icy seas of the North, if unsupplied with his cosy surtout
比如拿格陵蘭鯨來說，它在北極那種冰封雪凍，冷徹肌膚的海洋裡，如果它沒有那件舒適的大衣，將會有什麼結果呢
True, other fish are found exceedingly brisk in those Hyperborean waters
不錯，其它的魚類，在那種北方樂土似的海裡是過得非常活潑的
but these, be it observed, are your cold-blooded, lungless fish, whose very bellies are refrigerators
不過，請注意，那些魚，都是冷血無肺的魚類，它們的肚皮本來就是冰箱
creatures, that warm themselves under the lee of an iceberg, as a traveller in winter would bask before an inn fire
這些在冰塊下取暖的生物，就像一個寒冬的旅客，在小客店裡的火盆前烤火一樣
whereas, like man, the whale has lungs and warm blood
反之，鯨卻跟人一樣，既有肺又有熱血