During the most violent shocks of the Typhoon, the man at the Pequod's jaw-bone tiller had several times been reelingly hurled1 to the deck by its spasmodic motions even though preventer tackles had been attached to it-- for they were slack--because some play to the tiller was indispensable.
In a severe gale2 like this, while the ship is but a tossed shuttlecock to the blast, it is by no means uncommon3 to see the needles in the compasses, at intervals4, go round and round. It was thus with the Pequod's; at almost every shock the helmsman had not failed to notice the whirling velocity5 with which they revolved6 upon the cards; it is a sight that hardly anyone can behold7 without some sort of unwonted emotion.
Some hours after midnight, the Typhoon abated8 so much, that through the strenuous9 exertions10 of Starbuck and Stubb-- one engaged forward and the other aft--the shivered remnants of the jib and fore11 and main-top-sails were cut adrift from the spars, and went eddying12 away to leeward13, like the feathers of an albatross, which sometimes are cast to the winds when that storm-tossed bird is on the wing.
The three corresponding new sails were now bent14 and reefed, and a storm-trysail was set further aft; so that the ship soon went through the water with some precision again; and the course-- for the present, East-south-east--which he was to steer15, if practicable, was once more given to the helmsman. For during the violence of the gale, he had only steered16 according to its vicissitudes17. But as he was now bringing the ship as near her course as possible, watching the compass meanwhile, lo! a good sign! the wind seemed coming round astern; aye, the foul18 breeze became fair!
Instantly the yards were squared, to the lively song of "Ho! the fair wind! oh-ye-ho cheerly, men!" the crew singing for joy, that so promising19 an event should so soon have falsified the evil portents20 preceding it.
In compliance21 with the standing22 order of his commander-- to report immediately, and at any one of the twenty-four hours, any decided23 change in the affairs of the deck,--Starbuck had no sooner trimmed the yards to the breeze--however reluctantly and gloomily,--than he mechanically went below to apprise24 Captain Ahab of the circumstance.
Ere knocking at his state-room, he involuntarily paused before it a moment. The cabin lamp--taking long swings this way and that-- was burning fitfully, and casting fitful shadows upon the old man's bolted door,--a thin one, with fixed25 blinds inserted, in place of upper panels. The isolated26 subterraneousness of the cabin made a certain humming silence to reign27 there, though it was hooped28 round by all the roar of the elements. The loaded muskets29 in the rack were shiningly revealed, as they stood upright against the forward bulkhead. Starbuck was an honest, upright man; but out of Starbuck's heart, at that instant when he saw the muskets, there strangely evolved an evil thought; but so blent with its neutral or good accompaniments that for the instant he hardly knew it for itself.
"He would have shot me once," he murmured, "yes, there's the very musket30 that he pointed31 at me;--that one with the studded stock; let me touch it--lift it. Strange, that I, who have handled so many deadly lances, strange, that I should shake so now. Loaded? I must see. Aye, aye; and powder in the pan;-- that's not good. Best spill it?--wait. I'll cure myself of this. I'll hold the musket boldly while I think.--I come to report a fair wind to him. But how fair? Fair for death and doom32,-- that's fair for Moby Dick. It's a fair wind that's only fair for that accursed fish.--The very tube he pointed at me!--the very one; this one--I hold it here; he would have killed me with the very thing I handle now.--Aye and he would fain kill all his crew. Does he not say he will not strike his spars to any gale? Has he not dashed his heavenly quadrant? and in these same perilous33 seas, gropes he not his way by mere34 dead reckoning of the error-abounding log? and in this very Typhoon, did he not swear that he would have no lightning-rods? But shall this crazed old man be tamely suffered to drag a whole ship's company down to doom with him?--Yes, it would make him the wilful35 murderer of thirty men and more, if this ship come to any deadly harm; and come to deadly harm, my soul swears this ship will, if Ahab have his way. If, then, he were this instant-- put aside, that crime would not be his. Ha! is he muttering in his sleep? Yes, just there,--in there, he's sleeping. Sleeping? aye, but still alive, and soon awake again. I can't withstand thee, then, old man. Not reasoning; not remonstrance36; not entreaty37 wilt38 thou hearken to; all this thou scornest. Flat obedience39 to thy own flat commands, this is all thou breathest. Aye, and say'st the men have vow40'd thy vow; say'st all of us are Ahabs. Great God forbid!-- But is there no other way? no lawful41 way?--Make him a prisoner to be taken home? What! hope to wrest42 this old man's living power from his own living hands? Only a fool would try it. Say he were pinioned43 even; knotted all over with ropes and hawsers44; chained down to ring-bolts on this cabin floor; he would be more hideous45 than a caged tiger, then. I could not endure the sight; could not possibly fly his howlings; all comfort, sleep itself, inestimable reason would leave me on the long intolerable voyage. What, then, remains46? The land is hundreds of leagues away, and locked Japan the nearest. I stand alone here upon an open sea, with two oceans and a whole continent between me and law.--Aye, aye, 'tis so.-- Is heaven a murderer when its lightning strikes a would-be murderer in his bed, tindering sheets and skin together?-- And would I be a murderer, then, if"--and slowly, stealthily, and half sideways looking, he placed the loaded musket's end against the door.
"On this level, Ahab's hammock swings within; his head this way. A touch, and Starbuck may survive to hug his wife and child again.-- Oh Mary! Mary!--boy! boy! boy!--But if I wake thee not to death, old man, who can tell to what unsounded deeps Starbuck's body this day week may sink, with all the crew! Great God, where art Thou? Shall I? shall I?--The wind has gone down and shifted, sir; the fore and main topsails are reefed and set! she heads her course."
"Stern all! Oh Moby Dick, I clutch thy heart at last!"
Such were the sounds that now came hurtling from out the old man's tormented47 sleep, as if Starbuck's voice had caused the long dumb dream to speak.
The yet levelled musket shook like a drunkard's arm against the panel; Starbuck seemed wrestling with an angel, but turning from the door, he placed the death-tube in its rack, and left the place.
"He's too sound asleep, Mr. Stubb; go thou down, and wake him, and tell him. I must see to the deck here. Thou know'st what to say."
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hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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uncommon
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| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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velocity
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| n.速度，速率 | |
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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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behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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abated
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| 减少( abate的过去式和过去分词 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼） | |
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strenuous
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| adj.奋发的，使劲的；紧张的；热烈的，狂热的 | |
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exertions
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| n.努力( exertion的名词复数 )；费力；（能力、权力等的）运用；行使 | |
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fore
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| adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部 | |
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eddying
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| 涡流，涡流的形成 | |
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leeward
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| adj.背风的；下风的 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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steer
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| vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶 | |
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steered
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| v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵；控制；引导 | |
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vicissitudes
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| n.变迁，世事变化；变迁兴衰( vicissitude的名词复数 )；盛衰兴废 | |
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foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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portents
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| n.预兆( portent的名词复数 )；征兆；怪事；奇物 | |
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compliance
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| n.顺从；服从；附和；屈从 | |
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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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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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apprise
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| vt.通知，告知 | |
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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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isolated
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| adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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hooped
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| adj.以环作装饰的；带横纹的；带有环的 | |
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muskets
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| n.火枪，（尤指）滑膛枪( musket的名词复数 ) | |
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musket
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| n.滑膛枪 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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doom
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| n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定 | |
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perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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wilful
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| adj.任性的，故意的 | |
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remonstrance
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| n抗议，抱怨 | |
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entreaty
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| n.恳求，哀求 | |
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wilt
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| v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱 | |
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obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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vow
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| n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓 | |
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lawful
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| adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的 | |
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42
wrest
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| n.扭，拧，猛夺；v.夺取，猛扭，歪曲 | |
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43
pinioned
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| v.抓住[捆住]（双臂）( pinion的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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44
hawsers
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| n.（供系船或下锚用的）缆索，锚链( hawser的名词复数 ) | |
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45
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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46
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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47
tormented
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| 饱受折磨的 | |
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