The Unreadable Brow
Champollion deciphered Egypt’s hieroglyphics, but no Champollion exists to read the Egypt of every face. Physiognomy, like every human science, is but a passing fable. If Sir William Jones, who read thirty languages, could not read the simplest peasant’s face, how can unlettered Ishmael hope to read the “awful Chaldee” of the whale’s brow? The chapter closes with the narrator placing that brow before the reader: “Read it if you can.”
第八十章 The Nut.
This chapter explores the anatomical mysteries of the sperm whale’s head and brain, challenging phrenological assumptions while proposing alternative methods for understanding the leviathan’s nature. Through detailed anatomical description and philosophical speculation, the chapter reveals the whale’s hidden intelligence and indomitable character.
The Whale’s Hidden Brain
The sperm whale’s skull measures at least twenty feet in length, with the visible head presenting a deceptive surface. When unhinged, the skull appears as an inclined plane, but in life it is squared by the enormous mass of junk and sperm. The true brain lies buried deep within—reposing in a cavity seldom exceeding ten inches in length and depth—positioned at least twenty feet from the apparent forehead. This brain is secreted like a choice casket behind vast outworks, analogous to the innermost citadel within the fortifications of Quebec. Some whalemen deny the whale possesses any brain beyond the cubic-yards of its sperm magazine, regarding the mysterious folds and convolutions as the seat of the whale’s intelligence.
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