the mirror of the sea-第29节

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world　than　the　rhythm　of　their　lines　and　the　cadence　of　their



phrase；　the　love　of　the　sea；　to　which　some　men　and　nations　confess



so　readily；　is　a　complex　sentiment　wherein　pride　enters　for　much；



necessity　for　not　a　little；　and　the　love　of　ships　…　the　untiring



servants　of　our　hopes　and　our　self…esteem　…　for　the　best　and　most



genuine　part。　　For　the　hundreds　who　have　reviled　the　sea；　beginning



with　Shakespeare　in　the　line











〃More　fell　than　hunger；　anguish；　or　the　sea；〃











down　to　the　last　obscure　sea…dog　of　the　〃old　model；〃　having　but　few



words　and　still　fewer　thoughts；　there　could　not　be　found；　I



believe；　one　sailor　who　has　ever　coupled　a　curse　with　the　good　or



bad　name　of　a　ship。　　If　ever　his　profanity；　provoked　by　the



hardships　of　the　sea；　went　so　far　as　to　touch　his　ship；　it　would　be



lightly；　as　a　hand　may；　without　sin；　be　laid　in　the　way　of　kindness



on　a　woman。















XXXVI。















The　love　that　is　given　to　ships　is　profoundly　different　from　the



love　men　feel　for　every　other　work　of　their　hands　…　the　love　they



bear　to　their　houses；　for　instance　…　because　it　is　untainted　by　the



pride　of　possession。　　The　pride　of　skill；　the　pride　of



responsibility；　the　pride　of　endurance　there　may　be；　but　otherwise



it　is　a　disinterested　sentiment。　　No　seaman　ever　cherished　a　ship；



even　if　she　belonged　to　him；　merely　because　of　the　profit　she　put



in　his　pocket。　　No　one；　I　think；　ever　did；　for　a　ship…owner；　even



of　the　best；　has　always　been　outside　the　pale　of　that　sentiment



embracing　in　a　feeling　of　intimate；　equal　fellowship　the　ship　and



the　man；　backing　each　other　against　the　implacable；　if　sometimes



dissembled；　hostility　of　their　world　of　waters。　　The　sea　…　this



truth　must　be　confessed　…　has　no　generosity。　　No　display　of　manly



qualities　…　courage；　hardihood；　endurance；　faithfulness　…　has　ever



been　known　to　touch　its　irresponsible　consciousness　of　power。　　The



ocean　has　the　conscienceless　temper　of　a　savage　autocrat　spoiled　by



much　adulation。　　He　cannot　brook　the　slightest　appearance　of



defiance；　and　has　remained　the　irreconcilable　enemy　of　ships　and



men　ever　since　ships　and　men　had　the　unheard　of　audacity　to　go



afloat　together　in　the　face　of　his　frown。　　From　that　day　he　has



gone　on　swallowing　up　fleets　and　men　without　his　resentment　being



glutted　by　the　number　of　victims　…　by　so　many　wrecked　ships　and



wrecked　lives。　　To…day；　as　ever；　he　is　ready　to　beguile　and　betray；



to　smash　and　to　drown　the　incorrigible　optimism　of　men　who；　backed



by　the　fidelity　of　ships；　are　trying　to　wrest　from　him　the　fortune



of　their　house；　the　dominion　of　their　world；　or　only　a　dole　of　food



for　their　hunger。　　If　not　always　in　the　hot　mood　to　smash；　he　is



always　stealthily　ready　for　a　drowning。　　The　most　amazing　wonder　of



the　deep　is　its　unfathomable　cruelty。







I　felt　its　dread　for　the　first　time　in　mid…Atlantic　one　day；　many



years　ago；　when　we　took　off　the　crew　of　a　Danish　brig　homeward



bound　from　the　West　Indies。　　A　thin；　silvery　mist　softened　the　calm



and　majestic　splendour　of　light　without　shadows　…　seemed　to　render



the　sky　less　remote　and　the　ocean　less　immense。　　It　was　one　of　the



days；　when　the　might　of　the　sea　appears　indeed　lovable；　like　the



nature　of　a　strong　man　in　moments　of　quiet　intimacy。　　At　sunrise　we



had　made　out　a　black　speck　to　the　westward；　apparently　suspended



high　up　in　the　void　behind　a　stirring；　shimmering　veil　of　silvery



blue　gauze　that　seemed　at　times　to　stir　and　float　in　the　breeze



which　fanned　us　slowly　along。　　The　peace　of　that　enchanting



forenoon　was　so　profound；　so　untroubled；　that　it　seemed　that　every



word　pronounced　loudly　on　our　deck　would　penetrate　to　the　very



heart　of　that　infinite　mystery　born　from　the　conjunction　of　water



and　sky。　　We　did　not　raise　our　voices。　　〃A　water…logged　derelict；　I



think；　sir；〃　said　the　second　officer　quietly；　coming　down　from



aloft　with　the　binoculars　in　their　case　slung　across　his　shoulders；



and　our　captain；　without　a　word；　signed　to　the　helmsman　to　steer



for　the　black　speck。　　Presently　we　made　out　a　low；　jagged　stump



sticking　up　forward　…　all　that　remained　of　her　departed　masts。







The　captain　was　expatiating　in　a　low　conversational　tone　to　the



chief　mate　upon　the　danger　of　these　derelicts；　and　upon　his　dread



of　coming　upon　them　at　night；　when　suddenly　a　man　forward　screamed



out；　〃There's　people　on　board　of　her；　sir！　　I　see　them！〃　in　a　most



extraordinary　voice　…　a　voice　never　heard　before　in　our　ship；　the



amazing　voice　of　a　stranger。　　It　gave　the　signal　for　a　sudden



tumult　of　shouts。　　The　watch　below　ran　up　the　forecastle　head　in　a



body；　the　cook　dashed　out　of　the　galley。　　Everybody　saw　the　poor



fellows　now。　　They　were　there！　　And　all　at　once　our　ship；　which　had



the　well…earned　name　of　being　without　a　rival　for　speed　in　light



winds；　seemed　to　us　to　have　lost　the　power　of　motion；　as　if　the



sea；　becoming　viscous；　had　clung　to　her　sides。　　And　yet　she　moved。



Immensity；　the　inseparable　companion　of　a　ship's　life；　chose　that



day　to　breathe　upon　her　as　gently　as　a　sleeping　child。　　The　clamour



of　our　excitement　had　died　out；　and　our　living　ship；　famous　for



never　losing　steerage　way　as　long　as　there　was　air　enough　to　float



a　feather；　stole；　without　a　ripple；　silent　and　white　as　a　ghost；



towards　her　mutilated　and　wounded　sister；　come　upon　at　the　point　of



death　in　the　sunlit　haze　of　a　calm　day　at　sea。







With　the　binoculars　glued　to　his　eyes；　the　captain　said　in　a



quavering　tone：　　〃They　are　waving　to　us　with　something　aft　there。〃



He　put　down　the　glasses　on　the　skylight　brusquely；　and　began　to



walk　about　the　poop。　　〃A　shirt　or　a　flag；〃　he　ejaculated　irritably。



〃Can't　make　it　out。　。　。　Some　damn　rag　or　other！〃　　He　took　a　few



more　turns　on　the　poop；　glancing　down　over　the　rail　now　and　then　to



see　how　fast　we　were　moving。　　His　nervous　footsteps　rang　sharply　in



the　quiet　of　the　ship；　where　the　other　men；　all　looking　the　same



way；　had　forgotten　themselves　in　a　staring　immobility。　　〃This　will



never　do！〃　he　cried　out　suddenly。　　〃Lower　the　boats　at　once！　　Down



with　them！〃







Before　I　jumped　into　mine　he　took　me　aside；　as　being　an



inexperienced　junior；　for　a　word　of　warning：







〃You　look　out　as　you　come　alongside　that　she　doesn't　take　you　down



with　her。　　You　understand？〃







He　murmured　this　confidentially；　so　that　none　of　the　men　at　the



falls　should　overhear；　and　I　was　shocked。　　〃Heavens！　as　if　in　such



an　emergency　one　stopped　to　think　of　danger！〃　I　exclaimed　to　myself



mentally；　in　scorn　of　such　cold…blooded　caution。







It　takes　many　lessons　to　make　a　real　seaman；　and　I　got　my　rebuke　at



once。　　My　experienced　commander　seemed　in　one　searching　glance　to



read　my　thoughts　on　my　ingenuous　face。







〃What　you're　going　for　is　to　save　life；　not　to　drown　your　boat's



crew　for　nothing；〃　he　growled　severely　in　my　ear。　　But　as　we　shoved



off　he　leaned　over　and　cried　out：　　〃It　all　rests　on　the　power　of



your　arms；　men。　　Give　way　for　life！〃







We　made　a　race　of　it；　and　I　would　never　have　believed　that　a　common



boat's　crew　of　a　merchantman　could　keep　up　so　much　determined



fierceness　in　the　regular　swing　of　their　stroke。　　What　our　captain



had　clearly　perceived　before　we　left　had　become　plain　to　all　of　us



since。　　The　issue　of　our　enterprise　hung　on　a　hair　above　that　abyss



of　waters　which　will　not　give　up　its　dead　till　the　Day　of　Judgment。



It　was　a　race　of　two　ship's　boats　matched　against　Death　for　a　prize



of　nine　men's　lives；　and　Death　had　a　long　start。　　We　saw　the　crew



of　the　brig　from　afar　working　at　the　pumps　…　still　pumping　on　that



wreck；　which　already　had　settled　so　far　down　that　the　gentle；　low



swell；　over　which　our　boats　rose　and　fell　easily　without　a　check　to



their　speed；　welling　up　almost　level　with　her　head…rails；　plucked



at　the　ends　of　broken　gear　swinging　desolately　under　her　naked



bowsprit。







We　could　not；　in　all　conscience；　have　picked　out　a　better　day　for



our　regatta　had　we　had　the　free　choice　of　all　the　days　that　ever



dawned　upon　the　lonely　struggles　and　solitary　agonies　of　ships



since　the　Norse　rovers　first　steered　to　the　westward　against　the



run　of　Atlantic　waves。　　It　was　a　very　good　race。　　At　the　finish



there　was　not　an　oar's　length　between　the　first　and　second　boat；



with　Death　coming　in　a　good　third　on　the　top　of　the　very　next



smooth　swell；　for　all　one　knew　to　the　contrary。　　The　scuppers　of



the　brig　gurgled　softly　all　together　when　the　water　rising　against



her　sides　subsided　sleepily　with　a　low　wash；　as　if　playing　about　an



immovable　rock。　　Her　bulwarks　were　gone　fore　and　aft；　and　one　saw



her　bare　deck　low…lying　like　a　raft　and　swept　clean　of　boats；



spars；　houses　…　of　everything　except　the　ringbolts