Moby Dick; Or, The Whale — Page 13
"The Cachalot" (Sperm Whale) "is not only better armed than the True Whale" (Greenland or Right Whale) "in possessing a formidable weapon at either extremity of its body, but also more frequently displays a disposition to employ these weapons offensively and in manner at once so artful, bold, and mischievous, as to lead to its being regarded as the most dangerous to attack of all the known species of the whale tribe." —_Frederick Debell Bennett's Whaling Voyage Round the Globe_, 1840.
"El Cachalote" (Ballena Esperma) "no solo está mejor armado que la Verdadera Ballena" (Ballena de Groenlandia o Ballena Franca) "al poseer un arma formidable en cada extremo de su cuerpo, sino que también muestra con mayor frecuencia una disposición a emplear estas armas de manera ofensiva y de un modo a la vez tan astuto, audaz y travieso, que lleva a considerarlo como el más peligroso de atacar de todas las especies conocidas de la familia de las ballenas." —_Viaje Ballenero Alrededor del Globo de Frederick Debell Bennett_, 1840.
October 13. "There she blows," was sung out from the mast-head.
13 de octubre. «Ahí sopla», se gritó desde el tope del mástil.
"Where away?" demanded the captain.
«¿Por dónde?», exigió saber el capitán.
"Three points off the lee bow, sir."
«A tres cuartas de la proa de sotavento, señor.»
"Raise up your wheel. Steady!"
«¡Levante el timón. Firme!»
"Steady, sir."
«Firme, señor.»
"Mast-head ahoy! Do you see that whale now?"
«¡Vigía del tope! ¿Ve usted esa ballena ahora?»
"Ay ay, sir! A shoal of Sperm Whales! There she blows! There she breaches!"
«¡Sí, señor! ¡Un banco de Cachalotes! ¡Ahí sopla! ¡Ahí salta!»
"Sing out! sing out every time!"
«¡Grite! ¡grite cada vez!»
"Ay Ay, sir! There she blows! there—there—_thar_ she blows—bowes—bo-o-os!"
«¡Sí, señor! ¡Ahí sopla! ¡allí—allí—_allí_ sopla—sopla—so-o-opla!»
"How far off?" "Two miles and a half."
«¿A qué distancia?» «A dos millas y media.»
"Thunder and lightning! so near! Call all hands." —_J. Ross Browne's Etchings of a Whaling Cruize_. 1846.
«¡Truenos y relámpagos! ¡tan cerca! Llame a toda la tripulación.» —_Grabados de un Crucero Ballenero de J. Ross Browne_. 1846.
"The Whale-ship Globe, on board of which vessel occurred the horrid transactions we are about to relate, belonged to the island of Nantucket." —"_Narrative of the Globe Mutiny_," _by Lay and Hussey survivors. A.D._ 1828.
«El ballenero Globe, a bordo del cual ocurrieron los horribles sucesos que estamos a punto de relatar, pertenecía a la isla de Nantucket.» —«_Narración del Motín del Globe_,» _por los supervivientes Lay y Hussey. A.D._ 1828.
Vocabulary
- Cachalote
- Sperm whale, large toothed whale of the ocean
- Ballena
- Whale, large marine mammal
- Esperma
- Sperm, as in sperm whale or biological fluid
- solo
- Alone or only, without others present
- mejor
- Better or best, comparative adjective of quality
- armado
- Armed, equipped with weapons or defenses
- Verdadera
- True or genuine, feminine form of 'verdadero'
- Groenlandia
- Greenland, large Arctic island territory
- Franca
- Frank or free; also refers to right whale species
- poseer
- To possess or own something
- arma
- Weapon or arm used for attack or defense
- formidable
- Formidable, inspiring fear or respect due to strength
- cada
- Each or every, referring to individual items
- extremo
- Extreme end or tip of something
- cuerpo
- Body, the physical structure of a living being
- sino
- But rather, used to contradict a negative statement
- también
- Also or too, indicating addition to previous information
- muestra
- Shows or displays; also a sample or specimen
- mayor
- Greater, larger, or older comparative adjective
- frecuencia
- Frequency, how often something occurs
- disposición
- Disposition, tendency or willingness to act
- emplear
- To employ, use, or make use of something
- armas
- Weapons, plural of 'arma'
- manera
- Manner or way of doing something
- ofensiva
- Offensive, relating to attack rather than defense
- modo
- Mode, way, or manner of doing something
- vez
- Time or occasion, as in 'una vez' meaning 'once'
- tan
- So or as, used in comparisons of degree
- astuto
- Cunning, clever, or shrewd in behavior
- audaz
- Bold, daring, or audacious in action
- travieso
- Mischievous or naughty, prone to causing trouble
- lleva
- Leads or carries; third person singular of 'llevar'
- considerarlo
- To consider it, infinitive with object pronoun attached
- peligroso
- Dangerous, posing a risk or threat
- atacar
- To attack or assault someone or something
- especies
- Species, biological classification grouping of organisms
- conocidas
- Known or familiar, feminine plural past participle
- familia
- Family, a group of related people or species
- ballenas
- Whales, plural of 'ballena'
- Viaje
- Journey or voyage to a destination
- Ballenero
- Whaling ship or person who hunts whales
- Alrededor
- Around or surrounding something
- Globo
- Globe or balloon, spherical object or the Earth
- octubre
- October, the tenth month of the year
- Ahí
- There, indicating a nearby place or location
- sopla
- Blows, third person singular of 'soplar'
- gritó
- Shouted or yelled, past tense of 'gritar'
- desde
- From or since, indicating starting point in time or space
- tope
- Top or masthead of a ship's mast
- mástil
- Mast, tall vertical pole on a ship
- dónde
- Where, interrogative adverb of place
- exigió
- Demanded or required, past tense of 'exigir'
- saber
- To know information or how to do something
- capitán
- Captain, leader or commander of a ship
- cuartas
- Quarters, fourth parts; also points of compass bearing
- proa
- Bow, the front part of a ship
- sotavento
- Leeward, the side sheltered from the wind
- señor
- Mister or sir, a respectful address for a man
- Levante
- East wind; also imperative meaning 'raise' or 'lift'
- timón
- Helm or rudder used to steer a ship
- Firme
- Steady or firm; command to hold course steadily
- Vigía
- Lookout or watchman stationed to spot dangers
- Ve
- See or go, imperative form of 'ver' or 'ir'
- usted
- You, formal second person singular pronoun
- ahora
- Now, at the present moment in time
- banco
- Bank or school, group of fish or whales swimming together
- Cachalotes
- Sperm whales, plural of 'cachalote'
- salta
- Jumps or leaps, third person singular of 'saltar'
- Grite
- Shout, formal imperative of 'gritar'
- allí
- There, indicating a distant place or location
- distancia
- Distance, the space between two points
- millas
- Miles, units of distance measurement
- media
- Half or medium; feminine form of 'medio'
- Truenos
- Thunder, loud sound produced during storms
- relámpagos
- Lightning flashes during a thunderstorm
- cerca
- Near or close, indicating short distance
- Llame
- Call, formal imperative of 'llamar'
- tripulación
- Crew, the people working aboard a ship
- Grabados
- Engravings or illustrations printed in a publication
- Crucero
- Cruise ship or cruiser; a sea voyage
- bordo
- Aboard, on board a ship or vessel
- cual
- Which or whom, relative pronoun in Spanish
- ocurrieron
- Occurred or happened, past tense of 'ocurrir'
- horribles
- Horrible or dreadful, causing horror or disgust
- sucesos
- Events or incidents that take place
- punto
- Point or moment, a specific place or instant
- relatar
- To recount or narrate a story or events
- pertenecía
- Belonged to, imperfect tense of 'pertenecer'
- isla
- Island, land completely surrounded by water
- Narración
- Narration or account, telling of a story
- Motín
- Mutiny or riot, rebellion against authority
- supervivientes
- Survivors, people who lived through a disaster
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