Now this doubloon was of purest, virgin gold, raked somewhere out of the heart of gorgeous hills, whence, east and west, over golden sands, the head-waters of many a Pactolus flows. And though now nailed amidst all the rustiness of iron bolts and the verdigris of copper spikes, yet, untouchable and immaculate to any foulness, it still preserved its Quito glow. Nor, though placed amongst a ruthless crew and every hour passed by ruthless hands, and through the livelong nights shrouded with thick darkness which might cover any pilfering approach, nevertheless every sunrise found the doubloon where the sunset last left it last. For it was set apart and sanctified to one awe-striking end; and however wanton in their sailor ways, one and all, the mariners revered it as the white whale's talisman. Sometimes they talked it over in the weary watch by night, wondering whose it was to be at last, and whether he would ever live to spend it.

且说这块杜柏仑，是用最纯净、没有搀杂的黄金做成的，黄金是打大山底里挖出来的，而源流纷纷的帕克托拉斯河（帕克托拉斯河——古吕底亚国的小河，以产金沙著名。），正打那里的东边西边流过金沙地。它现在虽然被钉在锈得一塌糊涂的铁螺钉和发铜绿的铜长钉中，却仍一尘未染，依然保持它那基多的光辉。这块金币虽说置身在一群残酷的水手中间，每一小时都有这种残酷的人走过，也历经许多漆黑的漫长的夜晚，随时有被偷窃的可能，然而，每天早晨，那块金币还是象昨晚那样钉在那里。因为，它是被留下来作为达到那令人肃然起敬的目的的圣物；因此，不管水手们的生活多么放纵，他们人人都尊敬它，把它看做是治白鲸的护符。有时候，他们在疲累的值夜时光，也谈过它，不知这东西最后归谁所有，那个人是否有花它的命。

Now those noble golden coins of South America are as medals of the sun and tropic token-pieces. Here palms, alpacas, and volcanoes; sun's disks and stars, ecliptics, horns-of-plenty, and rich banners waving, are in luxuriant profusion stamped; so that the precious gold seems almost to derive an added preciousness and enhancing glories, by passing through those fancy mints, so Spanishly poetic.

这种贵重的南美洲的金币都是太阳和回归线的表征的勋章。那些棕榈树、羊驼和火山；太阳的表面和星星、黄道、丰饶角和色泽鲜艳的飞展的旗帜（以上指的都是南美各地的钱币上的花饰，如棕榈树为玻利维亚的钱币上的花饰，羊驼为玻利维亚和秘鲁的，火山为南秘鲁和智利的，太阳的表面为阿根廷的，星星为玻利维亚和厄瓜多尔的，黄道为巴西的，丰饶角为哥伦比亚和秘督的，旗帜为秘鲁的。），都被绚烂多彩地镌刻在那上面；所以，这块珍贵的金币，经过了这么富有西班牙的诗意，这么费尽心机铸造出来后，简直就是身价百倍、显显赫赫了。

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