As a factor in sea traffic ocean winds are popularly supposed to have become negligible. Indeed, the remark is often heard (on shore) that the steamship13 has made man independent of wind and tide. It is just the kind of statement that would emanate14 from some of our pseudo-authorities upon marine15 matters, and akin16 to the oft-quoted opinion that the advent17 of the steamship has driven romance from the sea. In the first place, seamen18 know how tremendously the wind affects even the highest-powered steamship, and although some sailors will talk about an ocean liner ploughing her way through the teeth of an opposing gale19 at full speed, it is only from their love of the marvellous and desire to make the landsman stare. They know that such a statement is ridiculously untrue. Leaving the steamship out of the question, however, there are still very large numbers of vessels20 at sea which are entirely21 dependent upon the winds for their propulsion, their transit22 between port and port. They grow fewer and fewer every year, of course, as they are lost or broken up, because they are not replaced, yet in certain trades they are so useful and economical that it is difficult to see why they should be allowed to disappear. Masters of such ships are considered to be smart or the reverse in proportion to their knowledge of ocean winds, where to steer23 in order to get the full benefit of their incidence, what latitudes24 to avoid because there winds rarely blow, and how best to[262] manœuvre their huge-winged craft in the truly infernal whirl of an advancing or receding25 cyclone26. For such purposes ocean winds may roughly be divided into two classes—the settled and the adventitious27: those winds that may fairly be depended upon for regularity28 both as to force and direction, and those whose coming and going is so aptly used in Scripture29 allegory. Taking as the former class the Trade winds of the globe, it is found that they are also subject to much mutability, especially those to the northward30 of the Equator known as the “North-East Trades.” Old seamen speak of them as do farmers of the weather ashore—complain that neither in steadiness of direction nor in constancy of force are they to be depended upon as of old. Of course they vary somewhat with the seasons, but that is not what is complained of by the mariner31; it is their capricious variation from year to year, whereby you shall actually find a strong wind well to the southward of east in what should be the heart of the North-East Trades, or at another time fall upon a stark32 calm prevailing33 where you had every right to expect a fresh favouring breeze.
Still, with all their failure to maintain the reputation of former times in the estimation of sailors (as distinguished34 from steamship crews), even the much maligned35 North-East Trade winds are fairly dependable. The South-East Trades, again, are almost as sure in their operation as is the recurrence36 of day and night. The homeward-bound sailing ship,[263] once having been swept round the Cape37 of Good Hope in spite of adverse38 winds by the irresistible39 Agulhas current, usually finds awaiting her a southerly wind. Sailors refuse to call it the first of the Trades, considering that any wind blowing without the Tropics has no claim to be called a “Trade.” This fancy matters little. The great thing is that these helpful breezes await the homeward-bounder close down to the southern limit of his passage, await him with arms outspread in welcome, and coincidently with the pleasant turning of his ship’s head homeward, permit the yards to be squared, and the course to be set as desired. And the ship—like a docile40 horse who, after a long day’s journey, finds his head pointing stablewards and settles steadily41 down to a clinking pace—gathers way in stately fashion and glides42 northward at a uniform rate without any further need of interference from her crew. Throughout the long bright days, with the sea wearing one vast many-dimpled smile, and the stainless43 blue above quivering in light uninterrupted by the passage of a single cloud, the white-winged ship sweeps serenely44 on. All around in the paling blue of the sky near the horizon float the sleepy, fleecy cumuli peculiar45 to the “Trades,” without perceptible motion or change of form. When day steps abruptly46 into night, and the myriad47 glories of the sunless hours reveal themselves shyly to an unheeding ocean, the silent ship still passes ghost-like upon her placid48 way, the steadfast49 wind rounding[264] her canvas into the softest of curves, without a wrinkle or a shake. Before her stealthy approach the glittering waters part, making no sound save a cool rippling50 as of a fern-shadowed brooklet51 hurrying through some rocky dell in Devon. The sweet night’s cool splendours reign52 supreme53. The watch, with the exception of the officer, the helmsman, and the look-out man, coil themselves in corners and sleep, for they are not needed, and during the day much work is adoing in making their ship smart for home. And thus they will go without a break of any kind for over two thousand miles.
Next to the Trades in dependability, and fairly entitled to be called sub-permanent, are the west winds of the regions north and south of the Tropics, or about the parallels of 40° north or south. Without the steadiness of these winds in the great Southern Sea, the passage of sailing ships to Australasia or India would indeed be a tedious business. But they can be reckoned upon so certainly that in many cases the duration of passages of ships outward and homeward can be predicted within a week, which speaks volumes for the wonderful average steadiness of the great wind-currents. Although these winds bear no resemblance to the beautiful Trades. Turbulent, boisterous54, and cruel, they try human endurance to its utmost limits, and on board of a weak ship, fleeing for many days before their furious onslaught, anxiety rises to a most painful pitch with the never-ceasing strain[265] upon the mind. They have also a way of winding55 themselves up anew, as it were, at intervals56. They grow stronger and fiercer by successive blasts until the culminating blow compels even the strongest ships to reduce canvas greatly unless they would have it carried away like autumn leaves. Then the wind will begin to shift round by the south gradually and with decreasing force until, as if impatient, it will jump a couple of points at a time. Then, in the “old” sea, the baffled, tormented57 ship staggers blindly, making misery58 for her crew and testing severely59 her sturdy frame. Farther and farther round swings the wind, necessitating60 much labour aloft for the shipmen, until in the space of, say, twenty-four hours from its first giving way, it has described a complete circle and is back again in its old quarter, blowing fiercely as ever. Not that this peculiar evolution is always made. There are times when to sailors’ chagrin61 the brave west wind fails them in its proper latitudes, being succeeded by baffling easterlies, dirty weather of all kinds, and a general feeling of instability, since to expect fine weather in the sense of light wind and blue sky for any length of time in those stern regions is to reveal ignorance of their character. Yet it is only in such occasional lapses62 from force and course of the west wind of the south that the hapless seaman63 seeking to double Cape Horn from the east can hope to slip round. So that while his fellows farther east are fleeing to their goal at highest speed, he is being remorselessly battered64 by the[266] same gale, driven farther and farther south, and ill-used generally, and only by taking advantage of the brief respite65 can he effect his purpose.
The monsoon66 winds of the Indian seas are most important and unique in their seasonal67 changing. For six months of the year the wind in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea will be north-easterly and the weather fine. Over the land, however, this fine wind is bearing no moisture, and its longer persistence68 than usual means famine with all its attendant horrors. “Fine weather” grows to be a term of awful dread69, and men’s eyes turn ever imploringly70 to the south-west, hoping, with an intensity71 of eagerness that is only felt where life is at stake, for the darkening of those skies of steely blue, until one day a cloud no bigger than a man’s hand arises from the sharply defined horizon. Swiftly it expands into ominous-looking masses, but the omens72 are of blessing73, of relief from drought and death. The howling wind hurls74 before it those leaden water-bearers until, one by one, they burst over the iron-bound earth, and from station to station throughout the length and breadth of Hindostan is flashed the glad message, “The monsoon has burst.” Out at sea the great steamships75 emerging from the Gulf76 of Aden are met by the turbulent south-wester, and have need of all their power to stem its force, force which is quite equal to that of a severe Atlantic gale at times. And all sailors dread the season, bringing as it does to their sorely tried bodies the maximum[267] of physical discomfort77 possible at sea in warm climates.
Of the varying forces of winds, from the zephyr4 to the hurricane, it would be easy to write another page, but this subject is not strictly78 within the scope of the present article, and must therefore be left untouched.
点击收听单词发音
1 joyously | |
ad.快乐地, 高兴地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2 ruffling | |
弄皱( ruffle的现在分词 ); 弄乱; 激怒; 扰乱 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3 ripples | |
逐渐扩散的感觉( ripple的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4 zephyr | |
n.和风,微风 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5 zephyrs | |
n.和风,微风( zephyr的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6 hurling | |
n.爱尔兰式曲棍球v.猛投,用力掷( hurl的现在分词 );大声叫骂 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7 applied | |
adj.应用的;v.应用,适用 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
8 distinctive | |
adj.特别的,有特色的,与众不同的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
9 laden | |
adj.装满了的;充满了的;负了重担的;苦恼的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
10 inhaling | |
v.吸入( inhale的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
11 arteries | |
n.动脉( artery的名词复数 );干线,要道 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
12 aerated | |
v.使暴露于空气中,使充满气体( aerate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
13 steamship | |
n.汽船,轮船 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
14 emanate | |
v.发自,来自,出自 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
15 marine | |
adj.海的;海生的;航海的;海事的;n.水兵 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
16 akin | |
adj.同族的,类似的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
17 advent | |
n.(重要事件等的)到来,来临 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
18 seamen | |
n.海员 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
19 gale | |
n.大风,强风,一阵闹声(尤指笑声等) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
20 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 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
21 entirely | |
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
22 transit | |
n.经过,运输;vt.穿越,旋转;vi.越过 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
23 steer | |
vt.驾驶,为…操舵;引导;vi.驾驶 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
24 latitudes | |
纬度 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
25 receding | |
v.逐渐远离( recede的现在分词 );向后倾斜;自原处后退或避开别人的注视;尤指问题 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
26 cyclone | |
n.旋风,龙卷风 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
27 adventitious | |
adj.偶然的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
28 regularity | |
n.规律性,规则性;匀称,整齐 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
29 scripture | |
n.经文,圣书,手稿;Scripture:(常用复数)《圣经》,《圣经》中的一段 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
30 northward | |
adv.向北;n.北方的地区 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
31 mariner | |
n.水手号不载人航天探测器,海员,航海者 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
32 stark | |
adj.荒凉的;严酷的;完全的;adv.完全地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
33 prevailing | |
adj.盛行的;占优势的;主要的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
34 distinguished | |
adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
35 maligned | |
vt.污蔑,诽谤(malign的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
36 recurrence | |
n.复发,反复,重现 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
37 cape | |
n.海角,岬;披肩,短披风 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
38 adverse | |
adj.不利的;有害的;敌对的,不友好的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
39 irresistible | |
adj.非常诱人的,无法拒绝的,无法抗拒的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
40 docile | |
adj.驯服的,易控制的,容易教的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
41 steadily | |
adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
42 glides | |
n.滑行( glide的名词复数 );滑音;音渡;过渡音v.滑动( glide的第三人称单数 );掠过;(鸟或飞机 ) 滑翔 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
43 stainless | |
adj.无瑕疵的,不锈的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
44 serenely | |
adv.安详地,宁静地,平静地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
45 peculiar | |
adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
46 abruptly | |
adv.突然地,出其不意地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
47 myriad | |
adj.无数的;n.无数,极大数量 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
48 placid | |
adj.安静的,平和的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
49 steadfast | |
adj.固定的,不变的,不动摇的;忠实的;坚贞不移的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
50 rippling | |
起涟漪的,潺潺流水般声音的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
51 brooklet | |
n. 细流, 小河 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
52 reign | |
n.统治时期,统治,支配,盛行;v.占优势 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
53 supreme | |
adj.极度的,最重要的;至高的,最高的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
54 boisterous | |
adj.喧闹的,欢闹的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
55 winding | |
n.绕,缠,绕组,线圈 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
56 intervals | |
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 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
57 tormented | |
饱受折磨的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
58 misery | |
n.痛苦,苦恼,苦难;悲惨的境遇,贫苦 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
59 severely | |
adv.严格地;严厉地;非常恶劣地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
60 necessitating | |
使…成为必要,需要( necessitate的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
61 chagrin | |
n.懊恼;气愤;委屈 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
62 lapses | |
n.失误,过失( lapse的名词复数 );小毛病;行为失检;偏离正道v.退步( lapse的第三人称单数 );陷入;倒退;丧失 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
63 seaman | |
n.海员,水手,水兵 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
64 battered | |
adj.磨损的;v.连续猛击;磨损 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
65 respite | |
n.休息,中止,暂缓 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
66 monsoon | |
n.季雨,季风,大雨 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
67 seasonal | |
adj.季节的,季节性的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
68 persistence | |
n.坚持,持续,存留 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
69 dread | |
vt.担忧,忧虑;惧怕,不敢;n.担忧,畏惧 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
70 imploringly | |
adv. 恳求地, 哀求地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
71 intensity | |
n.强烈,剧烈;强度;烈度 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
72 omens | |
n.前兆,预兆( omen的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
73 blessing | |
n.祈神赐福;祷告;祝福,祝愿 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
74 hurls | |
v.猛投,用力掷( hurl的第三人称单数 );大声叫骂 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
75 steamships | |
n.汽船,大轮船( steamship的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
76 gulf | |
n.海湾;深渊,鸿沟;分歧,隔阂 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
77 discomfort | |
n.不舒服,不安,难过,困难,不方便 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
78 strictly | |
adv.严厉地,严格地;严密地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
欢迎访问英文小说网 |