Notwithstanding the domestic communism to which the seamen6 in a man-of-war are condemned7, and the publicity8 in which actions the most diffident and retiring in their nature must be performed, there is yet an odd corner or two where you may sometimes steal away, and, for a few moments, almost be private.
Chief among these places is the chains, to which I would sometimes hie during our pleasant homeward-bound glide9 over those pensive10 tropical latitudes11. After hearing my fill of the wild yarns12 of our top, here would I recline—if not disturbed—serenely concocting13 information into wisdom.
The chains designates the small platform outside of the hull14, at the base of the large shrouds15 leading down from the three mast-heads to the bulwarks16. At present they seem to be getting out of vogue17 among merchant-vessels, along with the fine, old-fashioned quarter-galleries, little turret-like ap-purtenances, which, in the days of the old Admirals, set off the angles of an armed ship's stern. Here a naval18 officer might lounge away an hour after action, smoking a cigar, to drive out of his whiskers the villainous smoke of the gun-powder. The picturesque19, delightful20 stern-gallery, also, a broad balcony overhanging the sea, and entered from the Captain's cabin, much as you might enter a bower21 from a lady's chamber22; this charming balcony, where, sailing over summer seas in the days of the old Peruvian viceroys, the Spanish cavalier Mendanna, of Lima, made love to the Lady Isabella, as they voyaged in quest of the Solomon Islands, the fabulous24 Ophir, the Grand Cyclades; and the Lady Isabella, at sunset, blushed like the Orient, and gazed down to the gold-fish and silver-hued flying-fish, that wove the woof and warp25 of their wakes in bright, scaly26 tartans and plaids underneath27 where the Lady reclined; this charming balcony—exquisite retreat—has been cut away by Vandalic innovations. Ay, that claw-footed old gallery is no longer in fashion; in Commodore's eyes, is no longer genteel.
Out on all furniture fashions but those that are past! Give me my grandfather's old arm-chair, planted upon four carved frogs, as the Hindoos fabled28 the world to be supported upon four tortoises; give me his cane29, with the gold-loaded top—a cane that, like the musket30 of General Washington's father and the broadsword of William Wallace, would break down the back of the switch-carrying dandies of these spindle-shank days; give me his broad-breasted vest, coming bravely down over the hips31, and furnished with two strong-boxes of pockets to keep guineas in; toss this toppling cylinder32 of a beaver33 overboard, and give me my grandfather's gallant34, gable-ended, cocked hat.
But though the quarter-galleries and the stern-gallery of a man-of-war are departed, yet the chains still linger; nor can there be imagined a more agreeable retreat. The huge blocks and lanyards forming the pedestals of the shrouds divide the chains into numerous little chapels35, alcoves36, niches37, and altars, where you lazily lounge—outside of the ship, though on board. But there are plenty to divide a good thing with you in this man-of-war world. Often, when snugly40 seated in one of these little alcoves, gazing off to the horizon, and thinking of Cathay, I have been startled from my repose41 by some old quarter-gunner, who, having newly painted a parcel of match-tubs, wanted to set them to dry.
At other times, one of the tattooing42 artists would crawl over the bulwarks, followed by his sitter; and then a bare arm or leg would be extended, and the disagreeable business of "pricking44" commence, right under my eyes; or an irruption of tars39, with ditty-bags or sea-reticules, and piles of old trowsers to mend, would break in upon my seclusion45, and, forming a sewing-circle, drive me off with their chatter46.
But once—it was a Sunday afternoon—I was pleasantly reclining in a particularly shady and secluded47 little niche38 between two lanyards, when I heard a low, supplicating48 voice. Peeping through the narrow space between the ropes, I perceived an aged23 seaman49 on his knees, his face turned seaward, with closed eyes, buried in prayer. Softly rising, I stole through a port-hole, and left the venerable worshipper alone.
He was a sheet-anchor-man, an earnest Baptist, and was well known, in his own part of the ship, to be constant in his solitary50 devotions in the chains. He reminded me of St. Anthony going out into the wilderness51 to pray.
This man was captain of the starboard bow-chaser, one of the two long twenty-four-pounders on the forecastle. In time of action, the command of that iron Thalaba the Destroyer would devolve upon him. It would be his business to "train" it properly; to see it well loaded; the grape and cannister rammed52 home; also, to "prick43 the cartridge," "take the sight," and give the word for the match-man to apply his wand; bidding a sudden hell to flash forth53 from the muzzle54, in wide combustion55 and death.
Now, this captain of the bow-chaser was an upright old man, a sincere, humble56 believer, and he but earned his bread in being captain of that gun; but how, with those hands of his begrimed with powder, could he break that other and most peaceful and penitent57 bread of the Supper? though in that hallowed sacrament, it seemed, he had often partaken ashore58. The omission59 of this rite60 in a man-of-war—though there is a chaplain to preside over it, and at least a few communicants to partake—must be ascribed to a sense of religious propriety61, in the last degree to be commended.
Ah! the best righteousness of our man-of-war world seems but an unrealised ideal, after all; and those maxims62 which, in the hope of bringing about a Millennium63, we busily teach to the heathen, we Christians64 ourselves disregard. In view of the whole present social frame-work of our world, so ill adapted to the practical adoption65 of the meekness66 of Christianity, there seems almost some ground for the thought, that although our blessed Saviour67 was full of the wisdom of heaven, yet his gospel seems lacking in the practical wisdom of earth—in a due appreciation68 of the necessities of nations at times demanding bloody69 massacres70 and wars; in a proper estimation of the value of rank, title, and money. But all this only the more crowns the divine consistency71 of Jesus; since Burnet and the best theologians demonstrate, that his nature was not merely human—was not that of a mere72 man of the world.
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1 tumult | |
n.喧哗;激动,混乱;吵闹 | |
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2 contention | |
n.争论,争辩,论战;论点,主张 | |
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3 frigate | |
n.护航舰,大型驱逐舰 | |
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4 placid | |
adj.安静的,平和的 | |
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5 sequestered | |
adj.扣押的;隐退的;幽静的;偏僻的v.使隔绝,使隔离( sequester的过去式和过去分词 );扣押 | |
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6 seamen | |
n.海员 | |
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7 condemned | |
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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8 publicity | |
n.众所周知,闻名;宣传,广告 | |
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9 glide | |
n./v.溜,滑行;(时间)消逝 | |
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10 pensive | |
a.沉思的,哀思的,忧沉的 | |
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11 latitudes | |
纬度 | |
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12 yarns | |
n.纱( yarn的名词复数 );纱线;奇闻漫谈;旅行轶事 | |
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13 concocting | |
v.将(尤指通常不相配合的)成分混合成某物( concoct的现在分词 );调制;编造;捏造 | |
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14 hull | |
n.船身;(果、实等的)外壳;vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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15 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 | |
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16 bulwarks | |
n.堡垒( bulwark的名词复数 );保障;支柱;舷墙 | |
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17 Vogue | |
n.时髦,时尚;adj.流行的 | |
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18 naval | |
adj.海军的,军舰的,船的 | |
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19 picturesque | |
adj.美丽如画的,(语言)生动的,绘声绘色的 | |
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20 delightful | |
adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的 | |
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21 bower | |
n.凉亭,树荫下凉快之处;闺房;v.荫蔽 | |
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22 chamber | |
n.房间,寝室;会议厅;议院;会所 | |
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23 aged | |
adj.年老的,陈年的 | |
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24 fabulous | |
adj.极好的;极为巨大的;寓言中的,传说中的 | |
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25 warp | |
vt.弄歪,使翘曲,使不正常,歪曲,使有偏见 | |
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26 scaly | |
adj.鱼鳞状的;干燥粗糙的 | |
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27 underneath | |
adj.在...下面,在...底下;adv.在下面 | |
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28 fabled | |
adj.寓言中的,虚构的 | |
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29 cane | |
n.手杖,细长的茎,藤条;v.以杖击,以藤编制的 | |
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30 musket | |
n.滑膛枪 | |
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31 hips | |
abbr.high impact polystyrene 高冲击强度聚苯乙烯,耐冲性聚苯乙烯n.臀部( hip的名词复数 );[建筑学]屋脊;臀围(尺寸);臀部…的 | |
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32 cylinder | |
n.圆筒,柱(面),汽缸 | |
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33 beaver | |
n.海狸,河狸 | |
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34 gallant | |
adj.英勇的,豪侠的;(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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35 chapels | |
n.小教堂, (医院、监狱等的)附属礼拜堂( chapel的名词复数 );(在小教堂和附属礼拜堂举行的)礼拜仪式 | |
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36 alcoves | |
n.凹室( alcove的名词复数 );(花园)凉亭;僻静处;壁龛 | |
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37 niches | |
壁龛( niche的名词复数 ); 合适的位置[工作等]; (产品的)商机; 生态位(一个生物所占据的生境的最小单位) | |
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38 niche | |
n.壁龛;合适的职务(环境、位置等) | |
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39 tars | |
焦油,沥青,柏油( tar的名词复数 ) | |
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40 snugly | |
adv.紧贴地;贴身地;暖和舒适地;安适地 | |
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41 repose | |
v.(使)休息;n.安息 | |
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42 tattooing | |
n.刺字,文身v.刺青,文身( tattoo的现在分词 );连续有节奏地敲击;作连续有节奏的敲击 | |
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43 prick | |
v.刺伤,刺痛,刺孔;n.刺伤,刺痛 | |
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44 pricking | |
刺,刺痕,刺痛感 | |
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45 seclusion | |
n.隐遁,隔离 | |
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46 chatter | |
vi./n.喋喋不休;短促尖叫;(牙齿)打战 | |
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47 secluded | |
adj.与世隔绝的;隐退的;偏僻的v.使隔开,使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词) | |
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48 supplicating | |
v.祈求,哀求,恳求( supplicate的现在分词 ) | |
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49 seaman | |
n.海员,水手,水兵 | |
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50 solitary | |
adj.孤独的,独立的,荒凉的;n.隐士 | |
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51 wilderness | |
n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等,荒漠 | |
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52 rammed | |
v.夯实(土等)( ram的过去式和过去分词 );猛撞;猛压;反复灌输 | |
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53 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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54 muzzle | |
n.鼻口部;口套;枪(炮)口;vt.使缄默 | |
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55 combustion | |
n.燃烧;氧化;骚动 | |
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56 humble | |
adj.谦卑的,恭顺的;地位低下的;v.降低,贬低 | |
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57 penitent | |
adj.后悔的;n.后悔者;忏悔者 | |
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58 ashore | |
adv.在(向)岸上,上岸 | |
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59 omission | |
n.省略,删节;遗漏或省略的事物,冗长 | |
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60 rite | |
n.典礼,惯例,习俗 | |
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61 propriety | |
n.正当行为;正当;适当 | |
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62 maxims | |
n.格言,座右铭( maxim的名词复数 ) | |
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63 millennium | |
n.一千年,千禧年;太平盛世 | |
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64 Christians | |
n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
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65 adoption | |
n.采用,采纳,通过;收养 | |
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66 meekness | |
n.温顺,柔和 | |
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67 saviour | |
n.拯救者,救星 | |
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68 appreciation | |
n.评价;欣赏;感谢;领会,理解;价格上涨 | |
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69 bloody | |
adj.非常的的;流血的;残忍的;adv.很;vt.血染 | |
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70 massacres | |
大屠杀( massacre的名词复数 ); 惨败 | |
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71 consistency | |
n.一贯性,前后一致,稳定性;(液体的)浓度 | |
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72 mere | |
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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