falk-第1节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





Falk



by　Joseph　Conrad





A　REMINISCENCE



Several　of　us；　all　more　or　less　connected　with　the

sea；　were　dining　in　a　small　river…hostelry　not　more

than　thirty　miles　from　London；　and　less　than　twenty

from　that　shallow　and　dangerous　puddle　to　which

our　coasting　men　give　the　grandiose　name　of　〃Ger…

man　Ocean。〃　　And　through　the　wide　windows　we

had　a　view　of　the　Thames；　an　enfilading　view　down

the　Lower　Hope　Reach。　　But　the　dinner　was　exe…

crable；　and　all　the　feast　was　for　the　eyes。



That　flavour　of　salt…water　which　for　so　many　of

us　had　been　the　very　water　of　life　permeated　our

talk。　　He　who　hath　known　the　bitterness　of　the

Ocean　shall　have　its　taste　forever　in　his　mouth。　　But

one　or　two　of　us；　pampered　by　the　life　of　the　land；

complained　of　hunger。　　It　was　impossible　to　swal…

low　any　of　that　stuff。　　And　indeed　there　was　a

strange　mustiness　in　everything。　　The　wooden　din…

ing…room　stuck　out　over　the　mud　of　the　shore　like

a　lacustrine　dwelling；　the　planks　of　the　floor　seemed

rotten；　a　decrepit　old　waiter　tottered　pathetically

to　and　fro　before　an　antediluvian　and　worm…eaten

sideboard；　the　chipped　plates　might　have　been　dis…

interred　from　some　kitchen　midden　near　an　inhab…

ited　lake；　and　the　chops　recalled　times　more　ancient

still。　　They　brought　forcibly　to　one's　mind　the

night　of　ages　when　the　primeval　man；　evolving　the

first　rudiments　of　cookery　from　his　dim　conscious…

ness；　scorched　lumps　of　flesh　at　a　fire　of　sticks　in　the

company　of　other　good　fellows；　then；　gorged　and

happy；　sat　him　back　among　the　gnawed　bones　to

tell　his　artless　tales　of　experiencethe　tales　of　hun…

ger　and　huntand　of　women；　perhaps！



But　luckily　the　wine　happened　to　be　as　old　as

the　waiter。　　So；　comparatively　empty；　but　upon　the

whole　fairly　happy；　we　sat　back　and　told　our　artless

tales。　　We　talked　of　the　sea　and　all　its　works。　　The

sea　never　changes；　and　its　works　for　all　the　talk　of

men　are　wrapped　in　mystery。　　But　we　agreed　that

the　times　were　changed。　　And　we　talked　of　old

ships；　of　sea…accidents；　of　break…downs；　dismast…

ings；　and　of　a　man　who　brought　his　ship　safe　to

Liverpool　all　the　way　from　the　River　Platte　under

a　jury　rudder。　　We　talked　of　wrecks；　of　short　ra…

tions　and　of　heroismor　at　least　of　what　the　news…

papers　would　have　called　heroism　at　seaa　mani…

festation　of　virtues　quite　different　from　the　heroism

of　primitive　times。　　And　now　and　then　falling　silent

all　together　we　gazed　at　the　sights　of　the　river。



A　P。　&　O。　boat　passed　bound　down。　　〃One　gets

jolly　good　dinners　on　board　these　ships；〃　remarked

one　of　our　band。　　A　man　with　sharp　eyes　read　out

the　name　on　her　bows：　Arcadia。　　〃What　a　beauti…

ful　model　of　a　ship！〃　murmured　some　of　us。　　She

was　followed　by　a　small　cargo　steamer；　and　the　flag

they　hauled　down　aboard　while　we　were　looking

showed　her　to　be　a　Norwegian。　　She　made　an　awful

lot　of　smoke；　and　before　it　had　quite　blown　away；　a

high…sided；　short；　wooden　barque；　in　ballast　and

towed　by　a　paddle…tug；　appeared　in　front　of　the

windows。　　All　her　hands　were　forward　busy　setting

up　the　headgear；　and　aft　a　woman　in　a　red　hood；

quite　alone　with　the　man　at　the　wheel；　paced　the

length　of　the　poop　back　and　forth；　with　the　grey

wool　of　some　knitting　work　in　her　hands。



〃German　I　should　think；〃　muttered　one。　　〃The

skipper　has　his　wife　on　board；〃　remarked　another；

and　the　light　of　the　crimson　sunset　all　ablaze　behind

the　London　smoke；　throwing　a　glow　of　Bengal　light

upon　the　barque's　spars；　faded　away　from　the　Hope

Reach。



Then　one　of　us；　who　had　not　spoken　before；　a

man　of　over　fifty；　that　had　commanded　ships　for　a

quarter　of　a　century；　looking　after　the　barque　now

gliding　far　away；　all　black　on　the　lustre　of　the　river；

said：



This　reminds　me　of　an　absurd　episode　in　my　life；

now　many　years　ago；　when　I　got　first　the　command

of　an　iron　barque；　loading　then　in　a　certain　Eastern

seaport。　　It　was　also　the　capital　of　an　Eastern　king…

dom；　lying　up　a　river　as　might　be　London　lies　up

this　old　Thames　of　ours。　　No　more　need　be　said　of

the　place；　for　this　sort　of　thing　might　have　hap…

pened　anywhere　where　there　are　ships；　skippers；

tugboats；　and　orphan　nieces　of　indescribable　splen…

dour。　　And　the　absurdity　of　the　episode　concerns

only　me；　my　enemy　Falk；　and　my　friend　Hermann。



There　seemed　to　be　something　like　peculiar　em…

phasis　on　the　words　〃My　friend　Hermann；〃　which

caused　one　of　us　（for　we　had　just　been　speaking　of

heroism　at　sea）　to　say　idly　and　nonchalantly：



〃And　was　this　Hermann　a　hero？〃



Not　at　all；　said　our　grizzled　friend。　　No　hero　at

all。　　He　was　a　Schiff…fuhrer：　Ship…conductor。

That's　how　they　call　a　Master　Mariner　in　Germany。

I　prefer　our　way。　　The　alliteration　is　good；　and

there　is　something　in　the　nomenclature　that　gives

to　us　as　a　body　the　sense　of　corporate　existence：

Apprentice；　Mate；　Master；　in　the　ancient　and　hon…

ourable　craft　of　the　sea。　　As　to　my　friend　Hermann；

he　might　have　been　a　consummate　master　of　the

honourable　craft；　but　he　was　called　officially　Schiff…

fuhrer；　and　had　the　simple；　heavy　appearance　of　a

well…to…do　farmer；　combined　with　the　good…natured

shrewdness　of　a　small　shopkeeper。　　With　his　shaven

chin；　round　limbs；　and　heavy　eyelids　he　did　not　look

like　a　toiler；　and　even　less　like　an　adventurer　of　the

sea。　　Still；　he　toiled　upon　the　seas；　in　his　own　way；

much　as　a　shopkeeper　works　behind　his　counter。

And　his　ship　was　the　means　by　which　he　maintained

his　growing　family。



She　was　a　heavy；　strong；　blunt…bowed　affair；

awakening　the　ideas　of　primitive　solidity；　like　the

wooden　plough　of　our　forefathers。　　And　there　were；

about　her；　other　suggestions　of　a　rustic　and　homely

nature。　　The　extraordinary　timber　projections

which　I　have　seen　in　no　other　vessel　made　her　square

stern　resemble　the　tail　end　of　a　miller's　waggon。

But　the　four　stern　ports　of　her　cabin；　glazed　with

six　little　greenish　panes　each；　and　framed　in　wooden

sashes　painted　brown；　might　have　been　the　windows

of　a　cottage　in　the　country。　　The　tiny　white　cur…

tains　and　the　greenery　of　flower　pots　behind　the

glass　completed　the　resemblance。　　On　one　or　two

occasions　when　passing　under　stern　I　had　de…

tected　from　my　boat　a　round　arm　in　the　act　of　tilt…

ing　a　watering　pot；　and　the　bowed　sleek　head　of　a

maiden　whom　I　shall　always　call　Hermann's　niece；

because　as　a　matter　of　fact　I've　never　heard　her

name；　for　all　my　intimacy　with　the　family。



This；　however；　sprang　up　later　on。　　Meantime　in

common　with　the　rest　of　the　shipping　in　that　East…

ern　port；　I　was　left　in　no　doubt　as　to　Hermann's　no…

tions　of　hygienic　clothing。　　Evidently　he　believed

in　wearing　good　stout　flannel　next　his　skin。　　On

most　days　little　frocks　and　pinafores　could　be　seen

drying　in　the　mizzen　rigging　of　his　ship；　or　a　tiny

row　of　socks　fluttering　on　the　signal　halyards；　but

once　a　fortnight　the　family　washing　was　exhibited

in　force。　　It　covered　the　poop　entirely。　　The　after…

noon　breeze　would　incite　to　a　weird　and　flabby　activ…

ity　all　that　crowded　mass　of　clothing；　with　its　vague

suggestions　of　drowned；　mutilated　and　flattened　hu…

manity。　　Trunks　without　heads　waved　at　you　arms

without　hands；　legs　without　feet　kicked　fantasti…

cally　with　collapsible　flourishes；　and　there　were　long

white　garments　that；　taking　the　wind　fairly

through　their　neck　openings　edged　with　lace；　be…

came　for　a　moment　violently　distended　as　by　the

passage　of　obese　and　invisible　bodies。　　On　these　days

you　could　make　out　that　ship　at　a　great　distance

by　the　multi…coloured　grotesque　riot　going　on　abaft

her　mizzen　mast。



She　had　her　berth　just　ahead　of　me；　and　her

name　was　Diana；Diana　not　of　Ephesus　but　of

Bremen。　　This　was　proclaimed　in　white　letters　a

foot　long　spaced　widely　across　the　stern　（somewhat

like　the　lettering　of　a　shop…sign）　under　the　cottage

windows。　　This　ridiculously　unsuitable　name　struck

one　as　an　impertinence　towards　the　memory　of　the

most　charming　of　goddesses；　for；　apart　from　the

fact　that　the　old　craft　was　physically　incapable　of

engaging　in　any　sort　of　chase；　there　was　a　gang　of

four　children　belonging　to　her。　　They　peeped　over

the　rail　at　passing　boats　and　occasionally　dropped

various　objects　into　them。　　Thus；　sometime　before

I　knew　Hermann　to　speak　to；　I　received　on　my　hat

a　horrid　rag…doll　belonging　to　Hermann's　eldest

daughter。　　However；　these　youngsters　were　upon

the　whole　well　behaved。　　They　had　fair　heads；　round

eyes；　round　little　knobby　noses；　and　they　resembled

their　father　a　good　deal。



This　Diana　of　Bremen　was　a　most　innocent　old

ship；　and　seemed　to　know　nothing　of　the　wicked　sea；

as　there　are　on　shore　households　that　know　nothing

of　the　corrupt　world。　　And　the　sentiments　she　sug…

gested　were　unexceptionable　and　mainly　of　a　do…

mestic　order。　　She　was　a　home。　　All　these　dear　chil…

dren　had　learned　to　walk　on　her　roomy　quarter…deck。