messer marco polo-第4节

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rms；　cheering　or　grumbling；　and　arguing　the　rights　and　wrongs　of　the　matter。　All　but　the　sea…captain；　who　saw　it　all；　and　he　never　blinked　an　eyelid；　never　even　missed　a　draw　of　the　pipe。

And　then　Marco　Polo　knew　him　to　be　a　Chinaman；　because；　as　all　the　world　knows；　Chinamen　are　never　surprised　at　anything。



CHAPTER　IV

So　Marco　Polo　goes　over　and　salutes　him　politely。

〃I　wonder　if　you　mind　my　sitting　down　by　you　for　a　while；〃　he　says。　〃I　perceive　you're　from　China。〃

The　sea…captain　waves　him　politely　to　his　place。

〃I'm　from　China。〃　　He　smiles。　　〃You　guessed　right。〃

〃Is　it　long　since　you've　been　in　China？〃

〃Well；　that　depends　upon　what　you　call　long；〃　says　the　captain。　〃If　you　mean　time；　it's　one　thing。　　If　you　mean　voyage；　it's　another。　For　you've　got　to　take　into　account；〃　says　he；　〃adverse　winds；　roundabout　turns　to　avoid　currents；　possible　delays　to　have　the　ship　scraped　free　from　the　parasite　life　that　does　be　attaching　itself　to　the　strakes；　time　spent　in　barter　and　trade。　　Other　matters；　too；　the　attacks　of　pirates；　cross…grained　princes　who　don't　want　you　to　be　leaving　their　ports　with　a　good　cargo　in　your　hold；　sickness；　loss　of　sails　and　masts；　repairs　to　the　ship。　　It　wasn't　a　short　journey　and　it　wasn't　a　long　one。〃

〃It　will　be　a　long　ways　to　China；　I'm　thinking。〃

〃I　can　tell　you　how　long　it　is　from　China　to　here；　and　you　can　reverse　that；　and　you　will　get　a　fair　idea　of　how　long　it　is　from　here　to　China。　　I　left　Zeitoon　with　a　cargo　of　porcelain　for　Japan；　and　traded　it　for　gold…dust；　and　from　Japan　I　went　to　Chamba　to　lay　in　a　store　of　chessmen　and　pen…cases。　　And　from　Chamba　I　sailed　to　Java；　which　is　the　greatest　island　in　the　world。　　Java　is　fifteen　hundred　miles　from　Chamba；　south　and　southeast；　and　it　took　me　four　months　sailing；　but　a　sea…captain　cannot　pass　Java　by；　for　it　is　the　chief　place　for　black　pepper；　nutmegs；　spikenard；　galingale；　cubebs；　doves；　and　all　the　spices　that　grow。

〃And　I　stopped　at　various　small　islands　from　there；　until　I　came　to　Basma；　which　is　the　island　of　the　unicorns。　　And　there　we　trade　in　pygmies；　which　ignorant　people　think　are　human　folk。　　They　are　just　a　wee　monkey；　with　all　the　hair　plucked　out　except　the　hair　of　the　beard。　　There　is　great　money　in　them。

〃I　stopped　at　Sumatra　for　cocoanuts　and　toddy；　and　just　for　water　at　Dragoian。　　Dragoian　is　not　a　good　city。　　It　is　filled　with　sorcerers　who　have　tattooed　faces。　　At　Lambri　I　put　in　for　the　sago　you　buy　from　the　hairy　men　with　tails。

〃Son；　never　stop　at　the　isle　of　Andaman。　　The　men　there　have　faces　like　dogs。　　They　are　a　cruel　generation；　and　eat　every　one　they　can　catch。　　I　could　tell　you　a　story；　but　I　would　not　spoil　this　fine　spring　night。　　Go　rather　to　the　island　of　Ceylon；　and　see　the　King's　Ruby；　which　is　the　greatest　jewel　in　the　world。　　I　stopped　there　and　at　Coromandel　for　the　pearls　the　divers　go　down　in　the　sea　for；　and　there　are　no　clothes　on　that　island；　so　that　every　one　goes　naked　as　a　fish。　　And　there　is　the　shrine　of　Saint　Thomas。　　I　was　there。　

〃Gujarat；　Tana；　I　stopped　there。　　The　Male　and　Female　Islands　I　put　into　for　ambergris。　　Svestra；　which　is　full　of　magicians　　I　was　there；　too。　　Madagascar　and　Zanzibar；　where　they　live　on　camel　flesh；　I　was　there。　　And　from　Zanzibar　I　came　north　to　Abyssinia；　because　I　had　to　get　an　ostrich　there　for　the　King　of　Siam。　　And　there　was　a　letter　and　a　parcel　for　the　Sultan　of　Egypt。　　So　I　went　to　Cairo。　　I　had　a　month　on　my　hands；　so　I　thought　I'd　run　over　and　see　Venice；　because　it's　a　hobby　of　mine；　you　might　say；　to　see　the　world。

〃Now　let　me　reckon。　　Four　and　three　makes　seven；　and　four　more　are　eleven；　and　six　are　seventeen；　and　let　us　say　nine　with　that；　and　you　have　twenty…six。　　And　the　month　I'm　forgettng　on　the　rocks　of　　Aden　is　twenty…seven；　and　a　week　here　and　a　week　there　for　bad　winds　and　such　like。　　It　would　be　safe　to　put　that　at　three　months。　　So　it's　two　years　and　a　half　since　I　left　China。〃

〃You　never；〃　says　young　Marco；　〃met　anybody　in　China　by　the　name　of　Polo？〃

〃Poh…lo？　　Poh…lo？　　China's　a　bigger　place　nor　you　would　imagine；　laddie。　　There's　half　a　hundred　million　people　there。〃

〃These　were　foreigners；〃　Marco　explained；　〃traders。　　They　were　at　the　court　of　the　great　Khan。〃

〃Polo？　　Polo？　　Well；　now；　I　think　I've　heard　of　them。　　Was　one　of　them　a　big　red…bearded　man　with　a　great　eye　for　a　horse　and　a　great　eye　for　a　woman？〃

〃That　would　be　my　Uncle　Matthew。〃

〃For　God's　sake！　　And　was　the　other　a　cold；　dark　man；　a　good　judge　of　a　jewel　and　a　grand　judge　of　a　sword？〃

〃My　father；　Nicholas　Polo。〃

〃For　God's　sake！　　You're　the　son　of　one　and　the　nephew　of　the　other？〃

〃Did　you　know　them？〃

〃Ah；　laddie；　how　would　I　be　knowing　people　like　that！　　Sure；　they're　great　folks；　high　in　the　esteem　of　the　grand　Khan；　and　I'm　only　a　poor　sailorman。〃

〃But　you　heard　of　them。〃

〃I　heard　of　them。　　They　were　in　good　health。　　And　I　heard　they　were　on　their　way　home；　though　they　would　travel　overland　and　not　risk　the　great　dangers　of　the　sea。　　I　suppose；　if　they　go　back　to　China；　you'll　be　going　with　them？〃

〃I　don't　know；〃　says　Marco　Polo。

〃You　ought　to　see　China。　　It's　a　great　country；　a　beautiful　country。〃

〃It　would　have　to　be　very　great　and　beautiful；〃　says　Marco　Polo；　〃to　out…weigh　the　greatness　and　the　beauty　that　are　here。　　You　mustn't　think　I'm　running　down　your　country；　mister；〃　says　he；　〃but　for　greatness；　where　is　the　beating　of　Venice　in　this　day？　　What　struck　Constantinople　like　a　thunderbolt　but　the　mailed　hand　of　Venice？　When　the　Barbary　corsairs　roamed　the　seven　seas；　so　that　it　was　no　more　safe　for　a　merchant　vessel　to　be　sailing　than　for　a　babe　to　be　walking　through　a　wild　jungle；　it　was　Venice　who　accepted　the　challenge　and　made　the　great　sea　as　peaceful　as　the　Grand　Canal。　　Who　humbled　proud　Genoa？　　And　hurled　the　Saracen　from　Saint　John　of　Acre's　walls？　Venice。　　And　as　for　magnificence；　the　retinue　of　our　doge　when　he　goes　to　marry　the　sea　with　a　ring　it　makes　the　court　of　Lorenzo　seem　like　a　huckster's　train。〃

〃It　is　a　crowning　city。〃

〃And　as　for　beauty；　sir；〃　went　on　Marco　Polo；　〃there　is　nothing　in　the　world　like　San　Marco's；　and　it　ablaze　in　the　setting　sun；　and　the　great　pillars　before　it　rising　in　tongues　of　flame。　　And　was　there　ever　in　all　time　anything　like　the　Grand　Canal　at　the　dusk　of　day；　and　the　torches　beginning　to　show　like　fireflies；　and　the　lap　of　the　water；　and　stringed　music；　and　the　great　barges　going　by　like　swans；　now　a　battle…hacked　captain　of　war；　now　a　great　gracious　lady？　　And　the　moon　does　be　rising。　。　。

〃You've　sailed　all　the　way　from　China　and　seen　strange　and　beautiful　things；　but　I　remember　one　summer's　day；　when　I　took　out　my　little　sailing…boat　and　went　out　on　the　water　to　compose　a　poem　for　a　lady；　and　the　water　was　blue　　oh；　as　blue　as　the　sky's　self；　and　the　sands　of　the　Lido　were　silver；　and　the　water　shuffled　gently　over　them；　as　gently　as　a　child's　little　feet。　　And　there　was　a　clump　of　olive…trees　there　so　green　as　to　be　black；　and　there　alighted　before　it　a　great　scarlet　Egyptian　bird。　　And　the　beauty　of　that　brought　the　tears　to　my　eyes；　so　that　I　thought　of　nuns　in　their　cells　and　barefoot　friars　in　the　hollow　lands；　and　they　striving　for　paradise。　　What　did　I　care　about　paradise？　　A　Venetian　I。　　So　why　should　I　want　to　go　to　China？〃

〃You　have　made　a　great　case　for　the　grandeur　and　beauty　of　Venice；〃　says　the　sea…captain。　　〃It　is　lovely；　surely；〃　says　he；　filling　his　pipe；　〃but　finer　poets　nor　you；　my　lad；〃　says　he；　lighting　it；　〃have　tried　to　describe　the　grace　and　beauty　of　Tao…Tuen；　and；〃　says　he　taking　a　draw；　〃have　failed。〃

〃Tao…Tuen　is　a　beautiful　name。　　It　is　like　two　notes　plucked　on　a　harp。　　And　it　must　be　a　wonderful　place；　surely；　if　great　poets　cannot　describe　it。〃

〃It　is　not　a　place；〃　said　the　captain；　〃it's　a　girl。〃

〃As　for　women；　Venice　〃

〃Venice　be　damned！〃　said　the　sea…captain。　　〃Not　in　Venice；　not　in　all　the　world；　is　there　the　like　for　grace　or　beauty　of　Tao…Tuen。　They　call　her　Golden　Bells；〃　he　says。

〃Is　she　a　dancing…girl？〃　Marco　asked。

〃She　is　not　a　dancing…girl；〃　says　the　sea…captain；　〃she　is　the　daughter　of　Kubla；　the　great　Khan。〃

〃A　cold　and　beautiful　princess；〃　says　Marco　Polo。

〃She　is　not　a　cold　and　beautiful　princess；〃　says　the　sea…captain。　〃She　is　warm　as　the　sun　in　early　June；　and　she　may　be　beautiful　and　a　princess；　but　we　all　think　of　her　as　Golden　Bells；　the　little　girl　in　the　Chinese　garden。〃

〃Did　you　ever　see　her？〃　says　Marco；　eagerly。　　〃Tell　me。〃

〃I　saw　her　before　I　left；〃　says　the　sea…captain。　　〃I　was　at　the　Khan's　palace　of　Chagannor；〃　says　he；　〃seeing　of　the　chief　of　the　stewards　was　there　anything　I　could　get　for　him；　and　I　in　foreign　parts。　　And　as　I　was　being　rowed　back　along　the　river　by　my　ten　brawny　sailormen；　what　did　I　pass　but　the　garden　of　Golden　Bells。

〃And　there　she　was　by　the　river…side；　a　little　brown　slip　of　a　girl　in　green　coat　and　trousers；　with　a　flower　in　her　dark　hair。

〃And　I　lower　my　head　in　reverence　as　we　pass　by。　　But　I　hear　her　low；　merry　voice；　by　reason　of　which　they　call　her　Golden　Bells。

〃'Ho；　master　of　the　vessel。'　she　calls。　　'Where　do　you　go？'

〃And　the　sailors　back　water　with　a　swish；　and　I　stand　up　respectfull