Did you ever see a man, with his hair shaved off, and just recovered from the yellow fever? Well, just such a looking man was this sailor. He was as yellow as gamboge, had no more whisker on his cheek, than I have on my elbows. His hair had fallen out, and left him very bald, except in the nape of his neck, and just behind the ears, where it was stuck over with short little tufts, and looked like a worn-out shoe-brush. His nose had broken down in the middle, and he squinted2 with one eye, and did not look very straight out of the other. He dressed a good deal like a Bowery boy; for he despised the ordinary sailor-rig; wearing a pair of great over-all blue trowsers, fastened with suspenders, and three red woolen3 shirts, one over the other; for he was subject to the rheumatism4, and was not in good health, he said; and he had a large white wool hat, with a broad rolling brim. He was a native of New York city, and had a good deal to say about highlanders, and rowdies, whom he denounced as only good for the gallows6; but I thought he looked a good deal like a highlander5 himself.
His name, as I have said, was Jackson; and he told us, he was a near relation of General Jackson of New Orleans, and swore terribly, if any one ventured to question what he asserted on that head. In fact he was a great bully8, and being the best seaman9 on board, and very overbearing every way, all the men were afraid of him, and durst not contradict him, or cross his path in any thing. And what made this more wonderful was, that he was the weakest man, bodily, of the whole crew; and I have no doubt that young and small as I was then, compared to what I am now, I could have thrown him down. But he had such an overawing way with him; such a deal of brass10 and impudence11, such an unflinching face, and withal was such a hideous12 looking mortal, that Satan himself would have run from him. And besides all this, it was quite plain, that he was by nature a marvelously clever, cunning man, though without education; and understood human nature to a kink, and well knew whom he had to deal with; and then, one glance of his squinting13 eye, was as good as a knock-down, for it was the most deep, subtle, infernal looking eye, that I ever saw lodged14 in a human head. I believe, that by good rights it must have belonged to a wolf, or starved tiger; at any rate, I would defy any oculist15, to turn out a glass eye, half so cold, and snaky, and deadly. It was a horrible thing; and I would give much to forget that I have ever seen it; for it haunts me to this day.
It was impossible to tell how old this Jackson was; for he had no beard, and no wrinkles, except small crowsfeet about the eyes. He might have seen thirty, or perhaps fifty years. But according to his own account, he had been to sea ever since he was eight years old, when he first went as a cabin-boy in an Indiaman, and ran away at Calcutta. And according to his own account, too, he had passed through every kind of dissipation and abandonment in the worst parts of the world. He had served in Portuguese16 slavers on the coast of Africa; and with a diabolical17 relish18 used to tell of the middle-passage, where the slaves were stowed, heel and point, like logs, and the suffocated19 and dead were unmanacled, and weeded out from the living every morning, before washing down the decks; how he had been in a slaving schooner20, which being chased by an English cruiser off Cape21 Verde, received three shots in her hull22, which raked through and through a whole file of slaves, that were chained.
He would tell of lying in Batavia during a fever, when his ship lost a man every few days, and how they went reeling ashore23 with the body, and got still more intoxicated24 by way of precaution against the plague. He would talk of finding a cobra-di-capello, or hooded25 snake, under his pillow in India, when he slept ashore there. He would talk of sailors being poisoned at Canton with drugged "shampoo," for the sake of their money; and of the Malay ruffians, who stopped ships in the straits of Caspar, and always saved the captain for the last, so as to make him point out where the most valuable goods were stored.
His whole talk was of this land; full of piracies26, plagues and poisonings. And often he narrated27 many passages in his own individual career, which were almost incredible, from the consideration that few men could have plunged28 into such infamous29 vices30, and clung to them so long, without paying the death-penalty.
But in truth, he carried about with him the traces of these things, and the mark of a fearful end nigh at hand; like that of King Antiochus of Syria, who died a worse death, history says, than if he had been stung out of the world by wasps31 and hornets.
Nothing was left of this Jackson but the foul32 lees and dregs of a man; he was thin as a shadow; nothing but skin and bones; and sometimes used to complain, that it hurt him to sit on the hard chests. And I sometimes fancied, it was the consciousness of his miserable33, broken-down condition, and the prospect34 of soon dying like a dog, in consequence of his sins, that made this poor wretch35 always eye me with such malevolence36 as he did. For I was young and handsome, at least my mother so thought me, and as soon as I became a little used to the sea, and shook off my low spirits somewhat, I began to have my old color in my cheeks, and, spite of misfortune, to appear well and hearty37; whereas he was being consumed by an incurable38 malady39, that was eating up his vitals, and was more fit for a hospital than a ship.
As I am sometimes by nature inclined to indulge in unauthorized surmisings about the thoughts going on with regard to me, in the people I meet; especially if I have reason to think they dislike me; I will not put it down for a certainty that what I suspected concerning this Jackson relative to his thoughts of me, was really the truth. But only state my honest opinion, and how it struck me at the time; and even now, I think I was not wrong. And indeed, unless it was so, how could I account to myself, for the shudder40 that would run through me, when I caught this man gazing at me, as I often did; for he was apt to be dumb at times, and would sit with his eyes fixed41, and his teeth set, like a man in the moody42 madness.
I well remember the first time I saw him, and how I was startled at his eye, which was even then fixed upon me. He was standing43 at the ship's helm, being the first man that got there, when a steersman was called for by the pilot; for this Jackson was always on the alert for easy duties, and used to plead his delicate health as the reason for assuming them, as he did; though I used to think, that for a man in poor health, he was very swift on the legs; at least when a good place was to be jumped to; though that might only have been a sort of spasmodic exertion44 under strong inducements, which every one knows the greatest invalids45 will sometimes show.
And though the sailors were always very bitter against any thing like sogering, as they called it; that is, any thing that savored46 of a desire to get rid of downright hard work; yet, I observed that, though this Jackson was a notorious old soger the whole voyage (I mean, in all things not perilous47 to do, from which he was far from hanging back), and in truth was a great veteran that way, and one who must have passed unhurt through many campaigns; yet, they never presumed to call him to account in any way; or to let him so much as think, what they thought of his conduct. But I often heard them call him many hard names behind his back; and sometimes, too, when, perhaps, they had just been tenderly inquiring after his health before his face. They all stood in mortal fear of him; and cringed and fawned48 about him like so many spaniels; and used to rub his back, after he was undressed and lying in his bunk49; and used to run up on deck to the cook-house, to warm some cold coffee for him; and used to fill his pipe, and give him chews of tobacco, and mend his jackets and trowsers; and used to watch, and tend, and nurse him every way. And all the time, he would sit scowling50 on them, and found fault with what they did; and I noticed, that those who did the most for him, and cringed the most before him, were the very ones he most abused; while two or three who held more aloof51, he treated with a little consideration.
It is not for me to say, what it was that made a whole ship's company submit so to the whims52 of one poor miserable man like Jackson. I only know that so it was; but I have no doubt, that if he had had a blue eye in his head, or had had a different face from what he did have, they would not have stood in such awe53 of him. And it astonished me, to see that one of the seamen54, a remarkably55 robust56 and good-humored young man from Belfast in Ireland, was a person of no mark or influence among the crew; but on the contrary was hooted57 at, and trampled58 upon, and made a butt59 and laughing-stock; and more than all, was continually being abused and snubbed by Jackson, who seemed to hate him cordially, because of his great strength and fine person, and particularly because of his red cheeks.
But then, this Belfast man, although he had shipped for an able-seaman, was not much of a sailor; and that always lowers a man in the eyes of a ship's company; I mean, when he ships for an able-seaman, but is not able to do the duty of one. For sailors are of three classes—able-seaman, ordinary-seaman, and boys; and they receive different wages according to their rank. Generally, a ship's company of twelve men will only have five or six able seamen, who if they prove to understand their duty every way (and that is no small matter either, as I shall hereafter show, perhaps), are looked up to, and thought much of by the ordinary-seamen and boys, who reverence60 their very pea-jackets, and lay up their sayings in their hearts.
But you must not think from this, that persons called boys aboard merchant-ships are all youngsters, though to be sure, I myself was called a boy, and a boy I was. No. In merchant-ships, a boy means a green-hand, a landsman on his first voyage. And never mind if he is old enough to be a grandfather, he is still called a boy; and boys' work is put upon him.
But I am straying off from what I was going to say about Jackson's putting an end to the dispute between the two sailors in the forecastle after breakfast. After they had been disputing some time about who had been to sea the longest, Jackson told them to stop talking; and then bade one of them open his mouth; for, said he, I can tell a sailor's age just like a horse's—by his teeth. So the man laughed, and opened his mouth; and Jackson made him step out under the scuttle61, where the light came down from deck; and then made him throw his head back, while he looked into it, and probed a little with his jackknife, like a baboon62 peering into a junk-bottle. I trembled for the poor fellow, just as if I had seen him under the hands of a crazy barber, making signs to cut his throat, and he all the while sitting stock still, with the lather63 on, to be shaved. For I watched Jackson's eye and saw it snapping, and a sort of going in and out, very quick, as if it were something like a forked tongue; and somehow, I felt as if he were longing64 to kill the man; but at last he grew more composed, and after concluding his examination, said, that the first man was the oldest sailor, for the ends of his teeth were the evenest and most worn down; which, he said, arose from eating so much hard sea-biscuit; and this was the reason he could tell a sailor's age like a horse's.
At this, every body made merry, and looked at each other, as much as to say—come, boys, let's laugh; and they did laugh; and declared it was a rare joke.
This was always the way with them. They made a point of shouting out, whenever Jackson said any thing with a grin; that being the sign to them that he himself thought it funny; though I heard many good jokes from others pass off without a smile; and once Jackson himself (for, to tell the truth, he sometimes had a comical way with him, that is, when his back did not ache) told a truly funny story, but with a grave face; when, not knowing how he meant it, whether for a laugh or otherwise, they all sat still, waiting what to do, and looking perplexed65 enough; till at last Jackson roared out upon them for a parcel of fools and idiots; and told them to their beards, how it was; that he had purposely put on his grave face, to see whether they would not look grave, too; even when he was telling something that ought to split their sides. And with that, he flouted66, and jeered68 at them, and laughed them all to scorn; and broke out in such a rage, that his lips began to glue together at the corners with a fine white foam69.
He seemed to be full of hatred70 and gall7 against every thing and every body in the world; as if all the world was one person, and had done him some dreadful harm, that was rankling71 and festering in his heart. Sometimes I thought he was really crazy; and often felt so frightened at him, that I thought of going to the captain about it, and telling him Jackson ought to be confined, lest he should do some terrible thing at last. But upon second thoughts, I always gave it up; for the captain would only have called me a fool, and sent me forward again.
But you must not think that all the sailors were alike in abasing72 themselves before this man. No: there were three or four who used to stand up sometimes against him; and when he was absent at the wheel, would plot against him among the other sailors, and tell them what a shame and ignominy it was, that such a poor miserable wretch should be such a tyrant73 over much better men than himself. And they begged and conjured74 them as men, to put up with it no longer, but the very next time, that Jackson presumed to play the dictator, that they should all withstand him, and let him know his place. Two or three times nearly all hands agreed to it, with the exception of those who used to slink off during such discussions; and swore that they would not any more submit to being ruled by Jackson. But when the time came to make good their oaths, they were mum again, and let every thing go on the old way; so that those who had put them up to it, had to bear all the brunt of Jackson's wrath75 by themselves. And though these last would stick up a little at first, and even mutter something about a fight to Jackson; yet in the end, finding themselves unbefriended by the rest, they would gradually become silent, and leave the field to the tyrant, who would then fly out worse than ever, and dare them to do their worst, and jeer67 at them for white-livered poltroons, who did not have a mouthful of heart in them. At such times, there were no bounds to his contempt; and indeed, all the time he seemed to have even more contempt than hatred, for every body and every thing.
As for me, I was but a boy; and at any time aboard ship, a boy is expected to keep quiet, do what he is bid, never presume to interfere76, and seldom to talk, unless spoken to. For merchant sailors have a great idea of their dignity, and superiority to greenhorns and landsmen, who know nothing about a ship; and they seem to think, that an able seaman is a great man; at least a much greater man than a little boy. And the able seamen in the Highlander had such grand notions about their seamanship, that I almost thought that able seamen received diplomas, like those given at colleges; and were made a sort A.M.S, or Masters of Arts.
But though I kept thus quiet, and had very little to say, and well knew that my best plan was to get along peaceably with every body, and indeed endure a good deal before showing fight, yet I could not avoid Jackson's evil eye, nor escape his bitter enmity. And his being my foe77, set many of the rest against me; or at least they were afraid to speak out for me before Jackson; so that at last I found myself a sort of Ishmael in the ship, without a single friend or companion; and I began to feel a hatred growing up in me against the whole crew—so much so, that I prayed against it, that it might not master my heart completely, and so make a fiend of me, something like Jackson.
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1
narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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squinted
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| 斜视( squint的过去式和过去分词 )； 眯着眼睛； 瞟； 从小孔或缝隙里看 | |
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3
woolen
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| adj.羊毛(制)的；毛纺的 | |
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4
rheumatism
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| n.风湿病 | |
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5
highlander
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| n.高地的人，苏格兰高地地区的人 | |
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6
gallows
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| n.绞刑架，绞台 | |
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gall
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| v.使烦恼，使焦躁，难堪；n.磨难 | |
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bully
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| n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮 | |
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seaman
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| n.海员，水手，水兵 | |
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brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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impudence
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| n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼 | |
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12
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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13
squinting
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| 斜视( squint的现在分词 )； 眯着眼睛； 瞟； 从小孔或缝隙里看 | |
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14
lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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15
oculist
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| n.眼科医生 | |
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Portuguese
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| n.葡萄牙人；葡萄牙语 | |
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diabolical
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| adj.恶魔似的，凶暴的 | |
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18
relish
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| n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味 | |
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suffocated
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| （使某人）窒息而死( suffocate的过去式和过去分词 )； （将某人）闷死； 让人感觉闷热； 憋气 | |
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schooner
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| n.纵帆船 | |
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cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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intoxicated
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| 喝醉的，极其兴奋的 | |
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hooded
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| adj.戴头巾的；有罩盖的；颈部因肋骨运动而膨胀的 | |
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piracies
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| n.海上抢劫( piracy的名词复数 )；盗版行为，非法复制 | |
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narrated
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| v.故事( narrate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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infamous
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| adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的 | |
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vices
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| 缺陷( vice的名词复数 )； 恶习； 不道德行为； 台钳 | |
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wasps
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| 黄蜂( wasp的名词复数 )； 胡蜂； 易动怒的人； 刻毒的人 | |
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32
foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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malevolence
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| n.恶意，狠毒 | |
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hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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incurable
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| adj.不能医治的，不能矫正的，无救的；n.不治的病人，无救的人 | |
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malady
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| n.病，疾病(通常做比喻) | |
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40
shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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41
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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moody
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| adj.心情不稳的，易怒的，喜怒无常的 | |
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43
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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exertion
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| n.尽力，努力 | |
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45
invalids
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| 病人，残疾者( invalid的名词复数 ) | |
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46
savored
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| v.意味，带有…的性质( savor的过去式和过去分词 )；给…加调味品；使有风味；品尝 | |
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47
perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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48
fawned
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| v.（尤指狗等）跳过来往人身上蹭以示亲热( fawn的过去式和过去分词 )；巴结；讨好 | |
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49
bunk
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| n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位；废话 | |
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50
scowling
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| 怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 ) | |
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51
aloof
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| adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的 | |
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52
WHIMS
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| 虚妄，禅病 | |
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53
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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54
seamen
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| n.海员 | |
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55
remarkably
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| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
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robust
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| adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的 | |
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57
hooted
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| （使）作汽笛声响，作汽车喇叭声( hoot的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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58
trampled
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| 踩( trample的过去式和过去分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
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butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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60
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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61
scuttle
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| v.急赶，疾走，逃避；n.天窗；舷窗 | |
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62
baboon
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| n.狒狒 | |
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63
lather
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| n.(肥皂水的)泡沫，激动 | |
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64
longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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65
perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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66
flouted
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| v.藐视，轻视( flout的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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67
jeer
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| vi.嘲弄，揶揄；vt.奚落；n.嘲笑，讥评 | |
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68
jeered
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| v.嘲笑( jeer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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69
foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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70
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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71
rankling
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| v.（使）痛苦不已，（使）怨恨不已( rankle的现在分词 ) | |
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72
abasing
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| 使谦卑( abase的现在分词 )； 使感到羞耻； 使降低（地位、身份等）； 降下 | |
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73
tyrant
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| n.暴君，专制的君主，残暴的人 | |
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74
conjured
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| 用魔术变出( conjure的过去式和过去分词 )； 祈求，恳求； 变戏法； （变魔术般地） 使…出现 | |
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75
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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76
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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77
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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