英语故事 班尼托西兰诺船长（1 ）赫尔曼梅尔维尔

英语故事班尼托•西兰诺船长(1)赫尔曼•梅尔维尔BenitoCerenobyHermanMelville,PartOneOurstorytodayiscalled"BenitoCereno.nItwaswrittenbyHermanMelville.Wetellthestoryinthreeparts.HereisShepO'Nealwithpartoneof"BenitoCereno."CaptainBenitoCerenohurriedaboardhisship.Itwasreadytosail.Abrightsunandasoftbreezepromisedgoodweatherahead.Theship'sanchorwasraised.AndtheSanDominick—oldbutstillseaworthy-movedslowlyoutoftheharborofValparaiso,onthewestcoastofChile.ItwascarryingvaluableproductsandslavesupthePacificcoasttoCallao,anotherSpanishcolonialportnearLima,Peru.Theslaves,bothmaleandfemale,sleptondeck.Theywerenotchained,becausetheirowner,DonAlexandra,saidtheywerepeaceful.TheSanDominickmovedsteadilyforwardunderaclearsky.Theweathershowednosignofchange.Dayafterday,thesoftbreezekepttheshiponcoursetowardPeru.SlavetrafficbetweenSpain'scolonialportsinthisyearofseventeenninety-ninehadbeensteady.Buttherewerefewoutbreaksofviolence.Whathappened,therefore,onboardtheSanDominickcouldnothavebeenexpected.Ontheseventhdayout,beforedaybreak,theslavesroseupinrebellion.Theysweptthroughtheshipwithhandspikesandhatchetsmovingwiththefuryofdesperatemen.Theattackwasacompletesurprise.Fewofthecrewwereawake.Allhands,exceptthetwoofficersonthewatch,layinadeepuntroubledsleep.Therebelsspranguponthetwoofficersandleftthemhalfdead.Then,onebyone,theykilledeighteenofthesleepingcrew.Theythrewsomeoverboard,alive.Afewhidandescapeddeath.Therebelstiedupsevenothers,butleftthemalivetonavigatetheship.Asthedaybegantobreak,CaptainCerenocameslowly,carefullyupthestepstowardthechiefrebelleader,Babo,andbeggedformercy.HepromisedtofollowBabo'scommandsifhewouldonlyputanendtothekillings.Butthishadnoeffect.Babohadthreemenbroughtupondeckandtied.Then,thethreeSpaniardswerethrownoverboard.Babodidthistoshowhispowerandauthority—thathewasincommand.Babo,however,promisednottomurderCaptainCereno.Buteverythinghesaidcarriedathreat.HeaskedthecaptainifintheseseastherewereanyNegrocountries.*"None,"Cerenoanswered."Then,takeustoSenegalortheneighboringislandsofSaintNicholas."CaptainCerenowasshaken."Thatisimpossible!"hesaid."ItwouldmeangoingaroundCapeHorn.Andthisshipisinnoconditionforsuchavoyage.Andwedonothaveenoughsupplies,orsailsorwater.""Takeusthere,anyway,"Baboansweredsharply,showinglittleinterestinsuchdetails."Ifyourefuse,wewillkilleverywhitemanonboard."CaptainCerenoknewhehadnochoice.Hetoldtherebelleaderthatthemostseriousprobleminmakingsuchalongvoyagewaswater.BabosaidtheyshouldsailtotheislandofSantaMarianearthesouthernendofChile.Heknewthatnoonelivedontheisland.Butwaterandsuppliescouldbefoundthere.HeforcedCaptainCerenotokeepawayfromanyport.Hethreatenedtokillhimthemomenthesawhimstarttomovetowardanycity,townorsettlementonshore.CerenohadtoagreetosailtotheislandofSantaMaria.Hestillhopedthathemightmeetalongtheway,orattheislanditself,ashipthatcouldhelphim.Perhaps-whoknows-hemightfindaboatontheislandandbeabletoescapetothenearbycoastofArruco.Hopewasallhehadleft.Andthatwasgettingsmallereachday.CaptainCerenosteeredsouthforSantaMaria.Thevoyagewouldtakeweeks.Eightdaysaftertheshipturnedsouth,BabotoldCaptainCerenothathewasgoingtokillDonAlexandra,owneroftheslavesonboard.Hesaidithadtobedone.Otherwise,heandtheotherslavescouldneverbesureoftheirfreedom.Herefusedtolistentothecaptain'sappeals,andorderedtwomentopullDonAlexandraupfrombelowandkillhimondeck.Itwasdoneasordered.ThreeotherSpaniardswerealsobroughtupandthrownoverboard.BabowarnedCerenoandtheotherSpaniardsthateachoneofthemwouldgothesamewayifanyofthemgavethesmallestcauseforsuspicion.Cerenodecidedtodoeverythingpossibletosavethelivesofthoseremaining.HeagreedtocarrytherebelssafelytoSenegaliftheypromisedpeaceandnofurtherbloodshed.Andhesignedadocumentthatgavetherebelsownershipoftheshipanditscargo.Later,astheysaileddownthelongcoastofChile,thewindsuddenlydropped.Theshipdriftedintoadeepcalm.Fordays,itlaystillinthewater.Theheatwasfierce;thesufferingintense.Therewaslittlewater.Thatmademattersworse.Someofthoseonboardweredrivenmad.Afewdied.Thepressureandtensionmademanyviolent.AndtheykilledaSpanishofficer.Afteratime,abreezecameupandsettheshipfreeagain.Anditcontinuedsouth.Thevoyageseemedendless.Theshipsailedforweekswithlittlewateronboard.Itmovedthroughdaysofgoodweatherandperiodsofbadweather.Thereweretimeswhenitsailedunderheavyskies,andtimeswhenthewinddroppedandtheshiplaybe-calmedinlifelessair.Thecrewseemedhalfdead.Atlast,oneeveninginthemonthofAugust,theSanDominickreachedthelonelyislandofSantaMaria.Itmovedslowlytowardoneoftheisland'sbaystodropanchor.NotfarofflayanAmericanship.And,thesightoftheshipcaughttherebelsbysurprise.Theslavesbecametenseandfearful.Theywantedtosailaway,quickly.Buttheirleader,Babo,opposedsuchamove.Wherecouldtheygo?Theirwaterandfoodwerelow.Hesucceededinbringingthemundercontrolandinquietingtheirfears.Hetoldthemtheyhadnothingtofear.Andtheybelievedhim.Then,heorderedeveryonetogotowork,tocleanthedecksandputtheshipinproperandgoodcondition,sothatnovisitorwouldsuspectanythingwaswrong.Later,hespoketoCaptainCereno,warninghimthathewouldkillhimifhedidnotdoashewastold.HeexplainedindetailwhatCerenowastodoandsayifanystrangercameonboard.Heheldadaggerinhishand,sayingitwouldalwaysbereadyforanyemergency.TheAmericanvesselwasalargetradeshipandsealhunter,commandedbyCaptainAmasaDelano.HehadstoppedatSantaMariaforwater.OntheAmericanship,shortlyaftersunrise,anofficerwokeCaptainDelano,andtoldhimastrangesailwascomingintothebay.Thecaptainquicklygotup,dressedandwentupondeck.CaptainDelanoraisedhisspyglassandlookedcloselyatthestrangeshipcomingslowlyin.Hewassurprisedthattherewasnoflag.Ashipusuallyshoweditsflagwhenenteringaharborwhereanothershiplayatanchor.Astheshipgotcloser,CaptainDelanosawitwas