Steering¹ now south-eastward by Ahab's levelled steel, and her progress solely² determined³ by Ahab's level log and line; the Pequod held on her path towards the Equator. Making so long a passage through such unfrequented waters, descrying⁴ no ships, and ere long, sideways impelled⁵ by unvarying trade winds, over waves monotonously⁶ mild; all these seemed the strange calm things preluding some riotous⁷ and desperate scene.

At last, when the ship drew near to the outskirts⁸, as it were, of the Equatorial fishing-ground, and in the deep darkness that goes before the dawn, was sailing by a cluster of rocky islets; the watch--then headed by Flask¹⁰--was startled by a cry so plaintively¹¹ wild and unearthly--like half-articulated wailings of the ghosts of all Herod's murdered Innocents--that one and all, they started from their reveries, and for the space of some moments stood, or sat, or leaned all transfixed by listening, like the carved Roman slave, while that wild cry remained within hearing. The Christian¹³ or civilized¹⁴ part of the crew said it was mermaids¹⁵, and

点击收听单词发音  

1 steering
n.操舵装置
参考例句：
He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration. 他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。 Steering according to the wind, he also framed his words more amicably. 他真会看风使舵，口吻也马上变得温和了。

2 solely
adv.仅仅，唯一地
参考例句：
Success should not be measured solely by educational achievement.成功与否不应只用学业成绩来衡量。 The town depends almost solely on the tourist trade.这座城市几乎完全靠旅游业维持。

3 determined
adj.坚定的；有决心的
参考例句：
I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。 He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

4 descrying
v.被看到的，被发现的，被注意到的( descried的过去分词 )
参考例句：

5 impelled
v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He felt impelled to investigate further. 他觉得有必要作进一步调查。 I feel impelled to express grave doubts about the project. 我觉得不得不对这项计划深表怀疑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 monotonously
adv.单调地，无变化地
参考例句：
The lecturer phrased monotonously. 这位讲师用词单调。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The maid, still in tears, sniffed monotonously. 侍女还在哭，发出单调的抽泣声。 来自辞典例句

7 riotous
adj.骚乱的；狂欢的
参考例句：
Summer is in riotous profusion.盛夏的大地热闹纷繁。 We spent a riotous night at Christmas.我们度过了一个狂欢之夜。

8 outskirts
n.郊外，郊区
参考例句：
Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。 They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

9 fore
adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部
参考例句：
Your seat is in the fore part of the aircraft.你的座位在飞机的前部。 I have the gift of fore knowledge.我能够未卜先知。

10 flask
n.瓶，火药筒，砂箱
参考例句：
There is some deposit in the bottom of the flask.这只烧杯的底部有些沉淀物。 He took out a metal flask from a canvas bag.他从帆布包里拿出一个金属瓶子。

11 plaintively
adv.悲哀地，哀怨地
参考例句：
The last note of the song rang out plaintively. 歌曲最后道出了离别的哀怨。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Birds cry plaintively before they die, men speak kindly in the presence of death. 鸟之将死，其鸣也哀；人之将死，其言也善。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

12 wail
vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸
参考例句：
Somewhere in the audience an old woman's voice began plaintive wail.观众席里，一位老太太伤心地哭起来。 One of the small children began to wail with terror.小孩中的一个吓得大哭起来。

13 Christian
adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒
参考例句：
They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。 His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

14 civilized
a.有教养的，文雅的
参考例句：
Racism is abhorrent to a civilized society. 文明社会憎恶种族主义。 rising crime in our so-called civilized societies 在我们所谓文明社会中日益增多的犯罪行为

15 mermaids
n.（传说中的）美人鱼( mermaid的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The high stern castle was a riot or carved gods, demons, knights, kings, warriors, mermaids, cherubs. 其尾部高耸的船楼上雕满了神仙、妖魔鬼怪、骑士、国王、勇士、美人鱼、天使。 来自辞典例句 This is why mermaids should never come on land. 这就是为什么人鱼不应该上岸的原因。 来自电影对白

16 shuddered
v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动
参考例句：
He slammed on the brakes and the car shuddered to a halt. 他猛踩刹车，车颤抖着停住了。 来自《简明英汉词典》 I shuddered at the sight of the dead body. 我一看见那尸体就战栗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 mariner
n.水手号不载人航天探测器，海员，航海者
参考例句：
A smooth sea never made a skillful mariner.平静的大海决不能造就熟练的水手。 A mariner must have his eye upon rocks and sands as well as upon the North Star.海员不仅要盯着北极星，还要注意暗礁和险滩。

18 cubs
n.幼小的兽，不懂规矩的年轻人( cub的名词复数 )
参考例句：
a lioness guarding her cubs 守护幼崽的母狮 Lion cubs depend on their mother to feed them. 狮子的幼仔依靠母狮喂养。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 sobbing
<主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的
参考例句：
I heard a child sobbing loudly. 我听见有个孩子在呜呜地哭。 Her eyes were red with recent sobbing. 她的眼睛因刚哭过而发红。

20 affected
adj.不自然的，假装的
参考例句：
She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。 His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

21 hem
n.贴边，镶边；vt.缝贴边；(in)包围，限制
参考例句：
The hem on her skirt needs sewing.她裙子上的褶边需要缝一缝。 The hem of your dress needs to be let down an inch.你衣服的折边有必要放长1英寸。

22 mariners
海员，水手（mariner的复数形式）
参考例句：
Mariners were also able to fix their latitude by using an instrument called astrolabe. 海员们还可使用星盘这种仪器确定纬度。 The ancient mariners traversed the sea. 古代的海员漂洋过海。

23 superstitious
adj.迷信的
参考例句：
They aim to deliver the people who are in bondage to superstitious belief.他们的目的在于解脱那些受迷信束缚的人。 These superstitious practices should be abolished as soon as possible.这些迷信做法应尽早取消。

24 peculiar
adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的
参考例句：
He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。 He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

25 distress
n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛
参考例句：
Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。 Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

26 destined
adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的
参考例句：
It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。 The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

27 plausible
adj.似真实的，似乎有理的，似乎可信的
参考例句：
His story sounded plausible.他说的那番话似乎是真实的。 Her story sounded perfectly plausible.她的说辞听起来言之有理。

28 confirmation
n.证实，确认，批准
参考例句：
We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。 We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

29 perch
n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于
参考例句：
The bird took its perch.鸟停歇在栖木上。 Little birds perch themselves on the branches.小鸟儿栖歇在树枝上。

30 phantom
n.幻影，虚位，幽灵；adj.错觉的，幻影的，幽灵的
参考例句：
I found myself staring at her as if she were a phantom.我发现自己瞪大眼睛看着她，好像她是一个幽灵。 He is only a phantom of a king.他只是有名无实的国王。

31 buoy
n.浮标；救生圈；v.支持，鼓励
参考例句：
The party did little to buoy up her spirits.这次聚会并没有让她振作多少。 The buoy floated back and forth in the shallow water.这个浮标在浅水里漂来漂去。

32 parched
adj.焦干的；极渴的；v.（使）焦干
参考例句：
Hot winds parched the crops.热风使庄稼干透了。 The land in this region is rather dry and parched.这片土地十分干燥。

33 portent
n.预兆；恶兆；怪事
参考例句：
I see it as a portent of things to come.我把它看作是将要到来的事物的前兆。 As for her engagement with Adam,I would say the portents are gloomy.至于她和亚当的婚约，我看兆头不妙。

34 presaged
v.预示，预兆( presage的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
This experience presaged my later return as CEA chairman in 2003. 这次的经历预示了我作为经济顾问理事会主席在2003年的回归。 来自互联网 He emphasized self-expression, the warm personal note presaged by C.P.E. Bach and Mozart. 他强调自我表现，这种热情的、带有个人色彩的表现足巴赫和莫扎特所预示过的。 来自互联网

35 shrieks
n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
shrieks of fiendish laughter 恶魔般的尖笑声 For years, from newspapers, broadcasts, the stages and at meetings, we had heard nothing but grandiloquent rhetoric delivered with shouts and shrieks that deafened the ears. 多少年来， 报纸上， 广播里， 舞台上， 会场上的声嘶力竭，装腔做态的高调搞得我们震耳欲聋。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

36 nay
adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者
参考例句：
He was grateful for and proud of his son's remarkable,nay,unique performance.他为儿子出色的，不，应该是独一无二的表演心怀感激和骄傲。 Long essays,nay,whole books have been written on this.许多长篇大论的文章，不，应该说是整部整部的书都是关于这件事的。

37 feverish
adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的
参考例句：
He is too feverish to rest.他兴奋得安静不下来。 They worked with feverish haste to finish the job.为了完成此事他们以狂热的速度工作着。

38 toil
vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事
参考例句：
The wealth comes from the toil of the masses.财富来自大众的辛勤劳动。 Every single grain is the result of toil.每一粒粮食都来之不易。

39 coffin
n.棺材，灵柩
参考例句：
When one's coffin is covered,all discussion about him can be settled.盖棺论定。 The coffin was placed in the grave.那口棺材已安放到坟墓里去了。

40 melancholy
n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的
参考例句：
All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。 He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过，他感到很郁闷。

41 caulk
v.堵缝
参考例句：
Shipbuilders caulk wooden boats with oakum and tar.造船工匠用麻丝和沥青填塞木船缝隙。 The sailors couldn't find anything to caulk the seam in the boat.水手们找不到任何东西来填塞船上的裂缝。

42 brats
n.调皮捣蛋的孩子( brat的名词复数 )
参考例句：
I've been waiting to get my hands on you brats. 我等着干你们这些小毛头已经很久了。 来自电影对白 The charming family had turned into a parcel of brats. 那个可爱的家庭一下子变成了一窝臭小子。 来自互联网

43 virgin
n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的
参考例句：
Have you ever been to a virgin forest?你去过原始森林吗？ There are vast expanses of virgin land in the remote regions.在边远地区有大片大片未开垦的土地。

44 ashore
adv.在(向)岸上，上岸
参考例句：
The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前，孩子们就上岸了。 He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。

45 knotty
adj.有结的，多节的，多瘤的，棘手的
参考例句：
Under his leadership,many knotty problems were smoothly solved.在他的领导下，许多伤脑筋的问题都迎刃而解。 She met with a lot of knotty problems.她碰上了许多棘手的问题。

46 hemlock
n.毒胡萝卜，铁杉
参考例句：
He was condemned to drink a cup of hemlock.判处他喝一杯毒汁。 Here is a beech by the side of a hemlock,with three pines at hand.这儿有株山毛榉和一株铁杉长在一起，旁边还有三株松树。

47 budge
v.移动一点儿；改变立场
参考例句：
We tried to lift the rock but it wouldn't budge.我们试图把大石头抬起来，但它连动都没动一下。 She wouldn't budge on the issue.她在这个问题上不肯让步。

48 coffins
n.棺材( coffin的名词复数 )；使某人早亡[死，完蛋，垮台等]之物
参考例句：
The shop was close and hot, and the atmosphere seemed tainted with the smell of coffins. 店堂里相当闷热，空气仿佛被棺木的味儿污染了。 来自辞典例句 Donate some coffins to the temple, equal to the number of deaths. 到寺庙里，捐赠棺材盒给这些死者吧。 来自电影对白

49 stash
v.藏或贮存于一秘密处所；n.隐藏处
参考例句：
Stash away both what you lost and gained,for life continues on.将得失深藏心底吧，为了那未来的生活。 That's supposed to be in our private stash.这是我的私人珍藏。

50 hull
n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳
参考例句：
The outer surface of ship's hull is very hard.船体的外表面非常坚硬。 The boat's hull has been staved in by the tremendous seas.小船壳让巨浪打穿了。