On the morning of June 3, the spit was left in the wake of the steamer, exhausted16 of its free surface gold, and much to the surprise of all there was a general expression of relief when it was lost to view, and the discomfort17 it had caused began to disappear with the revival18 of order. But a still greater surprise was in store, which removed all the barriers of distinction bred by the pride of birth and station from the standard of laboring19 vocation20, inasmuch as they debarred 20in exchange kindly21 equality in reciprocation22. Unusual alacrity23 and kindliness24 of feeling had been observed in “putting” the vessel25 to rights by the hands, which was explained, when accomplished, by Jack26 and Bill, who came aft with hats in hand. After bowing all round, Bill the prompter nudged Jack the spokesman to give way, which he essayed to do, but from confusion was unable to get a running bight of phrase, until aided by the captain’s inquiry27, “Well, what is it, my man?”
Jack. “You see, Bill and I started up the river to freshen our joints28, which had grown stiff and creaky with salt junk and hard tack29. Well, after we had loosened our barnacles with the treacle30 of a Spanish skipper we took French leave and laid low until you hove in sight. Now you see after we entered with you it took us some time to get the run of the fair weather you made for all hands. Expecting to be taken aback with a sharp squall we kept our eyes well to the wind’ard, for you see on this river with cannibals on the lookout31 and no vessels32 there was no chance of skulking33 on shore for a down-river craft. To be sure, we soon found that we were out and wide in our calculations, so when brought to our bearings we began to take kindly to the lay of our watches in scrubbing and wooding, as there was no hand-spike snubbing or squeak34 of hard words. Then comes this gold lay, and when you says, ‘Boys, here’s your chance, pitch in, every man for himself without envy,’ we were taken aback with a fair wind. When we came on board to empty our hats we began to take our bearings, and says Bill to me, after an observation, ‘We’ve shipped and signed the papers, and this gold is way freight, so you see it’s not right to tap the cargo35 on full rations36.’
“There was the p’int clear, and we said ‘Never a bit!’ So you see after the flurry was over we put the question to the others and they took the bearings at 21once; so you see that we’ve concluded that we’re only ‘titled to prize money at most, just as you valer the danger we run with the savages38.”
This construction, regulated by the sea usage of man-of-war’s men, who had grown gray and poverty stricken in “service,” was so generous in the sincerity39 of honest proposition for revoking40 the captain’s liberality that he asked time for consideration. In submission41 the procession, headed by the two honest tars42, retreated to the “for’ard” hatch, on which they placed their well-filled hats to await the captain’s decision. A consultation43 with the members of the corps44 was immediately held to decide upon a method to insure an equitable45 division of the gold suited to the emergency. After a variety of propositions had been made and rejected, the padre advanced one that proved the most acceptable. His suggestion was that the passengers and officers should abide46 contented47 with their own gatherings48, as they were proportionately less than those of the crew; but that an equal division of theirs should be made to avoid envy. When this equitable measure was made known to the men, Jack, with the advice of Bill, objected that the most important persons had been left out, which in their opinion were the vessel and captain. As this amended49 consideration met with general approval, it was adopted. Then Antonio, the steward, said, that the men for’ard, from being accustomed to work, had gathered so much more in proportion than those aft, he would propose to “lump” the whole for an equal division, after one fifth had been deducted50 for the vessel’s and captain’s share. This was acted upon, notwithstanding the captain’s protest that all should share alike. The division accomplished, there was a hearty51 shaking of hands that opened a sympathetic current of reciprocation void of selfish envy, which as an omen52 heralded53 a happy result for their adventurous54 voyage. After the parties to this happy arbitration55 had resumed their usual avocations56, 22Jack and Bill—to whom had been assigned the duty of “freshening up” the trimmings of capstan, binnacle, and other extras aft, usually attended to in their watch below, to save time—entered upon their duty during the siesta57 hour of the day. While engaged they ruminated58 in silence until the deck was cleared of chance listeners, then the rapid change of tobacco quids from side to side of their mouths, and an unusual flow of the green ooze59 from the corners gave indication of thought’s supremacy60. At length when they “supposed” the coast was clear, Jack gave an expressive61 tug62 at his waistband, then after blowing his nose with a clarion63 note, he sputtered64, “Blast my buttons, Bill, if this fresh-water turtle of a captain hain’t sounded and found a salt-water leak in the water run of my eyes!” Bill without answering, except with a suppressed sniffle, found it necessary to expectorate and blow his nose over the bulwark65 nettings. A prolonged effort having relieved his emotions he shuffled66 back, and shyly exclaimed, with a whispering sob67, “Don’t, Jack.”
Woman’s distress68, from the period of youth and beauty, through all the gradation of cause, to its decline with the influence of age and ugliness, when haggish distemper engendered69 from selfish disappointment makes it repulsively70 loathsome71, I have felt with impulsive72 variations, but never experienced the like choking sensations of affectionate sympathy, from the evidences of gratitude73, that held me bound during the enactment74 of this short scene, so truthful75 in expression. Probably during their long term of service they had never felt a like cause, foreign to themselves, for the revival of emotions so nearly allied76 to affectionate reciprocation; for it was evident that the gold of itself occupied a minor77 impression in the ruling of their thoughts. Indeed, in the after detached rehearsal78 of their sea-faring experience, they declared that a glass of grog was the only compensation they 23had ever known a sea captain to bestow79 upon his sailors for extra labor. The representatives of tropical countries, of which a majority of the crew was composed, were more open and volatile80 in their expressions of gratitude; but like the English sailors attested81 that the self-denial of Captain Greenwood was the only exception in their experience in which the master of a vessel had failed to exact to the uttermost the fruits of their labor.
From the Tortugian era of the third of June Captain Greenwood became a deity82 of adoration83 to his crew, who offered daily sacrifice of labor for kindly propitiation, which from promptness in anticipation84 rendered the padre’s official vocation a sinecure85.
The sun of June 4 found the Tortuga’s decks neatly86 scrubbed and washed in readiness for its rays; the two savages having participated in the cleanly overture87, the elder receiving his somewhat copious88 douche with a grateful show of teeth; but the younger’s eyes were used with such an evident desire for pitying sympathy that Antonio volunteered his tonsorial service as an initiatory89 introduction to civilized90 habits. This act won the young savage37’s first love; while it added another count to the special hatreds91 of the old, who bestowed92 upon Antonio a toothful longing93 to recompense his civilized barbarity. The improvement of the young savage was so marked from the use of soap, sand, and scissors, with the grateful expression produced, that Antonio was fain to crown his morning’s missionary94 labor, and his neophyte’s satisfaction, with a hat.
点击收听单词发音
1 labor | |
n.劳动,努力,工作,劳工;分娩;vi.劳动,努力,苦干;vt.详细分析;麻烦 | |
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2 accomplished | |
adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的 | |
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3 despatch | |
n./v.(dispatch)派遣;发送;n.急件;新闻报道 | |
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4 betokened | |
v.预示,表示( betoken的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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5 toil | |
vi.辛劳工作,艰难地行动;n.苦工,难事 | |
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6 steward | |
n.乘务员,服务员;看管人;膳食管理员 | |
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7 wares | |
n. 货物, 商品 | |
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8 tableau | |
n.画面,活人画(舞台上活人扮的静态画面) | |
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9 scenic | |
adj.自然景色的,景色优美的 | |
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10 engrossed | |
adj.全神贯注的 | |
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11 heed | |
v.注意,留意;n.注意,留心 | |
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12 solitary | |
adj.孤独的,独立的,荒凉的;n.隐士 | |
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13 vividly | |
adv.清楚地,鲜明地,生动地 | |
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14 pretentious | |
adj.自命不凡的,自负的,炫耀的 | |
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15 laborers | |
n.体力劳动者,工人( laborer的名词复数 );(熟练工人的)辅助工 | |
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16 exhausted | |
adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的 | |
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17 discomfort | |
n.不舒服,不安,难过,困难,不方便 | |
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18 revival | |
n.复兴,复苏,(精力、活力等的)重振 | |
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19 laboring | |
n.劳动,操劳v.努力争取(for)( labor的现在分词 );苦干;详细分析;(指引擎)缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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20 vocation | |
n.职业,行业 | |
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21 kindly | |
adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地 | |
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22 reciprocation | |
n.互换 | |
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23 alacrity | |
n.敏捷,轻快,乐意 | |
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24 kindliness | |
n.厚道,亲切,友好的行为 | |
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25 vessel | |
n.船舶;容器,器皿;管,导管,血管 | |
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26 jack | |
n.插座,千斤顶,男人;v.抬起,提醒,扛举;n.(Jake)杰克 | |
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27 inquiry | |
n.打听,询问,调查,查问 | |
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28 joints | |
接头( joint的名词复数 ); 关节; 公共场所(尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所) (非正式); 一块烤肉 (英式英语) | |
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29 tack | |
n.大头钉;假缝,粗缝 | |
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30 treacle | |
n.糖蜜 | |
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31 lookout | |
n.注意,前途,瞭望台 | |
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32 vessels | |
n.血管( vessel的名词复数 );船;容器;(具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的)人 | |
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33 skulking | |
v.潜伏,偷偷摸摸地走动,鬼鬼祟祟地活动( skulk的现在分词 ) | |
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34 squeak | |
n.吱吱声,逃脱;v.(发出)吱吱叫,侥幸通过;(俚)告密 | |
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35 cargo | |
n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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36 rations | |
定量( ration的名词复数 ); 配给量; 正常量; 合理的量 | |
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37 savage | |
adj.野蛮的;凶恶的,残暴的;n.未开化的人 | |
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38 savages | |
未开化的人,野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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39 sincerity | |
n.真诚,诚意;真实 | |
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40 revoking | |
v.撤销,取消,废除( revoke的现在分词 ) | |
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41 submission | |
n.服从,投降;温顺,谦虚;提出 | |
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42 tars | |
焦油,沥青,柏油( tar的名词复数 ) | |
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43 consultation | |
n.咨询;商量;商议;会议 | |
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44 corps | |
n.(通信等兵种的)部队;(同类作的)一组 | |
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45 equitable | |
adj.公平的;公正的 | |
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46 abide | |
vi.遵守;坚持;vt.忍受 | |
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47 contented | |
adj.满意的,安心的,知足的 | |
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48 gatherings | |
聚集( gathering的名词复数 ); 收集; 采集; 搜集 | |
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49 Amended | |
adj. 修正的 动词amend的过去式和过去分词 | |
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50 deducted | |
v.扣除,减去( deduct的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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51 hearty | |
adj.热情友好的;衷心的;尽情的,纵情的 | |
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52 omen | |
n.征兆,预兆;vt.预示 | |
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53 heralded | |
v.预示( herald的过去式和过去分词 );宣布(好或重要) | |
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54 adventurous | |
adj.爱冒险的;惊心动魄的,惊险的,刺激的 | |
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55 arbitration | |
n.调停,仲裁 | |
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56 avocations | |
n.业余爱好,嗜好( avocation的名词复数 );职业 | |
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57 siesta | |
n.午睡 | |
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58 ruminated | |
v.沉思( ruminate的过去式和过去分词 );反复考虑;反刍;倒嚼 | |
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59 ooze | |
n.软泥,渗出物;vi.渗出,泄漏;vt.慢慢渗出,流露 | |
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60 supremacy | |
n.至上;至高权力 | |
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61 expressive | |
adj.表现的,表达…的,富于表情的 | |
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62 tug | |
v.用力拖(或拉);苦干;n.拖;苦干;拖船 | |
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63 clarion | |
n.尖音小号声;尖音小号 | |
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64 sputtered | |
v.唾沫飞溅( sputter的过去式和过去分词 );发劈啪声;喷出;飞溅出 | |
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65 bulwark | |
n.堡垒,保障,防御 | |
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66 shuffled | |
v.洗(纸牌)( shuffle的过去式和过去分词 );拖着脚步走;粗心地做;摆脱尘世的烦恼 | |
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67 sob | |
n.空间轨道的轰炸机;呜咽,哭泣 | |
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68 distress | |
n.苦恼,痛苦,不舒适;不幸;vt.使悲痛 | |
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69 engendered | |
v.产生(某形势或状况),造成,引起( engender的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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70 repulsively | |
adv.冷淡地 | |
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71 loathsome | |
adj.讨厌的,令人厌恶的 | |
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72 impulsive | |
adj.冲动的,刺激的;有推动力的 | |
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73 gratitude | |
adj.感激,感谢 | |
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74 enactment | |
n.演出,担任…角色;制订,通过 | |
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75 truthful | |
adj.真实的,说实话的,诚实的 | |
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76 allied | |
adj.协约国的;同盟国的 | |
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77 minor | |
adj.较小(少)的,较次要的;n.辅修学科;vi.辅修 | |
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78 rehearsal | |
n.排练,排演;练习 | |
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79 bestow | |
v.把…赠与,把…授予;花费 | |
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80 volatile | |
adj.反复无常的,挥发性的,稍纵即逝的,脾气火爆的;n.挥发性物质 | |
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81 attested | |
adj.经检验证明无病的,经检验证明无菌的v.证明( attest的过去式和过去分词 );证实;声称…属实;使宣誓 | |
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82 deity | |
n.神,神性;被奉若神明的人(或物) | |
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83 adoration | |
n.爱慕,崇拜 | |
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84 anticipation | |
n.预期,预料,期望 | |
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85 sinecure | |
n.闲差事,挂名职务 | |
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86 neatly | |
adv.整洁地,干净地,灵巧地,熟练地 | |
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87 overture | |
n.前奏曲、序曲,提议,提案,初步交涉 | |
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88 copious | |
adj.丰富的,大量的 | |
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89 initiatory | |
adj.开始的;创始的;入会的;入社的 | |
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90 civilized | |
a.有教养的,文雅的 | |
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91 hatreds | |
n.仇恨,憎恶( hatred的名词复数 );厌恶的事 | |
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92 bestowed | |
赠给,授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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93 longing | |
n.(for)渴望 | |
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94 missionary | |
adj.教会的,传教(士)的;n.传教士 | |
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