英语听书《白鲸记》 第238期

As with all sinners among men, the sin of this son ofAmittai was in his wilful disobedience of thecommand of God-never mind now what thatcommand was, or how conveyed-which he found ahard command.

跟人类一切犯罪者一样,这个亚米太的儿子的犯罪乃是由于他任性地违抗了上帝的命令...这里我们且不管那是一种什么命令,也不管那命令具有什么意义...他认为那是一个难以做到的命令。

But all the things that God would have us do arehard for us to do-remember that-and hence, he oftener commands us than endeavors topersuade.

可是,凡是上帝要我们做的事情,都是不容易做的...得记住这一点...他一向总是命令我们,而不是想来劝说我们。

And if we obey God, we must disobey ourselves; and it is in this disobeying ourselves, whereinthe hardness of obeying God consists.

所以如果我们遵从上帝,我们就得违反我们自己;正是在这种违反我们自己中,包含有遵从上帝的困难。

With this sin of disobedience in him, Jonah still further flouts at God, by seeking to flee fromHim.

约拿犯了这一抗命之罪,他还设法逃避上帝,还进一步藐视上帝。

He thinks that a ship made by men, will carry him into countries where God does not reign butonly the Captains of this earth.

他认为人类造出来的船只,可以把他带到那些没有上帝.只有一群人间的船长在统治着的国度里去。

He skulks about the wharves of Joppa, and seeks a ship that's bound for Tarshish.

他在约帕各处码头躲躲闪闪,找到了一只要开往他施的船。

There lurks, perhaps, a hitherto unheeded meaning here. By all accounts Tarshish could havebeen no other city than the modern Cadiz.

这里也许还隐藏有一个迄今还没有受到注意的意义.因为谁都明白,他施明明就是现代的加的斯城。

That's the opinion of learned men. And where is Cadiz, shipmates? Cadiz is in Spain; as far bywater, from Joppa, as Jonah could possibly have sailed in those ancient days, when the Atlanticwas an almost unknown sea.

这是有学问的人都这么说的。那么,加的斯在哪里呢,船友们?加的斯在西班牙;在古代那个时候,大西洋差不多还是一个未被发现的海洋,约拿从约帕循水路到那地方,可以说是航行了最远的路程。

Because Joppa, the modern Jaffa, shipmates, is on the most easterly coast of theMediterranean, the Syrian; and Tarshish or Cadiz more than two thousand miles to thewestward from that, just outside the Straits of Gibraltar.

因为,船友们,约帕就是现代的扎发,它在地中海的极东的海边,是在叙利亚那里的;而要到他施或者加的斯去,却须从约帕往西走二千多英里,就正在直布罗陀海峡外边。