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吉姆老爷|Lord Jim

8.结局|8.The end of the story

属类: 双语小说 【分类】世界名著 -[作者: 约瑟夫-康拉德] 阅读:[5492]
出生自牧师家庭的吉姆在“帕特那号”上当大副时,因发生海难弃船而逃,独自到法庭受审,被取消了航海资格,之后他在马洛船长的帮助下,换了许多工作,最后他在马洛和斯坦的安排下躲进与文明隔绝的土著人居住区帕图桑,并在那里取得了头人的信赖,一次,他为伙白人海盗求情,获准。结果海盗在离去时背信弃义,杀死了头人的儿子,吉姆满腔悲愤,向头人请罪,心甘情愿地走向了死亡。
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说到这里,马洛停了下来,周围的人从椅子上站起来。虽然故事还没结束,大家似乎不想再听下去了。只有一个听众知道故事结局。那是两年多以后,他收到了一个装满手稿的包裹。他回到阴暗、多雨的英格兰,知道自己再也不会去东方,但这个包裹令他想到了远方艳阳下的大海,以及往昔的音容笑貌。他打开马洛的信,开始读起来。

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我想你还记得吉姆吧。只有你似乎对他有兴趣,虽然你认为他并没有把握自己的命运。好了,现在你必须自己去评判。这里有吉姆留给这个世界的最后一个信息——一张泛灰的纸,他在上面只写着“一件可怕的事发生了”,接着是“我现在必须立即……”然后就什么都没了。我猜想他无法描述他所见到的真正让人恐惧的事。我可以理解。我还寄给你一封很久以前的信,它被小心地收在吉姆的抽屉里。信是他的父亲写的,吉姆可能是在上帕特纳号的前几天收到的。这位善良的老牧师写了四页,有父亲的忠告和家里的消息;母亲和几个女儿向他们当水手的儿子和兄弟送去了她们所有的爱。吉姆从未回信,但多年来他一直珍藏这封信。谁知道他受苦的灵魂与那些记忆中在世界宁静的角落中平静地生活着的、目光清澈的人有过怎样的对话呢?

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我会在这封信接下来的部分告诉你吉姆故事的结局。这是一场真正的历险,比他儿时最疯狂的梦想更具传奇色彩,但在某种程度上,结局似乎是注定的。事情不得不那样发生。我弄清了几乎所有的细节,但我不知道如果让吉姆自己去讲这个故事,他会怎么讲。我很难相信我再也听不到他的声音,也看不到他充满朝气和激情的年轻面孔了。

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大约一年以前,我到了三宝垄,照例去拜访斯坦。我在他家惊喜地见到了吉姆的仆人坦比坦,我以为或许吉姆也在。但我一见到斯坦,就意识到肯定出了什么事。这位老人看上去很悲痛。

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“来看看这位女孩,”他伤心地说,“他们是两天前到的。糟糕,太糟糕了!你必须和她谈谈,让她原谅他。年轻人不容易宽恕别人。”他不想再说下去,只是推我进了一扇门。

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我发现自己进了一个凉爽的大房间。女孩正坐在一张长桌旁,头枕在胳膊上。她睁开双眼,一眼就认出了我。我看着她冰冷、忧伤的脸和凝视着我的黑眼睛,我感觉冷到了骨头里。

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“他离开了我,”她平静地说,“我想和他一起死!但他不同意!哈哈,你们男人都不守信用!你们为什么这么无情无义?我永远不会为他哭泣!我不会掉一滴眼泪!他可以看到我的脸,听到我的声音!而他还是离我而去了!他被睡梦中听到或看到的邪恶的东西驱赶着……”

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我很失望。“你必须原谅他,”我说,“我们都希望得到宽容。”我觉得自己的声音有些奇怪。她的脸依然僵滞不动,我离开屋子时她也没有任何表示。我很高兴能脱身。我找到坦比坦,他把他知道的事都告诉了我。

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所有这一切是由一个布朗船长引起的,他是西太平洋最邪恶的水手之一。从约克角到伊登湾,他因诈骗、抢掠和杀人而臭名昭著;他是个残酷、暴力、傲慢的人,根本没有责任感、良知与荣誉感。当时,他好几次行动都没有捞到多少钱,他的人马又饿又累,他很绝望。他们偷了一艘西班牙船,当时正穿过爪哇海,驶向印度洋,这时布朗突然想到帕图桑可能是一个寻找食物和水的好地方。他可能听说这里是河边一个比较大的村庄,也许他只是在地图上看到过这个名字。总之,他们把船停在河口,驾小船沿河而上到了贸易站。但巴都克灵渔村的头领向帕图桑的人报了信,布朗的船一出现,村民就开始射击。布朗愤怒地命令他的人开枪回击;他没料到会有冲突。他注意到那条小河(就是吉姆逃脱王公的手下追捕时跳过去的那条小河),让他的人划了过去。他们上了岸,爬上一座小山,看到了村庄和王公的寨子。他们砍下几棵树建造了自己的栅栏,随着暮色降临,等待着当地人回击。

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帕图桑的村民既害怕,又不知所措。吉姆刚好不在,所以由戴恩·沃里斯指挥大家射击。妇女和孩子离开自己的家,挤在吉姆的屋子里,由宝石指挥。吉姆不在的时候,宝石还保管着弹药。多拉曼父子、宝石、王公的谋士卡桑,以及所有当地的头领都聚集在吉姆家共商对策。宝石和戴恩·沃里斯想把这些白人赶走,但多拉曼只求他儿子平安无事。卡桑则有一个阴险的打算,他指望这些白人在吉姆回来之前向多拉曼的人开战,并打败他们。他笑嘻嘻地听着,假意表示王公会帮忙对付这些白人。

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卡桑的计划把科尼利厄斯包括在内,因为他会说英语。第二天卡桑和科尼利厄斯去布朗的驻地和他谈判。布朗听他们说要帮助他,希望大了起来。他来帕图桑原本只是为了偷取食物,但这或许还是他控制帕图桑,大发横财的一个机会。他愿意和被大家称作图安吉姆的白人共事一段时间——必要时再杀掉他。这实际上是科尼利厄斯的建议。“你能得手的时候必须立即杀掉他,”他反复说,“然后你就能拥有一切了!”

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这些事情发生的同时,戴恩·沃里斯带领几只独木舟悄悄地沿河而下,来到河口处的一个岛上。这是多拉曼的命令,目的是截断布朗逃回船上的路线,但我猜测,也是为了确保他儿子远离伤害。卡桑送食物给布朗和他的手下,但没有提独木舟的事。

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那天晚些时候,布朗在他的驻地看见一个村民从屋子里走出来。他命令手下开了一枪。村民倒地死了。“对!”布朗高兴地喊道,“把突然死亡的恐惧带到他们中间。”

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暮色降临了,不久,一个白人决定回船上取他的烟斗。当他走到小河边时,只听“砰”的一声枪响,他痛苦地喊道:“我中弹了!”布朗和其他人听见他在泥巴里垂死挣扎了好几个小时;他们知道帮不了他。

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终于到了早晨,布朗看见一群马来人向小河边走来,一个高大的白人走在他们中间。吉姆连夜回到了帕图桑,村民们无比高兴,他要和布朗谈判。“他会来命令你不要动他的人。”科尼利厄斯告诉过布朗。

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不一会儿,吉姆把村民留在身后,独自走过来。布朗沿着小河向他走去。他立即就知道,他和吉姆永远都不会相互理解。吉姆干净的白衣服、诚实的眼睛和自信的表情立即引起了布朗的憎恨。两个性格迥异的人隔着一条泥泞的小河交谈起来。大多数时候是吉姆在听,布朗字斟句酌地说。他对吉姆的过去一无所知,但他很善于发现一个人灵魂中的弱点,很不幸,他找到了对付吉姆的办法。

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“你不能怪我昨晚开枪打死那个村民!”他喊道,“如果你不得不在黑暗中保住自己的命,就不会在乎会有多少人死掉,对吗?我知道我以前做过错事,但你呢?你为什么要藏在这里?你比我强不到哪儿去!别当个懦夫!你们的人是我们的两百倍之多。要么来和我们对阵,要么放我们走!”

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吉姆脸色阴沉。他沉默良久,最后说:“好吧,如果你保证离开海岸,我们就放你们走,只要你们不先开火,我们就不动手。”说完他转身走了。

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谈话结束了,吉姆回到村子与多拉曼和头领们商谈。有的人怀疑是否应该放这些白人走。“他们是残酷、邪恶的强盗,还杀了我们的一个人!”他们喊着,“我们应该杀了他们!”

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但吉姆轻声说:“他们当然做过恶事;但他们并不走运。人有时会做坏事,但并不因此就完全是个坏人。最好放他们一条生路。”他停顿了一下,接着说,“我给过你们错误的建议吗?相信我。我愿意用性命担保,让这些白人离开不会伤害到你们。”

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头领们各抒己见。多数人只说:“我们相信图安吉姆,他怎么说我们就怎么做。”

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他们就这样达成了一致。布朗和他的人获准下山回到他们的小船上,从小河进入大河。

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当晚,吉姆让坦比坦沿河而下给戴恩·沃里斯送个信。“告诉他,白人走的时候,让他的手下一定不要开枪。这是我们的协定。”

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“这是一条重要消息,”坦比坦说,“让我带个信物给戴恩·沃里斯吧,好让他知道这是您的吩咐。”

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吉姆自从来到帕图桑就一直带着斯坦给的银戒指。每个人都知道这枚戒指,它是多拉曼很久以前给斯坦的礼物。吉姆从手上摘下戒指,交给坦比坦,作为给戴恩·沃里斯的信物。

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第二天早晨,吉姆站在王公寨子的栅栏外,看着布朗和他的人在灰色的浓雾中离开帕图桑。但心怀鬼胎的科尼利厄斯就在布朗的小船上,藏在船帆下面。布朗没有杀掉吉姆让科尼利厄斯感到失望,于是他决定换一种方式去报复。他答应为布朗指一条小河,它通往河流深处的小岛,多拉曼的儿子带着人在那儿的独木舟里埋伏。布朗对此自然是求之不得,他看到为自己复仇的机会来了。戴恩·沃里斯带着人和坦比坦一起守着这条河,谁也没有想到会有人从身后的小河攻打他们。布朗他们开了枪,好几个当地人倒下了,戴恩·沃里斯也倒下了,他的头部中了弹。剩下的人害怕地乱喊乱叫,纷纷落荒而逃。白人强盗再也没有在帕图桑出现,据说一个月后他们的船在印度洋沉没了。

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科尼利厄斯也死了。坦比坦在岛上看见他,明白他做了些什么。如果没有知情人告密,谁都发现不了这条狭窄的河。科尼利厄斯想溜走,但坦比坦一刀杀了他。之后,坦比坦赶紧回到独木舟上,去向他的主人报告噩耗。

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吉姆听后勃然大怒。他想追击这伙强盗,并下令汇集人手和船只,但坦比坦有些犹豫。

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“原谅我,图安,”他惭愧地说,“但作为您的仆人,我现在去村民中间会有危险。”

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这时吉姆意识到,这是一个可怕的事实。他从一个世界逃走,而现在他亲手创建的新的世界正在崩塌。他如同石像般默默地坐着,此时,坦比坦在说着打起来该如何,女孩则在谈论危险。谁知道吉姆在想些什么呢?我想他就是在这个时候写的那张纸条——他想写给某个人——但他却无法把这条消息写完。孤独感笼罩着他。人们把生命托付于他,却永远无法理解他。

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与此同时,村子笼罩在悲痛和愤怒中,族长儿子的尸体被独木舟送了回来。多拉曼看着死去的儿子,慢慢地把吉姆的银戒指从儿子冰冷、僵硬的手指上脱下来。人们看到那枚熟悉的戒指,惊恐地叫了起来。多拉曼突然像一只受伤的动物一样爆发出一声大吼——那是悲痛和愤怒的哭喊。然后是一片沉默。

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大约在这个时候,吉姆离开了他的屋子朝河边走去。“是结束这些的时候了。”他说。

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女孩跟着他,喊着:“你不去开战吗?”

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“没有理由开战。”他回答。

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“你不逃走吗?”她又喊道。

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“无路可逃了。”他说。

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“那你要走了吗?你难道不记得你答应过永远都不离开我?”

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“够了,可怜的女孩,”他回答说,“即便我留下来,也不值得你拥有了。”

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她向他跑去,一边痛哭,一边抱住他,“我会这样搂着你!你是我的!”

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吉姆挣脱开,注视着她好一会儿,然后跑向水边。他跳进一只独木舟和坦比坦离开了,女孩大声喊着:“你不守信用!”

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“原谅我!”他大声说。

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“我永远都不原谅你!”她回答,“永远都不!”

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吉姆来到多拉曼的寨子,人们哭泣着,不知所措。他们分成两列,怀着敬畏让他进去。他慢慢地从人群中间走过,径直走到老族长面前,老族长还坐在他常坐的椅子上,膝上放着一把枪。多拉曼的妻子伤心地俯在儿子盖了白布的尸体上。吉姆把布揭开,看了看他死去的朋友,然后一言不发地放下来。过了一小会儿,他轻声说:“这件事是我的责任。我很难过,我来这里,没有带武器,我准备好了。”

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人们把肥胖的老人从椅子上扶起来,吉姆曾骄傲地戴在手上的那枚银戒指落到了地上。多拉曼盯着僵直地站在他面前的吉姆,脸上充满极端痛苦和愤怒的神情。然后,他直直地看着吉姆,举枪打向儿子的朋友的胸膛。吉姆骄傲、英勇地注视着周围所有凝视着他的面孔,然后,一只手捂着嘴,向前倒地死了。

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这就是结局。他就这么神秘地消失了,被人忘却了,这或许过于浪漫。在最后短暂的一瞬间,他或许看清了他的机会,就像一位东方的新娘一样等着他。他离开了爱着他的、活着的女人,去和想象中的荣誉和责任的幽魂结合。我想知道,他现在得到幸福了吗?我们应当知道;因为他是我们中的一员。追根究底,我信任他难道错了吗?谁知道呢?他走了,而那个可怜的女孩在斯坦家里过着寡言少语、凝滞的生活。斯坦看上去老了很多,他也感到自己老了。他时常伤感地指着他的蝴蝶说,他“正在准备离开这一切”。

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With these words Marlow finished speaking, and the men around him got up from their armchairs. They did not seem to want to discuss the story, although it was incomplete. And only one of these listeners ever heard the last word of the story. It came to him more than two years later, in a thick packet containing many pages of writing. He had returned to dark, rainy England, and knew he would never go back to the East, but the packet made him think of distant seas under a bright, hot sun, and faces and voices from the past.

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He opened Marlow’s letter to him, and began to read.

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I don’t suppose you’ve forgotten Jim. You alone have shown interest in him, although you did not agree that he was in control of his fate. Well, you must judge for yourself now. Here is Jim’s last message to the world—a greyish piece of paper, on which he wrote simply, ’An awful thing has happened’, and then, ’I must now at once...’ Nothing more. I imagine he could not describe the true horror of what he saw. I can understand that. I also send you an old letter, which was found carefully put away in his desk. It is from his father, and Jim probably received it a few days before joining the Patna. The good old vicar writes four pages of fatherly advice and family news; the mother and daughters send all their love to their sailor son and brother. Jim never answered it, but he kept it lovingly all those years. Who knows what conversations his suffering soul had with those clear-eyed, ghostly figures, living their peaceful lives in that quiet corner of the world?

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And in the rest of this letter I will tell you the end of Jim’s story. It is a real adventure, romantic beyond the wildest dreams of his boyhood, but with an ending that seems in some way unavoidable. Something like this had to happen. I have found out almost all the details, but I wonder how Jim himself would tell the story. It is hard for me to believe that I shall never hear his voice again, or see his fresh, young, excited face.

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About a year ago I arrived at Samarang, and went to visit Stein as usual. I was surprised and pleased to see Tamb’Itam, Jim’s servant, at Stein’s house, and hoped that perhaps Jim had come on a visit. But as soon as I met Stein, I realized something was wrong. The old man was looking miserable.

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Come and see the girl,’ he said sadly. ’They arrived two days ago. It’s terrible! Terrible! You must talk to her, make her forgive him. Young hearts do not forgive easily.’ Refusing to say any more, he absolutely pushed me through a door.

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I found myself in a large, cool room. The girl was sitting at a long table, resting her head on her arms. She opened her eyes and recognized me at once. I felt cold to the bone as I looked at her hard, sad face and her black, staring eyes.

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He has left me,’ she said quietly. ’I wanted to die with him! But he refused! Ah, you men are unfaithful! What makes you so bad? I shall never cry for him! Not one tear! He could see my face, hear my voice! And he still went away from me! Driven by some evil thing he had heard or seen in his sleep...’

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I was bitterly disappointed. ’You must forgive him,’ I said. ’We all want forgiveness.’ My voice sounded strange to me. Her frozen face did not change, and she made no sign as I left the room. I was glad to escape, and went to find Tamb’Itam, who told me as much of the story as he knew.

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It all began with a man called Captain Brown, one of the most evil seamen in the Western Pacific. From Cape York to Eden Bay he was famous for cheating, robbing and murdering; he was a cruel, violent and proud man, with no idea of duty, conscience or honour. At this moment in his life he was also desperate, because he had not earned much from his recent adventures, and his men were hungry and tired. They had stolen a Spanish ship, and were sailing it across the Java Sea, towards the Indian Ocean, when suddenly Brown realized that Patusan would be a good place to get food and water. Perhaps he had heard of it, as a largish village up the river, or perhaps it was just a name on his map. Anyway, they left their ship at the mouth of the river, and took the ship’s boat up to the trading-post. However, the headman of the fishing village at Batu Kring had managed to warn the Patusan people, who started firing their guns as soon as Brown’s boat appeared. Brown angrily ordered his men to fire back; he had not been expecting a fight. He noticed the creek (which Jim had jumped over in his escape from the Rajah’s men), and told his men to row into it. They landed, and climbed a small hill, which gave them a good view of the village and the Rajah’s stockade. They cut down some trees to make their own stockade, and waited for the natives to attack, in the growing darkness.

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The people of Patusan were frightened and confused. Their white lord was away in another part of the country, so it was Dain Waris who had ordered the shooting. Women and children left their homes and crowded into Jim’s house, where Jewel was in control. She also kept the ammunition, while Jim was absent. Doramin, his son, Jewel, the Rajah’s adviser Kassim, and all the local chiefs and headmen met in Jim’s house to decide what to do. Jewel and Dain Waris wanted to drive away the white men, but Doramin only seemed interested in keeping his son safe. Kassim was playing a clever game, hoping that these white men would attack and defeat Doramin’s men before Jim returned. Meanwhile he smiled and listened, pretending to offer the Rajah’s help against the white men.

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Part of Kassim’s plan involved Cornelius, because he spoke English. So the next day Kassim and Cornelius went to talk to Brown in his stockade. Brown listened to these offers of help and began to feel more hopeful. He had come to Patusan just to steal food, but perhaps here was an opportunity for him. Perhaps he could take control of Patusan, and make himself a rich man. He would work with this white man they called Tuan Jim, for a while anyway—until it became necessary to kill him. This indeed was Cornelius’s advice. ’You must kill him as soon as you can,’ he said repeatedly. ’Then you can have everything!’

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While this was happening, Dain Waris’s canoes went silently down to an island at the mouth of the river. This was on Doramin’s orders, in order to cut off Brown’s escape route back to his ship, but also, I suspect, to keep his son out of harm’s way. Kassim sent food to Brown and his men, but did not tell them about the canoes.

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Later that day Brown saw from his stockade one of the villagers walking out of a house. He gave an order to one of his men, who fired a single shot. The native fell to the ground, dead. ’That’s right!’ cried Brown delightedly. ’Put the fear of sudden death in them!’

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Darkness fell, and soon one of the white men decided to go back to the boat to get his pipe. When he reached the creek, there was a bang, and he cried out in pain, ’I’ve been hit!’ Brown and the others listened to him dying slowly in the mud for several hours; they knew they could not help him.

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At last it was morning, and Brown saw a group of Malays coming towards the creek, with a tall white man in the middle of them. Jim had returned to Patusan during the night, to the great happiness of the villagers, and was coming to talk to Brown. ’He’ll come and order you to leave his people alone,’ Cornelius had told Brown.

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Soon Jim left the villagers behind and came on alone. Brown went down to the creek to meet him. He knew at once that he and Jim would never understand each other. Jim’s clean white clothes, his honest eyes, and confident look made Brown hate him immediately. They spoke to each other, two men completely opposite in character, separated only by a muddy creek. Most of the time Jim listened, while Brown talked, choosing his words carefully. He knew nothing of Jim’s past, but he was extremely clever at finding the weakest place in a man’s soul, and, by an evil chance, he found his way to Jim’s.

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You can’t blame me for shooting that native last night!’ he cried. ’If you have to save your own life in the dark, you don’t care how many other people die, do you? I know I’ve done wrong in the past, but what about you? Why did you come and bury yourself here? You’re no better than I am! Don’t be a coward! There are two hundred of you to every one of us. Either come and fight us, or let us go!’

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Jim’s face was like thunder. Finally, after a long silence, he replied, ’Well, if you promise to leave the coast, we will let you go, and not fire on you unless you fire first.’ He turned away.

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The conversation was at an end, and Jim went back to the village to speak to Doramin and the headmen. Some of them were doubtful about allowing the white men to leave. ’They are cruel, evil robbers, who have killed one of us!’ they cried. ’We should kill them!’

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But Jim said gently, ’They have done evil things, certainly; but fortune has not been kind to them. Men can act badly sometimes, and still not be completely evil. It is best to let them go with their lives.’ He paused, then went on, ’Have I ever given you bad advice? Trust me. I am ready to answer with my life for any harm that comes to you if the white men are allowed to go.’

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All the headmen gave their opinion. Most of them simply said, ’We believe Tuan Jim. We will do what he advises.’

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And so it was agreed. Brown and his men were allowed to leave the hill, get into their boat, and row out of the creek into the river.

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That evening Jim sent Tamb’Itam down the river with a message for Dain Waris. ’Tell him that his men must not fire at the whites when they leave. That is the agreement here.’

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It is an important message,’ said Tamb’Itam. ’Give me a sign for Dain Waris, so that he knows these words come from you.’

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Ever since Jim came to Patusan, he had worn Stein’s silver ring. Everyone knew the ring, as it had been Doramin’s present to Stein long ago. Jim now took it off his finger and gave it to Tamb’Itam, as a sign for Dain Waris.

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The next morning Jim stood outside the Rajah’s stockade, watching Brown and his men leave Patusan, in a thick grey mist. But on board Brown’s boat was the evil Cornelius, hiding under a sail. He was disappointed that Brown had not killed Jim, and he had decided to take his revenge in a different way. He had promised to show Brown another creek, which led to the small island further down the river, where Doramin’s son and his men were waiting with their canoes. It was easy for Brown, who saw the chance to take revenge for his own misfortunes. Dain Waris and his men, with Tamb’Itam, were watching the bigger creek, and did not expect anyone to attack from the narrow creek behind them. When Brown’s men fired their guns, several natives fell, including Dain Waris, who was shot through the head. The others ran away, screaming with fear. The white robbers were never seen again in Patusan, but it was known that their ship sank in the Indian Ocean a month later.

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Cornelius also died, because Tamb’Itam saw him on the island and realized what he had done. The narrow creek was impossible to find without help from someone who knew it. Cornelius tried to escape, but Tamb’Itam killed him with his knife. This done, Tamb’Itam hurried back to his canoe, to take news of the disaster to his lord.

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At first Jim was angry. He wanted to chase the robbers, and began to give orders about collecting men and boats, but Tamb’Itam hesitated.

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Forgive me, Tuan,’ he said, ashamed, ’but it is not safe for me, your servant, to go among the people.’

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Then Jim understood the awful truth. He had run away from one world, and now his new world, the one he had made with his own hands, was falling around him. He sat silently like a stone figure, while Tamb’Itam talked of fighting, and the girl talked of danger. Who can tell what thoughts passed through his head? I think it was then that he tried to write—to somebody—and could not finish the message. Loneliness was closing on him. People had trusted him with their lives, but they would never be able to understand him.

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Meanwhile in the village there was great sadness, and anger, as the body of the chief’s son was brought home by canoe. Doramin looked at his dead son, and slowly, very slowly, took Jim’s silver ring off the cold, stiff hand. The crowd cried out in horror when they saw that well-known ring, and Doramin suddenly let out a great violent shout, deep from the chest, like a wounded animal—a cry of pain and anger. Then there was silence.

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At about this time, Jim left his house and started walking towards the river. ’Time to finish this,’ he said.

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The girl followed him, calling out, ’Won’t you fight?’

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There is nothing to fight for,’ he replied.

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Won’t you escape?’ she cried again.

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There is no escape,’ he said.

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So you are leaving? Don’t you remember you promised you would never leave me?’

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Enough, poor girl,’ he answered. ’If I stayed, I would not be worth having.’

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She ran to him, and, crying bitterly, held him in her arms. ’I shall hold you like this! You are mine!’

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Jim pulled himself away, looked into her face for a long moment, then ran to the water’s edge. He jumped into a canoe, with Tamb’Itam, and as they moved away, the girl screamed, ’You are unfaithful!’

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Forgive me!’ he cried.

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Never!’ she called back. ’Never!’

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When Jim arrived at Doramin’s stockade, the crowd of crying, confused people separated, respectfully and fearfully, to allow him to enter. He walked slowly through them, right up to the old chief, who was sitting in his usual chair, with a gun on his knees. Doramin’s wife was bending miserably over her son’s body, which was covered with a sheet. Jim lifted the sheet to look at his dead friend, then dropped it without a word. He waited for a moment, then said gently, ’I am responsible. I come in sadness, with no weapon. I am ready.’

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The heavy old man was helped up from his chair, and the silver ring, which Jim had worn so proudly, fell to the floor. With an expression of mad pain and anger on his face, Doramin stared at Jim standing stiffly in front of him. Then, looking him straight in the eyes, he lifted his gun and shot his son’s friend through the chest. Jim looked proudly and bravely round at all the staring faces, then, with a hand over his lips, he fell forward, dead.

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And that’s the end. He disappears under a cloud, mysterious, forgotten, and much too romantic. Perhaps in that last, short moment he saw the face of his opportunity, waiting for him like an Eastern bride. He left the arms of a living woman who loved him, to marry the shadowy ghost of imagined honour and duty. Is he completely happy now, I wonder? We ought to know; he is one of us. Was I so very wrong, after all, to believe in him? Who knows? He is gone, and the poor girl is living a soundless, frozen life in Stein’s house. Stein looks much older now, and is feeling his age. He often says he is ’preparing to leave all this’, while he waves his hand sadly at his butterflies.

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序号 英文/音标 中文解释 更多操作

armchair

[’ɑːmtʃeə(r)]

n.扶手椅;单人沙发;安乐椅

incomplete

[ˌɪnkəm’pliːt]

adj.不完全的;不完整的

packet

[’pækɪt]

n.小袋

rainy

[’reɪni]

adj.多雨的;下雨的

past

[pɑːst]

a. 过去的;

sailor

[’seɪlə(r)]

n.海员;水手;扁平的硬边草帽

conversation

[ˌkɒnvə’seɪʃn]

n.谈话;会话

excite

[ɪk’saɪt]

vt.使兴奋;使激动;刺激;激起

miserable

[’mɪzrəbl]

adj.痛苦的;悲惨的;贫乏的;狼狈的

felted

[’feltɪd]

v. 把 ... 制成毡(使 ... 粘结)

unfaithful

[ʌn’feɪθfl]

adj.不诚实的;不可靠的;不忠实的

forgiveness

[fə’ɡɪvnəs]

n.宽恕;宽仁之心,

seaman

[’siːmən]

n.海员;水手

Cape

[keɪp]

n.岬;海角

York

[jɔːk]

约克郡;〈板球〉使击球员出局

honour

[ˈɒnə]

n.光荣;

angrily

[’æŋɡrəli]

adv.气愤地

Jewel

[’dʒuːəl]

n.宝石;受珍视的人或物

headman

[’hedmæn]

n.队长;首领;酋长

hopeful

[’həʊpfl]

adj.有希望的

canoe

[kə’nuː]

n.独木舟

grind

[ɡraɪnd]

v.磨;压迫;碾碎;磨得吱吱响;逐渐停顿

bang

[bæŋ]

n.巨响;重击;刘海

Malay

[mə’leɪ]

n.马来人;马来语

villager

[’vɪlɪdʒə(r)]

n.村民

muddy

[’mʌdi]

adj.泥泞的;浑浊的;糊涂的

Stein

[staɪn]

n.啤酒杯

misfortune

[ˌmɪs’fɔːtʃuːn]

n.不幸;灾祸

Loneliness

[’ləʊnlinəs]

n.孤独;寂寞

sadness

[’sædnəs]

n.悲哀

bitterly

[’bɪtəli]

adv.残酷地;痛苦地

respectful

[rɪ’spektfl]

adj.表示尊敬的;有礼貌的;谦恭的

fearful

[’fɪəfl]

adj.担心的;可怕的;非常的

miserably

[’mɪzrəbli]

adv.悲惨地;糟糕地

liftable

[lɪftəbl]

a.1. 可以举起的

shadowy

[’ʃædəʊi]

adj.阴暗的;朦胧的;鲜为人知的

soundless

[’saʊndləs]

adj.无声的;完全静寂的;静悄悄的

Stein

[staɪn]

n.啤酒杯

简典