What a joyful3 thing it is to awaken4 on a fresh, glorious morning, and find the rising sun staring into your face with dazzling brilliancy! to hear the birds twittering in the bushes, and to hear the murmuring of a rill, or the soft, hissing5 ripples6 as they fall upon the seashore! At any time, and in any place, such sights and sounds are most charming; but more especially are they so when one awakens8 to them, for the first time, in a novel and romantic situation, with the soft, sweet air of a tropical climate mingling9 with the fresh smell of the sea, and stirring the strange leaves that flutter overhead and around one, or ruffling10 the plumage of the stranger birds that fly inquiringly around as if to demand what business we have to intrude11 uninvited on their domains12. When I awoke on the morning after the shipwreck13, I found myself in this most delightful14 condition; and as I lay on my back upon my bed of leaves, gazing up through the branches of the cocoa-nut trees into the clear blue sky, and watched the few fleecy clouds that passed slowly across it, my heart expanded more and more with an exulting15 gladness, the like of which I had never felt before. While I meditated16, my thoughts again turned to the great and kind Creator of this beautiful world, as they had done on the previous day when I first beheld17 the sea and the coral reef, with the mighty18 waves dashing over it into the calm waters of the lagoon19.
While thus meditating20, I naturally bethought me of my Bible, for I had faithfully kept the promise which I gave at parting to my beloved mother—that I would read it every morning; and it was with a feeling of dismay that I remembered I had left it in the ship. I was much troubled about this. However, I consoled myself with reflecting that I could keep the second part of my promise to her—namely, that I should never omit to say my prayers. So I rose quietly lest I should disturb my companions, who were still asleep, and stepped aside into the bushes for this purpose.
On my return I found them still slumbering21, so I again lay down to think over our situation. Just at that moment I was attracted by the sight of a very small parrot, which Jack22 afterwards told me was called a paroquet. It was seated on a twig23 that overhung Peterkin’s head, and I was speedily lost in admiration24 of its bright-green plumage, which was mingled25 with other gay colours. While I looked I observed that the bird turned its head slowly from side to side and looked downwards26, first with the one eye and then with the other. On glancing downwards I observed that Peterkin’s mouth was wide open, and that this remarkable27 bird was looking into it. Peterkin used to say that I had not an atom of fun in my composition, and that I never could understand a joke. In regard to the latter, perhaps he was right; yet I think that, when they were explained to me, I understood jokes as well as most people. But in regard to the former, he must certainly have been wrong, for this bird seemed to me to be extremely funny; and I could not help thinking that if it should happen to faint, or slip its foot, and fall off the twig into Peterkin’s mouth, he would perhaps think it funny too! Suddenly the paroquet bent28 down its head and uttered a loud scream in his face. This awoke him, and with a cry of surprise, he started up, while the foolish bird flew precipitately29 away.
“Oh, you monster!” cried Peterkin, shaking his fist at the bird. Then he yawned, and rubbed his eyes, and asked what o’clock it was.
I smiled at this question, and answered that, as our watches were at the bottom of the sea, I could not tell, but it was a little past sunrise.
Peterkin now began to remember where we were. As he looked up into the bright sky, and snuffed the scented30 air, his eyes glistened31 with delight, and he uttered a faint “Hurrah!” and yawned again. Then he gazed slowly round, till, observing the calm sea through an opening in the bushes, he started suddenly up as if he had received an electric shock, uttered a vehement32 shout, flung off his garments, and rushing over the white sands, plunged33 into the water. The cry awoke Jack, who rose on his elbow with a look of grave surprise; but this was followed by a quiet smile of intelligence on seeing Peterkin in the water. With an energy that he only gave way to in moments of excitement, Jack bounded to his feet, threw off his clothes, shook back his hair, and with a lion-like spring, dashed over the sands and plunged into the sea with such force as quite to envelop35 Peterkin in a shower of spray. Jack was a remarkably36 good swimmer and diver, so that after his plunge34 we saw no sign of him for nearly a minute, after which he suddenly emerged, with a cry of joy, a good many yards out from the shore. My spirits were so much raised by seeing all this that I, too, hastily threw off my garments and endeavoured to imitate Jack’s vigorous bound; but I was so awkward that my foot caught on a stump37, and I fell to the ground. Then I slipped on a stone while running over the sand and nearly fell again, much to the amusement of Peterkin, who laughed heartily38 and called me a “slow coach;” while Jack cried out, “Come along, Ralph, and I’ll help you!” However, when I got into the water I managed very well; for I was really a good swimmer and diver too. I could not, indeed, equal Jack, who was superior to any Englishman I ever saw; but I infinitely39 surpassed Peterkin, who could only swim a little, and could not dive at all.
While Peterkin enjoyed himself in the shallow water and in running along the beach, Jack and I swam out into the deep water and occasionally dived for stones. I shall never forget my surprise and delight on first beholding40 the bottom of the sea. As I have before stated, the water within the reef was as calm as a pond; and as there was no wind, it was quite clear from the surface to the bottom, so that we could see down easily even at a depth of twenty or thirty yards. When Jack and I dived into shallower water we expected to have found sand and stones, instead of which we found ourselves in what appeared really to be an enchanted41 garden. The whole of the bottom of the lagoon, as we called the calm water within the reef, was covered with coral of every shape, size, and hue42. Some portions were formed like large mushrooms; others appeared like the brain of a man, having stalks or necks attached to them; but the most common kind was a species of branching coral, and some portions were of a lovely pale-pink colour, others were pure white. Among this there grew large quantities of seaweed of the richest hues43 imaginable, and of the most graceful44 forms; while innumerable fishes—blue, red, yellow, green, and striped—sported in and out amongst the flower-beds of this submarine garden, and did not appear to be at all afraid of our approaching them.
“Did you ever in your life, Ralph, see anything so lovely?” said Jack as he flung the spray from his hair.
“Never,” I replied. “It appears to me like fairy realms. I can scarcely believe that we are not dreaming.”
“Dreaming!” cried Jack. “Do you know, Ralph, I’m half-tempted to think that we really are dreaming! But if so, I am resolved to make the most of it and dream another dive; so here goes—down again, my boy!”
We took the second dive together, and kept beside each other while under water; and I was greatly surprised to find that we could keep down much longer than I ever recollect46 having done in our own seas at home. I believe that this was owing to the heat of the water, which was so warm that we afterwards found we could remain in it for two and three hours at a time without feeling any unpleasant effects such as we used to experience in the sea at home. When Jack reached the bottom, he grasped the coral stems and crept along on his hands and knees, peeping under the seaweed and among the rocks. I observed him, also, pick up one or two large oysters47 and retain them in his grasp, as if he meant to take them up with him; so I also gathered a few. Suddenly he made a grasp at a fish with blue and yellow stripes on its back, and actually touched its tail, but did not catch it. At this he turned towards me and attempted to smile; but no sooner had he done so than he sprang like an arrow to the surface, where, on following him, I found him gasping49 and coughing and spitting water from his mouth. In a few minutes he recovered, and we both turned to swim ashore7.
“I declare, Ralph,” said he, “that I actually tried to laugh under water!”
“So I saw,” I replied; “and I observed that you very nearly caught that fish by the tail. It would have done capitally for breakfast, if you had.”
“Breakfast enough here,” said he, holding up the oysters as we landed and ran up the beach.—“Hallo, Peterkin! Here you are, boy! split open these fellows while Ralph and I put on our clothes. They’ll agree with the cocoa-nuts excellently, I have no doubt.”
Peterkin, who was already dressed, took the oysters and opened them with the edge of our axe50, exclaiming, “Now, that’s capital! There’s nothing I’m so fond of.”
“Ah! that’s lucky,” remarked Jack. “I’ll be able to keep you in good order now, Master Peterkin. You know you can’t dive any better than a cat. So, sir, whenever you behave ill you shall have no oysters for breakfast.”
“Here, then, stop your mouth with that, Ralph,” said Peterkin, holding a large oyster48 to my lips. I opened my mouth and swallowed it in silence, and really it was remarkably good.
We now set ourselves earnestly about our preparations for spending the day. We had no difficulty with the fire this morning as our burning-glass was an admirable one; and while we roasted a few oysters and ate our cocoa-nuts, we held a long, animated52 conversation about our plans for the future. What those plans were, and how we carried them into effect, the reader shall see hereafter.
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1
enchanting
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| a.讨人喜欢的 | |
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groves
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| 树丛，小树林( grove的名词复数 ) | |
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joyful
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| adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的 | |
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awaken
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| vi.醒，觉醒；vt.唤醒，使觉醒，唤起，激起 | |
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hissing
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| n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式 | |
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ripples
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| 逐渐扩散的感觉( ripple的名词复数 ) | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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awakens
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的第三人称单数 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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mingling
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| adj.混合的 | |
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ruffling
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| 弄皱( ruffle的现在分词 )； 弄乱； 激怒； 扰乱 | |
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intrude
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| vi.闯入；侵入；打扰，侵扰 | |
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domains
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| n.范围( domain的名词复数 )；领域；版图；地产 | |
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shipwreck
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| n.船舶失事，海难 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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exulting
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| vi. 欢欣鼓舞，狂喜 | |
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meditated
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| 深思，沉思，冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 )； 内心策划，考虑 | |
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beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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lagoon
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| n.泻湖，咸水湖 | |
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meditating
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| a.沉思的，冥想的 | |
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slumbering
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| 微睡，睡眠（slumber的现在分词形式） | |
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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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twig
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| n.小树枝，嫩枝；v.理解 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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downwards
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| adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地） | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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precipitately
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| adv.猛进地 | |
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scented
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| adj.有香味的；洒香水的；有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词) | |
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glistened
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| v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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vehement
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| adj.感情强烈的；热烈的；(人)有强烈感情的 | |
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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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plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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envelop
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| vt.包，封，遮盖；包围 | |
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remarkably
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| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
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stump
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| n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走 | |
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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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infinitely
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| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
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beholding
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| v.看，注视( behold的现在分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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41
enchanted
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| adj. 被施魔法的，陶醉的，入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词 | |
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hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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hues
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| 色彩( hue的名词复数 )； 色调； 信仰； 观点 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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oysters
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| 牡蛎( oyster的名词复数 ) | |
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oyster
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| n.牡蛎；沉默寡言的人 | |
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gasping
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| adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词 | |
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axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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