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首页 » 英文短篇小说 » Captured by Apes » CHAPTER XXXV. THE RETREAT.
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CHAPTER XXXV. THE RETREAT.
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By the time the wounded had been removed from the building at least half a dozen more men were in need of the surgeon’s skill, for since the flames had illuminated1 the scene so brilliantly the apes were able to aim with more accuracy, and Captain Seaworth soon began to realize that his entire force might be killed or disabled if any further attempt at fighting fire was made.

Philip was so deeply engaged in directing the movements of those at the cannon2 that he paid no attention to what was taking place outside his own sphere of action. Knowing perfectly3 well the manners of the apes, he understood that if the volleys of grape should cease even for a few moments Goliah’s forces would charge in overwhelming numbers, believing the colonists4 were growing weaker. Therefore, as rapidly as four men could clean and load each piece, it was discharged point-blank at that portion of the thicket6 in which the enemy appeared to be concealed7 in greatest force.

The range was too short to permit of the grape-shot doing as much execution as it would have done at five or six times the distance, and after seven or[274] eight rounds had been fired Philip discarded the iron balls entirely8, loading the cannon heavily with pebbles9 and fragments of rock, which, flying in every direction, would spread over a much larger space than round shot.

It was while he was most active in this work, and when the two cottages immediately adjoining the central dwelling10 had caught fire, that Captain Seaworth approached the chief of artillery11 looking troubled and pale.

“That a body of men should be routed by apes seems ridiculous,” he said; “but at this moment I confess I see no chance of success in this unequal battle. What is your opinion?”

Philip delayed answering only long enough to discharge one cannon at the thicket of mimosas south of the burning village, and then, after directing the gunners to clean and reload the piece in the shortest possible time, he replied, gravely:

“I am ready to obey your orders, captain, whatever they may be, and however much they vary from my own ideas; but I am convinced that a continuation of this fight will result in the disablement of all your forces. Already the natives are growing alarmed in the presence of an unseen enemy who, without fire-arms, can do so much execution, and if they should become panic-stricken the white members of the party will be left to the mercy of the apes.”

“Then you propose——”

“I propose nothing, captain. I have simply given[275] my opinion because you asked it, and not with any desire to influence your movement.”

Then Philip rushed forward to another cannon which had been loaded, and after discharging it returned to Captain Seaworth, who said:

“I am convinced you are correct. With the limited amount of water at our command it will be impossible to stay the progress of the flames, and we must leave the village to its destruction. Withdraw your guns one by one after I have sent the wounded to the ship. It will be necessary for you to cover the retreat with the cannon, because we have so many in the hospital that nearly the entire working-force are required to transport them.”

“Then it is to be a retreat?”

“If we were fighting against men I should feel warranted in a complete surrender to prevent further slaughter13; but since that is impossible it must be as you say—a retreat. I will send those who are fighting the flames to assist you in the more rapid discharge of the cannon while we are carrying the wounded to the ship. Messengers must be dispatched to Mr. Clark, with instructions for him to forward all aboard the Reynard to aid us on the way.”

Philip wasted no time in reply. He realized fully14 how important it was that a more vigorous defense15 should be made just at this moment, and he urged the men to renewed exertions16, if indeed that was possible when every one battled for life itself.

[276]

Then began what has probably never had an equal in warfare—the retreat of a large body of armed men before a party of apes.

As Captain Seaworth had said, it required the greater portion of his force to convey the wounded, and so few remained to work the heavy guns, drawing them back a few paces toward the sea-coast after each discharge, that the commander himself was forced to assist Philip.

It was fully a quarter of an hour before the last wounded man left the building which had been converted into a temporary hospital, and then, foot by foot, the little party of artillerists literally17 fought their way backward, while the rapid discharge of fire-arms from those in advance told that the apes had already circled around the retreating army. As a cannon was discharged it would be drawn18 twenty or thirty paces to the rear, the men reloading even while it was moving, and the showers of stones came thicker and more frequent.

Before half the necessary distance was traversed Philip’s left shoulder had been so severely19 cut with a fragment of rock as to render the arm useless, while blood streamed down the captain’s face from many minor20 wounds. Hardly a man among those who were protecting the rear was uninjured, and just when Philip began to fear that what had commenced as an orderly march would end in a complete rout12, reinforcements from the ships arrived.

This party of thirty fresh men, each with a plentiful21 supply of ammunition22, checked the closely-pursuing[277] apes, and it became possible to move the cannon forty or fifty yards after each discharge.

Finally, to the intense relief of all, the beach was gained, and here it was necessary to form in regular line of battle while the wounded were being conveyed to the ships in small boats.

It seemed as if the apes understood that this was their last opportunity, for they immediately redoubled their efforts. But now, however, being so near a place of safety, the men fought even more courageously23 than before, and huge sheets of flame burst from the weapons as the missiles went hurtling through the branches, causing great slaughter, as could be told by the shrieks24 of the wounded and dying animals.

Then the cannon were abandoned on the sea-shore when the boats from both vessels25 were drawn up ready to receive the defenders26 at the same moment, and, still discharging their muskets27 rapidly, the men were at last conveyed to a place of comparative safety.

The deck of the Reynard looked not unlike that of a line-of-battle ship after a terrific naval28 engagement. Hammocks were slung29 in every direction; improvised30 cots were placed fore5 and aft; and the surgeon, with all the women, was fully occupied in dressing31 the wounds until the sun once more sent down his pitiless glare over the island and the sea.

Looking shoreward, along the road Philip had caused to be made while he was king of the apes, nothing could be seen of the picturesque32 little village[278] save a heap of blackened, smoking ruins. The flames had done their work thoroughly33, and not a single building remained standing34. That the scheme of colonizing35 the island must be abandoned for the time being, at least, Philip understood, since even if Goliah and his forces could have been exterminated36 immediately a return to the United States was necessary in order to replenish37 the stores, as well as to provide new buildings for the laborers38.

When the wounded had been made as comfortable as was possible under the circumstances, Philip thought for the first time of the two chimpanzees, and not seeing them anywhere around, he feared, through some mischance, they had gone ashore39 in one of the boats, in which case their doom40 was certainly sealed.

In this, however, he was mistaken. Half an hour later, while assisting the crew to rig up temporary berths41 in the hold, he found the two animals cowering42 in the forward portion of the ship, behind some spare cables, and it was many moments before he could induce either to come on deck.

Toward noon, when the intense heat rendered it almost impossible for the crew to continue the work of converting the ship into a temporary hospital, Captain Seaworth held another consultation43, and this time it had no reference to how the apes might be exterminated, but was simply a question of when it would be possible to set sail.

There were yet a sufficient number of men to work the ships as far as Batavia, unless they were[279] attacked by the pirates; and after deciding that it would be better to run the chances of a fight at sea than be caught at anchor by the Malays, Captain Seaworth reported the fact of Philip’s having found a vast amount of treasure in the subterranean44 chambers45.

Never yet did blood outweigh46 gold, and every member of the council was eager to become possessed47 of the precious metal, even at the risk of another encounter with the animals. There was but little discussion necessary in order to arrive at the opinion of the majority, which was that they should defer48 sailing until at least one journey could be made to the grotto49, and a certain amount of the wealth be brought away.

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1 illuminated 98b351e9bc282af85e83e767e5ec76b8     
adj.被照明的;受启迪的
参考例句:
  • Floodlights illuminated the stadium. 泛光灯照亮了体育场。
  • the illuminated city at night 夜幕中万家灯火的城市
2 cannon 3T8yc     
n.大炮,火炮;飞机上的机关炮
参考例句:
  • The soldiers fired the cannon.士兵们开炮。
  • The cannon thundered in the hills.大炮在山间轰鸣。
3 perfectly 8Mzxb     
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
  • Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。
4 colonists 4afd0fece453e55f3721623f335e6c6f     
n.殖民地开拓者,移民,殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Colonists from Europe populated many parts of the Americas. 欧洲的殖民者移居到了美洲的许多地方。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Some of the early colonists were cruel to the native population. 有些早期移居殖民地的人对当地居民很残忍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 fore ri8xw     
adv.在前面;adj.先前的;在前部的;n.前部
参考例句:
  • Your seat is in the fore part of the aircraft.你的座位在飞机的前部。
  • I have the gift of fore knowledge.我能够未卜先知。
6 thicket So0wm     
n.灌木丛,树林
参考例句:
  • A thicket makes good cover for animals to hide in.丛林是动物的良好隐蔽处。
  • We were now at the margin of the thicket.我们现在已经来到了丛林的边缘。
7 concealed 0v3zxG     
a.隐藏的,隐蔽的
参考例句:
  • The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
  • I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。
8 entirely entirely     
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
  • His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。
9 pebbles e4aa8eab2296e27a327354cbb0b2c5d2     
[复数]鹅卵石; 沙砾; 卵石,小圆石( pebble的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The pebbles of the drive crunched under his feet. 汽车道上的小石子在他脚底下喀嚓作响。
  • Line the pots with pebbles to ensure good drainage. 在罐子里铺一层鹅卵石,以确保排水良好。
10 dwelling auzzQk     
n.住宅,住所,寓所
参考例句:
  • Those two men are dwelling with us.那两个人跟我们住在一起。
  • He occupies a three-story dwelling place on the Park Street.他在派克街上有一幢3层楼的寓所。
11 artillery 5vmzA     
n.(军)火炮,大炮;炮兵(部队)
参考例句:
  • This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
  • The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。
12 rout isUye     
n.溃退,溃败;v.击溃,打垮
参考例句:
  • The enemy was put to rout all along the line.敌人已全线崩溃。
  • The people's army put all to rout wherever they went.人民军队所向披靡。
13 slaughter 8Tpz1     
n.屠杀,屠宰;vt.屠杀,宰杀
参考例句:
  • I couldn't stand to watch them slaughter the cattle.我不忍看他们宰牛。
  • Wholesale slaughter was carried out in the name of progress.大规模的屠杀在维护进步的名义下进行。
14 fully Gfuzd     
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地
参考例句:
  • The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气,然后全部呼出。
  • They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。
15 defense AxbxB     
n.防御,保卫;[pl.]防务工事;辩护,答辩
参考例句:
  • The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
  • The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。
16 exertions 2d5ee45020125fc19527a78af5191726     
n.努力( exertion的名词复数 );费力;(能力、权力等的)运用;行使
参考例句:
  • As long as they lived, exertions would not be necessary to her. 只要他们活着,是不需要她吃苦的。 来自辞典例句
  • She failed to unlock the safe in spite of all her exertions. 她虽然费尽力气,仍未能将那保险箱的锁打开。 来自辞典例句
17 literally 28Wzv     
adv.照字面意义,逐字地;确实
参考例句:
  • He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
  • Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候,她不走到真正要昏厥了,决不肯坐下来。
18 drawn MuXzIi     
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的
参考例句:
  • All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
  • Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。
19 severely SiCzmk     
adv.严格地;严厉地;非常恶劣地
参考例句:
  • He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
  • He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。
20 minor e7fzR     
adj.较小(少)的,较次要的;n.辅修学科;vi.辅修
参考例句:
  • The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
  • I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。
21 plentiful r2izH     
adj.富裕的,丰富的
参考例句:
  • Their family has a plentiful harvest this year.他们家今年又丰收了。
  • Rainfall is plentiful in the area.这个地区雨量充足。
22 ammunition GwVzz     
n.军火,弹药
参考例句:
  • A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
  • They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。
23 courageously wvzz8b     
ad.勇敢地,无畏地
参考例句:
  • Under the correct leadership of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, the army and civilians in flooded areas fought the floods courageously, reducing the losses to the minimum. 在中共中央、国务院的正确领导下,灾区广大军民奋勇抗洪,把灾害的损失减少到了最低限度。
  • He fought death courageously though his life was draining away. 他虽然生命垂危,但仍然勇敢地与死亡作斗争。
24 shrieks e693aa502222a9efbbd76f900b6f5114     
n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • shrieks of fiendish laughter 恶魔般的尖笑声
  • For years, from newspapers, broadcasts, the stages and at meetings, we had heard nothing but grandiloquent rhetoric delivered with shouts and shrieks that deafened the ears. 多少年来, 报纸上, 广播里, 舞台上, 会场上的声嘶力竭,装腔做态的高调搞得我们震耳欲聋。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
25 vessels fc9307c2593b522954eadb3ee6c57480     
n.血管( vessel的名词复数 );船;容器;(具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的)人
参考例句:
  • The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
26 defenders fe417584d64537baa7cd5e48222ccdf8     
n.防御者( defender的名词复数 );守卫者;保护者;辩护者
参考例句:
  • The defenders were outnumbered and had to give in. 抵抗者寡不敌众,只能投降。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • After hard fighting,the defenders were still masters of the city. 守军经过奋战仍然控制着城市。 来自《简明英汉词典》
27 muskets c800a2b34c12fbe7b5ea8ef241e9a447     
n.火枪,(尤指)滑膛枪( musket的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The watch below, all hands to load muskets. 另一组人都来帮着给枪装火药。 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛
  • Deep ditch, single drawbridge, massive stone walls, eight at towers, cannon, muskets, fire and smoke. 深深的壕堑,单吊桥,厚重的石壁,八座巨大的塔楼。大炮、毛瑟枪、火焰与烟雾。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
28 naval h1lyU     
adj.海军的,军舰的,船的
参考例句:
  • He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
  • The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。
29 slung slung     
抛( sling的过去式和过去分词 ); 吊挂; 遣送; 押往
参考例句:
  • He slung the bag over his shoulder. 他把包一甩,挎在肩上。
  • He stood up and slung his gun over his shoulder. 他站起来把枪往肩上一背。
30 improvised tqczb9     
a.即席而作的,即兴的
参考例句:
  • He improvised a song about the football team's victory. 他即席创作了一首足球队胜利之歌。
  • We improvised a tent out of two blankets and some long poles. 我们用两条毛毯和几根长竿搭成一个临时帐蓬。
31 dressing 1uOzJG     
n.(食物)调料;包扎伤口的用品,敷料
参考例句:
  • Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
  • The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。
32 picturesque qlSzeJ     
adj.美丽如画的,(语言)生动的,绘声绘色的
参考例句:
  • You can see the picturesque shores beside the river.在河边你可以看到景色如画的两岸。
  • That was a picturesque phrase.那是一个形象化的说法。
33 thoroughly sgmz0J     
adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地
参考例句:
  • The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
  • The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。
34 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
35 colonizing 8e6132da4abc85de5506f1d9c85be700     
v.开拓殖民地,移民于殖民地( colonize的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • The art of colonizing is no exception to the rule. 殖民的芸术是� 有特例的。 来自互联网
  • A Lesson for Other Colonizing Nations. 其它殖民国家学习的教训。 来自互联网
36 exterminated 26d6c11b25ea1007021683e86730eb44     
v.消灭,根绝( exterminate的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • It was exterminated root and branch. 它被彻底剪除了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • The insects can be exterminated by spraying DDT. 可以用喷撒滴滴涕的方法大量杀死这种昆虫。 来自《用法词典》
37 replenish kCAyV     
vt.补充;(把…)装满;(再)填满
参考例句:
  • I always replenish my food supply before it is depleted.我总是在我的食物吃完之前加以补充。
  • We have to import an extra 4 million tons of wheat to replenish our reserves.我们不得不额外进口四百万吨小麦以补充我们的储备。
38 laborers c8c6422086151d6c0ae2a95777108e3c     
n.体力劳动者,工人( laborer的名词复数 );(熟练工人的)辅助工
参考例句:
  • Laborers were trained to handle 50-ton compactors and giant cranes. 工人们接受操作五十吨压土机和巨型起重机的训练。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • Wage-labour rests exclusively on competition between the laborers. 雇佣劳动完全是建立在工人的自相竞争之上的。 来自英汉非文学 - 共产党宣言
39 ashore tNQyT     
adv.在(向)岸上,上岸
参考例句:
  • The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前,孩子们就上岸了。
  • He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。
40 doom gsexJ     
n.厄运,劫数;v.注定,命定
参考例句:
  • The report on our economic situation is full of doom and gloom.这份关于我们经济状况的报告充满了令人绝望和沮丧的调子。
  • The dictator met his doom after ten years of rule.独裁者统治了十年终于完蛋了。
41 berths c48f4275c061791e8345f3bbf7b5e773     
n.(船、列车等的)卧铺( berth的名词复数 );(船舶的)停泊位或锚位;差事;船台vt.v.停泊( berth的第三人称单数 );占铺位
参考例句:
  • Berths on steamships can be booked a long while in advance. 轮船上的床位可以提前多日预订。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • Have you got your berths on the ship yet? 你们在船上有舱位了吗? 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
42 cowering 48e9ec459e33cd232bc581fbd6a3f22d     
v.畏缩,抖缩( cower的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • He turned his baleful glare on the cowering suspect. 他恶毒地盯着那个蜷缩成一团的嫌疑犯。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He stood over the cowering Herb with fists of fury. 他紧握着两个拳头怒气冲天地站在惊魂未定的赫伯面前。 来自辞典例句
43 consultation VZAyq     
n.咨询;商量;商议;会议
参考例句:
  • The company has promised wide consultation on its expansion plans.该公司允诺就其扩展计划广泛征求意见。
  • The scheme was developed in close consultation with the local community.该计划是在同当地社区密切磋商中逐渐形成的。
44 subterranean ssWwo     
adj.地下的,地表下的
参考例句:
  • London has 9 miles of such subterranean passages.伦敦像这样的地下通道有9英里长。
  • We wandered through subterranean passages.我们漫游地下通道。
45 chambers c053984cd45eab1984d2c4776373c4fe     
n.房间( chamber的名词复数 );(议会的)议院;卧室;会议厅
参考例句:
  • The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间:Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网
46 outweigh gJlxO     
vt.比...更重,...更重要
参考例句:
  • The merits of your plan outweigh the defects.你制定的计划其优点胜过缺点。
  • One's merits outweigh one's short-comings.功大于过。
47 possessed xuyyQ     
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的
参考例句:
  • He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
  • He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。
48 defer KnYzZ     
vt.推迟,拖延;vi.(to)遵从,听从,服从
参考例句:
  • We wish to defer our decision until next week.我们希望推迟到下星期再作出决定。
  • We will defer to whatever the committee decides.我们遵从委员会作出的任何决定。
49 grotto h5Byz     
n.洞穴
参考例句:
  • We reached a beautiful grotto,whose entrance was almost hiden by the vine.我们到达了一个美丽的洞穴,洞的进口几乎被藤蔓遮掩著。
  • Water trickles through an underground grotto.水沿着地下岩洞流淌。


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