Again: as the profound calm which only apparently precedes and prophesies of the storm, is perhaps more awful than the storm itself; for, indeed, the calm is but the wrapper and envelope of the storm; and contains it in itself, as the seemingly harmless rifle holds the fatal powder, and the ball, and the explosion; so the graceful repose of the line, as it silently serpentines about the oarsmen before being brought into actual play-- this is a thing which carries more of true terror than any other aspect of this dangerous affair. But why say more? All men live enveloped in whale-lines. All are born with halters round their necks; but it is only when caught in the swift, sudden turn of death, that mortals realize the silent, subtle, everpresent perils of life. And if you be a philosopher, though seated in the whale-boat, you would not at heart feel one whit more of terror, than though seated before your evening fire with a poker, and not a harpoon, by your side.

再说，因为一种深沉的静寂，虽然是暴风雨的明显的前奏和预兆，却也许比暴风雨本身更为令人可畏；因为，事实上，静寂就正是暴风雨的外表和表皮，把暴风雨包藏在它本身中，正如那看似并无大害的来福枪，却装着致命的火药。弹丸和炸药一样；因此，当捕鲸索在没有实际发生作用之前，悄悄地盘绕在桨手的身上时，它那种优雅自若的架势，就是远比这种危险事件的任何方面都更具有真正恐怖的东西。但是，为什么还要多噜苏呢？人类都是生活在捕鲸索的包围里。人类都是天生就在脖子上套着绞索的；只不过等到突然让死神倏地捉住了，人类这才体会到了生命那种悄然而来的、难以索解的却又永远存在的危险。如果你是个哲学家，那么，尽管你是坐在捕鲸小艇上，你还是会象晚上坐在炉前，旁边搁着一支火钳，而不是一支标枪那样，心中毫无畏惧的。

Chapter 61 Stubb Kills a Whale

第六十一章 斯塔布杀死一条鲸

If to Starbuck the apparition of the Squid was a thing of portents, to Queequeg it was quite a different object.

如果说，在斯达巴克看来，那只幽灵似的大乌贼是种不祥之物，那么，在魁魁格看来，它可完全是另外一种东西了。