What was she, and whence? There is no object which so excites interest and conjecture6, and, at the same time, baffles both, as a sail, seen as a mere speck on these remote seas off Cape7 Horn. A breeze! a breeze! for lo! the stranger is now perceptibly nearing the frigate8; the officer's spy-glass pronounces her a full-rigged ship, with all sail set, and coming right down to us, though in our own vicinity the calm still reigns9.
She is bringing the wind with her. Hurrah10! Ay, there it is! Behold11 how mincingly12 it creeps over the sea, just ruffling13 and crisping it.
Our top-men were at once sent aloft to loose the sails, and presently they faintly began to distend14. As yet we hardly had steerage-way. Toward sunset the stranger bore down before the wind, a complete pyramid of canvas. Never before, I venture to say, was Cape Horn so audaciously insulted. Stun'-sails alow and aloft; royals, moon-sails, and everything else. She glided15 under our stern, within hailing distance, and the signal-quarter-master ran up our ensign to the gaff.
"Halloa!" bawled18 an old fellow in a green jacket, clap-ping one hand to his mouth, while he held on with the other to the mizzen-shrouds20.
"What ship's that?"
"The Sultan, Indiaman, from New York, and bound to Callao and Canton, sixty days out, all well. What frigate's that?"
"The United States ship Neversink, homeward bound." "Hurrah! hurrah! hurrah!" yelled our enthusiastic countryman, transported with patriotism21.
By this time the Sultan had swept past, but the Lieutenant of the Watch could not withhold22 a parting admonition.
"D'ye hear? You'd better take in some of your flying-kites there. Look out for Cape Horn!"
But the friendly advice was lost in the now increasing wind. With a suddenness by no means unusual in these latitudes23, the light breeze soon became a succession of sharp squalls, and our sail-proud braggadacio of an India-man was observed to let everything go by the run, his t'-gallant stun'-sails and flying-jib taking quick leave of the spars; the flying-jib was swept into the air, rolled together for a few minutes, and tossed about in the squalls like a foot-ball. But the wind played no such pranks24 with the more prudently25 managed canvas of the Neversink, though before many hours it was stirring times with us.
About midnight, when the starboard watch, to which, I belonged, was below, the boatswain's whistle was heard, followed by the shrill26 cry of "All hands take in sail! jump, men, and save ship!"
Springing from our hammocks, we found the frigate leaning over to it so steeply, that it was with difficulty we could climb the ladders leading to the upper deck.
Here the scene was awful. The vessel27 seemed to be sailing on her side. The main-deck guns had several days previous been run in and housed, and the port-holes closed, but the lee carronades on the quarter-deck and forecastle were plunging28 through the sea, which undulated over them in milk-white billows of foam29. With every lurch30 to leeward31 the yard-arm-ends seemed to dip in the sea, while forward the spray dashed over the bows in cataracts32, and drenched33 the men who were on the fore-yard. By this time the deck was alive with the whole strength of the ship's company, five hundred men, officers and all, mostly clinging to the weather bulwarks. The occasional phosphorescence of the yeasting34 sea cast a glare upon their uplifted faces, as a night fire in a populous35 city lights up the panic-stricken crowd.
In a sudden gale36, or when a large quantity of sail is suddenly to be furled, it is the custom for the First Lieutenant to take the trumpet from whoever happens then to be officer of the deck. But Mad Jack19 had the trumpet that watch; nor did the First Lieutenant now seek to wrest37 it from his hands. Every eye was upon him, as if we had chosen him from among us all, to decide this battle with the elements, by single combat with the spirit of the Cape; for Mad Jack was the saving genius of the ship, and so proved himself that night. I owe this right hand, that is this moment flying over my sheet, and all my present being to Mad Jack. The ship's bows were now butting38, battering39, ramming40, and thundering over and upon the head seas, and with a horrible wallowing sound our whole hull41 was rolling in the trough of the foam. The gale came athwart the deck, and every sail seemed bursting with its wild breath.
All the quarter-masters, and several of the forecastle-men, were swarming42 round the double-wheel on the quarter-deck. Some jumping up and down, with their hands upon the spokes43; for the whole helm and galvanised keel were fiercely feverish44, with the life imparted to them by the tempest.
"Hard up the helm!" shouted Captain Claret, bursting from his cabin like a ghost in his night-dress.
"Damn you!" raged Mad Jack to the quarter-masters; "hard down—hard down, I say, and be damned to you!"
Contrary orders! but Mad Jack's were obeyed. His object was to throw the ship into the wind, so as the better to admit of close-reefing the top-sails. But though the halyards were let go, it was impossible to clew down the yards, owing to the enormous horizontal strain on the canvas. It now blew a hurricane. The spray flew over the ship in floods. The gigantic masts seemed about to snap under the world-wide strain of the three entire top-sails.
"Clew down! clew down!" shouted Mad Jack, husky with excitement, and in a frenzy45, beating his trumpet against one of the shrouds. But, owing to the slant46 of the ship, the thing could not be done. It was obvious that before many minutes something must go—either sails, rigging, or sticks; perhaps the hull itself, and all hands.
Presently a voice from the top exclaimed that there was a rent in the main-top-sail. And instantly we heard a re-port like two or three muskets47 discharged together; the vast sail was rent up and clown like the Vail of the Temple. This saved the main-mast; for the yard was now clewed down with comparative ease, and the top-men laid out to stow the shattered canvas. Soon, the two remaining top-sails were also clewed down and close reefed.
Above all the roar of the tempest and the shouts of the crew, was heard the dismal48 tolling49 of the ship's bell—almost as large as that of a village church—which the violent rolling of the ship was occasioning. Imagination cannot conceive the horror of such a sound in a night-tempest at sea.
But no sooner was this ghost gagged, than a still more appalling51 sound was heard, the rolling to and fro of the heavy shot, which, on the gun-deck, had broken loose from the gun-racks, and converted that part of the ship into an immense bowling-alley. Some hands were sent down to secure them; but it was as much as their lives were worth. Several were maimed; and the midshipmen who were ordered to see the duty performed reported it impossible, until the storm abated53.
The most terrific job of all was to furl the main-sail, which, at the commencement of the squalls, had been clewed up, coaxed54 and quieted as much as possible with the bunt-lines and slab-lines. Mad Jack waited some time for a lull55, ere he gave an order so perilous56 to be executed. For to furl this enormous sail, in such a gale, required at least fifty men on the yard; whose weight, superadded to that of the ponderous57 stick itself, still further jeopardised their lives. But there was no prospect58 of a cessation of the gale, and the order was at last given.
At this time a hurricane of slanting59 sleet60 and hail was descending61 upon us; the rigging was coated with a thin glare of ice, formed within the hour.
"Aloft, main-yard-men! and all you main-top-men! and furl the main-sail!" cried Mad Jack.
I dashed down my hat, slipped out of my quilted jacket in an instant, kicked the shoes from my feet, and, with a crowd of others, sprang for the rigging. Above the bulwarks (which in a frigate are so high as to afford much protection to those on deck) the gale was horrible. The sheer force of the wind flattened62 us to the rigging as we ascended63, and every hand seemed congealing64 to the icy shrouds by which we held.
"Up—up, my brave hearties65!" shouted Mad Jack; and up we got, some way or other, all of us, and groped our way out on the yard-arms.
"Hold on, every mother's son!" cried an old quarter-gunner at my side. He was bawling66 at the top of his compass; but in the gale, he seemed to be whispering; and I only heard him from his being right to windward of me.
But his hint was unnecessary; I dug my nails into the jack-stays, and swore that nothing but death should part me and them until I was able to turn round and look to windward. As yet, this was impossible; I could scarcely hear the man to leeward at my elbow; the wind seemed to snatch the words from his mouth and fly away with them to the South Pole.
All this while the sail itself was flying about, sometimes catching67 over our heads, and threatening to tear us from the yard in spite of all our hugging. For about three quarters of an hour we thus hung suspended right over the rampant68 billows, which curled their very crests69 under the feet of some four or five of us clinging to the lee-yard-arm, as if to float us from our place.
Presently, the word passed along the yard from wind-ward, that we were ordered to come down and leave the sail to blow, since it could not be furled. A midshipman, it seemed, had been sent up by the officer of the deck to give the order, as no trumpet could be heard where we were.
Those on the weather yard-arm managed to crawl upon the spar and scramble70 down the rigging; but with us, upon the extreme leeward side, this feat71 was out of the question; it was, literary, like climbing a precipice72 to get to wind-ward in order to reach the shrouds: besides, the entire yard was now encased in ice, and our hands and feet were so numb73 that we dared not trust our lives to them. Nevertheless, by assisting each other, we contrived74 to throw ourselves prostrate75 along the yard, and embrace it with our arms and legs. In this position, the stun'-sail-booms greatly assisted in securing our hold. Strange as it may appear, I do not suppose that, at this moment, the slightest sensation of fear was felt by one man on that yard. We clung to it with might and main; but this was instinct. The truth is, that, in circumstances like these, the sense of fear is annihilated76 in the unutterable sights that fill all the eye, and the sounds that fill all the ear. You become identified with the tempest; your insignificance77 is lost in the riot of the stormy universe around.
Below us, our noble frigate seemed thrice its real length—a vast black wedge, opposing its widest end to the combined fury of the sea and wind.
At length the first fury of the gale began to abate52, and we at once fell to pounding our hands, as a preliminary operation to going to work; for a gang of men had now ascended to help secure what was left of the sail; we somehow packed it away, at last, and came down.
About noon the next day, the gale so moderated that we shook two reefs out of the top-sails, set new courses, and stood due east, with the wind astern.
Thus, all the fine weather we encountered after first weighing anchor on the pleasant Spanish coast, was but the prelude78 to this one terrific night; more especially, that treacherous79 calm immediately preceding it. But how could we reach our long-promised homes without encountering Cape Horn? by what possibility avoid it? And though some ships have weathered it without these perils80, yet by far the greater part must encounter them. Lucky it is that it comes about midway in the homeward-bound passage, so that the sailors have time to prepare for it, and time to recover from it after it is astern.
But, sailor or landsman, there is some sort of a Cape Horn for all. Boys! beware of it; prepare for it in time. Gray-beards! thank God it is passed. And ye lucky livers, to whom, by some rare fatality81, your Cape Horns are placid82 as Lake Lemans, flatter not yourselves that good luck is judgment83 and discretion84; for all the yolk85 in your eggs, you might have foundered86 and gone down, had the Spirit of the Cape said the word.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
mere
|
|
| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
speck
|
|
| n.微粒，小污点，小斑点 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
affected
|
|
| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
descried
|
|
| adj.被注意到的，被发现的，被看到的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
bulwarks
|
|
| n.堡垒( bulwark的名词复数 )；保障；支柱；舷墙 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
conjecture
|
|
| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
cape
|
|
| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
frigate
|
|
| n.护航舰，大型驱逐舰 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
reigns
|
|
| n.君主的统治( reign的名词复数 )；君主统治时期；任期；当政期 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
hurrah
|
|
| int.好哇，万岁，乌拉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
behold
|
|
| v.看，注视，看到 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
mincingly
|
|
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
ruffling
|
|
| 弄皱( ruffle的现在分词 )； 弄乱； 激怒； 扰乱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
distend
|
|
| vt./vi.（使）扩大，（使）扩张 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
glided
|
|
| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
lieutenant
|
|
| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
trumpet
|
|
| n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
bawled
|
|
| v.大叫，大喊( bawl的过去式和过去分词 )；放声大哭；大声叫出；叫卖（货物） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
jack
|
|
| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
shrouds
|
|
| n.裹尸布( shroud的名词复数 )；寿衣；遮蔽物；覆盖物v.隐瞒( shroud的第三人称单数 )；保密 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
patriotism
|
|
| n.爱国精神，爱国心，爱国主义 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
withhold
|
|
| v.拒绝，不给；使停止，阻挡 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
latitudes
|
|
| 纬度 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
pranks
|
|
| n.玩笑，恶作剧( prank的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
prudently
|
|
| adv. 谨慎地，慎重地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
shrill
|
|
| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
vessel
|
|
| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
plunging
|
|
| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
foam
|
|
| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
lurch
|
|
| n.突然向前或旁边倒；v.蹒跚而行 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
leeward
|
|
| adj.背风的；下风的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
cataracts
|
|
| n.大瀑布( cataract的名词复数 )；白内障 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
drenched
|
|
| adj.湿透的；充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
yeasting
|
|
| 酵母( yeast的现在分词 )； 酵母菌； 发面饼； 发酵粉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
populous
|
|
| adj.人口稠密的，人口众多的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
gale
|
|
| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
wrest
|
|
| n.扭，拧，猛夺；v.夺取，猛扭，歪曲 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
butting
|
|
| 用头撞人（犯规动作） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
battering
|
|
| n.用坏，损坏v.连续猛击( batter的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
ramming
|
|
| n.打结炉底v.夯实（土等）( ram的现在分词 )；猛撞；猛压；反复灌输 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
hull
|
|
| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
swarming
|
|
| 密集( swarm的现在分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
spokes
|
|
| n.（车轮的）辐条( spoke的名词复数 )；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
feverish
|
|
| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
frenzy
|
|
| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
slant
|
|
| v.倾斜，倾向性地编写或报道；n.斜面，倾向 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
muskets
|
|
| n.火枪，（尤指）滑膛枪( musket的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
dismal
|
|
| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
tolling
|
|
| [财]来料加工 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
wrench
|
|
| v.猛拧；挣脱；使扭伤；n.扳手；痛苦，难受 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
appalling
|
|
| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
abate
|
|
| vi.(风势，疼痛等)减弱，减轻，减退 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
abated
|
|
| 减少( abate的过去式和过去分词 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
coaxed
|
|
| v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的过去式和过去分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
lull
|
|
| v.使安静，使入睡，缓和，哄骗；n.暂停，间歇 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
perilous
|
|
| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
ponderous
|
|
| adj.沉重的，笨重的，(文章)冗长的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
prospect
|
|
| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
slanting
|
|
| 倾斜的，歪斜的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
sleet
|
|
| n.雨雪；v.下雨雪，下冰雹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
61
descending
|
|
| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
62
flattened
|
|
| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
63
ascended
|
|
| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
64
congealing
|
|
| v.使凝结，冻结( congeal的现在分词 )；（指血）凝结 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
65
hearties
|
|
| 亲切的( hearty的名词复数 )； 热诚的； 健壮的； 精神饱满的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
66
bawling
|
|
| v.大叫，大喊( bawl的现在分词 )；放声大哭；大声叫出；叫卖（货物） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
67
catching
|
|
| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
68
rampant
|
|
| adj.(植物)蔓生的；狂暴的，无约束的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
69
crests
|
|
| v.到达山顶（或浪峰）( crest的第三人称单数 )；到达洪峰，达到顶点 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
70
scramble
|
|
| v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
71
feat
|
|
| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
72
precipice
|
|
| n.悬崖，危急的处境 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
73
numb
|
|
| adj.麻木的，失去感觉的；v.使麻木 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
74
contrived
|
|
| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
75
prostrate
|
|
| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
76
annihilated
|
|
| v.（彻底）消灭( annihilate的过去式和过去分词 )；使无效；废止；彻底击溃 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
77
insignificance
|
|
| n.不重要；无价值；无意义 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
78
prelude
|
|
| n.序言，前兆，序曲 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
79
treacherous
|
|
| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
80
perils
|
|
| 极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
81
fatality
|
|
| n.不幸，灾祸，天命 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
82
placid
|
|
| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
83
judgment
|
|
| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
84
discretion
|
|
| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
85
yolk
|
|
| n.蛋黄，卵黄 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
86
foundered
|
|
| v.创始人( founder的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |