The Great and Wonderful Behaviour of Our Hero in the Boat.
It is probable that a desire of ingratiating himself with his charming captive, or rather conqueror1, had no little share in promoting this extraordinary act of illegal justice; for the Frenchman had conceived the same sort of passion or hunger which Wild himself had felt, and was almost as much resolved, by some means or other, to satisfy it. We will leave him however at present in the pursuit of his wishes, and attend our hero in his boat, since it is in circumstances of distress2 that true greatness appears most wonderful. For that a prince in the midst of his courtiers, all ready to compliment him with his favourite character or title, and indeed with everything else, or that a conqueror, at the head of a hundred thousand men, all prepared to execute his will, how ambitious, wanton, or cruel soever, should, in the giddiness of their pride, elevate themselves many degrees above those their tools, seems not difficult to be imagined, or indeed accounted for. But that a man in chains, in prison, nay3, in the vilest4 dungeon5, should, with persevering6 pride and obstinate7 dignity, discover that vast superiority in his own nature over the rest of mankind, who to a vulgar eye seem much happier than himself; nay, that he should discover heaven and providence8 (whose peculiar9 care, it seems, he is) at that very time at work for him; this is among the arcana of greatness, to be perfectly10 understood only by an adept11 in that science.
What could be imagined more miserable12 than the situation of our hero at this season, floating in a little boat on the open seas, without oar13, without sail, and at the mercy of the first wave to overwhelm him? nay, this was indeed the fair side of his fortune, as it was a much more eligible14 fate than that alternative which threatened him with almost unavoidable certainty, viz., starving with hunger, the sure consequence of a continuance of the calm.
Our hero, finding himself in this condition, began to ejaculate a round of blasphemies15, which the reader, without being over-pious, might be offended at seeing repeated. He then accused the whole female sex, and the passion of love (as he called it), particularly that which he bore to Mrs. Heartfree, as the unhappy occasion of his present sufferings. At length, finding himself descending16 too much into the language of meanness and complaint, he stopped short, and after broke forth17 as follows: “D— n it, a man can die but once! what signifies it? Every man must die, and when it is over it is over. I never was afraid of anything yet, nor I won’t begin now; no, d — n me, won’t I. What signifies fear? I shall die whether I am afraid or no: who’s afraid then, d —— n me?” At which words he looked extremely fierce, but, recollecting18 that no one was present to see him, he relaxed a little the terror of his countenance19, and, pausing a while, repeated the word, d — n! “Suppose I should be d — ned at last,” cries he, “when I never thought a syllable20 of the matter? I have often laughed and made a jest about it, and yet it may be so, for anything which I know to the contrary. If there should be another world it will go hard with me, that is certain. I shall never escape for what I have done to Heartfree. The devil must have me for that undoubtedly21. The devil! Pshaw! I am not such a fool to be frightened at him neither. No, no; when a man’s dead there’s an end of him. I wish I was certainly satisfied of it though: for there are some men of learning, as I have heard, of a different opinion. It is but a bad chance, methinks, I stand. If there be no other world, why I shall be in no worse condition than a block or a stone: but if there should —— d — n me I will think no longer about it. — Let a pack of cowardly rascals22 be afraid of death, I dare look him in the face. But shall I stay and be starved? — No, I will eat up the biscuits the French son of a whore bestowed23 on me, and then leap into the sea for drink, since the unconscionable dog hath not allowed me a single dram.” Having thus said, he proceeded immediately to put his purpose in execution, and, as his resolution never failed him, he had no sooner despatched the small quantity of provision which his enemy had with no vast liberality presented him, than he cast himself headlong into the sea.
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1
conqueror
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| n.征服者，胜利者 | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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3
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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vilest
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| adj.卑鄙的( vile的最高级 )；可耻的；极坏的；非常讨厌的 | |
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dungeon
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| n.地牢，土牢 | |
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persevering
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| a.坚忍不拔的 | |
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obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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9
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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10
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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adept
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| adj.老练的，精通的 | |
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12
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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13
oar
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| n.桨，橹，划手；v.划行 | |
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14
eligible
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| adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的 | |
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15
blasphemies
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| n.对上帝的亵渎，亵渎的言词[行为]( blasphemy的名词复数 )；侮慢的言词（或行为） | |
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16
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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17
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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recollecting
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| v.记起，想起( recollect的现在分词 ) | |
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19
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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20
syllable
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| n.音节；vt.分音节 | |
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21
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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rascals
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| 流氓( rascal的名词复数 )； 无赖； （开玩笑说法）淘气的人（尤指小孩）； 恶作剧的人 | |
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23
bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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