不过,我就弄不懂,为什么这个吝啬的比勒达老头又会有掌理雇用水手的大权,尤其是我这时看到他在裴廓德号上,舒服地坐在舱房里,念着他的《圣经》,仿佛是坐在自己家里的火炉旁边。这时,正当法勒在用他的小刀想修补那支笔而修补不好的时候,叫我吃惊不小的是,比勒达却始终没有理会我们,只是继续在念他的书,不要为自己积攒财宝在地上,地上有虫子。
Well, Captain Bildad, interrupted Peleg, what d'ye say, what lay shall we give this young man?
那么,比勒达船长,法勒打断他说,你怎么说,我们该给这个小伙子多少拆账呢?
Thou knowest best, was the sepulchral reply, the seven hundred and seventy-seventh wouldn'tbe too much, would it?--'where moth and rust do corrupt, but lay-'
你比我懂得多,他阴森森地回答道,七百七十七分之一不会太多吧,会吗?地上有虫子咬,能锈坏,只要积攒。
Lay, indeed, thought I, and such a lay! the seven hundred and seventy-seventh! Well, oldBildad, you are determined that I, for one, shall not lay up many lays here below, where mothand rust do corrupt. It was an exceedingly long lay that, indeed; and though from themagnitude of the figure it might at first deceive a landsman, yet the slightestconsideration will show that though seven hundred and seventy-seven is a pretty largenumber, yet, when you come to make a teenth of it, you will then see, I say, that the sevenhundred and seventy-seventh part of a farthing is a good deal less than seven hundred andseventy-seven gold doubloons; and so I thought at the time.
我心里想,好一个积攒,这样的拆账!七百七十七分之一!好吧,比勒达老头,你已经肯定了我这个人不该把许多拆账积攒在地下了,因为,在那里,有虫子咬,能锈坏。这倒真是个了不起的大拆账,虽然从那个大数字看来,也许一开始骗得了一个陆地人,然而,略为思索一下,就会知道尽管七百七十七是个相当可观的数目,可是,如果你把它当做一个分母看,那我说,你就知道一个法寻的七百七十七分之一跟七百七十七块金圆却是天差地别的了;当时,我心里就这么想着。
Why, blast your eyes, Bildad, cried Peleg, Thou dost not want to swindle this young man! hemust have more than that.
怎么,见你的鬼,比勒达,法勒嚷了起来,你该不想诓骗这个小伙子吧!他必须拿得比这多些。
