In most cases this lower jaw—being easily unhinged by a practised artist— is disengaged and hoisted on deck for the purpose of extracting the ivory teeth, and furnishing a supply of that hard white whalebone with which the fishermen fashion all sorts of curious articles including canes, umbrella-stocks, and handles to riding-whips.

这个下巴颏——有经验的老手可以很容易地把它卸下来——大多是在卸下后，就拉上甲板来，以便拔掉它那些象牙一般的牙齿，同时把那种又白又硬的鲸须去供给捕鲸人做出名式各样奇珍异品，诸如手杖，雨伞骨，马鞭柄等等。

With a long, weary hoist the jaw is dragged on board, as if it were an anchor; and when the proper time comes— some few days after the other work—Queequeg, Daggoo, and Tashtego, being all accomplished dentists, are set to drawing teeth. With a keen cutting-spade, Queequeg lances the gums; then the jaw is lashed down to ringbolts, and a tackle being rigged from aloft, they drag out these teeth, as Michigan oxen drag stumps of old oaks out of wild woodlands. There are generally forty-two teeth in all; in old whales, much worn down, but undecayed; nor filled after our artificial fashion. The jaw is afterwards sawn into slabs, and piled away like joists for building houses.

经过好久的辛苦拖曳后，那只下巴颏终于象只大锚一般被拖上船来。等到相当的时间——干完了其它工作的几天后——魁魁格、大个儿和塔斯蒂哥这些本来就是熟练的牙科医生，便开始来拔牙齿了。那时候，魁魁格手里拿着一把锐利的剖鱼铲子，直向牙龈戳去；接着，便把那只下巴颏用绳子紧缚在螺旋钉上，上面早已挂好复滑车，他们就象密歇根的公牛在野林里拔老橡树根一般，把这些牙齿给拔了出来。鲸通常长有四十二只牙齿；至于老鲸，牙齿虽然没有朽烂，却大都磨损了，而且也派不了我们那种精巧的手艺品的用场。以后，他们就把下巴颏锯成片片，好象准备用来建造房屋的托梁一般，把它们堆在一旁。

Chapter 75 The Right Whale's Head - Contrasted View

第七十五章露脊鲸头——对比图

Crossing the deck, let us now have a good long look at the the Right Whale's head.

现在让我们穿过甲板，去仔细地瞧瞧这只露脊鲸头吧。