Garland, senior, was well and favorably known throughout the country by proprietors3 of museums, circuses, and collectors generally, and his son found himself the fortunate possessor of an unblemished reputation and an extensive establishment, together with a large capital of ready money, but not a relative to whom he could turn for relaxation4 from the cares of business.
Philip and his father had led lonely lives, so far as intercourse5 with other members of the human family was concerned. As a matter of fact they were well acquainted with their regular customers; but these came only in the hours devoted6 to business, tarried no longer than was absolutely necessary, and probably cared not one whit7 how these merchants passed their leisure time.
Perhaps this comparative isolation8 was the cause of Philip’s devoting himself with such assiduity to his profession, if such it may be termed. From his childhood the senior Garland had instilled9 into his son’s mind the rudiments10 of natural history, and having the rare faculty11 of so presenting dry subjects as to make them interesting, he had so thoroughly12 enlisted13 the boy’s attention and sympathies that when Master Philip found himself at the head of the establishment he was one of the most enthusiastic students.
Unlike his father, he was a naturalist14 in the full sense of the word, and devoted himself more particularly to noting the peculiarities15 and habits of four-handed mammals, otherwise known as the monkey tribe.
In two months after the elder Garland died Philip’s collection was composed principally of apes, he having so reduced the stock by forced sales that nearly every other species of animal, as well as the entire lot of birds, had given way to the tribe in whose habits he was so deeply interested.
As a matter of course, any variety of the monkey-kind are more valuable when their talents for imitation have been developed by the aid of education, and the new head of the house of Garland & Co. made a point of instructing his live articles of merchandise in the most thorough manner.
During every hour of the day, when not engaged with customers, Philip taught the apes to throw somersaults, jump through hoops17, dance, play the[7] tambourine18, and a variety of similar accomplishments19. He also had several so highly educated as to march at the word of command, present arms, fire a musket20, fence, or salute21 in true military fashion.
Quite naturally this reduction of stock to a single and not very rare species of animal caused a corresponding falling off in the number of customers. But for this Philip cared little. His bank account was sufficiently22 large to admit of his conducting the business after his own peculiar16 fashion, regardless of whether the balance at the end of the year was in his favor or not; and as the sales were limited so did his stock increase, until, at the time when an old friend of his father’s, Captain Seaworth, master of the good ship Reynard, called in company with his first and second officers at what was now little more than a monkey emporium, to give the young man good advice, he was greatly amused at the proficiency23 to which these long-tailed animals had been brought.
Among the large collection were four which attracted the most attention; and, as may be supposed, these were the ones upon whom Philip had spent the greater portion of his time in teaching. Two were enormous baboons25, strong as giants, and of corresponding ferocity. When their instruction was begun they would oftentimes seize the iron rods which were used in the way of discipline, bending them like straws; and more than once had their teacher battled for his life when these pupils escaped[8] from the stoutly-barred cage. Finally, however, both had been partially26 subdued27 through fear, not love, until, with many a grimace28 and angry gesture, they would obey in a surly manner the orders given.
That these brutes29 knew exactly what their teacher desired of them was shown even when they refused to do his bidding. Both were well aware when the hour for study had come, and from their movements one would have said they were discussing the question as to whether it was best to learn anything on this particular day or hold out against the master at the expense of a severe flogging.
Philip often said that there was no animal in his collection who understood the human voice better than these same ferocious30 brutes, and their disobedience was only proof of their vicious natures.
“Those fellows know enough to put me through the same course of instruction, provided they held the iron rod and had the opportunity,” Philip often said to his assistants; and at such remarks the larger of the baboons actually wrinkled his face into what was very like a smile, as if thinking of the glorious time he could have in turning the tables on his not very gentle teacher.
This interesting couple had not inaptly been christened Goliah and Magog.
The other notable members of the collection were quite the opposite, both in disposition31 and appearance. They were a male and female chimpanzee, young, and not absolutely ill-favored, if one should[9] compare them with the monkey type of beauty. Both were tractable32, obeyed every command as readily as the best-behaved children, and regarded their master with an affection which seemed almost human.
Philip had named the male Ben Bolt and the female Sweet Alice, because the regard which each apparently33 entertained for the other was quite as fervent34, in their monkey way, as is supposed to have been that of the lovers mentioned in the song.
These two appeared to be perfectly35 contented36 in the Garland establishment. They were not only docile37, but seemingly delighted at being able to show their proficiency when Philip taught them new tricks, and the female in particular obeyed the slightest word as readily as any human being could have done. Yet these tractable pupils, who never needed the discipline of the iron rod, had more than their share of trouble in the fact that Goliah was most desperately38 smitten39 with Sweet Alice, and would at every opportunity display this fact in a very disagreeable manner.
In his own peculiar fashion it could plainly be seen, even by a casual observer, that this monkey-love was something terrible in its intensity40. Whenever, as frequently happened, the two favorite animals were allowed the liberty of the museum, this huge baboon24 would give proof of the most violent rage toward Ben Bolt, and on more than one occasion had Philip’s iron rod been the only thing which saved the chimpanzee from Goliah’s hideous41 jealousy42.[10] He would shake the bars of his cage in an excess of anger if Ben came near him, and make the most frantic43 efforts to seize his rival; but thus far the lovers had escaped any serious injury.
Captain Seaworth, actuated by a desire to assist the son of his old friend, decided44 to purchase, for his amusement during the long voyage he was about to undertake, one of the baboons, and to this end selected Goliah, much to the pleasure of Philip.
His officers, following the example of their commander, also made overtures45 for the purchase of Ben Bolt and Sweet Alice, together with four other less intelligent but well-mannered apes of the collection.
For some time Philip was undecided whether to part with the two chimpanzees, whom he looked upon more as pets than articles of merchandise; but yielding to persuasion46 and promises that they should not only be cared for tenderly, but kept far from the ill-favored Goliah, he finally consented.
It seemed as if the chimpanzees understood that they were about to be separated from their kind master, and in every way by which it is possible for brutes to show grief they displayed it, until the animal dealer47 was forced to leave his establishment during the transfer.
Of Captain Seaworth’s intended voyage Philip already knew, as did that portion of the public who make a practice of reading all the daily newspapers.
Under the auspices48 of a corporation made up of[11] coffee merchants in New York and its vicinity, the Reynard was bound for one of the many islands of the Malay Archipelago, there to found a colony for the purpose of raising coffee on a gigantic scale. The captain’s orders were to consult with the agents of the corporation at Batavia, who would make a selection of some land near Borneo which could be leased or purchased, there landing the laborers49, and directing their movements until the enterprise should be well begun. After that, Captain Seaworth would proceed in accordance with such instructions as might be received from home.
Thus it was a long voyage that these dumb members of Philip’s establishment were to take, and it is little wonder that he feared for the safety of Ben Bolt and Sweet Alice while on shipboard with the ferocious and mighty50 Goliah.
If the young merchant had had the slightest idea of the wicked cunning in the breast of the huge baboon, it is safe to say he would never have consented to sell him to a friend such as Captain Seaworth; and, also, could he have known how much suffering this same animal would cause him in the future, Goliah’s career might have been ended very suddenly by a pistol-ball. Then the reasons for the writing of this story could hardly have existed.
“Treat the animals well, but let them know you are the master,” Philip said to the captain on the day the latter made his final visit to the establishment. “They have considerably51 more intelligence than is generally credited to them, and I oftentimes[12] imagine they understand very much of ones conversation.”
Philip really believed that this species of animal comprehended many words; and it was destined52 that his experience in the future, although covering but a short space of time, should eclipse all he had thus far learned from books or by observation.
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1
accurately
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| adv.准确地，精确地 | |
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specialty
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| n.(speciality)特性，特质；专业，专长 | |
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proprietors
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| n.所有人，业主( proprietor的名词复数 ) | |
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relaxation
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| n.松弛，放松；休息；消遣；娱乐 | |
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intercourse
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| n.性交；交流，交往，交际 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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whit
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| n.一点，丝毫 | |
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8
isolation
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| n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离 | |
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9
instilled
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| v.逐渐使某人获得（某种可取的品质），逐步灌输( instill的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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10
rudiments
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| n.基础知识，入门 | |
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faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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12
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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13
enlisted
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| adj.应募入伍的v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的过去式和过去分词 )；获得（帮助或支持） | |
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14
naturalist
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| n.博物学家(尤指直接观察动植物者) | |
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15
peculiarities
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| n. 特质, 特性, 怪癖, 古怪 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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17
hoops
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| n.箍( hoop的名词复数 )；（篮球）篮圈；（旧时儿童玩的）大环子；（两端埋在地里的）小铁弓 | |
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18
tambourine
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| n.铃鼓，手鼓 | |
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accomplishments
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| n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就 | |
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musket
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| n.滑膛枪 | |
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salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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22
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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proficiency
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| n.精通，熟练，精练 | |
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24
baboon
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| n.狒狒 | |
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baboons
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| n.狒狒( baboon的名词复数 ) | |
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partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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28
grimace
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| v.做鬼脸，面部歪扭 | |
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brutes
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| 兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性 | |
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30
ferocious
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| adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的 | |
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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32
tractable
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| adj.易驾驭的；温顺的 | |
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33
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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34
fervent
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| adj.热的，热烈的，热情的 | |
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35
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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36
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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docile
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| adj.驯服的，易控制的，容易教的 | |
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38
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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39
smitten
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| 猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去分词 ) | |
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40
intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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41
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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42
jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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43
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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44
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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45
overtures
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| n.主动的表示，提议；（向某人做出的）友好表示、姿态或提议( overture的名词复数 )；（歌剧、芭蕾舞、音乐剧等的）序曲，前奏曲 | |
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46
persuasion
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| n.劝说；说服；持有某种信仰的宗派 | |
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47
dealer
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| n.商人，贩子 | |
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48
auspices
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| n.资助，赞助 | |
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49
laborers
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| n.体力劳动者，工人( laborer的名词复数 )；（熟练工人的）辅助工 | |
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50
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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51
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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52
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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