“Faix, then,” whispered Teddy Maroon1 to John Bowden, as they proceeded to the wharf2, where the ready-cut stones were being put on board the Eddystone boat, “it’s little good we’ll do av we don’t go to work wid a will.”
“I believe you, my boy,” replied John, heartily3. John Bowden said and did everything heartily. “An’ we won’t be long,” he continued, “about laying the first course, it’s such a small one.”
“Hallo!” shouted the man in charge of the boat, as they came in sight of it, “come along, lads; we’re all ready.”
According to directions they ran down, and jumped on board “with a will.” Smeaton took his place in the stern. They pushed off with a will; sailed and pulled out the fourteen miles with a will; jumped on the rock, landed the heavy stones, went immediately into action, cleaned the bed, and laid the first stone of the great work—all under the same vigorous impulse of the will. This was at eight in the morning. By the evening tide, the first “course,” which formed but a small segment of a circle, was fitted with the utmost despatch5, bedded in mortar6 and trenailed down. Next day the second course was partly landed on the rock; the men still working with a will, for moments out there were more precious than hours or days in ordinary building,—but before they got the whole course landed, old Ocean also began to work with a will, and eventually proved himself stronger than his adversaries7, by driving them, in a terrific storm, from the Rock!
They reached the Buss with difficulty, and lay there idle while the mad waves revelled8 round the rocks, and danced through their works deridingly. It seemed, however, as though they were only “in fun,” for, on returning to work after the gale9 abated10, it was found that “no harm had been done.” As if, however, to check any premature11 felicitations, old Ocean again sent a sudden squall on the 18th, which drove the men once more off the rock, without allowing time to chain the stones landed, so that five of them were lost.
This was a serious disaster. The lost stones could only be replaced by new ones being cut from the distant quarries12. Prompt in all emergencies, Smeaton hurried away and set two men to work on each stone, night and day; nevertheless, despite his utmost efforts, seconded by willing men, the incident caused the loss of more than a week.
Fogs now stepped in to aid and abet13 the winds and waves in their mad efforts to stop the work. Stop it! They little knew what indomitable spirits some men have got. As well might they have attempted to stop the course of time! They succeeded, however, in causing vexatious delays, and, in July, had the audacity14 to fling a wreck15 in the very teeth of the builders, as if to taunt16 them with the futility17 of their labours.
It happened thus: On the night of the 5th a vessel18 named the Charming Sally, about 130 tons burden, and hailing from Biddeford, came sailing over the main. A bright lookout19 was kept on board of her, of course, for the wind was moderately high, and the fog immoderately thick. The Sally progressed charmingly till midnight, when the look-out observed “something” right ahead. He thought the something looked like fishing-boats, and, being an unusually bright fellow, he resolved to wait until he should be quite sure before reporting what he saw. With a jovial20 swirl21 the waves bore the Charming Sally to her doom22. “Rocks ahead!” roared the bright look-out, rather suddenly. “Rocks under her bottom,” thought the crew of seven hands, as they leaped on deck, and felt the out-lying reefs of the Eddystone playing pitch and toss with their keel. Dire4 was the confusion on board, and cruel were the blows dealt with ungallant and unceasing violence at the hull23 of the Charming Sally; and black, black as the night would have been the fate of the hapless seamen24 on that occasion if the builders of the Eddystone had not kept a brighter look-out on board their sheltering Buss. John Bowden had observed the vessel bearing down on the rocks, and gave a startling alarm. Without delay a boat was launched and pulled to the rescue. Meanwhile the vessel filled so fast that their boat floated on the deck before the crew could get into it, and the whole affair had occurred so suddenly that some of the men, when taken off, were only in their shirts. That night the rescued men were hospitably25 entertained in the Buss by the builders of the new lighthouse, and, soon after, the ribs26 of the Charming Sally were torn to pieces by the far-famed teeth of the Eddystone—another added to the countless27 thousands of wrecks28 which had been demonstrating the urgent need there was for a lighthouse there, since the earliest days of navigation.
Having enacted29 this pleasant little episode, the indefatigable30 builders set to work again to do battle with the winds and waves. That the battle was a fierce one is incidentally brought out by the fact that on the 8th of August the sea was said “for the first time” to have refrained from going over the works during a whole tide!
On the 11th of the same month the building was brought to a level with the highest point of the Rock. This was a noteworthy epoch31, inasmuch as the first completely circular course was laid down, and the men had more space to move about.
Mr Smeaton, indeed, seems to have moved about too much. Possibly the hilarious32 state of his mind unduly33 affected34 his usually sedate35 body. At all events, from whatever cause, he chanced to tumble off the edge of the building, and fell on the rocks below, at the very feet of the amazed Teddy Maroon, who happened to be at work there at the time.
“Och, is it kilt ye are, sur?” demanded the Irishman.
“Not quite,” replied Smeaton, rising and carefully examining his thumb, which had been dislocated.
“Sure now it’s a sargeon ye should have bin,” said Teddy, as his commander jerked the thumb into its place as though it had been the disabled joint36 of a mathematical instrument, and quietly returned to his labours.
About this time also the great shears37, by means of which the stones were raised to the top of the building, were overturned, and fell with a crash amongst the men; fortunately, however, no damage to life or limb resulted, though several narrow escapes were made. Being now on a good platform, they tried to work at night with the aid of links, but the enemy came down on them in the form of wind, and constantly blew the links out. The builders, determined38 not to be beaten, made a huge bonfire of their links. The enemy, growing furious, called up reinforcements of the waves, and not only drowned out the bonfire but drove the builders back to the shelter of their fortress39, the Buss, and shut them up there for several days, while the waves, coming constantly up in great battalions40, broke high over the re-erected shears, and did great damage to the machinery41 and works, but failed to move the sturdy root of the lighthouse which had now been fairly planted, though the attack was evidently made in force, this being the worst storm of the season. It lasted fifteen days.
On the 1st September the enemy retired42 for a little repose43, and the builders, instantly sallying out, went to work again “with a will,” and secured eighteen days of uninterrupted progress. Then the ocean, as if refreshed, renewed the attack, and kept it up with such unceasing vigour44 that the builders drew off and retired into winter quarters on the 3rd of October, purposing to continue the war in the following spring.
During this campaign of 1757 the column of the lighthouse had risen four feet six inches above the highest point of the Eddystone Rock. Thus ended the second season, and the wearied but dauntless men returned to the work-yard on shore to carve the needful stones, and otherwise to prepare ammunition45 for the coming struggle.
Sitting one night that winter at John Potter’s fireside, smoking his pipe in company with John Bowden, Teddy Maroon expressed his belief that building lighthouses was about the hardest and the greatest work that man could undertake; that the men who did undertake such work ought not only to receive double pay while on duty, but also half pay for the remainder of their natural lives; that the thanks of the king, lords, and commons, inscribed46 on vellum, should be awarded to each man; and that gold medals should be struck commemorative of such great events,—all of which he said with great emphasis, discharging a sharp little puff47 of smoke between every two or three words, and winding48 up with a declaration that “them was his sentiments.”
To all this old John Potter gravely nodded assent49, and old Martha—being quite deaf to sound as well as reason—shook her head so decidedly that her cap quivered again.
John Bowden ventured to differ. He—firing off little cloudlets of smoke between words, in emulation50 of his friend—gave it as his opinion that “war was wuss,” an opinion which he founded on the authority of his departed father, who had fought all through the Peninsular campaign, and who had been in the habit of entertaining his friends and family with such graphic51 accounts of storming breaches52, bombarding fortresses53, lopping off heads, arms, and legs, screwing bayonets into men’s gizzards and livers, and otherwise agonising human frames, and demolishing54 human handiwork, that the hair of his auditors’ heads would certainly have stood on end if that capillary55 proceeding56 had been at all possible.
But Teddy Maroon did not admit the force of his friend’s arguments. He allowed, indeed, that war was a great work, inasmuch as it was a great evil, whereas lighthouse-building was a great blessing57; and he contended, that while the first was a cause of unmitigated misery58, and productive of nothing better than widows, orphans59, and national debts, the second was the source of immense happiness, and of salvation60 to life, limb, and property.
To this John Bowden objected, and Teddy Maroon retorted, whereupon a war of words began, which speedily waged so hot that the pipes of both combatants went out, and old John Potter found it necessary to assume the part of peace-maker, in which, being himself a keen debater, he failed, and there is no saying what might have been the result of it if old Martha had not brought the action to a summary close by telling her visitors in shrill61 tones to “hold their noise.” This they did after laughing heartily at the old woman’s fierce expression of countenance62.
Before parting, however, they all agreed without deciding the question at issue—that lighthouse-building was truly a noble work.
《The Young Fur Traders》
《The Thorogood Family》
《The Prairie Chief》
《The Island Queen》
《Deep Down》
该作者的其它作品
《The World of Ice》《The Young Fur Traders》
《The Thorogood Family》
《The Prairie Chief》
《The Island Queen》
《Deep Down》
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1
maroon
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| v.困住，使（人）处于孤独无助之境；n.逃亡黑奴；孤立的人；酱紫色，褐红色；adj.酱紫色的，褐红色的 | |
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2
wharf
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| n.码头，停泊处 | |
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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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dire
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| adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的 | |
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5
despatch
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| n./v.(dispatch)派遣；发送；n.急件；新闻报道 | |
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mortar
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| n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合 | |
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7
adversaries
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| n.对手，敌手( adversary的名词复数 ) | |
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revelled
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| v.作乐( revel的过去式和过去分词 )；狂欢；着迷；陶醉 | |
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9
gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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10
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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11
premature
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| adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的 | |
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12
quarries
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| n.（采）石场( quarry的名词复数 )；猎物（指鸟，兽等）；方形石；（格窗等的）方形玻璃v.从采石场采得( quarry的第三人称单数 )；从（书本等中）努力发掘（资料等）；在采石场采石 | |
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13
abet
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| v.教唆，鼓励帮助 | |
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14
audacity
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| n.大胆，卤莽，无礼 | |
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wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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taunt
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| n.辱骂，嘲弄；v.嘲弄 | |
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futility
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| n.无用 | |
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18
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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19
lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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20
jovial
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| adj.快乐的，好交际的 | |
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21
swirl
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| v.(使)打漩，(使)涡卷；n.漩涡，螺旋形 | |
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22
doom
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| n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定 | |
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23
hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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24
seamen
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| n.海员 | |
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25
hospitably
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| 亲切地，招待周到地，善于款待地 | |
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26
ribs
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| 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 | |
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27
countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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28
wrecks
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| n.沉船( wreck的名词复数 )；（事故中）遭严重毁坏的汽车（或飞机等）；（身体或精神上）受到严重损伤的人；状况非常糟糕的车辆（或建筑物等）v.毁坏[毁灭]某物( wreck的第三人称单数 )；使（船舶）失事，使遇难，使下沉 | |
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29
enacted
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| 制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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indefatigable
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| adj.不知疲倦的，不屈不挠的 | |
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epoch
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| n.(新)时代；历元 | |
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32
hilarious
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| adj.充满笑声的，欢闹的；[反]depressed | |
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33
unduly
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| adv.过度地，不适当地 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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35
sedate
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| adj.沉着的，镇静的，安静的 | |
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36
joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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37
shears
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| n.大剪刀 | |
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38
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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39
fortress
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| n.堡垒，防御工事 | |
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40
battalions
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| n.（陆军的）一营（大约有一千兵士）( battalion的名词复数 )；协同作战的部队；军队；（组织在一起工作的）队伍 | |
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41
machinery
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| n.(总称)机械，机器；机构 | |
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42
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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43
repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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44
vigour
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| （=vigor）n.智力，体力，精力 | |
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45
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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46
inscribed
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| v.写，刻( inscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；内接 | |
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47
puff
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| n.一口(气)；一阵(风)；v.喷气，喘气 | |
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48
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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49
assent
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| v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可 | |
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50
emulation
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| n.竞争；仿效 | |
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51
graphic
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| adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的 | |
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52
breaches
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| 破坏( breach的名词复数 )； 破裂； 缺口； 违背 | |
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53
fortresses
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| 堡垒，要塞( fortress的名词复数 ) | |
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54
demolishing
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| v.摧毁( demolish的现在分词 )；推翻；拆毁（尤指大建筑物）；吃光 | |
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55
capillary
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| n.毛细血管；adj.毛细管道；毛状的 | |
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56
proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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57
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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58
misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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59
orphans
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| 孤儿( orphan的名词复数 ) | |
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60
salvation
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| n.（尤指基督）救世，超度，拯救，解困 | |
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61
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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62
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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