大海盡頭的成長之旅

Coocoo

原作節(jié)選

We sailed ahead of the wind， the island moving past quickly. After my success， I was less sorry about deserting1 the stockade2. There was only one thing that worried me. It was the way Israel Hands watched me at my work， a cold little smile on his face.

We could not put the ship on the beach when we reached North Inlet because the sea was too high. We had to wait， sitting in silence over another meal.

“ Cap n，” Hands said to me， still with that smile on his face， “my old mate， OBrien， is dead. Can you throw him overboard？”

“ I m not strong enough，” I said.

There was a pause3， then he said， “Well now， would you be very kind and go down to the cabin4 and fetch me a bottle of wine， Jim？ This rums too strong for my head.”

I listened to his words but didn t believe them. He wanted me to leave the deck5， that was clear， but why？

“ Wine？” I said. “Will you have white or red？”

“I dont mind，” he said， “ as long as it s strong and theres plenty of it.”

“I ll have to search for it， ”I told him.

I went below， then took off my shoes and went quietly up the other stairs to watch him. He was on his hands and knees and， although his leg hurt him， he moved quickly across the deck and took a long knife from among some ropes. I could see the blood on it. Then he hid it under his coat and went back to his place.

This was all I needed to know. Israel Hands could move about and now had a weapon6， and he was going to try to kill me. But I knew that he wouldn t use the knife until the ship was safely on the beach. I went back to the cabin， put my shoes on again， and picked up a bottle of wine. Then I went back up on deck.

He took a long drink from the bottle of wine， saying， “Heres luck！”

Afterwards， we sailed into North Inlet and I forgot to watch Hands carefully. We were nearly on the beach and I was looking over the side of the ship. Perhaps I heard a sound or saw his shadow moving， I dont know. But when I looked round， there he was， half-way towards me with the knife in his right hand！

He threw himself at me and I jumped to one side， leaving him to fall on the deck. Quickly， I took a pistol7 from my pocket and aimed it at him—but the powder8 was wet and the pistol didn t fire！ He got up and came at me with surprising speed， but suddenly the Hispaniola hit the sand and went over on one side. We were both thrown down and began to roll across the deck， but I was on my feet first and climbed up into the sails， hand over hand. When I was in a safe place， I loaded my pistols， this time with dry powder.

Hands was pulling himself up among the sails now， the knife between his teeth.

“One more step，” I said， “and Ill kill you！”

“Jim，” he said. He took the knife from his mouth to speak， and looked beaten9. “Well have to make peace， you and I. Youre too sharp and quick for an old sailor like me...”

But then， with a sudden movement， his hand went back and something went speeding through the air. I felt a sharp pain， and I was pinned10 to the mast by my shoulder. In the terrible pain and surprise of the moment， both my pistols went off and fell from my hands.

They did not fall alone. With a cry， Hands fell into the water. He came up， the water around him red from his blood， then he went down again， forever.

I felt sick and frightened. I climbed down through the sails， then went below to tie up my wound. Next， I went up on deck. It was now evening and a light wind was blowing， so I lowered the sails before climbing down a rope and into the sea.

我們乘風航行，島上的景物迅速向后退去。我終于成功了，因而對不辭而別的內疚也減少了許多。只有一件事讓我擔心，那就是漢茲看我干活的表情，他的臉上總帶著冷笑。

因為海水太深，當我們到達北部水灣時，我們沒法讓船沖上岸灘。于是我們默默地坐下來，一邊吃些東西，一邊等待。

“船長先生，”漢茲對我說，臉上還帶著狡詐的笑，“我的老伙伴奧布賴恩已經死了。你能把他扔到海里去嗎？”

“我沒這么大力氣?！蔽艺f。

他頓了一下對我說：“那么，你現在下去，給我找一瓶葡萄酒來怎么樣？這朗姆酒勁兒太大了?！?/p>

我聽明白他的話，但一點都不信他。顯然，他要我離開甲板，但為什么呢？

“葡萄酒？”我問，“要白的還是紅的？”

“都行，”他說，“只要多一些，有點勁就行?！?/p>

“好吧，我去找一找?！蔽艺f。

我跑下去，脫了鞋，爬上梯子看他。他用兩只手和兩個膝蓋爬行。盡管腿受傷了，他還是爬得很快，從甲板上一盤纜繩下面找出一把長刀。我可以看見上面的血跡。然后，他把刀藏在衣服下面，回到原處。

這正是我需要知道的一切。伊斯萊爾·漢茲能夠爬行，而且他現在有了武器，他想殺掉我。但我相信在航船安全抵達沙灘之前，他不會殺我的。我回到船艙，穿上鞋，找到一瓶葡萄酒回到甲板上。

他拿起酒瓶喝了個痛快，嘴里喊著：“百事如意！”

然后，我們把船駛往北部水灣，我也忘了注意漢茲。我們快到海灘了，我向船側面望了一下。也許我聽見了什么聲音或看見了他的影子在動，當我回過頭去的時候，漢茲右手舉著刀，都快到我眼前了！

他撲向我，而我跳到一旁，他摔倒在甲板上。我迅速從口袋里掏出手槍瞄準他——但是火藥受潮了，槍沒響！他起身以驚人的速度向我撲過來，正在這時，伊斯帕尼奧拉號突然擱淺，向一側傾斜。我們都失去平衡，滾向一邊，但我先站起來一躍，兩手交替著爬上桅桿。我爬到安全的地方，把手槍換上干火藥。

漢茲嘴里銜著刀，也慢慢地爬向桅桿。

“你要再上來一步，”我說，“我就殺了你?！?/p>

“吉姆，”他說，從口中取下長刀，有氣無力的樣子，“咱們來講和吧，像我這樣一個老海員，斗不過你這樣身手矯健的年輕人……”

但突然，他的手向后一揮，只見一件東西“嗖”的一聲飛過來。我感到一陣劇痛，我的肩膀被釘在了桅桿上。就在這劇痛和吃驚之際，我的雙槍響了，隨即槍也從手中滑落。

掉下去的不光是兩支槍。漢茲大叫一聲，掉到了水里。他先是浮上來，血把周圍的水染紅了，然后又沉下去，永遠上不來了。

我感到一陣恐懼和惡心。我順著桅桿溜下來，到船艙包扎好傷口。然后我來到甲板上?，F在已經是晚上了，微風輕拂，我降下帆，然后順著一條繩子下到海里。

Tip for learning

Cap n：Captain的縮寫形式。在西方文學作品中，“船”的形象總是多了一層浪漫主義色彩。在驚濤駭浪中探索航行，往往象征著英雄主義行為。而captain“船長”一詞更蘊含了無限榮耀。美國詩人惠特曼就曾在其“Oh Captain！My Captain” 一詩中，將林肯總統(tǒng)親切稱呼為“船長”，把維護國家統(tǒng)一和廢奴斗爭比作一段艱險的航程。

“在暗藍色的海上，海水在歡快地潑濺。/我們的心是自由的，我們的思想無邊，/迢遙的，盡風能吹到、海波起沫的地方，/量一量我們的版圖，看一看我們的家鄉(xiāng)！”英國浪漫主義詩人拜倫的一首《海盜生涯》道出了多少西方人內心深處的“海盜情結”：拋去世俗，不畏艱險，在波瀾壯闊的大海闖蕩尋寶。骷髏海盜旗、航海羅盤、藏寶地圖、獨眼罩，甚至船長肩頭的鸚鵡，都成為了全球風靡的“海盜符號”，也使其成為冒險與夢想的代名詞?！督疸y島》 （Treasure Island）正是這樣一本引人入勝的海盜探險小說。

作者羅伯特·史蒂文森（Robert Stevenson）乃英國19世紀末新浪漫主義的代表人物。他常常四處旅行，寫過不少游記、散文、詩歌與小說。1883年發(fā)表的《金銀島》是其眾多文學作品中最為膾炙人口的一部。小說背景設定在18世紀，以小主人公吉姆·霍金斯（Jim Hawkins）的口吻敘述。一天，“刀疤臉”比爾（Bill）來到吉姆家的旅店投宿。不久，比爾收到海盜團伙的最后通牒——“黑券”（black spot），驚駭萬分，中風而死。吉姆從他遺留的皮箱中獲得一張“金銀島”藏寶圖，上面標注了前著名海盜頭目弗林特（Flint）在島上埋藏的寶藏地址。慌亂又興奮的吉姆將此圖交給了鄉(xiāng)紳屈利勞尼（Squire Trelawney）和醫(yī)生李甫西（Dr. Livesey），眾人決定帶著吉姆前往荒島尋寶。招募的船員中有個溫文爾雅的獨腿廚子，在快到金銀島時，吉姆無意中發(fā)現此人竟然是臭名昭著的惡棍海盜約翰·西爾弗（John Silver）。原來，船上大部分水手都是西爾弗為陰謀奪取寶藏而招募的海盜。經過一路殊死搏斗，吉姆等人終于成功取得寶藏，順利而歸。

毫無疑問，《金銀島》講述的是一趟跌宕、驚險的海上冒險，但同時又是一部有關少年吉姆的成長故事。他本過著平淡的日子，老海盜比爾的出現攪亂了他的生活。雖然瘋癲、酗酒，但比爾對大海的熱愛和航海生活的懷念，都深深影響了小吉姆，使他對大海產生了濃烈的向往。冥冥之中，比爾給吉姆留下的藏寶圖，進一步激發(fā)了他的冒險精神，引領他從小小客棧走向茫茫大海，完成了成長道路上的第一個儀式。在隨后的旅途中，吉姆更是接受了各種考驗，并展現出過人的勇敢與機智，一次次挽救自己，也幫助船長、鄉(xiāng)紳與醫(yī)生一行攜寶而歸，從此脫胎換骨，長大成人。

在吉姆經受的數次考驗中，最驚心動魄的一次是其只身返回船上，與剽悍狡猾的水手伊斯萊爾·漢茲（Israel Hands）展開殊死搏斗，并最終成功奪回船只，挽救了眾人的性命。本期節(jié)選的正是這一段精彩內容。