Perhaps the only formal whaling code authorized by legislative enactment, was that of Holland. It was decreed by the States-General in A.D. 1695. But though no other nation has ever had any written whaling law, yet the American fishermen have been their own legislators and lawyers in this matter. They have provided a system which for terse comprehensiveness surpasses Justinian's Pandects and the By-laws of the Chinese Society for the Suppression of Meddling with other People's Business. Yes; these laws might be engraven on a Queen Anne's farthing, or the barb of a harpoon, and worn round the neck, so small are they.
由立法手续制订出来的唯一正式的捕鲸法典，也许应该算是荷兰那部法典。这部法典，由国会颁布于一六九五年。虽然其它国家从来没有订过任何捕鲸的成文法，然而，美国的捕鲸者在这方面却有他们自己的立法者和律师。他们规定了一套制度，这套制度，就其简单明了说来，可说远远超过《查士丁尼法典》（《查士丁尼法典》——东罗马拜占庭皇帝查士丁尼（483—565）所编纂的一部《罗马民法法典》。）和中国社会通行的莫管闲事的私法（这里是作者的讽喻，意指我国旧社会的俗谚："各人自扫门前雪，莫管他人瓦上霜"。）。真的，这些法律条文之简短，也许可以把它镌刻在一个安妮女王的铜元上，刻在标枪倒钩上或挂在颈脖子上。
I. A Fast-Fish belongs to the party fast to it.
（1）有主鲸属于将鲸拴住的一方。
II. A Loose-Fish is fair game for anybody who can soonest catch it.
（2）无主鲸是谁先捉到，就归谁所有的一种来路正当的猎物。
But what plays the mischief with this masterly code is the admirable brevity of it, which necessitates a vast volume of commentaries to expound it.
可是，这个巧妙的规章的毛病，正是出在它本身的过于简赅上，这须得写下一卷注释浩瀚的书，才能把它说得清楚。
First: What is a Fast-Fish? Alive or dead a fish is technically fast, when it is connected with an occupied ship or boat, by any medium at all controllable by the occupant or occupants,—a mast, an oar, a nine-inch cable, a telegraph wire, or a strand of cobweb, it is all the same.
首先：什么叫做有主鲸？活鲸和死鲸之所以跟一艘有主船或一只有主小艇发生关系，顾名思义，是因为所有主通过完全由其掌握的任何工具——比如一支桅，一把桨，一根九英寸长的缆索，一根电线，或者一张网等等将鲸拴住了，
