benito cereno- 第1部分

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　BENITO　CERENO

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Herman　Melville


　　　　IN　THE　year　1799；　Captain　Amasa　Delano；　of　Duxbury；　in　Massachusetts；　commanding　a　large　sealer　and　general　trader；　lay　at　anchor；　with　a　valuable　cargo；　in　the　harbour　of　St。　Maria…　a　small；　desert；　uninhabited　island　towards　the　southern　extremity　of　the　long　coast　of　Chili。　There　he　had　touched　for　water。　　　　　On　the　second　day；　not　long　after　dawn；　while　lying　in　his　berth；　his　mate　came　below；　informing　him　that　a　strange　sail　was　coming　into　the　bay。　Ships　were　then　not　so　plenty　in　those　waters　as　now。　He　rose；　dressed；　and　went　on　deck。　　　　　The　morning　was　one　peculiar　to　that　coast。　Everything　was　mute　and　calm；　everything　grey。　The　sea；　though　undulated　into　long　roods　of　swells；　seemed　fixed；　and　was　sleeked　at　the　surface　like　waved　lead　that　has　cooled　and　set　in　the　smelter's　mould。　The　sky　seemed　a　grey　mantle。　Flights　of　troubled　grey　fowl；　kith　and　kin　with　flights　of　troubled　grey　vapours　among　which　they　were　mixed；　skimmed　low　and　fitfully　over　the　waters；　as　swallows　over　meadows　before　storms。　Shadows　present；　foreshadowing　deeper　shadows　to　come。　　　　　To　Captain　Delano's　surprise；　the　stranger；　viewed　through　the　glass；　showed　no　colours；　though　to　do　so　upon　entering　a　haven；　however　uninhabited　in　its　shores；　where　but　a　single　other　ship　might　be　lying；　was　the　custom　among　peaceful　seamen　of　all　nations。　Considering　the　lawlessness　and　loneliness　of　the　spot；　and　the　sort　of　stories；　at　that　day；　associated　with　those　seas；　Captain　Delano's　surprise　might　have　deepened　into　some　uneasiness　had　he　not　been　a　person　of　a　singularly　undistrustful　good　nature；　not　liable；　except　on　extraordinary　and　repeated　excitement；　and　hardly　then；　to　indulge　in　personal　alarms；　any　way　involving　the　imputation　of　malign　evil　in　man。　Whether；　in　view　of　what　humanity　is　capable；　such　a　trait　implies；　along　with　a　benevolent　heart；　more　than　ordinary　quickness　and　accuracy　of　intellectual　perception；　may　be　left　to　the　wise　to　determine。　　　　　But　whatever　misgivings　might　have　obtruded　on　first　seeing　the　stranger　would　almost；　in　any　seaman's　mind；　have　been　dissipated　by　observing　that　the　ship；　in　navigating　into　the　harbour；　was　drawing　too　near　the　land；　for　her　own　safety's　sake；　owing　to　a　sunken　reef　making　out　off　her　bow。　This　seemed　to　prove　her　a　stranger；　indeed；　not　only　to　the　sealer；　but　the　island；　consequently；　she　could　be　no　wonted　freebooter　on　that　ocean。　With　no　small　interest；　Captain　Delano　continued　to　watch　her…　a　proceeding　not　much　facilitated　by　the　vapours　partly　mantling　the　hull；　through　which　the　far　matin　light　from　her　cabin　streamed　equivocally　enough；　much　like　the　sun…　by　this　time　crescented　on　the　rim　of　the　horizon；　and　apparently；　in　company　with　the　strange　ship；　entering　the　harbour…　which；　wimpled　by　the　same　low；　creeping　clouds；　showed　not　unlike　a　Lima　intriguante's　one　sinister　eye　peering　across　the　Plaza　from　the　Indian　loop…hole　of　her　dusk　saya…y…manta。　　　　　It　might　have　been　but　a　deception　of　the　vapours；　but；　the　longer　the　stranger　was　watched；　the　more　singular　appeared　her　manoeuvres。　Ere　long　it　seemed　hard　to　decide　whether　she　meant　to　come　in　or　no…　what　she　wanted；　or　what　she　was　about。　The　wind；　which　had　breezed　up　a　little　during　the　night；　was　now　extremely　light　and　baffling；　which　the　more　increased　the　apparent　uncertainty　of　her　movements。　　　　　Surmising；　at　last；　that　it　might　be　a　ship　in　distress；　Captain　Delano　ordered　his　whale…boat　to　be　dropped；　and；　much　to　the　wary　opposition　of　his　mate；　prepared　to　board　her；　and；　at　the　least；　pilot　her　in。　On　the　night　previous；　a　fishing…party　of　the　seamen　had　gone　a　long　distance　to　some　detached　rocks　out　of　sight　from　the　sealer；　and；　an　hour　or　two　before　day…break；　had　returned；　having　met　with　no　small　success。　Presuming　that　the　stranger　might　have　been　long　off　soundings；　the　good　captain　put　several　baskets　of　the　fish；　for　presents；　into　his　boat；　and　so　pulled　away。　From　her　continuing　too　near　the　sunken　reef；　deeming　her　in　danger；　calling　to　his　men；　he　made　all　haste　to　apprise　those　on　board　of　their　situation。　But；　some　time　ere　the　boat　came　up；　the　wind；　light　though　it　was；　having　shifted；　had　headed　the　vessel　off；　as　well　as　partly　broken　the　vapours　from　about　her。　　　　　Upon　gaining　a　less　remote　view；　the　ship；　when　made　signally　visible　on　the　verge　of　the　leaden…hued　swells；　with　the　shreds　of　fog　here　and　there　raggedly　furring　her；　appeared　like　a　whitewashed　monastery　after　a　thunder…storm；　seen　perched　upon　some　dun　cliff　among　the　Pyrenees。　But　it　was　no　purely　fanciful　resemblance　which　now；　for　a　moment；　almost　led　Captain　Delano　to　think　that　nothing　less　than　a　ship…load　of　monks　was　before　him。　Peering　over　the　bulwarks　were　what　really　seemed；　in　the　hazy　distance；　throngs　of　dark　cowls；　while；　fitfully　revealed　through　the　open　port…holes；　other　dark　moving　figures　were　dimly　descried；　as　of　Black　Friars　pacing　the　cloisters。　　　　　Upon　a　still　nigher　approach；　this　appearance　was　modified；　and　the　true　character　of　the　vessel　was　plain…　a　Spanish　merchantman　of　the　first　class；　carrying　Negro　slaves；　amongst　other　valuable　freight；　from　one　colonial　port　to　another。　A　very　large；　and；　in　its　time；　a　very　fine　vessel；　such　as　in　those　days　were　at　intervals　encountered　along　that　main；　sometimes　superseded　Acapulco　treasure…ships；　or　retired　frigates　of　the　Spanish　king's　navy；　which；　like　superannuated　Italian　palaces；　still；　under　a　decline　of　masters；　preserved　signs　of　former　state。　　　　　As　the　whale…boat　drew　more　and　more　nigh；　the　cause　of　the　peculiar　pipe…clayed　aspect　of　the　stranger　was　seen　in　the　slovenly　neglect　pervading　her。　The　spars；　ropes；　and　great　part　of　the　bulwarks　looked　woolly；　from　long　unacquaintance　with　the　scraper；　tar；　and　the　brush。　Her　keel　seemed　laid；　her　ribs　put　together；　and　she　launched；　from　Ezekiel's　Valley　of　Dry　Bones。　　　　　In　the　present　business　in　which　she　was　engaged；　the　ship's　general　model　and　rig　appeared　to　have　undergone　no　material　change　from　their　original　warlike　and　Froissart　pattern。　However；　no　guns　were　seen。　　　　　The　tops　were　large；　and　were　railed　about　with　what　had　once　been　octagonal　net…work；　all　now　in　sad　disrepair。　These　tops　hung　overhead　like　three　ruinous　aviaries；　in　one　of　which　was　seen　perched；　on　a　ratlin；　a　white　noddy；　a　strange　fowl；　so　called　from　its　lethargic　somnambulistic　character；　being　frequently　caught　by　hand　at　sea。　Battered　and　mouldy；　the　castellated　forecastle　seemed　some　ancient　turret；　long　ago　taken　by　assault；　and　then　left　to　decay。　Towards　the　stern；　two　high…raised　quarter　galleries…　the　balustrades　here　and　there　covered　with　dry；　tindery　sea…moss…　opening　out　from　the　unoccupied　state…cabin；　whose　dead　lights；　for　all　the　mild　weather；　were　hermetically　closed　and　caulked…　these　tenantless　balconies　hung　over　the　sea　as　if　it　were　the　grand　Venetian　canal。　But　the　principal　relic　of　faded　grandeur　was　the　ample　oval　of　the　shield…like　stern…piece；　intricately　carved　with　the　arms　of　Castile　and　Leon；　medallioned　about　by　groups　of　mythological　or　symbolical　devices；　uppermost　and　central　of　which　was　a　dark　satyr　in　a　mask；　holding　his　foot　on　the　prostrate　neck　of　a　writhing　figure；　likewise　masked。　　　　　Whether　the　ship　had　a　figure…head；　or　only　a　plain　beak；　was　not　quite　certain；　owing　to　canvas　wrapped　about　that　part；　either　to　protect　it　while　undergoing　a　refurbishing；　or　else　decently　to　hide　its　decay。　Rudely　painted　or　chalked；　as　in　a　sailor　freak；　along　the　forward　side　of　a　sort　of　pedestal　below　the　canvas；　was　the　sentence；　〃Seguid　vuestro　jefe〃　（follow　your　leader）；　while　upon　the　tarnished　head…boards；　near　by；　appeared；　in　stately　capitals；　once　gilt；　the　ship's　name；　〃SAN　DOMINICK；〃　each　letter　streakingly　corroded　with　tricklings　of　copper…spike　rust；　while；　like　mourning　weeds；　dark　festoons　of　sea…grass　slimily　swept　to　and　fro　over　the　name；　with　every　hearse…like　roll　of　the　hull。　　　　　As　at　last　the　boat　was　hooked　from　the　bow　along　toward　the　gangway　amidship；　its　keel；　while　yet　some　inches　separated　from　the　hull；　harshly　grated　as　on　a　sunken　coral　reef。　It　proved　a　huge　bunch　of　conglobated　barnacles　adhering　below　the　water　to　the　side　like　a　wen；　a　token　of　baffling　airs　and　long　calms　passed　somewhere　in　those　seas。　　　　　Climbing　the　side；　the　visitor　was　at　once　surrounded　by　a　clamorous　throng　of　whites　and　blacks；　but　the　latter　outnumbering　the　former　more　than　could　have　been　expected；　Negro　transportation…ship　as　the　stranger　in　port　was。　But；　in　one　language；　and　as　with　one　voice；　all　poured　out　a　common　tale　of　suffering；　in　which　the　Negresses；　of　whom　there　were　not　a　few；　exceeded　the　others　in　their　dolorous　vehemence。　The　scurvy；　together　with　a　fever；　had　swept　off　a　great　part　of　their　number；　more　especially　the　Spaniards。　Off　Cape　Horn；　they　had　narrowly　escaped　shipwreck；　then；　for　days　together；　they　had　lain　tranced　without　wind；　their　provisions　were　low；　their　water　next　to　none；　their　lips　that　moment　were　baked。　　　　　While　Captain　Delano　was　thus　made　the　mark　of　all　eager　tongues；　his　one　eager　glance　took　in　all　the　faces；　with　every　other　object　about　him。　　　　　Always　upon　first　boarding　a　large　and　populous　ship　at　sea；　especially　a　foreign　one；　with　a　nondescript　crew　such　as　Lascars　or　Manilla　men；　the　impression　varies　in　a　peculiar　way　from　that　produced　by　first　entering　a　strange　house　with　strange　inmates　in　a　strange　land。　Both　house　and　ship；　the　one　by　its　walls　and　blinds；　the　other　by　its　high　bulwarks　like　ramparts；　hoard　from　view　their　interiors　till　the　last　moment；　but　in　the　case　of　the　ship　there　is　this　addition：　that　the　living　spectacle　it　contains；　upon　its　sudden　and　complete　disclosure；　has；　in　contrast　with　the　blank　ocean　which　zones　it；　something　of　the　effect　of　enchantment。　The　ship　seems　unreal；　these　strange　costumes；　gestures；　and　faces；　but　a　shadowy　tableau　just　emerged　from　the　deep；　which　directly　must　receive　back　what　it　gave。　　　　　Perhaps　it　was　some　such　influence　as　above　is　attempted　to　be　described　which；　in　Captain　Delano's　mind；