It was nearly six o'clock, but only grey imperfect misty1 dawn, when we drew nigh the wharf2.
"There are some sailors running ahead there, if I see right," said I to Queequeg, "it can't be shadows; she's off by sunrise, I guess; come on!"
"Avast!" cried a voice, whose owner at the same time coming close behind us, laid a hand upon both our shoulders, and then insinuating3 himself between us, stood stooping forward a little, in the uncertain twilight4, strangely peering from Queequeg to me. It was Elijah.
"Going aboard?"
"Hands off, will you," said I.
"Lookee here," said Queequeg, shaking himself, "go 'way!"
"Aint going aboard, then?"
"Yes, we are," said I, "but what business is that of yours? Do you know, Mr. Elijah, that I consider you a little impertinent?"
"No, no, no; I wasn't aware of that," said Elijah, slowly and wonderingly looking from me to Queequeg, with the most unaccountable glances.
"Elijah," said I, "you will oblige my friend and me by withdrawing. We are going to the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and would prefer not to be detained."
"Ye be, be ye? Coming back afore breakfast?"
"He's cracked, Queequeg," said I, "come on."
"Holloa!" cried stationary5 Elijah, hailing us when we had removed a few paces.
"Never mind him," said I, "Queequeg, come on."
But he stole up to us again, and suddenly clapping his hand on my shoulder, said--"Did ye see anything looking like men going towards that ship a while ago?"
Struck by this plain matter-of-fact question, I answered, saying, "Yes, I thought I did see four or five men; but it was too dim to be sure."
"Very dim, very dim," said Elijah. "Morning to ye."
Once more we quitted him; but once more he came softly after us; and touching6 my shoulder again, said, "See if you can find 'em now, will ye?
"Find who?"
"Morning to ye! morning to ye!" he rejoined, again moving off. "Oh! I was going to warn ye against--but never mind, never mind-- it's all one, all in the family too;--sharp frost this morning, ain't it? Good-bye to ye. Shan't see ye again very soon, I guess; unless it's before the Grand Jury." And with these cracked words he finally departed, leaving me, for the moment, in no small wonderment at his frantic7 impudence8.
At last, stepping on board the Pequod, we found everything in profound quiet, not a soul moving. The cabin entrance was locked within; the hatches were all on, and lumbered9 with coils of rigging. Going forward to the forecastle, we found the slide of the scuttle10 open. Seeing a light, we went down, and found only an old rigger there, wrapped in a tattered11 pea-jacket. He was thrown at whole length upon two chests, his face downwards12 and inclosed in his folded arms. The profoundest slumber13 slept upon him.
"Those sailors we saw, Queequeg, where can they have gone to?" said I, looking dubiously14 at the sleeper15. But it seemed that, when on the wharf, Queequeg had not at all noticed what I now alluded16 to; hence I would have thought myself to have been optically deceived in that matter, were it not for Elijah's otherwise inexplicable17 question. But I beat the thing down; and again marking the sleeper, jocularly hinted to Queequeg that perhaps we had best sit up with the body; telling him to establish himself accordingly. He put his hand upon the sleeper's rear, as though feeling if it was soft enough; and then, without more ado, sat quietly down there.
"Gracious! Queequeg, don't sit there," said I.
"Oh; perry dood seat," said Queequeg, "my country way; won't hurt him face."
"Face!" said I, "call that his face? very benevolent18 countenance19 then; but how hard he breathes, he's heaving himself; get off, Queequeg, you are heavy, it's grinding the face of the poor. Get off, Queequeg! Look, he'll twitch20 you off soon. I wonder he don't wake."
Queequeg removed himself to just beyond the head of the sleeper, and lighted his tomahawk pipe. I sat at the feet. We kept the pipe passing over the sleeper, from one to the other. Meanwhile, upon questioning him in his broken fashion, Queequeg gave me to understand that, in his land, owing to the absence of settees and sofas of all sorts, the king, chiefs, and great people generally, were in the custom of fattening21 some of the lower orders for ottomans; and to furnish a house comfortably in that respect, you had only to buy up eight or ten lazy fellows, and lay them round in the piers22 and alcoves23. Besides, it was very convenient on an excursion; much better than those garden-chairs which are convertible24 into walking sticks; upon occasion, a chief calling his attendant, and desiring him to make a settee of himself under a spreading tree, perhaps in some damp marshy25 place.
While narrating26 these things, every time Queequeg received the tomahawk from me, he flourished the hatchet-side of it over the sleeper's head.
"What's that for, Queequeg?"
"Perry easy, kill-e; oh! perry easy!
He was going on with some wild reminiscences about his tomahawk-pipe which, it seemed, had in its two uses both brained his foes27 and soothed28 his soul, when we were directly attracted to the sleeping rigger. The strong vapor29 now completely filling the contracted hole, it began to tell upon him. He breathed with a sort of muffledness; then seemed troubled in the nose; then revolved30 over once or twice; then sat up and rubbed his eyes.
"Holloa!" he breathed at last, "who be ye smokers31?"
"Shipped men," answered I, "when does she sail?"
"Aye, aye, ye are going in her, be ye? She sails to-day. The Captain came aboard last night."
"What Captain?--Ahab?"
"Who but him indeed?"
I was going to ask him some further questions concerning Ahab, when we heard a noise on deck.
"Holloa! Starbuck's astir," said the rigger. "He's a lively chief mate that; good man, and a pious32; but all alive now, I must turn to." And so saying he went on deck, and we followed.
It was now clear sunrise. Soon the crew came on board in twos and threes; the riggers bestirred themselves; the mates were actively33 engaged; and several of the shore people were busy in bringing various last things on board. Meanwhile Captain Ahab remained invisibly enshrined within his cabin.
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misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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wharf
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| n.码头，停泊处 | |
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insinuating
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| adj.曲意巴结的，暗示的v.暗示( insinuate的现在分词 )；巧妙或迂回地潜入；（使）缓慢进入；慢慢伸入 | |
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4
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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stationary
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| adj.固定的，静止不动的 | |
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touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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impudence
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| n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼 | |
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lumbered
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| 砍伐（lumber的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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scuttle
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| v.急赶，疾走，逃避；n.天窗；舷窗 | |
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tattered
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| adj.破旧的，衣衫破的 | |
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downwards
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| adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地） | |
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13
slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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14
dubiously
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| adv.可疑地，怀疑地 | |
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sleeper
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| n.睡眠者，卧车，卧铺 | |
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16
alluded
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| 提及，暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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17
inexplicable
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| adj.无法解释的，难理解的 | |
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18
benevolent
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| adj.仁慈的，乐善好施的 | |
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19
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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twitch
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| v.急拉，抽动，痉挛，抽搐；n.扯，阵痛，痉挛 | |
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fattening
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| adj.（食物）要使人发胖的v.喂肥( fatten的现在分词 )；养肥（牲畜）；使（钱）增多；使（公司）升值 | |
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piers
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| n.水上平台( pier的名词复数 )；（常设有娱乐场所的）突堤；柱子；墙墩 | |
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23
alcoves
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| n.凹室( alcove的名词复数 )；（花园）凉亭；僻静处；壁龛 | |
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convertible
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| adj.可改变的，可交换，同意义的；n.有活动摺篷的汽车 | |
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25
marshy
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| adj.沼泽的 | |
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26
narrating
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| v.故事( narrate的现在分词 ) | |
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27
foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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28
soothed
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| v.安慰( soothe的过去式和过去分词 )；抚慰；使舒服；减轻痛苦 | |
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29
vapor
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| n.蒸汽，雾气 | |
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30
revolved
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| v.（使）旋转( revolve的过去式和过去分词 )；细想 | |
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31
smokers
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| 吸烟者( smoker的名词复数 ) | |
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32
pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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actively
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| adv.积极地，勤奋地 | |
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