所有灾难中，也许只有海难是最令人感到无奈的。在茫茫大海上，既不如遭遇空难一样完全无助，更不如遭遇陆地灾难一样有物可依，有的只是禁不住人的海水，幸运的话可能会有一些漂浮物，最多也就有一些幻想罢了……
Therumble(隆隆声)oftheship’senginewastooloudandGregcouldnotgettosleep.Hegotupandputonanovercoatbecausehecouldhearthewindoutside,andawalkonthedeckwaswhatheneededtocalmhisnerves.Thetossingoftheshipcausedhimtostaggerashewentdownthepassagewaytotheupperdeck.Outsidethewinditwasfierceandheclungtohislapel(衣领)tokeephiscoatfromblowingoff.Theport(船左舷)sideoftheshipwaslesswindyandGregfoundashelteredpassagewayamidtheship.
Sittingonadeckchairhebegantothinkofthereasonsfortakingthisvoyage.Whyhadhismarriagegonewrong?Whowasatfault?Whydidhiswife’slifestyleandhisneverseemtocoincide?Hefeltbitterandguiltyatthesametime.Thesoundofthewindandtheharsh(刺耳的)whippingoftheshipintheroughseaplayeddestructionwithhisreasoning.
Hewashalfdozingoffwhenhelookedupandstandinginthepassagewaywasafigureclutchinganovercoat.Hecouldseebythewavingofthelongblackhairthatitwasawoman.Shedroppeddownontoadeckchairnexttohimandsaid,"Doyoumind?"
Hesaid,"No,notatall,bemyguest(欢迎赏光，请随便)."
Shesettleddowninthechairandsaid,"ThiswindandtheroughseaaremorethanIcantakeandIjusthavetogetout."
"Iknowwhatyoumean,Isurehopeitdoesn’tlastmuchlonger,mynervesareonedge."
"Mine,too."sheagreed.Hecastaglimpseatherfaceandrememberedhersittingaloneatdinner,likehimself.
"Myname’sGreg.Inoticedyouwerediningalone.Iassumeyouaresailingbyyourself?"
"Yes,Iam,mynameisPearl,isn’tthisweatherterrible?"Gregnoddedandclutchedhiscoattighter.Theysatforquitesometime,notsayinganything.Herthoughtswonderedbacktohomeandtohertroubles.Herhusbandwaskilledinanautoaccidentandthistripwastoeaseherselfandrelievehersadness.Theroughseaandthehowling(嚎叫的)winddidn’thelpverymuch.
Thentheychattedabittopassthetime.Gregthoughtitwasanicerelieftohavesomeonetotalkto.Theyboth,however,managedtooverlookthehowlingofthewindandthepitchingoftheshipastheyrelatedtheirtalesofmiserytoeachother.Therewasanaturalfeelingofattractionbetweenthemastheychattedthenightaway.Justbeforedaybreak(黎明),theybothdozedoff.
Suddenlytheshiplurched(倾斜).Thewholedecktiltedandtheirchairsslidoutofthepassagewayandbeforetheywereevenconsciousofwhatwashappeningtheywerethrownoverboard(向船外的).GreglostsightofPearlashehitthewaterheadfirst.Hecouldheartheboat’swhistlewail(呼啸)outinafranticcadence(调子).Itwaspitchdarkashescrambledaroundinthewater,hiscoathelpedhimstayafloat(漂浮的).Awavesubmergedhisheadandhethought,"Thisistheend?"Hestruggledtokeepfromsinkingbygrabbingfirmlyafloatingpieceofdebris(残骸)oftheship.
Inthedarknessheheardawomancryoutforhelpandmovedovertowardsthesound.Reachingout,heseizedherbyherhairandpulledheruptohisside."Areyouallright?"
Shecriedout,"Yes,I’mallright,ohGod,thankyou."HecouldtellbythesoundofhervoicethatitwasPearl.Sheclungtohimfordearlife,
Suddenlythewailingsoundoftheboatwhistlestoppedastheshipplungeddownintosilence.Theyclungtothedebrisandmanagedtostayafloatinthedarknessforwhatseemedlikeaendlessabyss(深渊).
Dawnwasbreakingandthetwolaydebilitated(虚弱无力地)onthedebriswiththeirlimbssoakedinthewater.Thestormblewoverandtherewasnothingtobeseenontheoceanexceptseveralpiecesofdebrisfloatinginthedistance.Apparently,nooneelsesurvived.Pearlgasped,"Theymusthavebeencaughtintheirbeds."
Afeelingofgloomsetinonthetwowearysurvivorsandwouldhavedevoured(毁灭)thembutsuddenlyGregcaughtasightofanislandinthedistance."Look,Pearl,thereisanislandahead."Theybothpaddledtilltheirarmsached.Afterazealousefforttheywereabletotouchthebeachsandbeneaththeirfeet.
Theyhailedwithgreatjoyandstruggledtotheedgeofthewater.Theretheyfelltotheirknees,thankingGodfortheirfortune.Thetwocrawledoutofthewaterandlaiddowninthewarmsuntorestthemselvesfromtheirdreadfulexperience.
Afteragoodrest,theygotupandtouredthelittleislandandfoundfreshwater,andsomethingtoeat.Gregmanagedtobreakopensomecoconuts(椰子)andtheyusedtheshellsfordrinkingtheheavenlywater.Fortunately,thetemperaturewasmildsosurvivalwaspossible.Theonlythingtheyhadweretheclothesontheirbacks,theirmemoriesofhomeandtheterribleexperiencethey’dbeenthrough.Theymanagedtobuildalean-to(单坡屋顶)oftwigs(树枝)andpalmbranches.
Theirthoughtsalwaysdwelledonbeingrescuedbuttheyknewitwashopeless,sotheydidtheirbesttosurvive.Timepassedandsomehowtheymanagedtocopewiththisandasenseofaffiliationflourished.Infactwithouteachother,existencewouldbeimpossibletoimagine.However,thechronicsoundoftheship’swhistlekepthaunting(常浮现脑中的)them.Themournfulsoundwasevenheardintheirsleep.
Theyswambytheseashoreandspentalotoftheirhoursmakingtheircamplivable.Thedesertedislandbecameaparadise.Butthesharpsoundoftheship’swhistleplaguedtheirthoughts.ItwaslikethesoundofthevoiceofSatan(撒旦，魔鬼)desperatelydemandingmorehostages.
Atlast--theship’swhistleceased--itwasthenGregrealizedtheywerestillonthedeckofthesinkingship.Thesmallislandwasnothingbuthisillusion.Thelastthingherememberedwashereachedouthishandandgrabbedalumpofhairandpulledhertohisside."Areyouallright?"
"Yes,I’mallright,ohGod,thankyou."Bythesoundofhervoice,heknewitwasPearl.Sheclungtohimfordearlife.
Suddenlyahugewavecameandtookthemunder,submergingthemdeepdownintothecold,darkandsilentwater.Theyclungtoeachotherindesperationandslowlysankdownintotheeternaldepths.
Thecruelseaaddedtwomoresoulstoitsunsatisfiedappetite.
注释:
nerve
upper
amid
atfault
coincide
guilty
whip
destruction
doze
glimpse
dine
assumesum
sail
auto
relieflift/grave
overlooklook
relaterelation
attractiontractor
tilt
consciousscience
waterwater
submerge
soak
weary
islandsole/island
paddle
zealous
hail
dreadful
shell
mild
survival
dwell
cope
affiliation
flourishflower
existence
chronictime
seashore
deserteddesert
plague
eternal
cruel
unsatisfied