上船

It was nearly six o’clock, but only grey imperfect misty dawn, when we drew nigh the wharf.

我們走近碼頭時，將近六點了，天卻還只是一片灰濛濛、朦朧含霧的拂曉。

“There are some sailors running ahead there, if I see right,” said I to Queequeg, “it can’t be shadows; she’s off by sunrise, I guess; come on!”

「要是我沒看錯，前頭有幾個水手在跑，」我對魁魁格說，「那不會是影子；我猜她日出就要開了；快走！」

“Avast!” cried a voice, whose owner at the same time coming close behind us, laid a hand upon both our shoulders, and then insinuating himself between us, stood stooping forward a little, in the uncertain twilight, strangely peering from Queequeg to me. It was Elijah.

「站住！」一個聲音喊道，那聲音的主人同時緊跟到我們身後，一手搭上我倆的肩膀，接著硬擠進我們中間，在那捉摸不定的晨曦裡微微前傾著身子站定，古怪地從魁魁格望到我、又從我望到魁魁格。是以利亞。

“Going aboard?”

「要上船？」

“Hands off, will you,” said I.

「把手拿開，行嗎，」我說。

“Lookee here,” said Queequeg, shaking himself, “go ’way!”

「我說你啊，」魁魁格抖了抖身子說，「走開！」

“Ain’t going aboard, then?”

「那麼，是不上船囉？」

“Yes, we are,” said I, “but what business is that of yours? Do you know, Mr. Elijah, that I consider you a little impertinent?”

「不，我們要上船，」我說，「可這干你什麼事？以利亞先生，你知道嗎，我覺得你有點無禮？」

“No, no, no; I wasn’t aware of that,” said Elijah, slowly and wonderingly looking from me to Queequeg, with the most unaccountable glances.

「不，不，不；這我倒沒察覺，」以利亞說，緩緩地、納悶地從我望到魁魁格，目光說不出地古怪。

“Elijah,” said I, “you will oblige my friend and me by withdrawing. We are going to the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and would prefer not to be detained.”

「以利亞，」我說，「你若肯走開，就幫了我和我朋友一個忙。我們要去印度洋和太平洋，不想被耽擱。」

“Ye be, be ye? Coming back afore breakfast?”

「是嗎，是嗎？早飯前回得來嗎？」

“He’s cracked, Queequeg,” said I, “come on.”

「他腦子壞了，魁魁格，」我說，「走吧。」

“Holloa!” cried stationary Elijah, hailing us when we had removed a few paces.

「喂——！」站著沒動的以利亞，在我們走出幾步後朝我們喊道。

“Never mind him,” said I, “Queequeg, come on.”

「別理他，」我說，「魁魁格，走吧。」

But he stole up to us again, and suddenly clapping his hand on my shoulder, said—“Did ye see anything looking like men going towards that ship a while ago?”

可他又悄悄湊到我們跟前，猛地一手拍上我肩膀，說——「你們剛才有沒有看見什麼像人的東西、朝那船走過去？」

Struck by this plain matter-of-fact question, I answered, saying, “Yes, I thought I did see four or five men; but it was too dim to be sure.”

被這平實、就事論事的問題一問，我答道：「有，我好像看見四五個人；不過天太暗，沒法確定。」

“Very dim, very dim,” said Elijah. “Morning to ye.”

「很暗，很暗啊，」以利亞說。「早安。」

Once more we quitted him; but once more he came softly after us; and touching my shoulder again, said, “See if you can find ’em now, will ye?”

我們又一次離開他；可他又一次悄沒聲地跟上來；再次碰碰我的肩膀，說：「現在你倒去找找看他們在不在，行嗎？」

“Find who?”

「找誰？」

“Morning to ye! morning to ye!” he rejoined, again moving off. “Oh! I was going to warn ye against—but never mind, never mind—it’s all one, all in the family too;—sharp frost this morning, ain’t it? Good-bye to ye. Shan’t see ye again very soon, I guess; unless it’s before the Grand Jury.” And with these cracked words he finally departed, leaving me, for the moment, in no small wonderment at his frantic impudence.

「早安！早安啊！」他應道，又往一旁走開。「噢！我本想警告你們提防——不過算了，算了——反正都一個樣，而且也都是一家人嘛；——今早霜下得真重，是吧？再會了。我看是不會太快再見著你們了；除非，是在大陪審團面前。」撂下這通瘋話，他終於走了，讓我一時間對他那癲狂的無禮著實納悶不已。

At last, stepping on board the Pequod, we found everything in profound quiet, not a soul moving.

我們終於踏上裴廓德號，只見一切寂靜無比，不見一個人影走動。

The cabin entrance was locked within; the hatches were all on, and lumbered with coils of rigging.

艙室入口從裡頭反鎖著；艙口都蓋上了，還亂堆著一盤盤的索具。

Going forward to the forecastle, we found the slide of the scuttle open.

走到前頭的水手艙，我們發現那小艙口的滑蓋是開著的。

Seeing a light, we went down, and found only an old rigger there, wrapped in a tattered pea-jacket.

見有燈光，我們便下去，只見裡頭有個老索具工，裹著一件破舊的厚呢水手外套。

He was thrown at whole length upon two chests, his face downwards and inclosed in his folded arms. The profoundest slumber slept upon him.

他直挺挺地趴在兩只箱子上，臉朝下、埋在交疊的雙臂裡。最深沉的睡意正籠罩著他。

“Those sailors we saw, Queequeg, where can they have gone to?” said I, looking dubiously at the sleeper.

「我們看見的那些水手，魁魁格，能上哪兒去了呢？」我說，半信半疑地看著那熟睡的人。

But it seemed that, when on the wharf, Queequeg had not at all noticed what I now alluded to; hence I would have thought myself to have been optically deceived in that matter, were it not for Elijah’s otherwise inexplicable question.

可看來，方才在碼頭上時，魁魁格壓根沒注意到我此刻所說的事；因此，若不是以利亞那個否則無從解釋的問話，我險些要以為自己是看花了眼。

But I beat the thing down; and again marking the sleeper, jocularly hinted to Queequeg that perhaps we had best sit up with the body; telling him to establish himself accordingly.

但我把這念頭壓了下去；又打量了那熟睡者一番，便戲謔地向魁魁格暗示：我們或許最好替這「屍體」守守靈；叫他自己照這意思安頓下來。

He put his hand upon the sleeper’s rear, as though feeling if it was soft enough; and then, without more ado, sat quietly down there.

他把手按在那熟睡者的屁股上，彷彿在試它夠不夠軟；然後，不再多費周章，就靜靜地一屁股坐了上去。

“Gracious! Queequeg, don’t sit there,” said I.

「老天爺！魁魁格，別坐那兒，」我說。

“Oh! perry dood seat,” said Queequeg, “my country way; won’t hurt him face.”

「噢！這座位灰常（非常）好，」魁魁格說，「我家鄉的法子；不會傷他的臉。」

“Face!” said I, “call that his face? very benevolent countenance then; but how hard he breathes, he’s heaving himself; get off, Queequeg, you are heavy, it’s grinding the face of the poor. Get off, Queequeg! Look, he’ll twitch you off soon. I wonder he don’t wake.”

「臉！」我說，「你管那叫他的臉？那這張臉可真是和顏悅色得很哪；可你瞧他喘得多吃力，整個人一起一伏的；下來吧，魁魁格，你重得很，這是在『碾壓窮人的臉面』呢。下來吧，魁魁格！瞧，他馬上要把你抖下去了。真奇怪他怎麼還沒醒。」

Queequeg removed himself to just beyond the head of the sleeper, and lighted his tomahawk pipe. I sat at the feet. We kept the pipe passing over the sleeper, from one to the other.

魁魁格挪到那熟睡者頭頂稍過去一點的地方，點起他的菸斗戰斧。我坐在腳邊。我們倆把菸斗越過那熟睡者，你一口我一口地遞著抽。

Meanwhile, upon questioning him in his broken fashion, Queequeg gave me to understand that, in his land, owing to the absence of settees and sofas of all sorts, the king, chiefs, and great people generally, were in the custom of fattening some of the lower orders for ottomans; and to furnish a house comfortably in that respect, you had only to buy up eight or ten lazy fellows, and lay them round in the piers and alcoves.

這當口，我用他那破碎的話語問起他，魁魁格便讓我明白：在他家鄉，由於沒有各式各樣的長椅和沙發，國王、酋長和那些大人物，習慣把一些下層人養肥了當「軟墊（ottoman）」；要把家裡這方面布置得舒舒服服，你只消買上八到十個懶漢，沿著柱間和壁龕擺上一圈就行。

Besides, it was very convenient on an excursion; much better than those garden-chairs which are convertible into walking-sticks; upon occasion, a chief calling his attendant, and desiring him to make a settee of himself under a spreading tree, perhaps in some damp marshy place.

再說，出遊時這也很方便；比那種能折成手杖的花園椅好用多了；遇到要歇腳，酋長喚一聲隨從，吩咐他在一棵枝葉舒展的大樹下——也許是在某片潮濕的沼澤地裡——把自己變成一張長椅就成。

While narrating these things, every time Queequeg received the tomahawk from me, he flourished the hatchet-side of it over the sleeper’s head.

講這些事的時候，每回魁魁格從我手裡接過那菸斗戰斧，他都把那斧刃的一側在熟睡者頭頂上揮舞比劃。

“What’s that for, Queequeg?”

「那是做什麼用的，魁魁格？」

“Perry easy, kill-e; oh! perry easy!”

「灰常（非常）容易，宰了他；噢！灰常容易！」

He was going on with some wild reminiscences about his tomahawk-pipe, which, it seemed, had in its two uses both brained his foes and soothed his soul, when we were directly attracted to the sleeping rigger.

他正接著講起一些關於他菸斗戰斧的狂野往事——這玩意兒看來身兼兩用，既敲碎過他敵人的腦袋、又撫慰過他自己的靈魂——這時我們的注意力一下被那熟睡的索具工吸了過去。

The strong vapor now completely filling the contracted hole, it began to tell upon him. He breathed with a sort of muffledness; then seemed troubled in the nose; then revolved over once or twice; then sat up and rubbed his eyes.

此刻濃烈的菸氣已徹底灌滿那狹小的艙洞，開始對他起作用了。他呼吸間帶著一種悶塞聲；接著鼻子像是難受起來；然後翻了一兩個身；然後坐起身來揉了揉眼睛。

“Holloa!” he breathed at last, “who be ye smokers?”

「嗬——！」他終於喘著氣說，「你們是哪兒來的菸鬼？」

“Shipped men,” answered I, “when does she sail?”

「受僱的船員，」我答道，「她什麼時候開？」

“Aye, aye, ye are going in her, be ye? She sails to-day. The Captain came aboard last night.”

「哦，哦，你們要搭她出海，是吧？她今天開。船長昨夜已經上船了。」

“What Captain?—Ahab?”

「哪個船長？——亞哈？」

“Who but him indeed?”

「除了他還能有誰？」

I was going to ask him some further questions concerning Ahab, when we heard a noise on deck.

我正要再向他多問幾句關於亞哈的事，這時甲板上傳來一陣聲響。

“Holloa! Starbuck’s astir,” said the rigger. “He’s a lively chief mate, that; good man, and a pious; but all alive now, I must turn to.” And so saying he went on deck, and we followed.

「嗬！斯塔巴克起來了，」那索具工說。「那可是個生龍活虎的大副；好人，又虔誠；不過這會兒大家都動起來了，我得去幹活。」說著他上了甲板，我們也跟了上去。

It was now clear sunrise. Soon the crew came on board in twos and threes; the riggers bestirred themselves; the mates were actively engaged; and several of the shore people were busy in bringing various last things on board. Meanwhile Captain Ahab remained invisibly enshrined within his cabin.

此刻旭日已清朗地升起。不一會兒，船員們三三兩兩上了船；索具工們動了起來；船副們忙碌地各司其職；岸上也有幾個人忙著把最後一批雜物搬上船。而與此同時，亞哈船長依舊像供在神龕裡似的隱身在他的艙室之中，不見蹤影。