This ceremony acquires its chief solemnity, and, to a novice4, is rendered even terrible, by the reading of the Articles of War by the Captain's clerk before the assembled ship's company, who in testimony5 of their enforced reverence6 for the code, stand bareheaded till the last sentence is pronounced.
To a mere7 amateur reader the quiet perusal8 of these Articles of War would be attended with some nervous emotions. Imagine, then, what my feelings must have been, when, with my hat deferentially9 in my hand, I stood before my lord and master, Captain Claret, and heard these Articles read as the law and gospel, the infallible, unappealable dispensation and code, whereby I lived, and moved, and had my being on board of the United States ship Neversink.
Of some twenty offences—made penal—that a seaman10 may commit, and which are specified11 in this code, thirteen are punishable by death.
"Shall suffer death!" This was the burden of nearly every Article read by the Captain's clerk; for he seemed to have been instructed to omit the longer Articles, and only present those which were brief and to the point.
"Shall suffer death!" The repeated announcement falls on your ear like the intermitting discharge of artillery12. After it has been repeated again and again, you listen to the reader as he deliberately13 begins a new paragraph; you hear him reciting the involved, but comprehensive and clear arrangement of the sentence, detailing all possible particulars of the offence described, and you breathlessly await, whether that clause also is going to be concluded by the discharge of the terrible minute-gun. When, lo! it again booms on your ear—shall suffer death! No reservations, no contingencies14; not the remotest promise of pardon or reprieve15; not a glimpse of commutation of the sentence; all hope and consolation16 is shut out—shall suffer death! that is the simple fact for you to digest; and it is a tougher morsel17, believe White-Jacket when he says it, than a forty-two-pound cannon-ball.
But there is a glimmering19 of an alternative to the sailor who infringes20 these Articles. Some of them thus terminates: "Shall suffer death, or such punishment as a court-martial21 shall adjudge." But hints this at a penalty still more serious? Perhaps it means "death, or worse punishment."
Your honours of the Spanish Inquisition, Loyola and Torquemada! produce, reverend gentlemen, your most secret code, and match these Articles of War, if you can. Jack18 Ketch, you also are experienced in these things! Thou most benevolent22 of mortals, who standest by us, and hangest round our necks, when all the rest of this world are against us—tell us, hangman, what punishment is this, horribly hinted at as being worse than death? Is it, upon an empty stomach, to read the Articles of War every morning, for the term of one's natural life? Or is it to be imprisoned23 in a cell, with its walls papered from floor to ceiling with printed copies, in italics, of these Articles of War?
But it needs not to dilate24 upon the pure, bubbling milk of human kindness, and Christian25 charity, and forgiveness of injuries which pervade26 this charming document, so thoroughly27 imbued28, as a Christian code, with the benignant spirit of the Sermon on the Mount. But as it is very nearly alike in the foremost states of Christendom, and as it is nationally set forth29 by those states, it indirectly30 becomes an index to the true condition of the present civilization of the world.
As, month after month, I would stand bareheaded among my shipmates, and hear this document read, I have thought to myself, Well, well, White-Jacket, you are in a sad box, indeed. But prick31 your ears, there goes another minute-gun. It admonishes32 you to take all bad usage in good part, and never to join in any public meeting that may be held on the gun-deck for a redress33 of grievances34. Listen:
Art. XIII. "If any person in the navy shall make, or attempt to make, any mutinous35 assembly, he shall, on conviction thereof by a court martial, suffer death."
Bless me, White-Jacket, are you a great gun yourself, that you so recoil36, to the extremity37 of your breechings, at that discharge?
But give ear again. Here goes another minute-gun. It indirectly admonishes you to receive the grossest insult, and stand still under it:
Art. XIV. "No private in the navy shall disobey the lawful38 orders of his superior officer, or strike him, or draw, or offer to draw, or raise any weapon against him, while in the execution of the duties of his office, on pain of death."
Do not hang back there by the bulwarks39, White-Jacket; come up to the mark once more; for here goes still another minute-gun, which admonishes you never to be caught napping:
Part of Art. XX. "If any person in the navy shall sleep upon his watch, he shall suffer death."
Murderous! But then, in time of peace, they do not enforce these blood-thirsty laws? Do they not, indeed? What happened to those three sailors on board an American armed vessel40 a few years ago, quite within your memory, White-Jacket; yea, while you yourself were yet serving on board this very frigate41, the Neversink? What happened to those three Americans, White-Jacket—those three sailors, even as you, who once were alive, but now are dead? "Shall suffer death!" those were the three words that hung those three sailors.
Have a care, then, have a care, lest you come to a sad end, even the end of a rope; lest, with a black-and-blue throat, you turn a dumb diver after pearl-shells; put to bed for ever, and tucked in, in your own hammock, at the bottom of the sea. And there you will lie, White-Jacket, while hostile navies are playing cannon-ball billiards42 over your grave.
By the main-mast! then, in a time of profound peace, I am subject to the cut-throat martial law. And when my own brother, who happens to be dwelling43 ashore44, and does not serve his country as I am now doing—when he is at liberty to call personally upon the President of the United States, and express his disapprobation of the whole national administration, here am I, liable at any time to be run up at the yard-arm, with a necklace, made by no jeweler, round my neck!
A hard case, truly, White-Jacket; but it cannot be helped. Yes; you live under this same martial law. Does not everything around you din2 the fact in your ears? Twice every day do you not jump to your quarters at the sound of a drum? Every morning, in port, are you not roused from your hammock by the reveille, and sent to it again at nightfall by the tattoo45? Every Sunday are you not commanded in the mere matter of the very dress you shall wear through that blessed day? Can your shipmates so much as drink their "tot of grog?" nay46, can they even drink but a cup of water at the scuttle-butt, without an armed sentry47 standing48 over them? Does not every officer wear a sword instead of a cane49? You live and move among twenty-four-pounders. White-Jacket; the very cannon-balls are deemed an ornament50 around you, serving to embellish51 the hatchways; and should you come to die at sea, White-Jacket, still two cannon-balls would bear you company when you would be committed to the deep. Yea, by all methods, and devices, and inventions, you are momentarily admonished52 of the fact that you live under the Articles of War. And by virtue53 of them it is, White-Jacket, that, without a hearing and without a trial, you may, at a wink54 from the Captain, be condemned55 to the scourge56.
Speak you true? Then let me fly!
Some tempest, then, surge all the sea against us! hidden reefs and rocks, arise and dash the ships to chips! I was not born a serf, and will not live a slave! Quick! cork-screw whirlpools, suck us down! world's end whelm us!
Nay, White-Jacket, though this frigate laid her broken bones upon the Antarctic shores of Palmer's Land; though not two planks58 adhered; though all her guns were spiked59 by sword-fish blades, and at her yawning hatchways mouth-yawning sharks swam in and out; yet, should you escape the wreck60 and scramble61 to the beach, this Martial Law would meet you still, and snatch you by the throat. Hark!
Art. XLII. Part of Sec. 3.-"In all cases where the crews of the ships or vessels62 of the United States shall be separated from their vessels by the latter being wrecked63, lost, or destroyed, all the command, power, and authority given to the officers of such ships or vessels shall remain, and be in full force, as effectually as if such ship or vessel were not so wrecked, lost or destroyed."
Hear you that, White-Jacket! I tell you there is no escape. Afloat or wrecked the Martial Law relaxes not its gripe. And though, by that self-same warrant, for some offence therein set down, you were indeed to "suffer death," even then the Martial Law might hunt you straight through the other world, and out again at its other end, following you through all eternity64, like an endless thread on the inevitable65 track of its own point, passing unnumbered needles through.
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1
muster
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| v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册 | |
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din
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| n.喧闹声，嘈杂声 | |
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3
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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4
novice
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| adj.新手的，生手的 | |
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5
testimony
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| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
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6
reverence
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| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
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7
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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8
perusal
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| n.细读，熟读；目测 | |
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deferentially
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| adv.表示敬意地，谦恭地 | |
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10
seaman
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| n.海员，水手，水兵 | |
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specified
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| adj.特定的 | |
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12
artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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13
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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14
contingencies
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| n.偶然发生的事故，意外事故( contingency的名词复数 )；以备万一 | |
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15
reprieve
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| n.暂缓执行（死刑）；v.缓期执行；给…带来缓解 | |
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16
consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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17
morsel
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| n.一口，一点点 | |
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18
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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19
glimmering
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| n.微光，隐约的一瞥adj.薄弱地发光的v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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20
infringes
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| v.违反（规章等）( infringe的第三人称单数 )；侵犯（某人的权利）；侵害（某人的自由、权益等） | |
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21
martial
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| adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的 | |
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22
benevolent
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| adj.仁慈的，乐善好施的 | |
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23
imprisoned
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| 下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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24
dilate
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| vt.使膨胀，使扩大 | |
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25
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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26
pervade
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| v.弥漫，遍及，充满，渗透，漫延 | |
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27
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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28
imbued
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| v.使（某人/某事）充满或激起（感情等）( imbue的过去式和过去分词 )；使充满；灌输；激发（强烈感情或品质等） | |
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29
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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30
indirectly
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| adv.间接地，不直接了当地 | |
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31
prick
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| v.刺伤，刺痛，刺孔；n.刺伤，刺痛 | |
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32
admonishes
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| n.劝告( admonish的名词复数 )；训诫；（温和地）责备；轻责v.劝告( admonish的第三人称单数 )；训诫；（温和地）责备；轻责 | |
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33
redress
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| n.赔偿，救济，矫正；v.纠正，匡正，革除 | |
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34
grievances
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| n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚 | |
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35
mutinous
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| adj.叛变的，反抗的；adv.反抗地，叛变地；n.反抗，叛变 | |
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36
recoil
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| vi.退却，退缩，畏缩 | |
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37
extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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38
lawful
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| adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的 | |
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39
bulwarks
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| n.堡垒( bulwark的名词复数 )；保障；支柱；舷墙 | |
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40
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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41
frigate
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| n.护航舰，大型驱逐舰 | |
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42
billiards
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| n.台球 | |
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43
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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44
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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45
tattoo
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| n.纹身，(皮肤上的)刺花纹；vt.刺花纹于 | |
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46
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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47
sentry
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| n.哨兵，警卫 | |
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48
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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49
cane
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| n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的 | |
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50
ornament
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| v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物 | |
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51
embellish
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| v.装饰，布置；给…添加细节，润饰 | |
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52
admonished
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| v.劝告( admonish的过去式和过去分词 )；训诫；（温和地）责备；轻责 | |
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53
virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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54
wink
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| n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁 | |
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55
condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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56
scourge
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| n.灾难，祸害；v.蹂躏 | |
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57
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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58
planks
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| （厚）木板( plank的名词复数 )； 政纲条目，政策要点 | |
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59
spiked
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| adj.有穗的；成锥形的；有尖顶的 | |
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60
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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61
scramble
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| v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料 | |
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62
vessels
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| 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 | |
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63
wrecked
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| adj.失事的，遇难的 | |
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64
eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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65
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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