nd that as soon as he had gained a footing he would set fire right and left, and begin by shooting down everything living in sight, in order to cow and terrify the population. The disproportion of forces was so great that this was the only way giving him the slightest chance of attaining12 his ends -- he agued in a fit of coughing. But he didn't tell Jim this. As to the hardships and starvation they had gone through, these had been very real; it was enough to look at his band. He made, at the sound of a shrill13 whistle, all his men appear standing14 in a row on the logs in full view, so that Jim could see them. For the killing15 of the man, it had been done -- well, it had -- but was not this war, bloody16 war -- in a corner? and the fellow had been killed cleanly, shot through the chest, not like that poor devil of his lying now in the creek. They had to listen to him dying for six hours, with his entrails torn with slugs. At any rate this was a life for a life.... And all this was said with the weariness, with the recklessness of a man spurred on and on by ill-luck till he cares not where he runs. When he asked Jim, with a sort of brusque despairing frankness, whether he himself -- straight now -- didn't understand that when "it came to saving one's life in the dark, one didn't care who else went -- three, thirty, three hundred people" -- it was as if a demon17 had been whispering advice in his ear. "I made him wince," boasted Brown to me. "He very soon left off coming the righteous over me. He just stood there with nothing to say, and looking as black as thunder -- not at me -- on the ground." He asked Jim whether he had nothing fishy18 in his life to remember that he was so damnedly hard upon a man trying to get out of a deadly hole by the first means that came to hand -- and so on, and so on. And there ran through the rough talk a vein19 of subtle reference to their common blood, an assumption of common experience; a sickening suggestion of common guilt20, of secret knowledge that was like a bond of their minds and of their
hearts.
'At last Brown threw himself down full length and watched Jim out of the corners of his eyes. Jim on his side of the creek stood thinking and switching his leg. The houses in view were silent, as if a pestilence21 had swept them clean of every breath of life; but many invisible eyes were turned, from within, upon the two men with the creek between them, a stranded22 white boat, and the body of the third man half sunk in the mud. On the river canoes were moving again, for Patusan was recovering its belief in the stability of earthly institutions since the return of the white lord. The right bank, the platforms of the houses, the rafts moored23 along the shores, even the roofs of bathing-huts, were covered with people that, far away out of earshot and almost out of sight, were straining their eyes towards the knoll24 beyond the Rajah's stockade25. Within the wide irregular ring of forests, broken in two places by the sheen of the river, there was a silence. "Will you promise to leave the coast?" Jim asked. Brown lifted and let fall his hand, giving everything up as it were -- accepting the inevitable26. "And surrender your arms?" Jim went on. Brown sat up and glared across. "Surrender our arms! Not till you come to take them out of our stiff hands. You think I am gone crazy with funk? Oh no! That and the rags I stand in is all I have got in the world, besides a few more breechloaders on board; and I expect to sell the lot in Madagascar, if I ever get so far -- begging my way from ship to ship."
'Jim said nothing to this. At last, throwing away the switch he held in his hand, he said, as if speaking to himself, "I don't know whether I have the power." . . . "You don't know! And you wanted me just now to give up my arms! That's good, too," cried Brown; "Suppose they say one thing to you, and do the other thing to me.' He calmed down markedly. "I dare say you have the power, or what's the meaning of all this talk?" he continued. "What did you come down here for? To pass the time of day?"
' "Very well," said Jim, lifting his head suddenly after a long silence. "You shall have a clear road or else a clear fight.' He turned on his heel and walked away.
'Brown got up at once, but he did not go up the hill till he had seen Jim disappear between the first houses. He never set his eyes on him again. On his way back he met Cornelius slouching down with his head between his shoulders. He stopped before Brown. "Why didn't you kill him?" he demanded in a sour, discontented voice. "Because I could do better than that," Brown said with an amused smile. "Never! never!" protested Cornelius with energy. "Couldn't. I have lived here for many years." Brown looked up at him curiously27. There were many sides to the life of that place in arms against him; things he would never find out. Cornelius slunk past dejectedly in the direction of the river. He was now leaving his new friends; he accepted the disappointing course of events with a sulky obstinacy28 which seemed to draw more together his little yellow old face; and as he went down he glanced askant here and there, never giving up his fixed29 idea.
'Henceforth events move fast without a check, flowing from the very hearts of men like a stream from a dark source, and we see Jim amongst them, mostly through Tamb' Itam's eyes. The girl's eyes had watched him too, but her life is too much entwined with his: there is her passion, her wonder, her anger, and, above all, her fear and her unforgiving love. Of the faithful servant, uncomprehending as the rest of them, it is the fidelity30 alone that comes into play; a fidelity and a belief in his lord so strong that even amazement31 is subdued32 to a sort of saddened acceptance of a mysterious failure. He has eyes only for one figure, and through all the mazes33 of bewilderment he preserves his air of guardianship34, of obedience35, of care.
'His master came back from his talk with the white men, walking slowly towards the stockade in the street. Everybody was rejoiced to see him return, for while he was away every man had been afraid not only of him being killed, but also of what would come after. Jim went into one of the houses, where old Doramin had retired36, and remained alone for a long time with the head of the Bugis settlers. No doubt he discussed the course to follow with him then, but no man was present at the conversation. Only Tamb' Itam, keeping as close to the door as he could, heard his master say, "Yes. I shall let all the people know that such is my wish; but I spoke37 to you, O Doramin, before all the others, and alone; for you know my heart as well as I know yours and its greatest desire. And you know well also that I have no thought but for the people's good." Then his master, lifting the sheeting in the doorway38, went out, and he, Tamb' Itam, had a glimpse of old Doramin within, sitting in the chair with his hands on his knees, and looking between his feet. Afterwards he followed his master to the fort, where all the principal Bugis and Patusan inhabitants had been summoned for a talk. Tamb' Itam himself hoped there would be some fighting. "What was it but the taking of another hill?" he exclaimed regretfully. However, in the town many hoped that the rapacious39 strangers would be induced, by the sight of so many brave men making ready to fight, to go away. It would be a good thing if they went away. Since Jim's arrival had been made known before daylight by the gun fired from the fort and the beating of the big drum there, the fear that had hung over Patusan had broken and subsided40 like a wave on a rock, leaving the seething41 foam42 of excitement, curiosity, and endless speculation43. Half of the population had been ousted44 out of their homes for purposes of defence, and were living in the street on the left side of the river, crowding round the fort, and in momentary45 expectation of seeing their abandoned dwellings46 on the threatened bank
burst into flames. The general anxiety was to see the matter settled quickly. Food, through Jewel's care, had been served out to the refugees. Nobody knew what their white man would do. Some remarked that it was worse than in Sherif Ali's war. Then many people did not care; now everybody had something to lose. The movements of canoes passing to and fro between the two parts of the town were watched with interest. A couple of Bugis war-boats lay anchored in the middle of the stream to protect the river, and a thread of smoke stood at the bow of each; the men in them were cooking their midday rice when Jim, after his interviews with Brown and Doramin, crossed the river and entered by the water-gate of his fort. The people inside crowded round him, so that he could hardly make his way to the house. They had not seen him before, because on his arrival during the night he had only exchanged a few words with the girl, who had come down to the landing-stage for the purpose, and had then gone on at once to join the chiefs und the fighting men on the other bank. People shouted greetings after him. One old woman raised a laugh by pushing her way to the front madly and enjoining47 him in a scolding voice to see to it that her two sons, who were with Doramin, did not come to harm at the hands of the robbers. Several of the bystanders tried to pull her away, but she struggled and cried, "Let me go. What is this, O Muslims? This laughter is unseemly. Are they not cruel, bloodthirsty robbers bent48 on ki]ling?" "Let her be," said Jim, and as a silence fell suddenly, he said slowly, "Everybody shall be safe." He entered the house before the great sigh, and the loud murmurs50 of satisfaction, had died out.
'There's no doubt his mind was made up that Brown should have his way clear back to the sea. His fate, revolted, was forcing his hand. He had for the first time to affirm his will in the face of outspoken51 opposition52. "There was much talk, and at first my master was silent," Tamb' Itam said. "Darkness came, and then I lit the candles on the long table. The chiefs sat on each side, and the lady remained by my master's right hand."
'When he began to speak, the unaccustomed difficulty seemed only to fix his resolve more immovably. The white men were now waiting for his answer on the hill. Their chief had spoken to him in the language of his own people, making clear many things difficult to explain in any other speech. They were erring53 men whom suffering had made blind to right and wrong. It is true that lives had been lost already, but why lose more? He declared to his hearers, the assembled heads of the people, that their welfare was his welfare, their losses his losses, their mourning his mourning. He looked round at the grave listening faces and told them to remember that they had fought and worked side by side. They knew his courage . . . Here a murmur49 interrupted him . . . And that he had never deceived them. For many years they had dwelt together. He loved the land and the people living in it with a very great love. He was ready to answer with his life for any harm that should come to them if the white men with beards were allowed to retire. They were evil-doers, but their destiny had been evil too. Had he ever advised them ill? Had his words ever brought suffering to the people? he asked. He believed that it would be best to let these whites and their followers54 go with their lives. It would be a small gift. "I whom you have tried and found always true ask you to let them go." He turned to Doramin. The old nakhoda made no movement. "Then," said Jim, "call in Dain Waris, your son, my friend, for in this business I shall not lead." '
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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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sneering
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| 嘲笑的，轻蔑的 | |
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creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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duel
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| n./v.决斗；(双方的)斗争 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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renounced
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| v.声明放弃( renounce的过去式和过去分词 )；宣布放弃；宣布与…决裂；宣布摒弃 | |
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censure
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| v./n.责备；非难；责难 | |
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smuggling
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| n.走私 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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brazenly
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| adv.厚颜无耻地；厚脸皮地肆无忌惮地 | |
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11
calamities
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| n.灾祸，灾难( calamity的名词复数 )；不幸之事 | |
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12
attaining
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的现在分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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13
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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14
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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15
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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demon
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| n.魔鬼，恶魔 | |
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fishy
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| adj. 值得怀疑的 | |
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vein
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| n.血管，静脉；叶脉，纹理；情绪；vt.使成脉络 | |
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guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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pestilence
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| n.瘟疫 | |
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stranded
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| a.搁浅的，进退两难的 | |
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23
moored
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| adj. 系泊的 动词moor的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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knoll
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| n.小山，小丘 | |
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stockade
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| n.栅栏，围栏；v.用栅栏防护 | |
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26
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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27
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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obstinacy
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| n.顽固；（病痛等）难治 | |
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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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30
fidelity
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| n.忠诚，忠实；精确 | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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32
subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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33
mazes
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| 迷宫( maze的名词复数 )； 纷繁复杂的规则； 复杂难懂的细节； 迷宫图 | |
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34
guardianship
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| n. 监护, 保护, 守护 | |
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obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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37
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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38
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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rapacious
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| adj.贪婪的，强夺的 | |
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40
subsided
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| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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41
seething
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| 沸腾的，火热的 | |
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foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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speculation
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| n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机 | |
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44
ousted
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| 驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺 | |
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45
momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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dwellings
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| n.住处，处所( dwelling的名词复数 ) | |
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47
enjoining
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| v.命令( enjoin的现在分词 ) | |
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48
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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49
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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50
murmurs
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| n.低沉、连续而不清的声音( murmur的名词复数 )；低语声；怨言；嘀咕 | |
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51
outspoken
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| adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的 | |
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52
opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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53
erring
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| 做错事的，错误的 | |
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54
followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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