Nor was the pulpit itself without a trace of the samesea-taste that had achieved the ladder and thepicture. Its panelled front was in the likeness of aship's bluff bows, and the Holy Bible rested on aprojecting piece of scroll work, fashioned after aship's fiddle-headed beak.

而且,讲坛本身除了那张梯子和那幅油画以外,并不就毫无海上情调的痕迹。它那嵌板的前沿就很象船只的扁平的船头,那本放在突出的斜板上的《圣经》,就是模仿船只的提琴头似铁嘴的式样。

What could be more full of meaning?--for the pulpit is ever this earth's foremost part; all therest comes in its rear; the pulpit leads the world. From thence it is the storm of God's quickwrath is first descried, and the bow must bear the earliest brunt. From thence it is the God ofbreezes fair or foul is first invoked for favorable winds. Yes, the world's a ship on its passageout, and not a voyage complete; and the pulpit is its prow.

还有比这更富有意义的吗?因为讲坛从来就是人间的为首的部分,其余的一切都是跟着它走的。讲坛领导整个尘世.特别叫人讨厌的暴风雨就正是从这里被首先发现的,船头必须具有首当其冲的能耐。上帝的清风或逆风就正是从这里被首先变成顺风的。不错,世界就是一只向前驶出的大船,而且没有一次完整的航程;这只讲坛就是它的船头。