牛津書蟲系列 世界上最冷的地方 09 The end of the race

　　Chapter 9 The End of the Race

　　The Norwegians stayed two days at the Pole.They left a tent there，with a Norwegianflag on it.Inside the tent，they left some food，a letter for the King of Norway，and a let-ter for Scott.

　　They left some more black flags near the Pole，and one twenty-eight kilometres north.Then they skied away，back to the north.

　　It's a beautiful day，Bjaaland wrote.The sun is warm，the snow is good.But the dogs run too quickly—I can't get in front，of them!

　　They found their depots easily.There were ten between the Pole and Framheim.Eachdepot had a lot of food.They laughed and skied quickly down the mountains.Often，they skied fifty kilometres a day.On Friday，January 26th，1912，they came back to Framheim.It was four o'clock in the morn-ing.

　　Inside the wooden house，Lindstrm，the cook，was asleep.Amundsen walked quietly to his bed.'Good morning，Lindstrm，'he said.'Is our coffee ready?'

　　* * * * *

　　The black flags waited at the Pole.

　　'What's that，Captain?'Bowers said.'Over there?'

　　'Where?'Scott asked.'What—oh my God!'

　　They all saw me small black flag in the snow，two kilome-tres in front of them.Slowly，they pulled their sledge to it.

　　Next day，January 17th 1912，they found the tent and the Norwegian fiag.Near it，Scott took the British flag from under his clothes，and put it up.In his diary，Scott wrote：This is a very bad day.We are all tired，and have cold feet and hands.It is-30°Centigrade and there is asnowstorm.Great God! This is an awful place!

　　They turned north.Five tired，unhappy men，in the coldest，emptiest place on earth.

　　* * * * *

　　On March 13th，1912，Scott's wife Kathleen，looked at her morning newspaper.NORWAY'S FLAG AT SOUTH POLE，it said.She looked at it for a long time，and then began to cry.

　　'What's the matter?'her friend asked.

　　'My poor，poor husband，'Mrs Scott said.'What's happened to him?Where is he now?'

　　* * * * *

　　Scott's men were always hungry.There were not many depots and they were difficult to find.We need to find the next depot today，Oates wrote.But how can we find one black flag in all this snow?It's very difficult.And there is food for four men，not five.

　　They were all tired and ill，too.Oates's feet were black now，and he could not feel them.On February 16th，Edgar Evans died.

　　On the 17th they were past the mountains.At the depot there they ate one of the deadponies.Then they went on—ten，eleven，twelve kilometres a day.They were ill because their clothes were not warm and they didn't have much food.The temperature was sometimes -40°Centigrade.

　　On March 7th Scott looked at Oates's feet.They were big and black.'I can't pull the sledge now，'Oates said.'It's very difficult to walk.Am I going to lose these feet，Captain?'

　　Scott looked at Oates's feet，and said nothing.

　　On March 9th they found another depot，but there was not much food.Slowly，they walked on.Oates's feet were worse every day.

　　March 17th was Oates's birthday.He was thirty-two.He lay in the tent and listened to the wind outside.He was very cold，very hungry，and very very tired.

　　He wrote a letter to his mother and gave it to Wilson.Then he got up，and opened the door of the tent.He stopped in the door for a minute.Scott，Wilson，and Bowers looked at him.They didn't speak.

　　'I'm going outside for a minute，'Oates said.'I may be some time.'

　　They didn't see him again.

　　* * * * *

　　At Cape Evans，the Englishmen waited.On December 11th，Meares and the dogs came back.On January 3rd，Teddy Evans and his two men arrived at Cape Evans.The Terra Nova came，and went.Winter began.Scott did not come.

　　The Englishmen waited all winter at Cape Evans.Then，on October 26th 1912，they started for the south.Two weeks later，they found a tent.

　　There were three bodies in the tent—Scott，Wilson，and Bowers.They put the bodies under the snow.Then they took the men's letters and diaries，and went north to Cape Evans again.

　　In Scott's diary they read：Oates died like a good English-man.We all did.Please，remember us，and look after our families.We did our best.

　　No one found Oates's body.But he is there，somewhere， un-der the snow and the wind，in the coldest，emptiest place on earth.

　　9 比賽結(jié)束

　　挪威人在南極逗留了兩天。他們在那兒留下一頂帳篷，帳篷頂上插著一面挪威國旗。帳篷里，他們留下一些食物，一封致挪威國王的信，還有一封致斯科特的信。

　　他們在南極附近留下更多的黑旗，在南極以北28公里處插一面旗。隨后，他們滑行而去，返回北方。

　　這天太美好了，比阿蘭德這樣寫，太陽暖融融的，雪原也變得可愛。然而群狗跑得極快，我無法滑行到它們前面!

　　他們順利地找到了自己的貯藏屋。從南極到弗雷門海姆，共有10座貯藏屋。每座貯藏屋都貯藏有許多食物。他們歡聲笑語，飛快地向山下滑行而去。他們經(jīng)常一天滑行50公里。1912年1月26日星期五，他們返回到弗雷門海姆。當(dāng)時時間為凌晨4點。

　　木屋內(nèi)，廚師林德斯特倫正酣睡著。阿蒙森無聲地走到他床前。“早上好，林德斯特倫，”他說，“我們的咖啡準(zhǔn)備好了嗎?”

　　* * * * *

　　那些黑色的旗幟在南極等候著。

　　“那是什么，隊長?”鮑爾斯問，“就在那兒。”

　　“哪兒?”斯科特問，“什么?啊，我的上帝!”

　　所有人都看見了插在雪地上的小黑旗，位于他們前面兩公里處。他們緩慢地拖著雪橇朝那面旗幟走去。

　　第二天，1912年1月17日，他們發(fā)現(xiàn)了那頂帳篷與挪威國旗。來到帳篷附近，斯科特從衣服內(nèi)拿出英國國旗，將它掛起來。在他的日記里，斯科特這樣寫道：這天簡直糟糕透了。我們大家都疲憊不堪，手腳冰涼。氣溫為-30℃。這時又刮起暴風(fēng)雪。天啊，這地方太可怕了!

　　在地球上最寒冷、最空曠的地方，站著5位心力交瘁、情緒低落的人。他們回頭向北。

　　* * * * *

　　1912年3月13日，斯科特的妻子凱思林正閱讀著晨報。報紙上登著：挪威國旗插上南極。她長時間注視著這條消息，然后開始哭泣。

　　“出什么事啦?”她的朋友問。

　　“我好可憐的丈夫，”斯科特夫人說，“他出什么事兒啦?他現(xiàn)在在哪兒?”

　　* * * * *

　　斯科特的人一直是饑腸轆轆。他們沒設(shè)多少貯藏屋，而且找起來也很費事。今天，我們必須找到下一個貯藏屋，奧茨這樣寫，可是在這茫茫雪原之中，我們怎樣找到一面黑旗?這太難了，現(xiàn)在的食物只夠4個人食用，而不是5個人。

　　他們一行人病累交加。奧茨的雙腳已經(jīng)發(fā)黑，失去了感覺。2月16日，埃德加·埃文斯又辭世而去。

　　17日，他們翻過了大山。在那兒的貯藏屋，他們食用了一匹死馬。隨后他們繼續(xù)上路，每天走10公里、11公里、12公里。他們?nèi)×?，因為他們的衣服已?jīng)不能保暖，食物也不多。當(dāng)時的氣溫有時是-40℃。

　　3月7日，斯科特看著奧茨的雙腳，又腫又黑。“現(xiàn)在，我拉不動雪橇了，”奧茨說，“就連走路都非常吃力。我這雙腳還能保得住嗎，隊長?”

　　斯科特看著奧茨的雙腳，什么也說不出來。

　　3月9日，他們找到另一個貯藏屋，但是食物并沒有多少。他們緩慢地繼續(xù)走著。奧茨的雙腳日漸惡化。

　　3月17日是奧茨的生日，他年滿32歲。他躺在帳篷里，聽著外面的寒風(fēng)。極度的饑寒交迫，他感到非常非常疲倦。

　　他給母親寫了封信，交給了威爾遜。隨后，他起身，打開帳篷門，在門前猶豫一會兒。斯科特、威爾遜、鮑爾斯都看著他，誰也沒講話。

　　“我出去一會兒，”奧茨說，“或許過一陣子我才能回來。”

　　他們再也沒見到他。

　　* * * * *

　　在開普埃文斯，好些英國人在翹首期待著。12月11日這一天，米爾斯與狗群回來了。1月3日這一天，特迪·埃文斯與另外兩個人也回到開普埃文斯。特若·諾瓦號船駛來后，又離去了。又是一個寒冬來臨，斯科特一直沒回來。

　　英國人在開普埃文斯等待了整整一個冬天。隨后，在1912年10月26日，他們向南出發(fā)了。兩周后，他們發(fā)現(xiàn)一頂帳篷。

　　帳篷內(nèi)有3具遺體：斯科特、威爾遜、鮑爾斯。他們將這些遺體葬在雪地里。隨后，他們帶著這些人的書信與日記，往北返回開普埃文斯。

　　在斯科特的日記里，他們讀到這些內(nèi)容：奧茨死得像個英國漢子。我們大家也不遜色。請記住我們，請照看我們的家人。我們已經(jīng)盡了全力。

　　沒人找到奧茨的遺體。但是他就在那兒，在地球上最寒冷、最空曠的地方的風(fēng)雪里的某處。