英语听书《白鲸记》第779期

But often possession is the whole of the law. What are the sinews and souls of Russian serfs and Republican slaves but Fast-Fish, whereof possession is the whole of the law? What to the rapacious landlord is the widow's last mite but a Fast-Fish? What is yonder undetected villain's marble mansion with a doorplate for a waif; what is that but a Fast-Fish? What is the ruinous discount which Mordecai, the broker, gets from the poor Woebegone, the bankrupt, on a loan to keep Woebegone's family from starvation; what is that ruinous discount but a Fast-Fish? What is the Archbishop of Savesoul's income of 100,000 pounds seized from the scant bread and cheese of hundreds of thousands of broken-backed laborers (all sure of heaven without any of Savesoul's help) what is that globular 100,000 but a Fast-Fish. What are the Duke of Dunder's hereditary towns and hamlets but Fast-Fish? What to that redoubted harpooneer, John Bull, is poor Ireland, but a Fast-Fish? What to that apostolic lancer, Brother Jonathan, is Texas but a Fast-Fish? And concerning all these, is not Possession the whole of the law?

不过，有了所有权往往就有全部的法律。俄罗斯的农奴和共和国（共和国——指联邦合众共和国的美国。）的奴隶的精力和灵魂不就是有主鲸么？谁个有了所有权，不就是有全部的法律么？在贪得无厌的地主看来，连寡妇的最后一个小铜钱（寡妇的一个小钱——见《新约·马可福音》第十二章四十二节的"主称赞寡妇捐钱"。）不也就是有主鲸么？那边那个西洋镜还未被人拆穿的恶棍的大理石巨厦上，不是有一块代替浮标的门牌吗？它不就是有主鲸么？那个掮客摩得开（摩得开即《旧约·以斯帖记》中的末座改，哈曼想杀害犹太族人，犹太族长异常悲哀，事为末底改所知，转告其养女以斯帖（即亚哈随鲁王之妻）。王得知后，讨伐哈曼，使犹太人免于被杀，后末底改升为王的首相，并以每年十二月十四，十五两日为普洱节。）对破了产的悲哀先生放了一笔债，使悲哀先生的一家免于饿死，而取得了招致毁灭的回扣，那笔招致毁灭的回扣不就是有主鲸么？那个灵魂拯救者的大主教，从千百万卖命干活的工人（大家都深信一点也得不到拯救灵魂的好处）的微薄的面包和乳酪里，每年刮得十万英镑的收益；这笔十万英镑的大数目不就是有主鲸么？那个丹达公爵（丹达公爵（Duke of Dunder）——按"丹达"原系指西印度群岛一带制蔗糖的糖汁渣滓，这里疑系指那些统治西印度群岛的英美统治者。）世袭领有的大小村庄城镇不就是有主鲸么？在那个勇不可当的标枪手约翰·布尔（约翰·布尔——英国人的绰号。）看来，可怜的爱尔兰不就是有主鲸么？在那个使徒似的枪手乔纳森弟兄（乔纳森弟兄——美国人的绰号。）看来，得克萨斯州（得克萨斯州——美国州名，十七八世纪时为西班牙殖民者所占，一八三六年曾独立为共和国，至一八四五年被美国并为联邦的一州。作者怀着强烈的反奴隶制度和反扩张主义的思想，对这一吞并深表不满。）可不就是有主鲸么？所有这些事情，不正是说明所有权就是整个儿的法律吗？

But if the doctrine of Fast-Fish be pretty generally applicable, the kindred doctrine of Loose-Fish is still more widely so. That is internationally and universally applicable.

不过，如果有主鲸这条原则是颇为通用的话，那么性质相似的无主鲸的原则的适用范围远更来得广泛。那是普天之下到处都通用的。

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