大海尽头的成长之旅

Coocoo

原作節选

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.

我们乘风航行，岛上的景物迅速向后退去。我终于成功了，因而对不辞而别的内疚也减少了许多。只有一件事让我担心，那就是汉兹看我干活的表情，他的脸上总带着冷笑。

因为海水太深，当我们到达北部水湾时，我们没法让船冲上岸滩。于是我们默默地坐下来，一边吃些东西，一边等待。

“船长先生，”汉兹对我说，脸上还带着狡诈的笑，“我的老伙伴奥布赖恩已经死了。你能把他扔到海里去吗？”

“我没这么大力气。”我说。

他顿了一下对我说：“那么，你现在下去，给我找一瓶葡萄酒来怎么样？这朗姆酒劲儿太大了。”

我听明白他的话，但一点都不信他。显然，他要我离开甲板，但为什么呢？

“葡萄酒？”我问，“要白的还是红的？”

“都行，”他說，“只要多一些，有点劲就行。”

“好吧，我去找一找。”我说。

我跑下去，脱了鞋，爬上梯子看他。他用两只手和两个膝盖爬行。尽管腿受伤了，他还是爬得很快，从甲板上一盘缆绳下面找出一把长刀。我可以看见上面的血迹。然后，他把刀藏在衣服下面，回到原处。

这正是我需要知道的一切。伊斯莱尔·汉兹能够爬行，而且他现在有了武器，他想杀掉我。但我相信在航船安全抵达沙滩之前，他不会杀我的。我回到船舱，穿上鞋，找到一瓶葡萄酒回到甲板上。

他拿起酒瓶喝了个痛快，嘴里喊着：“百事如意！”

然后，我们把船驶往北部水湾，我也忘了注意汉兹。我们快到海滩了，我向船侧面望了一下。也许我听见了什么声音或看见了他的影子在动，当我回过头去的时候，汉兹右手举着刀，都快到我眼前了！

他扑向我，而我跳到一旁，他摔倒在甲板上。我迅速从口袋里掏出手枪瞄准他——但是火药受潮了，枪没响！他起身以惊人的速度向我扑过来，正在这时，伊斯帕尼奥拉号突然搁浅，向一侧倾斜。我们都失去平衡，滚向一边，但我先站起来一跃，两手交替着爬上桅杆。我爬到安全的地方，把手枪换上干火药。

汉兹嘴里衔着刀，也慢慢地爬向桅杆。

“你要再上来一步，”我说，“我就杀了你。”

“吉姆，”他说，从口中取下长刀，有气无力的样子，“咱们来讲和吧，像我这样一个老海员，斗不过你这样身手矫健的年轻人……”

但突然，他的手向后一挥，只见一件东西“嗖”的一声飞过来。我感到一阵剧痛，我的肩膀被钉在了桅杆上。就在这剧痛和吃惊之际，我的双枪响了，随即枪也从手中滑落。

掉下去的不光是两支枪。汉兹大叫一声，掉到了水里。他先是浮上来，血把周围的水染红了，然后又沉下去，永远上不来了。

我感到一阵恐惧和恶心。我顺着桅杆溜下来，到船舱包扎好伤口。然后我来到甲板上。现在已经是晚上了，微风轻拂，我降下帆，然后顺着一条绳子下到海里。

Tip for learning

Cap n：Captain的缩写形式。在西方文学作品中，“船”的形象总是多了一层浪漫主义色彩。在惊涛骇浪中探索航行，往往象征着英雄主义行为。而captain“船长”一词更蕴含了无限荣耀。美国诗人惠特曼就曾在其“Oh Captain！My Captain” 一诗中，将林肯总统亲切称呼为“船长”，把维护国家统一和废奴斗争比作一段艰险的航程。

“在暗蓝色的海上，海水在欢快地泼溅。/我们的心是自由的，我们的思想无边，/迢遥的，尽风能吹到、海波起沫的地方，/量一量我们的版图，看一看我们的家乡！”英国浪漫主义诗人拜伦的一首《海盗生涯》道出了多少西方人内心深处的“海盗情结”：抛去世俗，不畏艰险，在波澜壮阔的大海闯荡寻宝。骷髅海盗旗、航海罗盘、藏宝地图、独眼罩，甚至船长肩头的鹦鹉，都成为了全球风靡的“海盗符号”，也使其成为冒险与梦想的代名词。《金银岛》 （Treasure Island）正是这样一本引人入胜的海盗探险小说。

作者罗伯特·史蒂文森（Robert Stevenson）乃英国19世纪末新浪漫主义的代表人物。他常常四处旅行，写过不少游记、散文、诗歌与小说。1883年发表的《金银岛》是其众多文学作品中最为脍炙人口的一部。小说背景设定在18世纪，以小主人公吉姆·霍金斯（Jim Hawkins）的口吻叙述。一天，“刀疤脸”比尔（Bill）来到吉姆家的旅店投宿。不久，比尔收到海盗团伙的最后通牒——“黑券”（black spot），惊骇万分，中风而死。吉姆从他遗留的皮箱中获得一张“金银岛”藏宝图，上面标注了前著名海盗头目弗林特（Flint）在岛上埋藏的宝藏地址。慌乱又兴奋的吉姆将此图交给了乡绅屈利劳尼（Squire Trelawney）和医生李甫西（Dr. Livesey），众人决定带着吉姆前往荒岛寻宝。招募的船员中有个温文尔雅的独腿厨子，在快到金银岛时，吉姆无意中发现此人竟然是臭名昭著的恶棍海盗约翰·西尔弗（John Silver）。原来，船上大部分水手都是西尔弗为阴谋夺取宝藏而招募的海盗。经过一路殊死搏斗，吉姆等人终于成功取得宝藏，顺利而归。

毫无疑问，《金银岛》讲述的是一趟跌宕、惊险的海上冒险，但同时又是一部有关少年吉姆的成长故事。他本过着平淡的日子，老海盗比尔的出现搅乱了他的生活。虽然疯癫、酗酒，但比尔对大海的热爱和航海生活的怀念，都深深影响了小吉姆，使他对大海产生了浓烈的向往。冥冥之中，比尔给吉姆留下的藏宝图，进一步激发了他的冒险精神，引领他从小小客栈走向茫茫大海，完成了成长道路上的第一个仪式。在随后的旅途中，吉姆更是接受了各种考验，并展现出过人的勇敢与机智，一次次挽救自己，也帮助船长、乡绅与医生一行携宝而归，从此脱胎换骨，长大成人。

在吉姆经受的数次考验中，最惊心动魄的一次是其只身返回船上，与剽悍狡猾的水手伊斯莱尔·汉兹（Israel Hands）展开殊死搏斗，并最终成功夺回船只，挽救了众人的性命。本期节选的正是这一段精彩内容。