Whaling is the work of hunting whales — going out in boats, killing them, and bringing them back to use. People did this for hundreds of years, mostly for the oil in a whale's body, which was burned in lamps before electricity, and also for the meat and the bones. So when you read about whaling in old books, it is a job, a whole industry, with whole towns living off it.

Whaling捕鯨 is the work of hunting whales是獵捕鯨魚的工作 — going out in boats出海搭船，killing them把牠們殺掉，and而 bringing them back to use帶回來使用。People人們 did this做這件事 for hundreds of years長達好幾百年，mostly主要是 for the oil in a whale's body為了鯨魚體內的油，which在電力出現之前 was burned in lamps before electricity被拿來點燈，and而 also for the meat and the bones也是為了取肉和骨頭。So所以 when you read about whaling in old books當你在舊書裡讀到捕鯨的事，it it is a job那是一份工作，a whole industry一整個產業，with而且 whole towns living off it整座整座的城鎮都靠它維生。

Today the word almost always comes with an argument attached. Most countries stopped whaling, and there is an international agreement against it, so now when someone says "whaling" in the news, they usually mean a country that still does it, and the sentence around the word is usually about whether it should be allowed. A few communities also do a small amount of whaling as part of their traditional way of living, and people argue about whether that is a different case.

Today如今 the word這個詞 almost always comes with an argument attached幾乎都帶著爭議。Most countries大部分國家 stopped whaling已經停止捕鯨，and而 there is an international agreement against it也有國際協議禁止這件事，so所以 now when someone says "whaling" in the news如今新聞裡有人說「捕鯨」時，they usually mean a country that still does it通常是指還在做這件事的國家，and而 the sentence around the word is usually about whether it should be allowed句子通常是在討論該不該准許。A few communities少數社群 also do a small amount of whaling也會做少量捕鯨 as part of their traditional way of living作為傳統生活方式的一部分，and而 people argue about whether that is a different case人們會爭論那是不是不同的情況。

Grammatically, note that "whaling" is not really the -ing form of a verb you will meet — nobody says "they are whaling" much in normal talk. It works as a noun ("whaling was banned") or sits in front of another noun ("a whaling ship", "the whaling industry", "a whaling town"). That last pattern is where you will see it most.

Grammatically文法上，note that請注意 "whaling"「whaling」 is not really the -ing form of a verb you will meet其實不太算是你會遇到的動詞的-ing形式 — nobody says "they are whaling" much in normal talk一般口語裡幾乎沒人說「they are whaling」。It它 works as a noun可以當名詞用 ("whaling was banned""whaling was banned") or或 sits in front of another noun放在另一個名詞前面 ("a whaling ship""a whaling ship", "the whaling industry""the whaling industry", "a whaling town""a whaling town")。That last pattern最後這種用法 is where you will see it most是你最常見到它的地方。