A day or two passed, and there was great activity aboard the Pequod. Not only were the old sails being mended, but new sails were coming on board, and bolts of canvas, and coils of rigging; in short, everything betokened1 that the ship's preparations were hurrying to a close. Captain Peleg seldom or never went ashore2, but sat in his wigwam keeping a sharp look-out upon the hands: Bildad did all the purchasing and providing at the stores; and the men employed in the hold and on the rigging were working till long after night-fall.
On the day following Queequeg's signing the articles, word was given at all the inns where the ship's company were stopping, that their chests must be on board before night, for there was no telling how soon the vessel3 might be sailing. So Queequeg and I got down our traps, resolving, however, to sleep ashore till the last. But it seems they always give very long notice in these cases, and the ship did not sail for several days. But no wonder; there was a good deal to be done, and there is no telling how many things to be thought of, before the Pequod was fully4 equipped.
Every one knows what a multitude of things--beds, sauce-pans, knives and forks, shovels5 and tongs6, napkins, nut-crackers, and what not, are indispensable to the business of housekeeping. Just so with whaling, which necessitates7 a three-years' housekeeping upon the wide ocean, far from all grocers, costermongers, doctors, bakers8, and bankers. And though this also holds true of merchant vessels9, yet not by any means to the same extent as with whalemen. For besides the great length of the whaling voyage, the numerous articles peculiar10 to the prosecution11 of the fishery, and the impossibility of replacing them at the remote harbors usually frequented, it must be remembered, that of all ships, whaling vessels are the most exposed to accidents of all kinds, and especially to the destruction and loss of the very things upon which the success of the voyage most depends. Hence, the spare boats, spare spars, and spare lines and harpoons13, and spare everythings, almost, but a spare Captain and duplicate ship.
At the period of our arrival at the Island, the heaviest storage of the Pequod had been almost completed; comprising her beef, bread, water, fuel, and iron hoops14 and staves. But, as before hinted, for some time there was a continual fetching and carrying on board of divers15 odds16 and ends of things, both large and small.
Chief among those who did this fetching and carrying was Captain Bildad's sister, a lean old lady of a most determined17 and indefatigable18 spirit, but withal very kindhearted, who seemed resolved that, if she could help it, nothing should be found wanting in the Pequod, after once fairly getting to sea. At one time she would come on board with a jar of pickles19 for the steward's pantry; another time with a bunch of quills20 for the chief mate's desk, where he kept his log; a third time with a roll of flannel21 for the small of some one's rheumatic back. Never did any woman better deserve her name, which was Charity--Aunt Charity, as everybody called her. And like a sister of charity did this charitable Aunt Charity bustle22 about hither and thither23, ready to turn her hand and heart to anything that promised to yield safety, comfort, and consolation24 to all on board a ship in which her beloved brother Bildad was concerned, and in which she herself owned a score or two of well-saved dollars.
But it was startling to see this excellent hearted Quakeress coming on board, as she did the last day, with a long oil-ladle in one hand, and a still longer whaling lance in the other. Nor was Bildad himself nor Captain Peleg at all backward. As for Bildad, he carried about with him a long list of the articles needed, and at every fresh arrival, down went his mark opposite that article upon the paper. Every once in a while Peleg came hobbling out of his whalebone den12, roaring at the men down the hatchways, roaring up to the riggers at the mast-head, and then concluded by roaring back into his wigwam.
During these days of preparation, Queequeg and I often visited the craft, and as often I asked about Captain Ahab, and how he was, and when he was going to come on board his ship. To these questions they would answer, that he was getting better and better, and was expected aboard every day; meantime, the two Captains, Peleg and Bildad, could attend to everything necessary to fit the vessel for the voyage. If I had been downright honest with myself, I would have seen very plainly in my heart that I did but half fancy being committed this way to so long a voyage, without once laying my eyes on the man who was to be the absolute dictator of it, so soon as the ship sailed out upon the open sea. But when a man suspects any wrong, it sometimes happens that if he be already involved in the matter, he insensibly strives to cover up his suspicions even from himself. And much this way it was with me. I said nothing, and tried to think nothing.
At last it was given out that some time next day the ship would certainly sail. So next morning, Queequeg and I took a very early start.
1 betokened | |
v.预示,表示( betoken的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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2 ashore | |
adv.在(向)岸上,上岸 | |
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3 vessel | |
n.船舶;容器,器皿;管,导管,血管 | |
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4 fully | |
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地 | |
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5 shovels | |
n.铲子( shovel的名词复数 );锹;推土机、挖土机等的)铲;铲形部份v.铲子( shovel的第三人称单数 );锹;推土机、挖土机等的)铲;铲形部份 | |
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6 tongs | |
n.钳;夹子 | |
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7 necessitates | |
使…成为必要,需要( necessitate的第三人称单数 ) | |
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8 bakers | |
n.面包师( baker的名词复数 );面包店;面包店店主;十三 | |
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9 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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10 peculiar | |
adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的 | |
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11 prosecution | |
n.起诉,告发,检举,执行,经营 | |
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12 den | |
n.兽穴;秘密地方;安静的小房间,私室 | |
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13 harpoons | |
n.鱼镖,鱼叉( harpoon的名词复数 )v.鱼镖,鱼叉( harpoon的第三人称单数 ) | |
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14 hoops | |
n.箍( hoop的名词复数 );(篮球)篮圈;(旧时儿童玩的)大环子;(两端埋在地里的)小铁弓 | |
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15 divers | |
adj.不同的;种种的 | |
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16 odds | |
n.让步,机率,可能性,比率;胜败优劣之别 | |
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17 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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18 indefatigable | |
adj.不知疲倦的,不屈不挠的 | |
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19 pickles | |
n.腌菜( pickle的名词复数 );处于困境;遇到麻烦;菜酱 | |
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20 quills | |
n.(刺猬或豪猪的)刺( quill的名词复数 );羽毛管;翮;纡管 | |
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21 flannel | |
n.法兰绒;法兰绒衣服 | |
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22 bustle | |
v.喧扰地忙乱,匆忙,奔忙;n.忙碌;喧闹 | |
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23 thither | |
adv.向那里;adj.在那边的,对岸的 | |
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24 consolation | |
n.安慰,慰问 | |
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