some reminiscences-第26章

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！





gently　past　the　black　glistening　length　of　the　ship。　　A　few



strokes　brought　us　alongside；　and　it　was　then　that；　for　the　very



first　time　in　my　life；　I　heard　myself　addressed　in　Englishthe



speech　of　my　secret　choice；　of　my　future；　of　long　friendships；　of



the　deepest　affections；　of　hours　of　toil　and　hours　of　ease；　and



of　solitary　hours　too；　of　books　read；　of　thoughts　pursued；　of



remembered　emotionsof　my　very　dreams！　　And　if　（after　being　thus



fashioned　by　it　in　that　part　of　me　which　cannot　decay）　I　dare　not



claim　it　aloud　as　my　own；　then；　at　any　rate　the　speech　of　my



children。　　Thus　small　events　grow　memorable　by　the　passage　of



time。　　As　to　the　quality　of　the　address　itself　I　cannot　say　it



was　very　striking。　　Too　short　for　eloquence　and　devoid　of　all



charm　of　tone；　it　consisted　precisely　of　the　three　words　〃Look



out　there；〃　growled　out　huskily　above　my　head。







It　proceeded　from　a　big　fat　fellow　（he　had　an　obtrusive；　hairy



double　chin）　in　a　blue　woollen　shirt　and　roomy　breeches　pulled　up



very　high；　even　to　the　level　of　his　breast…bone；　by　a　pair　of



braces　quite　exposed　to　public　view。　　As　where　he　stood　there　was



no　bulwark　but　only　a　rail　and　stanchions　I　was　able　to　take　in



at　a　glance　the　whole　of　his　voluminous　person　from　his　feet　to



the　high　crown　of　his　soft　black　hat；　which　sat　like　an　absurd



flanged　cone　on　his　big　head。　　The　grotesque　and　massive　space　of



that　deck　hand　（I　suppose　he　was　thatvery　likely　the　lamp…



trimmer）　surprised　me　very　much。　　My　course　of　reading；　of



dreaming　and　longing　for　the　sea　had　not　prepared　me　for　a　sea…



brother　of　that　sort。　　I　never　met　again　a　figure　in　the　least



like　his　except　in　the　illustrations　to　Mr。　W。W。　Jacobs'　most



entertaining　tales　of　barges　and　coasters；　but　the　inspired



talent　of　Mr。　Jacobs　for　poking　endless　fun　at　poor；　innocent



sailors　in　a　prose　which；　however　extravagant　in　its　felicitous



invention；　is　always　artistically　adjusted　to　observed　truth；　was



not　yet。　　Perhaps　Mr。　Jacobs　himself　was　not　yet。　　I　fancy　that；



at　most；　if　he　had　made　his　nurse　laugh　it　was　about　all　he　had



achieved　at　that　early　date。







Therefore；　I　repeat；　other　disabilities　apart；　I　could　not　have



been　prepared　for　the　sight　of　that　husky　old　porpoise。　　The



object　of　his　concise　address　was　to　call　my　attention　to　a　rope



which　he　incontinently　flung　down　for　me　to　catch。　　I　caught　it；



though　it　was　not　really　necessary；　the　ship　having　no　way　on　her



by　that　time。　　Then　everything　went　on　very　swiftly。　　The　dinghy



came　with　a　slight　bump　against　the　steamer's　side；　the　pilot；



grabbing　the　rope　ladder；　had　scrambled　halfway　up　before　I　knew



that　our　task　of　boarding　was　done；　the　harsh；　muffled　clanging



of　the　engine…room　telegraph　struck　my　ear　through　the　iron



plate；　my　companion　in　the　dinghy　was　urging　me　to　〃shove　off



push　hard〃；　and　when　I　bore　against　the　smooth　flank　of　the　first



English　ship　I　ever　touched　in　my　life；　I　felt　it　already



throbbing　under　my　open　palm。







Her　head　swung　a　little　to　the　west；　pointing　towards　the



miniature　lighthouse　of　the　Jolliette　breakwater；　far　away　there；



hardly　distinguishable　against　the　land。　　The　dinghy　danced　a



squashy；　splashy　jig　in　the　wash　of　the　wake　and　turning　in　my



seat　I　followed　the　〃James　Westoll〃　with　my　eyes。　　Before　she　had



gone　in　a　quarter　of　a　mile　she　hoisted　her　flag　as　the　harbour



regulations　prescribe　for　arriving　and　departing　ships。　　I　saw　it



suddenly　flicker　and　stream　out　on　the　flagstaff。　　The　Red



Ensign！　　In　the　pellucid；　colourless　atmosphere　bathing　the　drab



and　grey　masses　of　that　southern　land；　the　livid　islets；　the　sea



of　pale　glassy　blue　under　the　pale　glassy　sky　of　that　cold



sunrise；　it　was　as　far　as　the　eye　could　reach　the　only　spot　of



ardent　colourflame…like；　intense；　and　presently　as　minute　as



the　tiny　red　spark　the　concentrated　reflection　of　a　great　fire



kindles　in　the　clear　heart　of　a　globe　of　crystal。　　The　Red



Ensignthe　symbolic；　protecting　warm　bit　of　bunting　flung　wide



upon　the　seas；　and　destined　for　so　many　years　to　be　the　only　roof



over　my　head。























End