the mirror of the sea-第32章

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zest　of　personal　gossip；　her　achievements　made　much　of；　her　faults



glossed　over　as　things　that；　being　without　remedy　in　our　imperfect



world；　should　not　be　dwelt　upon　too　much　by　men　who；　with　the　help



of　ships；　wrest　out　a　bitter　living　from　the　rough　grasp　of　the



sea。　　All　that　talk　makes　up　her　〃name；〃　which　is　handed　over　from



one　crew　to　another　without　bitterness；　without　animosity；　with　the



indulgence　of　mutual　dependence；　and　with　the　feeling　of　close



association　in　the　exercise　of　her　perfections　and　in　the　danger　of



her　defects。







This　feeling　explains　men's　pride　in　ships。　　〃Ships　are　all　right；〃



as　my　middle…aged；　respectable　quartermaster　said　with　much



conviction　and　some　irony；　but　they　are　not　exactly　what　men　make



them。　　They　have　their　own　nature；　they　can　of　themselves　minister



to　our　self…esteem　by　the　demand　their　qualities　make　upon　our



skill　and　their　shortcomings　upon　our　hardiness　and　endurance。



Which　is　the　more　flattering　exaction　it　is　hard　to　say；　but　there



is　the　fact　that　in　listening　for　upwards　of　twenty　years　to　the



sea…talk　that　goes　on　afloat　and　ashore　I　have　never　detected　the



true　note　of　animosity。　　I　won't　deny　that　at　sea；　sometimes；　the



note　of　profanity　was　audible　enough　in　those　chiding



interpellations　a　wet；　cold；　weary　seaman　addresses　to　his　ship；



and　in　moments　of　exasperation　is　disposed　to　extend　to　all　ships



that　ever　were　launched　…　to　the　whole　everlastingly　exacting　brood



that　swims　in　deep　waters。　　And　I　have　heard　curses　launched　at　the



unstable　element　itself；　whose　fascination；　outlasting　the



accumulated　experience　of　ages；　had　captured　him　as　it　had　captured



the　generations　of　his　forebears。







For　all　that　has　been　said　of　the　love　that　certain　natures　（on



shore）　have　professed　to　feel　for　it；　for　all　the　celebrations　it



had　been　the　object　of　in　prose　and　song；　the　sea　has　never　been



friendly　to　man。　　At　most　it　has　been　the　accomplice　of　human



restlessness；　and　playing　the　part　of　dangerous　abettor　of　world…



wide　ambitions。　　Faithful　to　no　race　after　the　manner　of　the　kindly



earth；　receiving　no　impress　from　valour　and　toil　and　self…



sacrifice；　recognising　no　finality　of　dominion；　the　sea　has　never



adopted　the　cause　of　its　masters　like　those　lands　where　the



victorious　nations　of　mankind　have　taken　root；　rocking　their



cradles　and　setting　up　their　gravestones。　　He　…　man　or　people　…



who；　putting　his　trust　in　the　friendship　of　the　sea；　neglects　the



strength　and　cunning　of　his　right　hand；　is　a　fool！　　As　if　it　were



too　great；　too　mighty　for　common　virtues；　the　ocean　has　no



compassion；　no　faith；　no　law；　no　memory。　　Its　fickleness　is　to　be



held　true　to　men's　purposes　only　by　an　undaunted　resolution　and　by



a　sleepless；　armed；　jealous　vigilance；　in　which；　perhaps；　there　has



always　been　more　hate　than　love。　　ODI　ET　AMO　may　well　be　the



confession　of　those　who　consciously　or　blindly　have　surrendered



their　existence　to　the　fascination　of　the　sea。　　All　the　tempestuous



passions　of　mankind's　young　days；　the　love　of　loot　and　the　love　of



glory；　the　love　of　adventure　and　the　love　of　danger；　with　the　great



love　of　the　unknown　and　vast　dreams　of　dominion　and　power；　have



passed　like　images　reflected　from　a　mirror；　leaving　no　record　upon



the　mysterious　face　of　the　sea。　　Impenetrable　and　heartless；　the



sea　has　given　nothing　of　itself　to　the　suitors　for　its　precarious



favours。　　Unlike　the　earth；　it　cannot　be　subjugated　at　any　cost　of



patience　and　toil。　　For　all　its　fascination　that　has　lured　so　many



to　a　violent　death；　its　immensity　has　never　been　loved　as　the



mountains；　the　plains；　the　desert　itself；　have　been　loved。　　Indeed；



I　suspect　that；　leaving　aside　the　protestations　and　tributes　of



writers　who；　one　is　safe　in　saying；　care　for　little　else　in　the



world　than　the　rhythm　of　their　lines　and　the　cadence　of　their



phrase；　the　love　of　the　sea；　to　which　some　men　and　nations　confess



so　readily；　is　a　complex　sentiment　wherein　pride　enters　for　much；



necessity　for　not　a　little；　and　the　love　of　ships　…　the　untiring



servants　of　our　hopes　and　our　self…esteem　…　for　the　best　and　most



genuine　part。　　For　the　hundreds　who　have　reviled　the　sea；　beginning



with　Shakespeare　in　the　line











〃More　fell　than　hunger；　anguish；　or　the　sea；〃











down　to　the　last　obscure　sea…dog　of　the　〃old　model；〃　having　but　few



words　and　still　fewer　thoughts；　there　could　not　be　found；　I



believe；　one　sailor　who　has　ever　coupled　a　curse　with　the　good　or



bad　name　of　a　ship。　　If　ever　his　profanity；　provoked　by　the



hardships　of　the　sea；　went　so　far　as　to　touch　his　ship；　it　would　be



lightly；　as　a　hand　may；　without　sin；　be　laid　in　the　way　of　kindness



on　a　woman。















XXXVI。















The　love　that　is　given　to　ships　is　profoundly　different　from　the



love　men　feel　for　every　other　work　of　their　hands　…　the　love　they



bear　to　their　houses；　for　instance　…　because　it　is　untainted　by　the



pride　of　possession。　　The　pride　of　skill；　the　pride　of



responsibility；　the　pride　of　endurance　there　may　be；　but　otherwise



it　is　a　disinterested　sentiment。　　No　seaman　ever　cherished　a　ship；



even　if　she　belonged　to　him；　merely　because　of　the　profit　she　put



in　his　pocket。　　No　one；　I　think；　ever　did；　for　a　ship…owner；　even



of　the　best；　has　always　been　outside　the　pale　of　that　sentiment



embracing　in　a　feeling　of　intimate；　equal　fellowship　the　ship　and



the　man；　backing　each　other　against　the　implacable；　if　sometimes



dissembled；　hostility　of　their　world　of　waters。　　The　sea　…　this



truth　must　be　confessed　…　has　no　generosity。　　No　display　of　manly



qualities　…　courage；　hardihood；　endurance；　faithfulness　…　has　ever



been　known　to　touch　its　irresponsible　consciousness　of　power。　　The



ocean　has　the　conscienceless　temper　of　a　savage　autocrat　spoiled　by



much　adulation。　　He　cannot　brook　the　slightest　appearance　of



defiance；　and　has　remained　the　irreconcilable　enemy　of　ships　and



men　ever　since　ships　and　men　had　the　unheard　of　audacity　to　go



afloat　together　in　the　face　of　his　frown。　　From　that　day　he　has



gone　on　swallowing　up　fleets　and　men　without　his　resentment　being



glutted　by　the　number　of　victims　…　by　so　many　wrecked　ships　and



wrecked　lives。　　To…day；　as　ever；　he　is　ready　to　beguile　and　betray；



to　smash　and　to　drown　the　incorrigible　optimism　of　men　who；　backed



by　the　fidelity　of　ships；　are　trying　to　wrest　from　him　the　fortune



of　their　house；　the　dominion　of　their　world；　or　only　a　dole　of　food



for　their　hunger。　　If　not　always　in　the　hot　mood　to　smash；　he　is



always　stealthily　ready　for　a　drowning。　　The　most　amazing　wonder　of



the　deep　is　its　unfathomable　cruelty。







I　felt　its　dread　for　the　first　time　in　mid…Atlantic　one　day；　many



years　ago；　when　we　took　off　the　crew　of　a　Danish　brig　homeward



bound　from　the　West　Indies。　　A　thin；　silvery　mist　softened　the　calm



and　majestic　splendour　of　light　without　shadows　…　seemed　to　render



the　sky　less　remote　and　the　ocean　less　immense。　　It　was　one　of　the



days；　when　the　might　of　the　sea　appears　indeed　lovable；　like　the



nature　of　a　strong　man　in　moments　of　quiet　intimacy。　　At　sunrise　we



had　made　out　a　black　speck　to　the　westward；　apparently　suspended



high　up　in　the　void　behind　a　stirring；　shimmering　veil　of　silvery



blue　gauze　that　seemed　at　times　to　stir　and　float　in　the　breeze



which　fanned　us　slowly　along。　　The　peace　of　that　enchanting



forenoon　was　so　profound；　so　untroubled；　that　it　seemed　that　every



word　pronounced　loudly　on　our　deck　would　penetrate　to　the　very



heart　of　that　infinite　mystery　born　from　the　conjunction　of　water



and　sky。　　We　did　not　raise　our　voices。　　〃A　water…logged　derelict；　I



think；　sir；〃　said　the　second　officer　quietly；　coming　down　from



aloft　with　the　binoculars　in　their　case　slung　across　his　shoulde