In The Heart Of The Sea： Preface _ Part1

Source
http://nathanielphilbrick.com/books/in-the-heart-of-the-sea/preface/

February 23, 1821

Like a giant bird of prey, the whaleship moved lazily up the western coast of South America, zigging and zagging across a living sea of oil. For that was the Pacific Ocean in 1821, a vast field of warm-blooded oil deposits known as sperm whales.

Harvesting sperm whales—the largest toothed whales in existence—was no easy matter. Six men would set out from the ship in a small boat, row up to their quarry, harpoon it, then attempt to stab it to death with a lance. The sixty-ton creature could destroy the whaleboat with a flick of its tail, throwing the men into the cold ocean water, often miles from the ship.

whaleship n. 捕鯨船
lazily up ph. 懶洋洋地起來
coast n. 海岸
zigging and zagging n. 曲曲折折 像Z一樣
a living sea of oil n. 有生命的石油海
the Pacific Ocean n. 太平洋 ( Pacific ~= Peace )
sperm whales n. 抹香鯨
sperm n. 精蟲
whales n. 鯨魚
a vast field of warm-blooded oil deposits known as sperm whales.
一個廣闊領域之溫血石油存量被稱為抹香鯨。

Harvesting n. 捕獲 / 收穫 / 收成
the largest toothed whales n. 最大的齒鯨在現存裡
set out v. 啟程
row (up) v.開始划船
quarry n. 獵物 / 採石場
harpoon n. 魚叉
harpoon it ph. 叉它
stab v. 刺
lance n. 槊, 長矛
a flick n. 拍動
tail n. 尾巴
miles n. 英里 ~= 1.6 kilometer