During the night, Radney had an unseaman-like way of sitting on the bulwarks of the quarterdeck, and leaning his arm upon the gunwale of the boat which was hoisted up there, a little above the ship's side. In this attitude, it was well known, he sometimes dozed. There was a considerable vacancy between the boat and the ship, and down between this was the sea. Steelkilt calculated his time, and found that his next trick at the helm would come round at two o'clock, in the morning of the third day from that in which he had been betrayed. At his leisure, he employed the interval in braiding something very carefully in his watches below.
拉德尼在晚間有一種非水手的習(xí)慣,就是愛坐在后甲板的舷壁上,胳膊靠在那只吊在那里。比船舷稍微高些的小艇舷邊上。大家都知道,他時(shí)常就這樣打起盹來。小艇跟船有一大段距離,這段距離的下邊就是海洋。斯蒂爾基爾特盤算了一下時(shí)間,知道到了他被出賣的第三天早晨兩點(diǎn)鐘的時(shí)候,就輪到他值掌舵的班。這時(shí),他閑著無事做,就趁空跑到下邊,十分小心地編起些什么來。
What are you making there? said a shipmate."
你在那兒干什么?一個(gè)伙伴說。
What do you think? what does it look like?
你想在干什么呀?這像什么東西?
Like a lanyard for your bag; but it's an odd one, seems to me."
好像是給你那只旅行袋編的索帶;不過,我看又像是一根很古怪的索子。
Yes, rather oddish, said the Lakeman, holding it at arm's length before him; but I think it will answer. Shipmate, I haven't enough twine,--have you any?
不錯(cuò),古怪了些,,湖上人說,手里捏得緊緊,不讓他細(xì)看;不過我想它會(huì)管用的。伙計(jì),我的麻線不夠啦——你可有嗎?
But there was none in the forecastle.
船頭樓里也一點(diǎn)都沒有了。
Then I must get some from old Rad; and he rose to go aft."
那么,我得去跟拉德尼老頭要一點(diǎn)啦;,于是他站了起來,到船尾去。
You don't mean to go a begging to him! said a sailor.
你不打算去向他乞討吧!一個(gè)水手說。
Why not? Do you think he won't do me a turn, when it's to help himself in the end, shipmate? and going to the mate, he looked at him quietly, and asked him for some twine to mend his hammock."
干嗎不!你想他不會(huì)對(duì)我做回好事么?這個(gè)到底對(duì)他也有好處呢,是么?老朋友?于是他便走到大副那里去,悄悄地望著他,問他要點(diǎn)麻線補(bǔ)補(bǔ)他的吊鋪。