THE SAILOR

 THE boat of the boatman Madhu is moored¹ at the wharf² of Rajgunj.

 

It is uselessly laden³ with jute, and has been lying there idle for ever so long.

 

If he would only lend me his boat, I should man her with a hundred oars⁴, and hoist⁵ sails, five or six or seven.

 

I should never steer⁶ her to stupid markets. I should sail the seven seas and the thirteen rivers of fairyland.

 

But, mother, you won't weep for me in a corner.

 

I am not going into the forest like Ramachandra to come back only after fourteen years.

 

I shall become the prince of the story, and fill my boat with whatever I like.

 

I shall take my friend Ashu with me. We shall sail merrily across the seven seas and the thirteen rivers of fairyland.

 

We shall set sail in the early morning light.

 

When at noontide you are bathing at the pond, we shall be in the land of a strange king.

 

We shall pass the ford⁷ of Tirpurni, and leave behind us the desert of Tepântar.

 

When we come back it will be getting dark, and I shall tell you of all that we have seen.

 

I shall cross the seven seas and the thirteen rivers of fairyland.

1 moored   

adj. 系泊的 动词moor的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London. 该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。
• We shipped (the) oars and moored alongside the bank. 我们收起桨，把船泊在岸边。

2 wharf   

n.码头，停泊处

参考例句：

• We fetch up at the wharf exactly on time.我们准时到达码头。
• We reached the wharf gasping for breath.我们气喘吁吁地抵达了码头。

3 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。

4 oars   

n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He pulled as hard as he could on the oars. 他拼命地划桨。
• The sailors are bending to the oars. 水手们在拼命地划桨。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 hoist   

n.升高，起重机，推动；v.升起，升高，举起

参考例句：

• By using a hoist the movers were able to sling the piano to the third floor.搬运工人用吊车才把钢琴吊到3楼。
• Hoist the Chinese flag on the flagpole,please!请在旗杆上升起中国国旗！

6 steer   

vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶

参考例句：

• If you push the car, I'll steer it.如果你来推车，我就来驾车。
• It's no use trying to steer the boy into a course of action that suits you.想说服这孩子按你的方式行事是徒劳的。

7 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。