Chapter 24 The Janson Condemned

WE must now return to Manuel. He was in close confinement¹, through Mr. Grimshaw's orders. Tommy continued to bring him food from day to day, but was not allowed to see him. The mate and several of the crew were also refused admittance to him. This was carrying power to an unnecessary limit, and inflicting² a wanton punishment without proper cause, at the same time exhibiting a flagrant disrespect for personal feelings. Tommy did not report the affair to the Captain, lest it should be misconstrued, and worse punishment be inflicted³; but when the men were refused, they naturally mistrusted something, and made inquiries⁴ of the jailer, who readily gave them all the information in his power concerning the affair, and his orders. This they reported to the Captain, who immediately repaired to the consul⁵'s office, where he found Mr. Mathew reading a note which he had just received from Manuel. It stated his grievances⁶ in a clear and distinct manner, and begged the protection of that government under whose flag he sailed, but said nothing about his provisions. The consul, accompanied by the Captain, proceeded to the sheriff's office, but could get no satisfaction. "I never consider circumstances when prisoners violate the rules of the jail,--he must await my orders! but I shall keep him closely confined for two weeks, at least," said Mr. Grimshaw.

This incensed⁷ the consul still more, for he saw the manner in which a clique⁸ of officials were determined⁹ to show their arbitrary power. It was impossible for him to remain indifferent to this matter, affecting, as it did, the life and liberty of his fellow-countryman. He could invoke¹⁰ no sympathy for the man, and the extent of punishment to which he had been subjected was evidently excited by vindictive¹¹ feelings. He applied¹² for a writ¹³ of habeas corpus,--but mark the result.

The Captain proceeded to the jail, and demanded to see his steward¹⁴; the jailer hesitating at first, at length granted his permission. He found Manuel locked up in a little, unwholesome cell, with scarcely a glimmer¹⁵ of light to mark the distinction of day and night; and so pale and emaciated¹⁶, that had he met him in the street he should scarcely have recognised him. "Gracious God! What crime could have brought such an excess of punishment upon you?" inquired the Captain.

Manuel told him the whole story; and, added to that, the things which had been sent to him during the seven days he had been confined in that manner, had seldom reached him. He had lost his good friend Jane, and the many kind acts which she was wont¹⁷ to bestow¹⁸ upon him, and had been compelled to live upon bread and water nearly the whole time, suffering the most intense hunger. Upon inquiry¹⁹, it was ascertained²⁰ that the few things sent to make him comfortable had been intrusted to Daley to deliver, who appropriated nearly the whole of them to his own use, as a sort of retaliatory²¹ measure for the castigation²² he received from Manuel. He had not failed to carry him his pan of soup at twelve o'clock every day, but made the "choice bits" serve his own digestion²³. The jailer felt the pain of the neglect, and promised to arrange a safer process of forwarding his things by attending to it himself, which he did with all the attention in his power, when Manuel's condition became more tolerable. The Captain told Manuel how his affairs stood-that he should probably have to leave him in charge of the consul, but to keep up good spirits; that he would leave him plenty of means, and as soon as his release was effected, to make the best of his way to Scotland and join the old owners. And thus he left him, with a heavy heart, for Manuel did read in his countenance²⁴ what he did not speak.

The Janson had been discharged, a survey held upon the cargo²⁵, protest extended, and the whole sold for the benefit of whom it might concern. Necessary surveys were likewise held upon the hull²⁶, and finding it so old and strained as to be unworthy of repair, it was condemned²⁷ and sold for the benefit of the underwriters. Thus the register "de novo" was given up to the consul, the men discharged, and paid off according to the act of William IV., which provides that each man shall receive a stipend²⁸ to carry him to the port in Great Britain from which he shipped, or the consul to provide passage for him, according to his inclination²⁹, to proceed to a point where the voyage would be completed. The consul adopted the best means in his power to make them all comfortable and satisfied with their discharge. Their several register-tickets were given up to them, and one by one left for his place of destination; Tommy and the second mate only preferring to remain and seek some new voyage. The old chief mate seemed to congratulate himself in the condemnation³⁰ of the unlucky Janson. He shipped on board an English ship, laden³¹ with cotton and naval³² stores, and just ready for sea. When he came on board to take a farewell of the Captain, he stood upon deck, and looking up at the dismantled³³ spars, said, "Skipper, a shadow may save a body after all. I've always had a presentment that this unlucky old thing would serve us a trick. I says to meself that night in the Gulf³⁴, 'Well, old craft, yer goin' to turn yer old ribs³⁵ into a coffin³⁶, at last,' but I'll praise the bridge that carries me safe over, because I've an affection for the old thing after all, and can't part without saying God bless her, for it's an honest death to die in debt to the underwriters. I hope her old bones will rest in peace on terra-firma. Good-by, Captain,--remember me to Manuel; and let us forget our troubles in Charleston by keeping away from it."

1 confinement   

n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限

参考例句：

• He spent eleven years in solitary confinement.他度过了11年的单独监禁。
• The date for my wife's confinement was approaching closer and closer.妻子分娩的日子越来越近了。

2 inflicting   

把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He was charged with maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm. 他被控蓄意严重伤害他人身体。
• It's impossible to do research without inflicting some pain on animals. 搞研究不让动物遭点罪是不可能的。

3 inflicted   

把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They inflicted a humiliating defeat on the home team. 他们使主队吃了一场很没面子的败仗。
• Zoya heroically bore the torture that the Fascists inflicted upon her. 卓娅英勇地承受法西斯匪徒加在她身上的酷刑。

4 inquiries   

n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending further inquiries. 他获得保释，等候进一步调查。
• I have failed to reach them by postal inquiries. 我未能通过邮政查询与他们取得联系。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 consul   

n.领事；执政官

参考例句：

• A consul's duty is to help his own nationals.领事的职责是帮助自己的同胞。
• He'll hold the post of consul general for the United States at Shanghai.他将就任美国驻上海总领事(的职务)。

6 grievances   

n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚

参考例句：

• The trade union leader spoke about the grievances of the workers. 工会领袖述说工人们的苦情。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He gave air to his grievances. 他申诉了他的冤情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 incensed   

盛怒的

参考例句：

• The decision incensed the workforce. 这个决定激怒了劳工大众。
• They were incensed at the decision. 他们被这个决定激怒了。

8 clique   

n.朋党派系，小集团

参考例句：

• The reactionary ruling clique was torn by internal strife.反动统治集团内部勾心斗角，四分五裂。
• If the renegade clique of that country were in power,it would have meant serious disaster for the people.如果那个国家的叛徒集团一得势，人民就要遭殃。

9 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

10 invoke   

v.求助于(神、法律)；恳求，乞求

参考例句：

• Let us invoke the blessings of peace.让我们祈求和平之福。
• I hope I'll never have to invoke this clause and lodge a claim with you.我希望我永远不会使用这个条款向你们索赔。

11 vindictive   

adj.有报仇心的，怀恨的，惩罚的

参考例句：

• I have no vindictive feelings about it.我对此没有恶意。
• The vindictive little girl tore up her sister's papers.那个充满报复心的小女孩撕破了她姐姐的作业。

12 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

13 writ   

n.命令状，书面命令

参考例句：

• This is a copy of a writ I received this morning.这是今早我收到的书面命令副本。
• You shouldn't treat the newspapers as if they were Holy Writ. 你不应该把报上说的话奉若神明。

14 steward   

n.乘务员，服务员；看管人；膳食管理员

参考例句：

• He's the steward of the club.他是这家俱乐部的管理员。
• He went around the world as a ship's steward.他当客船服务员，到过世界各地。

15 glimmer   

v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光

参考例句：

• I looked at her and felt a glimmer of hope.我注视她，感到了一线希望。
• A glimmer of amusement showed in her eyes.她的眼中露出一丝笑意。

16 emaciated   

adj.衰弱的，消瘦的

参考例句：

• A long time illness made him sallow and emaciated.长期患病使他面黄肌瘦。
• In the light of a single candle,she can see his emaciated face.借着烛光，她能看到他的被憔悴的面孔。

17 wont   

adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯

参考例句：

• He was wont to say that children are lazy.他常常说小孩子们懒惰。
• It is his wont to get up early.早起是他的习惯。

18 bestow   

v.把…赠与，把…授予；花费

参考例句：

• He wished to bestow great honors upon the hero.他希望将那些伟大的荣誉授予这位英雄。
• What great inspiration wiII you bestow on me?你有什么伟大的灵感能馈赠给我？

19 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

20 ascertained   

v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The previously unidentified objects have now been definitely ascertained as being satellites. 原来所说的不明飞行物现在已证实是卫星。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I ascertained that she was dead. 我断定她已经死了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 retaliatory   

adj.报复的

参考例句：

• The process can take years before the WTO approves retaliatory action. 在WTO通过此行动之前，这个程序恐怕要等上一阵子了。 来自互联网
• Retaliatory tariffs on China are tantamount to taxing ourselves as a punishment. 将惩罚性关税强加于中国相当于对我们自己实施课税惩罚。 来自互联网

22 castigation   

n.申斥，强烈反对

参考例句：

• Marx never lost an opportunity to castigate colonialism.马克思抓住每一个机会严厉谴责殖民主义。
• She castigated him for having no intellectual interests.她斥责他没有智识兴趣。

23 digestion   

n.消化，吸收

参考例句：

• This kind of tea acts as an aid to digestion.这种茶可助消化。
• This food is easy of digestion.这食物容易消化。

24 countenance   

n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同

参考例句：

• At the sight of this photograph he changed his countenance.他一看见这张照片脸色就变了。
• I made a fierce countenance as if I would eat him alive.我脸色恶狠狠地，仿佛要把他活生生地吞下去。

25 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

26 hull   

n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳

参考例句：

• The outer surface of ship's hull is very hard.船体的外表面非常坚硬。
• The boat's hull has been staved in by the tremendous seas.小船壳让巨浪打穿了。

27 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

28 stipend   

n.薪贴；奖学金；养老金

参考例句：

• The company is going to ajust my stipend from this month onwards.从这一个月开始公司将对我的薪金作调整。
• This sum was nearly a third of his total stipend.这笔钱几乎是他全部津贴的三分之一。

29 inclination   

n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好

参考例句：

• She greeted us with a slight inclination of the head.她微微点头向我们致意。
• I did not feel the slightest inclination to hurry.我没有丝毫着急的意思。

30 condemnation   

n.谴责; 定罪

参考例句：

• There was widespread condemnation of the invasion. 那次侵略遭到了人们普遍的谴责。
• The jury's condemnation was a shock to the suspect. 陪审团宣告有罪使嫌疑犯大为震惊。

31 laden   

adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的

参考例句：

• He is laden with heavy responsibility.他肩负重任。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat.将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。

32 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

33 dismantled   

拆开( dismantle的过去式和过去分词 )； 拆卸； 废除； 取消

参考例句：

• The plant was dismantled of all its equipment and furniture. 这家工厂的设备和家具全被拆除了。
• The Japanese empire was quickly dismantled. 日本帝国很快被打垮了。

34 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

35 ribs   

n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹

参考例句：

• He suffered cracked ribs and bruising. 他断了肋骨还有挫伤。
• Make a small incision below the ribs. 在肋骨下方切开一个小口。

36 coffin   

n.棺材，灵柩

参考例句：

• When one's coffin is covered,all discussion about him can be settled.盖棺论定。
• The coffin was placed in the grave.那口棺材已安放到坟墓里去了。