The Passenger and the Pilot

 In a violent storm at sea, the whole crew of a vessel¹ was in imminent² danger of shipwreck³.

 

After the rolling of the waves was somewhat abated⁴, a certain Passenger, who had never been at sea before, observing the Pilot to have appeared wholly unconcerned, even in their greatest danger, had the curiosity to ask him what death his father died.

 

"What death?" said the Pilot, "Why, he perished at sea, as my grandfather did before him."

 

"And are you not afraid of trusting yourself to an element that has proved thus fatal to your family?"

 

"Afraid? By no means; why, we must all die; is not your father dead?"

 

"Yes, but he died in his bed."

 

"And why, then, are you not afraid of trusting yourself to your bed?"

 

"Because I am perfectly⁵ secure there."

 

"It may be so," replied the Pilot; "but if the hand of Providence⁶ is equally extended over all places, there is no more reason for me to be afraid of going to sea than for you to be afraid of going to bed."

 

1 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

2 imminent   

adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的

参考例句：

• The black clounds show that a storm is imminent.乌云预示暴风雨即将来临。
• The country is in imminent danger.国难当头。

3 shipwreck   

n.船舶失事，海难

参考例句：

• He walked away from the shipwreck.他船难中平安地脱险了。
• The shipwreck was a harrowing experience.那次船难是一个惨痛的经历。

4 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：

• The worker's concern about cuts in the welfare funding has not abated. 工人们对削减福利基金的关心并没有减少。
• The heat has abated. 温度降低了。

5 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

6 providence   

n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝

参考例句：

• It is tempting Providence to go in that old boat.乘那艘旧船前往是冒大险。
• To act as you have done is to fly in the face of Providence.照你的所作所为那样去行事，是违背上帝的意志的。