But when, some year or two afterwards, Moby Dick was fairly sighted from the mast-heads, Macey, the chief mate, burned with ardor to encounter him; and the captain himself being not unwilling to let him have the opportunity, despite all the archangel's denunciations and forewarnings, Macey succeeded in persuading five men to man his boat. With them he pushed off; and, after much weary pulling, and many perilous, unsuccessful onsets, he at last succeeded in getting one iron fast.
但是，过了一两年后，当桅顶上清清楚楚地看到莫比－迪克的时候，那个叫做梅赛的大副，却热火中烧地要去攻打它。船长本人也并不是不愿意让他有个显显身手的机会，所以，梅赛不顾这个天使长的一切恐吓和警告，终于说服了五个水手上他的小艇去。他就带着他们一起冲出去；经过了非常疲累的扳桨，碰到了许多危险和不顺利的攻击后，总算让他狠狠地戳到一枪。
Meantime, Gabriel, ascending to the main-royal mast-head, was tossing one arm in frantic gestures, and hurling forth prophecies of speedy doom to the sacrilegious assailants of his divinity. Now, while Macey, the mate, was standing up in his boat's bow, and with all the reckless energy of his tribe was venting his wild exclamations upon the whale, and essaying to get a fair chance for his poised lance, lo! a broad white shadow rose from the sea; by its quick, fanning motion, temporarily taking the breath out of the bodies of the oarsmen. Next instant, the luckless mate, so full of furious life, was smitten bodily into the air, and making a long arc in his descent, fell into the sea at the distance of about fifty yards. Not a chip of the boat was harmed, nor a hair of any oarsman's head; but the mate for ever sank.
这时，爬在最高的主桅顶上的迦百列，却在狂挥乱舞地摇着他的胳膊，大肆发出预言，声称谁敢冒渎地杀害他的天神，就会立遭大难。且说正当大副梅赛站在艇头上，鼓起他的种族的全副蛮劲，对那大鲸狂呼狂喊，企图给他那斜起的投枪找个好机会的时候，哎哟，海里突然冒出一个巨大的白影子来；眼看它那迅速而不住甩尾的动作，一时间把桨手们都吓楞了。再一会儿，那个倒运的大副，本来是那么生气蓬勃，身体一下子给抛向空际，又成个大弧形落了下来，跌在相距约五十码的海里。那只小艇虽然毫无损伤，桨手们也毫发无损，可是，那个大副却就此永远沉在海里了。
