As the pale dawn grew less weak, it revealed a tiny encampment, just a few odds7 and ends of drifting wreckage8 piled forlornly together, and yielding a dubious9 shelter to a huddled10-up group of fourteen men, sleeping in spite of their surroundings. Presently, there were exposed, perched upon the snarling11 teeth of an outlying rock-cluster, the “ribs and trucks” of a small wooden ship, a barque-rigged craft of about four hundred tons. Her rigging hung in slovenly12 festoons from the drunkenly standing14 masts, the yards270 made more angles with their unstable15 supports than are known to Euclid, while through many a jagged gap in her topsides the mad sea rushed wantonly, as if elated with its opportunities of marring the handiwork of the daring sea-masters.
The outlook was certainly sufficiently17 discomforting; yet, as one by one the sleepers18 awakened19, and with many a grunt20 and shiver crept forth21 from their lair22, it would have been difficult to judge from the expressions upon their weather-beaten countenances23 how hopeless was the situation that they were in.
For they came of a breed that is strong to endure hardness, that takes its much bitter with little sweet as a matter of course, and, by dint24 of steady refusal to be dismayed at Fate’s fiercest frowns, has built up for itself a most gallantly25 earned reputation for pluck, endurance, and success throughout the civilized26 world. They were Scotch27 to a man, rugged28 and stern as the granite29 of their native Aberdeenshire.
They were the crew of the barque Jeanie Deans, of Peterhead, which, while outward bound from Aberdeen to Otago, New Zealand, had, after long striving against weather extraordinarily30 severe for the time of year, been hurled31 against that terrific coast during the previous afternoon. Their escape shoreward had been as miraculous32 as fifty per cent. of such escapes are, and, beyond their lives, they had saved nothing. So the prospect33 was unpromising. Nothing could be expected from the break-up of the ship. She was loaded with ironwork of various sorts, and her stores were not in any water-tight cases which might bring them271 ashore34 in an eatable condition. But the large-limbed, red-bearded skipper, after a keen look round, said—
“Ou, ay, ther isna ower muckle tae back an’ fill on, but A’am thenkin’ we’ll juist hae to bestir wersells an’ see if we canna get some breakfas’. Has ony ane got ony matches?”
It presently appeared that of these simple yet invaluable35 little adjuncts to civilization there was not one among the crowd. But even this grim discovery appeared to make no great impression, and presently the mate, a tall man from Auchtermuchty, with an expressionless face and a voice like “a coo’s,” as he was wont36 to say, remarked casually—
“If ye’ll scatther aboot an’ see fat ye can fine tae cuik, I’se warrant ye Aa’ll get ye some fire tae cuik it wi’.”
No one spoke37 another word, but silently they separated for their quest, leaving Mr. Lowrie, with his blank face, methodically rummaging38 among the débris. Presently he sat down quietly with a piece of flat board before him about two feet long by six inches wide. In his hand he held a piece of broomstick, which in some mysterious way had got included in the flotsam. This he whittled39 at one end into a blunt point, carefully saving the cuttings in his trousers pocket. Then with a steady movement of his stick he commenced to chafe41 a groove42 lengthways in the board, adding occasionally a pinch of grit43 from the ground to assist friction44.
By-and-by there was quite a little heap of brown wood-dust collected at one end of the groove. Then272 getting on his knees and grasping his broom-stick-piece energetically in both hands, he pushed it to and fro in the groove with all his force and speed, until suddenly he flung away the stick, and stooping over the little pile of dust, he covered it tenderly with both hands hollowed, and bending his head over it breathed upon it most gently. And by imperceptible degrees there arose from it a slender spiral of smoke.
His right hand stole to his pocket, and fetched therefrom a few slivers45 of wood, which he coyly introduced under the shelter of his other hand, until suddenly the Red Flower blossomed—there was fire. Now it only needed feeding to rise gloriously into that gloomy air. To this end Mr. Lowrie worked like a Chinaman, until within an hour he had a pile of burning driftwood, four feet high and fully40 six feet round, sending up ruddy tongues of flame and a column of smoke like a palm tree.
One by one the adventurers returned with dour46 faces, empty-handed save for a sea-bird’s egg or two, a few fronds47 of seaweed which the bearers insisted was “dulse” (the edible48 fucus), and a brace49 of birds that looked scarcely enough to furnish an appetizer50 for one. But just as a stray sunbeam darted51 down upon the little gathering52, while they huddled round the grateful warmth, there was a hoarse53 shout. All started, for it was the skipper’s voice roaring—
“C’way here an’ lend a han’, ye louns. Fat’r ye aal shtannin there toasting yer taes fur like a pickle54 o’ weans juist waitin’ on yer mithers tae cry on ye tae come ben fur yer breakfas’?”
The men at once obeyed the familiar command, finding the skipper and the cook wrestling with a huge case, that was so stoutly55 built that not a plank57 of it had come adrift. When they had man-handled it over the rugged ground to within reach of the warmth the skipper said—
“Ah divna ken13 fats intilt, bit Ah min fine that Mester Broon, fan he shipped it, said it wis somethin’ Ah wis tae tak unco care o’. And so ’twis lasht under th’ s’loon table. C’wa, le’s open’t; please God ther may be somethin’ useful inside o’t.”
Willing hands, regardless of the loss of skin from knuckles58 and arms, wrought59 at the task; but so stoutly did the case resist their efforts that it was long before they had stripped off the stout56 planking and revealed an air-tight lining60 of thick tin. This was attacked with sheath-knives, and, after much hacking61 and breaking of cutlery, yielded and exposed a number of queer-looking parcels most carefully packed. On the top was a letter. It ran as follows:—
“In full recollection of your curious Scottish prejudice against any celebration of Christmas, and also of that awful time when you and I were stranded63 on the Campbells, and compelled to suck raw sea-birds’ eggs for our Christmas fare, I have sent you the materials for a good old-fashioned Christmas dinner, as I understand it, being a Cockney of the Cockniest. I also send you Dickens’s ‘Christmas Carol’ to read after dinner, and if you don’t do justice to my274 loving Christmas Box, I solemnly swear that I will never regard you as a chum again. Here’s wishing you a Merry Christmas, and as jolly a Hogmanay as ever you can get after.
“Most affectionately yours,
“John Brown.”
“Em, ehmm” (no written words can adequately represent the peculiar64 Scottish exclamation65 that stands for anything you like, being strictly66 non-committal), “that reads no sae bad. We’ll juist investigate. Fat hae we here? Et’s a duff, mahn, ou ay, bit et’s a boeny wan16.”
And as he spoke he pulled out of its nest a gorgeous Christmas pudding weighing some twenty-five pounds. Next came an enormous oblong tin case, labelled, “Fortnum and Mason. Special Christmas turkey, stuffed with capon, tongue, and forcemeat,” upon reading which the skipper murmured again, “Ou ay, that’s no sae dusty, ye ken.” Next came a layer of bottles of green peas, alternated with bottles labelled “Turtle soup.” Other queer tin cases followed, bearing inscriptions67 such as “Special mince-pies,” “Scotch shortbread,” “American biscuits”—like foam-flakes—“Dessert fruits,” “York ham, best quality, ready cooked,” and “Boar’s head.” Finally, on the ground floor, as it were, was displayed a compact array of bottles, of which six were labelled, “Extra special Scotch whisky,” six “Special port, bin68 50,” two corpulent ones bore the signature “D.O.M.,” and twelve had big-headed corks69 with gold foil adorning70 them.275 Followed at last two boxes of fat-looking cigars, and the book.
That grim assembly looked down upon this tempting71 array with their hard features perceptibly softening72, while the skipper said—
“Weel a’weel. A’am no’ an advocate for specializin’ Chrismuss masel, altho’ Ah laik fine tae keep up Hogmanay. But A’am no a bigot, ye ken, an’ A’am thenkin’ that unner th’ circumstances ’twad juist be flytin’ Proeveedence no tae accept in a speerut o’ moderashun sichn a Chrismuss Boex as thon. Bit I’ll not coairce ony man. Them ’at disna approve o’ keepin’ Chrismuss ava can juist daunder awa’. ’S far as A’am consairned”—here he deftly73 knocked the top off one of the special Scotch bottles, and, looking round benignantly, said—“Here’s tae wersels, boys, a blessin’ on the giver o’ th’ feast, an’ a Merry Chrismuss tae us a’.”
Why particularize the proceedings74 that ensued? Should it not be sufficient to say that no conscientious75 scruples76 were entertained by any of those hard-grained men at this almost compulsory77 wrecking78 of their principles? Scarcely; yet passing notice may be given to the difficulties attendant upon drinking champagne79 out of bottle-necks, of eating concentrated turtle-soup warmed in the bottle like Pommard, of the total want of order and routine evidenced in dealing80 with the assorted81 provisions so providentially to hand—and mouth. Especially was this the case with the rotund bottles of Benedictine. One and all agreed that while the contents were “gey an’ oily-like,” they were “vara276 seductiv’,” and had the effect of making the partakers thereof curiously82 unreserved and open to conviction as to the general satisfactoriness of things in general.
When at last, with long-drawn sighs, the unwonted Christmas-keepers sank down upon their stony83 seats and lit up their aromatic84 smokes with brands passed from hand to hand, it evidently needed no keen judge of human nature to prophesy85 that a unanimous vote would be given if asked for as to the desirability of keeping up Christmas English fashion.
When all had quietly settled down to the soothing86 influence of nicotine87 in its best form, the skipper lifted up his voice and said—
“Weel, ma lads, A’am thenkin’ that we k’n dae nae less than gae through the haill reetual. This buik, ‘A Christmas Carol,’ is eevidently pairt o’ th’ programme, an’ as A’am nae that ongratefu’ I’ll juist read it, fativer it coasts ma.”
So he opened the volume, and read while the hard lines of the faces softened88 under the magic of the Master’s words, and in spite of the well-worn masks of indifference89 an occasional dewdrop of sympathy glittered like a diamond in the furrow90 of a bronzed visage.
* * * * *
“Ah wudna wuss tae interrup ye, sir,” suddenly interjected an ordinary seaman91, “bit Ah thocht ye micht laik tae ken that thers a vessel92 juist lookin’ roun’ the point.”
“Man, ye’re richt, there is that. Weel, A’am neerly throu’, an’ as thon auld2 deevil Scrooge has been277 conveencit o’ th’ errour of’s ways (as we have), A’am of opingon we ma tak’ th’ lave o’ th’ storey as read. But ’twas a gey guid yarn93, was’t no?”
By this time the ship of deliverance, having hove to, was getting a boat out. That laborious94 business over, the boat came at fair speed towards the only practicable landing-place, until the commiserating95 face of the officer in charge took on an expression of bewilderment as he noted6 the smug complacency on the countenances of the castaways.
It did not diminish when the skipper, gravely welcoming him with one hand, held out invitingly96 a decapitated bottle of extra special Scotch with the other, saying, with lingering sweetness in his voice—
“Mahn dear, here’s wussin’ ye a Merry Chrismuss.”
点击
收听单词发音
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1
bleakly
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| 无望地，阴郁地，苍凉地 | |
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auld
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| adj.老的，旧的 | |
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pall
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| v.覆盖，使平淡无味；n.柩衣，棺罩；棺材；帷幕 | |
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4
disconsolately
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| adv.悲伤地，愁闷地；哭丧着脸 | |
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5
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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6
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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8
wreckage
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| n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏 | |
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dubious
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| adj.怀疑的，无把握的；有问题的，靠不住的 | |
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10
huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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11
snarling
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的现在分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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12
slovenly
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| adj.懒散的，不整齐的，邋遢的 | |
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13
ken
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| n.视野，知识领域 | |
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14
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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15
unstable
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| adj.不稳定的，易变的 | |
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16
wan
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| (wide area network)广域网 | |
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17
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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18
sleepers
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| n.卧铺（通常以复数形式出现）；卧车( sleeper的名词复数 )；轨枕；睡觉（呈某种状态）的人；小耳环 | |
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19
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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20
grunt
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| v.嘟哝；作呼噜声；n.呼噜声，嘟哝 | |
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21
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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lair
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| n.野兽的巢穴；躲藏处 | |
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23
countenances
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| n.面容( countenance的名词复数 )；表情；镇静；道义支持 | |
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24
dint
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| n.由于，靠；凹坑 | |
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gallantly
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| adv. 漂亮地，勇敢地，献殷勤地 | |
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26
civilized
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| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
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27
scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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28
rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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29
granite
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| adj.花岗岩，花岗石 | |
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extraordinarily
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| adv.格外地；极端地 | |
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31
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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32
miraculous
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| adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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35
invaluable
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| adj.无价的，非常宝贵的，极为贵重的 | |
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36
wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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37
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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38
rummaging
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| 翻找，搜寻( rummage的现在分词 )； 海关检查 | |
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39
whittled
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| v.切，削（木头），使逐渐变小( whittle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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40
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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41
chafe
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| v.擦伤；冲洗；惹怒 | |
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42
groove
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| n.沟，槽；凹线，（刻出的）线条，习惯 | |
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43
grit
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| n.沙粒，决心，勇气；v.下定决心，咬紧牙关 | |
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44
friction
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| n.摩擦，摩擦力 | |
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45
slivers
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| （切割或断裂下来的）薄长条，碎片( sliver的名词复数 ) | |
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46
dour
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| adj.冷酷的，严厉的；（岩石）嶙峋的；顽强不屈 | |
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47
fronds
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| n.蕨类或棕榈类植物的叶子( frond的名词复数 ) | |
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48
edible
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| n.食品，食物；adj.可食用的 | |
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49
brace
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| n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备 | |
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50
appetizer
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| n.小吃，开胃品 | |
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51
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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52
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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53
hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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54
pickle
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| n.腌汁，泡菜；v.腌，泡 | |
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55
stoutly
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| adv.牢固地，粗壮的 | |
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57
plank
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| n.板条，木板，政策要点，政纲条目 | |
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58
knuckles
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| n.（指人）指关节( knuckle的名词复数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝v.（指人）指关节( knuckle的第三人称单数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝 | |
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59
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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60
lining
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| n.衬里，衬料 | |
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61
hacking
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| n.非法访问计算机系统和数据库的活动 | |
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62
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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63
stranded
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| a.搁浅的，进退两难的 | |
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64
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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65
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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66
strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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67
inscriptions
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| （作者）题词( inscription的名词复数 )； 献词； 碑文； 证劵持有人的登记 | |
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68
bin
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| n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件 | |
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69
corks
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| n.脐梅衣；软木( cork的名词复数 )；软木塞 | |
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70
adorning
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| 修饰，装饰物 | |
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71
tempting
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| a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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72
softening
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| 变软，软化 | |
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73
deftly
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| adv.灵巧地，熟练地，敏捷地 | |
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74
proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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75
conscientious
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| adj.审慎正直的，认真的，本着良心的 | |
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76
scruples
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| n.良心上的不安( scruple的名词复数 )；顾虑，顾忌v.感到于心不安，有顾忌( scruple的第三人称单数 ) | |
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77
compulsory
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| n.强制的，必修的；规定的，义务的 | |
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78
wrecking
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| 破坏 | |
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79
champagne
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| n.香槟酒；微黄色 | |
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dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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assorted
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| adj.各种各样的，各色俱备的 | |
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82
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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stony
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| adj.石头的，多石头的，冷酷的，无情的 | |
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aromatic
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| adj.芳香的，有香味的 | |
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prophesy
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| v.预言；预示 | |
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86
soothing
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| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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nicotine
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| n.(化)尼古丁，烟碱 | |
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softened
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| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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90
furrow
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| n.沟；垄沟；轨迹；车辙；皱纹 | |
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seaman
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| n.海员，水手，水兵 | |
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vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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yarn
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| n.纱，纱线，纺线；奇闻漫谈，旅行轶事 | |
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laborious
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| adj.吃力的，努力的，不流畅 | |
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commiserating
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| v.怜悯，同情( commiserate的现在分词 ) | |
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invitingly
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| adv. 动人地 | |
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