The Deck - First Night Watch
(Carpenter standing1 before his vice2-bench, and by the light of two lanterns busily filing the ivory joist for the leg, which joist is firmly fixed3 in the vice. Slabs4 of ivory, leather straps5, pads, screws, and various tools of all sorts lying about the bench. Forward, the red flame of the forge is seen, where the blacksmith is at work.)
Drat the file, and drat the bone! That is hard which should be soft, and that is soft which should be hard. So we go, who file old jaws6 and shin bones. Let's try another. Aye, now, this works better (sneezes). Halloa, this bone dust is (sneezes)--why it's (sneezes)--yes it's (sneezes)--bless my soul, it won't let me speak! This is what an old fellow gets now for working in dead lumber7. Saw a live tree, and you don't get this dust; amputate a live bone, and you don't get it (sneezes). Come, come, you old Smut, there, bear a hand, and let's have that ferrule and buckle8-screw; I'll be ready for them presently. Lucky now (sneezes) there's no knee-joint to make; that might puzzle a little; but a mere9 shin-bone--why it's easy as making hop-poles; only I should like to put a good finish on. Time, time; if I but only had the time, I could turn him out as neat a leg now as ever (sneezes) scraped to a lady in a parlor10. Those buckskin legs and calves11 of legs I've seen in shop windows wouldn't compare at all. They soak water, they do; and of course get rheumatic, and have to be doctored (sneezes) with washes and lotions12, just like live legs. There; before I saw it off, now, I must call his old Mogulship, and see whether the length will be all right; too short, if anything, I guess. Ha! that's the heel; we are in luck; here he comes, or it's somebody else, that's certain. AHAB (advancing)
(During the ensuing scene, the carpenter continues sneezing at times).
Well, manmaker!
Just in time, sir. If the captain pleases, I will now mark the length. Let me measure, sir.
Measured for a leg! good. Well, it's not the first time. About it! There; keep thy finger on it. This is a cogent13 vice thou hast here, carpenter; let me feel its grip once. So, so; it does pinch some.
Oh, sir, it will break bones--beware, beware!
No fear; I like a good grip; I like to feel something in this slippery world that can hold, man. What's Prometheus about there?-- the blacksmith, I mean--what's he about?
He must be forging the buckle-screw, sir, now.
Right. It's a partnership14; he supplies the muscle part. He makes a fierce red flame there!
Aye, sir; he must have the white heat for this kind of fine work.
Um-m. So he must. I do deem it now a most meaning thing, that that old Greek, Prometheus, who made men, they say, should have been a blacksmith, and animated15 them with fire; for what's made in fire must properly belong to fire; and so hell's probable. How the soot16 flies! This must be the remainder the Greek made the Africans of. Carpenter, when he's through with that buckle, tell him to forge a pair of steel shoulder-blades; there's a pedlar aboard with a crushing pack.
Sir?
Hold; while Prometheus is about it, I'll order a complete man after a desirable pattern. Imprimis, fifty feet high in his socks; then, chest modelled after the Thames Tunnel then, legs with roots to 'em, to stay in one place; then, arms three feet through the wrist; no heart at all, brass17 forehead, and about a quarter of an acre of fine brains; and let me see--shall I order eyes to see outwards18? No, but put a sky-light on top of his head to illuminate19 inwards. There, take the order, and away.
Now, what's he speaking about, and who's he speaking to, I should like to know? Shall I keep standing here? (aside.)
'Tis but indifferent architecture to make a blind dome20; here's one. No, no, no; I must have a lantern.
Ho, ho! That's it, hey? Here are two, sir; one will serve my turn.
What art thou thrusting that thief-catcher into my face for, man? Thrusted light is worse than presented pistols.
I thought, sir, that you spoke21 to carpenter.
Carpenter? why that's--but no;--a very tidy, and, I may say, an extremely gentlemanlike sort of business thou art in here, carpenter;--or would'st thou rather work in clay?
Sir?--Clay? clay, sir? That's mud; we leave clay to ditchers, sir.
The fellow's impious! What art thou sneezing about?
Bone is rather dusty, sir.
Take the hint, then; and when thou art dead, never bury thyself under living people's noses.
Sir?--oh! ah!--I guess so; so;--yes, yes--oh dear!
Look ye, carpenter, I dare say thou callest thyself a right good workmanlike workman, eh? Well, then, will it speak thoroughly22 well for thy work, if, when I come to mount this leg thou makest, I shall nevertheless feel another leg in the same identical place with it; that is, carpenter, my old lost leg; the flesh and blood one, I mean. Canst thou not drive that old Adam away?
Truly, sir, I begin to understand somewhat now. Yes, I have heard something curious on that score, sir; how that a dismasted man never entirely23 loses the feeling of his old spar, but it will be still pricking24 him at times. May I humbly25 ask if it be really so, sir?
It is, man. Look, put thy live leg here in the place where mine once was; so, now, here is only one distinct leg to the eye, yet two to the soul. Where thou feelest tingling26 life; there, exactly there, there to a hair, do I. Is't a riddle27?
I should humbly call it a poser, sir.
Hist, then. How dost thou know that some entire, living, thinking thing may not be invisibly and uninterpenetratingly standing precisely28 where thou now standest; aye, and standing there in thy spite? In thy most solitary29 hours, then, dost thou not fear eavesdroppers? Hold, don't speak! And if I still feel the smart of my crushed leg, though it be now so long dissolved; then, why mayest not thou, carpenter, feel the fiery30 pains of hell for ever, and without a body? Hah!
Good Lord! Truly, sir, if it comes to that, I must calculate over again; I think I didn't carry a small figure, sir.
Look ye, pudding-heads should never grant premises31.--How long before this leg is done?
Perhaps an hour, sir.
Bungle32 away at it then, and bring it to me (turns to go). Oh, Life. Here I am, proud as Greek god, and yet standing debtor33 to this blockhead for a bone to stand on! Cursed be that mortal inter-indebtedness which will not do away with ledgers34. I would be free as air; and I'm down in the whole world's books. I am so rich, I could have given bid for bid with the wealthiest Praetorians at the auction35 of the Roman empire (which was the world's); and yet I owe for the flesh in the tongue I brag36 with. By heavens! I'll get a crucible37, and into it, and dissolve myself down to one small, compendious38 vertebra. So.
Carpenter ( resuming his work).
Well, well, well! Stubb knows him best of all, and Stubb always says he's queer; says nothing but that one sufficient little word queer; he's queer, says Stubb; he's queer--queer, queer; and keeps dinning39 it into Mr. Starbuck all the time--queer--sir--queer, queer, very queer. And here's his leg. Yes, now that I think of it, here's his bed-fellow! has a stick of whale's jaw-bone for a wife! And this is his leg; he'll stand on this. What was that now about one leg standing in three places, and all three places standing in one hell-- how was that? Oh! I don't wonder he looked so scornful at me! I'm a sort of strange-thoughted sometimes, they say; but that's only haphazard-like. Then, a short, little old body like me, should never undertake to wade40 out into deep waters with tall, heron-built captains; the water chucks you under the chin pretty quick, and there's a great cry for life-boats. And here's the heron's leg! long and slim, sure enough! Now, for most folks one pair of legs lasts a lifetime, and that must be because they use them mercifully, as a tender-hearted old lady uses her roly-poly old coach-horses. But Ahab; oh he's a hard driver. Look, driven one leg to death, and spavined the other for life, and now wears out bone legs by the cord. Halloa, there, you Smut! bear a hand there with those screws, and let's finish it before the resurrection fellow comes a-calling with his horn for all legs, true or false, as brewery41 men go round collecting old beer barrels, to fill 'em up again. What a leg this is! It looks like a real live leg, filed down to nothing but the core; he'll be standing on this to-morrow; he'll be taking altitudes on it. Halloa! I almost forgot the little oval slate42, smoothed ivory, where he figures up the latitude43. So, so; chisel44, file, and sand-paper, now!
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1
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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2
vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
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3
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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4
slabs
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| n.厚板，平板，厚片( slab的名词复数 )；厚胶片 | |
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5
straps
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| n.带子( strap的名词复数 )；挎带；肩带；背带v.用皮带捆扎( strap的第三人称单数 )；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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6
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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7
lumber
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| n.木材，木料；v.以破旧东西堆满；伐木；笨重移动 | |
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8
buckle
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| n.扣子，带扣；v.把...扣住，由于压力而弯曲 | |
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9
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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10
parlor
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| n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅 | |
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11
calves
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| n.(calf的复数)笨拙的男子，腓；腿肚子( calf的名词复数 )；牛犊；腓；小腿肚v.生小牛( calve的第三人称单数 )；（冰川）崩解；生（小牛等），产（犊）；使（冰川）崩解 | |
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12
lotions
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| n.洗液，洗剂，护肤液( lotion的名词复数 ) | |
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13
cogent
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| adj.强有力的，有说服力的 | |
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14
partnership
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| n.合作关系，伙伴关系 | |
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15
animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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16
soot
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| n.煤烟，烟尘；vt.熏以煤烟 | |
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17
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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18
outwards
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| adj.外面的，公开的，向外的；adv.向外；n.外形 | |
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19
illuminate
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| vt.照亮，照明；用灯光装饰；说明，阐释 | |
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20
dome
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| n.圆屋顶，拱顶 | |
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21
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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22
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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23
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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24
pricking
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| 刺，刺痕，刺痛感 | |
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25
humbly
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| adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地 | |
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26
tingling
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| v.有刺痛感( tingle的现在分词 ) | |
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27
riddle
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| n.谜，谜语，粗筛；vt.解谜，给…出谜，筛，检查，鉴定，非难，充满于；vi.出谜 | |
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28
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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29
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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30
fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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31
premises
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| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
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32
bungle
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| v.搞糟；n.拙劣的工作 | |
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33
debtor
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| n.借方，债务人 | |
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34
ledgers
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| n.分类账( ledger的名词复数 ) | |
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35
auction
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| n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖 | |
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36
brag
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| v./n.吹牛，自夸；adj.第一流的 | |
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37
crucible
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| n.坩锅，严酷的考验 | |
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38
compendious
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| adj.简要的，精简的 | |
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39
dinning
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| vt.喧闹（din的现在分词形式） | |
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40
wade
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| v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉 | |
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41
brewery
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| n.啤酒厂 | |
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42
slate
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| n.板岩，石板，石片，石板色，候选人名单；adj.暗蓝灰色的，含板岩的；vt.用石板覆盖，痛打，提名，预订 | |
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43
latitude
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| n.纬度，行动或言论的自由(范围)，(pl.)地区 | |
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44
chisel
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| n.凿子；v.用凿子刻，雕，凿 | |
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