第七十六章 攻城槌
在暂时离开抹香鲸的头部之前，我愿请你，作为一个明智的生理学家，仅仅——尤其留意它那紧凑聚合的正面。我愿你现在就带着唯一的目的去考察它：为自己形成某种毫不夸张、明智的估计，弄清那里可能蕴藏着何等样的攻城槌之力。这是关键的一点；因为你必须自己满意地了结此事，否则便永远只能做一个不信者，怀疑那或许在整个有记载的历史中 anywhere 所能找到的最令人惊骇、却同样真实的事件之一。
你观察到，在抹香鲸寻常的游水姿态中，它头部的前面几乎以一完全垂直的平面朝向水流；你观察到那前面的下部相当向后倾斜，以便为接纳如吊杆般的下颌的长窝提供更多的退避之处；你观察到嘴全然位于头下，实在颇似你自己的嘴全然位于下巴之下。此外你观察到鲸没有外鼻；而它所有的鼻——它的喷孔——是在头顶之上；你观察到它的眼与耳在头的两侧，距前端几近全长的三分之一。由此，你现在必定已察觉，抹香鲸头部的前面是一堵死寂、盲目的墙，没有任何器官或任何种类的柔嫩隆起。再者，你现在要考虑，唯有在头部前端那极端的、下部的、向后倾斜的部分，才有一丝最微弱的骨迹；而直到你离前额近二十英尺处，才抵达完整的颅腔发育。因而这整团无骨的巨块便如同一枚填塞物。最后，虽则正如不久将揭示的，其内容部分包含最精细的油；然而，你现在要知晓那以不可穿透之势包裹这一切表观柔弱的物质的本性。在前面某处我已向你描述过脂膏如何包裹鲸身，如橘皮包裹橘肉。头部亦然；但有一异：头部这层外裹虽不那般厚，却具无骨之韧，非亲手摸过者不能估量。最尖利的标枪，最强壮手臂投出的最锐鱼叉，都无力地从它弹回。仿佛抹香鲸的前额铺满了马蹄。我不以为其中有任何知觉潜伏。
还请你思及另一事。当两艘满载的大型印度商船在船坞中偶然挤撞相向时，水手们做什么？他们不在将触之处悬以任何仅只坚硬之物，如铁或木。不，他们于那里持一大团圆滚的麻絮与软木，外裹以最厚最韧的牛皮。那勇敢地、无伤地承受了本可折断他们所有橡木撬棍与铁撬杆的挤压。单凭此便足以阐明我所力陈的显明事实。但对此补充而言，我曾假想，既然寻常鱼体内有所谓鳔，能随意胀缩；而抹香鲸，据我所知，体内无此装置；又念及他此刻将头全然沉于水下、忽而又高高昂出水面游弋的那否则难解之态；念及那外裹无碍的弹性；念及他头部独特的内部；我曾假想，我说，那些如肺胞般的神秘蜂房，或许与外层空气有某种迄今未知与未疑的关联，从而能受大气胀缩之影响。若果如此，试想那最不可捉摸且最具毁灭性的一切元素所助成的力量，其不可抵御将何如。
现在，注意。准确无误地推动这堵死寂、不可穿透、不可损伤的墙，以及墙内这最浮升之物者；其身后游动着一团可怖的生命，唯以层叠木材之法——以绳量之——方能恰当估量；且全数服从一意，如最小昆虫。因而待我日后向你细述这庞然怪物处处潜伏的诸般威力之特殊与集中；待我向你展示它某些较不足道的碎脑之举；我信你将已弃绝一切无知的疑不信，并准备信守此言：纵使抹香鲸撞穿达里安地峡，混大西洋于太平洋，你也不会抬起一毫眉。因为除非你认领这鲸，你于真理不过是乡曲与多感之人。但澄明真理唯 salamander 巨人所可直面；乡曲之机微矣几何？那在莱伊斯揭开可怖女神面纱的孱弱少年，遭了什么？
Ere quitting, for the nonce, the Sperm Whale’s head, I would have you,
as a sensible physiologist, simply—particularly remark its front
aspect, in all its compacted collectedness. I would have you
investigate it now with the sole view of forming to yourself some
unexaggerated, intelligent estimate of whatever battering-ram power may
be lodged there. Here is a vital point; for you must either
satisfactorily settle this matter with yourself, or for ever remain an
infidel as to one of the most appalling, but not the less true events,
perhaps anywhere to be found in all recorded history.
You observe that in the ordinary swimming position of the Sperm Whale,
the front of his head presents an almost wholly vertical plane to the
water; you observe that the lower part of that front slopes
considerably backwards, so as to furnish more of a retreat for the long
socket which receives the boom-like lower jaw; you observe that the
mouth is entirely under the head, much in the same way, indeed, as
though your own mouth were entirely under your chin. Moreover you
observe that the whale has no external nose; and that what nose he
has—his spout hole—is on the top of his head; you observe that his eyes
and ears are at the sides of his head, nearly one third of his entire
length from the front. Wherefore, you must now have perceived that the
front of the Sperm Whale’s head is a dead, blind wall, without a single
organ or tender prominence of any sort whatsoever. Furthermore, you are
now to consider that only in the extreme, lower, backward sloping part
of the front of the head, is there the slightest vestige of bone; and
not till you get near twenty feet from the forehead do you come to the
full cranial development. So that this whole enormous boneless mass is
as one wad. Finally, though, as will soon be revealed, its contents
partly comprise the most delicate oil; yet, you are now to be apprised
of the nature of the substance which so impregnably invests all that
apparent effeminacy. In some previous place I have described to you how
the blubber wraps the body of the whale, as the rind wraps an orange.
Just so with the head; but with this difference: about the head this
envelope, though not so thick, is of a boneless toughness, inestimable
by any man who has not handled it. The severest pointed harpoon, the
sharpest lance darted by the strongest human arm, impotently rebounds
from it. It is as though the forehead of the Sperm Whale were paved
with horses’ hoofs. I do not think that any sensation lurks in it.
Bethink yourself also of another thing. When two large, loaded Indiamen
chance to crowd and crush towards each other in the docks, what do the
sailors do? They do not suspend between them, at the point of coming
contact, any merely hard substance, like iron or wood. No, they hold
there a large, round wad of tow and cork, enveloped in the thickest and
toughest of ox-hide. That bravely and uninjured takes the jam which
would have snapped all their oaken handspikes and iron crow-bars. By
itself this sufficiently illustrates the obvious fact I drive at. But
supplementary to this, it has hypothetically occurred to me, that as
ordinary fish possess what is called a swimming bladder in them,
capable, at will, of distension or contraction; and as the Sperm Whale,
as far as I know, has no such provision in him; considering, too, the
otherwise inexplicable manner in which he now depresses his head
altogether beneath the surface, and anon swims with it high elevated
out of the water; considering the unobstructed elasticity of its
envelope; considering the unique interior of his head; it has
hypothetically occurred to me, I say, that those mystical lung-celled
honeycombs there may possibly have some hitherto unknown and
unsuspected connexion with the outer air, so as to be susceptible to
atmospheric distension and contraction. If this be so, fancy the
irresistibleness of that might, to which the most impalpable and
destructive of all elements contributes.
Now, mark. Unerringly impelling this dead, impregnable, uninjurable
wall, and this most buoyant thing within; there swims behind it all a
mass of tremendous life, only to be adequately estimated as piled wood
is—by the cord; and all obedient to one volition, as the smallest
insect. So that when I shall hereafter detail to you all the
specialities and concentrations of potency everywhere lurking in this
expansive monster; when I shall show you some of his more
inconsiderable braining feats; I trust you will have renounced all
ignorant incredulity, and be ready to abide by this; that though the
Sperm Whale stove a passage through the Isthmus of Darien, and mixed
the Atlantic with the Pacific, you would not elevate one hair of your
eye-brow. For unless you own the whale, you are but a provincial and
sentimentalist in Truth. But clear Truth is a thing for salamander
giants only to encounter; how small the chances for the provincials
then? What befell the weakling youth lifting the dread goddess’s veil
at Lais?
