第 81 节
作者:恐龙王      更新:2021-03-08 19:22      字数:9321
  condition to arrange affairs with flock。
  There was another Sunday; when an officer of the ship read the
  service。  It was quiet and impressive; until we fell upon the
  dangerous and perfectly unnecessary experiment of striking up a
  hymn。  After it was given out; we all rose; but everybody left it
  to somebody else to begin。  Silence resulting; the officer (no
  singer himself) rather reproachfully gave us the first line again;
  upon which a rosy pippin of an old gentleman; remarkable throughout
  the passage for his cheerful politeness; gave a little stamp with
  his boot (as if he were leading off a country dance); and blithely
  warbled us into a show of joining。  At the end of the first verse
  we became; through these tactics; so much refreshed and encouraged;
  that none of us; howsoever unmelodious; would submit to be left out
  of the second verse; while as to the third we lifted up our voices
  in a sacred howl that left it doubtful whether we were the more
  boastful of the sentiments we united in professing; or of
  professing them with a most discordant defiance of time and tune。
  'Lord bless us!' thought I; when the fresh remembrance of these
  things made me laugh heartily alone in the dead water…gurgling
  waste of the night; what time I was wedged into my berth by a
  wooden bar; or I must have rolled out of it; 'what errand was I
  then upon; and to what Abyssinian point had public events then
  marched?  No matter as to me。  And as to them; if the wonderful
  popular rage for a plaything (utterly confounding in its
  inscrutable unreason) I had not then lighted on a poor young savage
  boy; and a poor old screw of a horse; and hauled the first off by
  the hair of his princely head to 〃inspect〃 the British volunteers;
  and hauled the second off by the hair of his equine tail to the
  Crystal Palace; why so much the better for all of us outside
  Bedlam!'
  So; sticking to the ship; I was at the trouble of asking myself
  would I like to show the grog distribution in 'the fiddle' at noon
  to the Grand United Amalgamated Total Abstinence Society?  Yes; I
  think I should。  I think it would do them good to smell the rum;
  under the circumstances。  Over the grog; mixed in a bucket;
  presides the boatswain's mate; small tin can in hand。  Enter the
  crew; the guilty consumers; the grown…up brood of Giant Despair; in
  contradistinction to the band of youthful angel Hope。  Some in
  boots; some in leggings; some in tarpaulin overalls; some in
  frocks; some in pea…coats; a very few in jackets; most with
  sou'wester hats; all with something rough and rugged round the
  throat; all; dripping salt water where they stand; all pelted by
  weather; besmeared with grease; and blackened by the sooty rigging。
  Each man's knife in its sheath in his girdle; loosened for dinner。
  As the first man; with a knowingly kindled eye; watches the filling
  of the poisoned chalice (truly but a very small tin mug; to be
  prosaic); and; tossing back his head; tosses the contents into
  himself; and passes the empty chalice and passes on; so the second
  man with an anticipatory wipe of his mouth on sleeve or
  handkerchief; bides his turn; and drinks and hands and passes on;
  in whom; and in each as his turn approaches; beams a knowingly
  kindled eye; a brighter temper; and a suddenly awakened tendency to
  be jocose with some shipmate。  Nor do I even observe that the man
  in charge of the ship's lamps; who in right of his office has a
  double allowance of poisoned chalices; seems thereby vastly
  degraded; even though he empties the chalices into himself; one
  after the other; much as if he were delivering their contents at
  some absorbent establishment in which he had no personal interest。
  But vastly comforted; I note them all to be; on deck presently;
  even to the circulation of redder blood in their cold blue
  knuckles; and when I look up at them lying out on the yards; and
  holding on for life among the beating sails; I cannot for MY life
  see the justice of visiting on them … or on me … the drunken crimes
  of any number of criminals arraigned at the heaviest of assizes。
  Abetting myself in my idle humour; I closed my eyes; and recalled
  life on board of one of those mail…packets; as I lay; part of that
  day; in the Bay of New York; O!  The regular life began … mine
  always did; for I never got to sleep afterwards … with the rigging
  of the pump while it was yet dark; and washing down of decks。  Any
  enormous giant at a prodigious hydropathic establishment;
  conscientiously undergoing the water…cure in all its departments;
  and extremely particular about cleaning his teeth; would make those
  noises。  Swash; splash; scrub; rub; toothbrush; bubble; swash;
  splash; bubble; toothbrush; splash; splash; bubble; rub。  Then the
  day would break; and; descending from my berth by a graceful ladder
  composed of half…opened drawers beneath it; I would reopen my outer
  dead…light and my inner sliding window (closed by a watchman during
  the water…cure); and would look out at the long…rolling; lead…
  coloured; white topped waves over which the dawn; on a cold winter
  morning; cast a level; lonely glance; and through which the ship
  fought her melancholy way at a terrific rate。  And now; lying down
  again; awaiting the season for broiled ham and tea; I would be
  compelled to listen to the voice of conscience; … the screw。
  It might be; in some cases; no more than the voice of stomach; but
  I called it in my fancy by the higher name。  Because it seemed to
  me that we were all of us; all day long; endeavouring to stifle the
  voice。  Because it was under everybody's pillow; everybody's plate;
  everybody's camp…stool; everybody's book; everybody's occupation。
  Because we pretended not to hear it; especially at meal…times;
  evening whist; and morning conversation on deck; but it was always
  among us in an under monotone; not to be drowned in pea…soup; not
  to be shuffled with cards; not to be diverted by books; not to be
  knitted into any pattern; not to be walked away from。  It was
  smoked in the weediest cigar; and drunk in the strongest cocktail;
  it was conveyed on deck at noon with limp ladies; who lay there in
  their wrappers until the stars shone; it waited at table with the
  stewards; nobody could put it out with the lights。  It was
  considered (as on shore) ill…bred to acknowledge the voice of
  conscience。  It was not polite to mention it。  One squally day an
  amiable gentleman in love gave much offence to a surrounding
  circle; including the object of his attachment; by saying of it;
  after it had goaded him over two easy…chairs and a skylight;
  'Screw!'
  Sometimes it would appear subdued。  In fleeting moments; when
  bubbles of champagne pervaded the nose; or when there was 'hot pot'
  in the bill of fare; or when an old dish we had had regularly every
  day was described in that official document by a new name; … under
  such excitements; one would almost believe it hushed。  The ceremony
  of washing plates on deck; performed after every meal by a circle
  as of ringers of crockery triple…bob majors for a prize; would keep
  it down。  Hauling the reel; taking the sun at noon; posting the
  twenty…four hours' run; altering the ship's time by the meridian;
  casting the waste food overboard; and attracting the eager gulls
  that followed in our wake; … these events would suppress it for a
  while。  But the instant any break or pause took place in any such
  diversion; the voice would be at it again; importuning us to the
  last extent。  A newly married young pair; who walked the deck
  affectionately some twenty miles per day; would; in the full flush
  of their exercise; suddenly become stricken by it; and stand
  trembling; but otherwise immovable; under its reproaches。
  When this terrible monitor was most severe with us was when the
  time approached for our retiring to our dens for the night; when
  the lighted candles in the saloon grew fewer and fewer; when the
  deserted glasses with spoons in them grew more and more numerous;
  when waifs of toasted cheese and strays of sardines fried in batter
  slid languidly to and fro in the table…racks; when the man who
  always read had shut up his book; and blown out his candle; when
  the man who always talked had ceased from troubling; when the man
  who was always medically reported as going to have delirium tremens
  had put it off till to…morrow; when the man who every night devoted
  himself to a midnight smoke on deck two hours in length; and who
  every night was in bed within ten minutes afterwards; was buttoning
  himself up in his third coat for his hardy vigil:  for then; as we
  fell off one by one; and; entering our several hutches; came into a
  peculiar atmosphere of bilge…water and Windsor soap; the voice
  would shake us to the centre。  Woe to us when we sat down on our
  sofa; watching the swinging candle for ever trying and retrying to
  stand upon his head! or our coat upon its peg; imitating us as we
  appeared in our gymnastic days by sustaining