When I came to my senses again I was in adark place. Someone had tied my hands and feet. Iheard a loud noise of water，the wind in the sails，and the seamen’s cries. The whole world was risingand falling. I was sick and dizzy and hurt. My mindwas not clear and at first I could not understand anything.
Then I knew. I was lying somewhere insidethe terrible ship Covenant，and a storm was blowing.
I saw the danger to my life. I was ashamed andangry. I had let my uncle trick me again. I had letthe captain kidnap me. I was a prisoner！All hopeleft me.
How long did I lie in that dark place？I couldnot guess. Day and night were the same. There wasan evil smell，and sometimes rats ran over my face，What was happening？Was the ship breaking on arock？Or was it going down to the bottom of thesea？Sleep came to me at last. but my dreams wereterrible.
等我清醒过来的时候，发现自己躺在一个黑洞洞的地方，手脚是被捆住的。耳边是海水的咆哮声、船帆上的风声和水手们的喊叫声。
一切都在上下摇动，我感到头晕、恶心，脑子也是胡里胡涂。起初，我简直不明白是怎么回事。后来，我明白了：我是被装在“契约”号这只可憎的船里，外面正起着风暴。
我意识到自己有生命危险。我是既羞愧，又愤怒。我又一次上了叔叔的当，让船长把我拐走了，成了一名囚犯！我绝望了。
我不知道我在那个黑古隆咚的地方躺了多久，也分不清黑夜和白昼。那里有一股刺鼻的臭味。有时，老鼠还在我脸上跑来跑去。这是怎么回事？船是触礁了？还是在往海底沉？后来，我终于睡着了，但做了许多噩梦。
A light shone on my face and I awoke. A smallman was looking down at me. He had fair hair andgreen eyes.
“We ll，”he said,“how a re you ?”
I was too weak to answer. The man examinedmy head，and washed the wound in it.
“It ’s a ba d cut，”he said.“Che e r u p，ma n！
Life ’s not ove r ye t. Ha ve you ha d a ny food ?”
I said I could not eat. So he gave me somebrandy and water and went away.
When he came again，I was half asleep，half awake.
I was not sick now，but I was very dizzy. Everypart of my body was aching，too. The ropes onmy hands and feet burnt like fire. I was afraid ofthe rats which were always there.
I was glad when I saw the light. First the manwith the green eyes came down a ladder. He wasfollowed by the captain.
They did not speak. The man examined meand cleaned my wound again. Hoseason watchedand gave me a strange，black look.
“Now，s ir，you c a n s e e ，”said the small man,“ahigh fe ve r，no light，no food . You s e e the me a ning oftha t.”
一道光亮照到我的脸上，我醒来了。一个矮身材的人俯首看着我。他的头发淡黄，眼睛碧绿。
“喂，你怎么样啦？”他问。
我身体太弱了，实在没有力气回答。那人检查了一下我的头部，洗了洗我头上的伤口。他说：
“伤势可不轻。振作起来吧，小伙子！你还死不了呢？吃过东西没有?”
我说我吃不下东西，他便给我留下一点白兰地和水，然后就走了。
他再来时，我半睡半醒，迷迷糊糊，已经不恶心了，但头很晕，而且全身酸疼，手脚被绳子捆得火辣辣地很难受。身旁总有老鼠出没，我感到害怕。
我再次看到光亮时，心里很高兴。梯子上先走下来的是那个长着绿眼睛的人，船长跟在他后面。
他们一句话也没有说。那个人又把我的伤口检查、包扎了一下。
霍西森站在一旁看着，用奇怪的眼神凶狠地瞪了我一下。
那个矮个子说：“船长，你看见了吧，他正发高烧，见不着光线，又不吃东西。你明白这意味着什么。”
“I do not s e e the me a ning ，Mr Ria ch ，”the
船长说：“我不明白这意味着什
captain replied.
“Le t me s pe a k，s ir，”said Riach.“The boy mus tc ome ou t of th is hole . P ut him in the fore ca s tle .”
“He re he is ，a nd he re he will s ta y，”the captainsaid.
“I kn ow you ha ve re c e ive d mone y for thisde e d ，”said the other.“P le a s e remembe r tha t I ha venot. I am the s e c ond office r on this old boa t. You pa yme for tha t，a n d for nothing e ls e .”
“You a re a good office r ，Mr Ria ch ，”the captainsaid sharply,“but you like drinking bra ndy too muc h.
We ha ve work on de c k. ”And he put his foot on theladder.
But Mr Riach seized the arm of his jacket.
“You ha ve ta ke n mo ne y for a murde r，”he began.
Hoseason turned sharply.
“Wha t？Wha t？”he cried.“I ha ve s a ile d withyou thre e time s . You know me . I am a h a rd ma n，b ut Ido not murde r. You s a y the bo y will die ?”
“Ye s ，he will，”Mr Riach said.
“We ll，s ir，”Hoseason answered,“ta ke him up tothe fore ca s tle .”
He went up the ladder. Mr Riach took the
么，里亚契先生。”
里亚契说：“你听我说，船长，不能再让这个孩子呆在这个黑洞里，把他放在水手舱里吧。”
船长说；“就放在这儿，不能挪地方。”
里亚契说：“我知道你干这件事是拿了工钱的。请不要忘记，我可没有拿钱。我是这条破船上的二副。你雇我当二副，不是雇我干别的事的。”
船长厉声说：“你是个好样的二副，里亚契先生，可是你白兰地喝得太凶。咱们得上甲板去干活。”说着他就要上梯子。
可是，里亚契先生一把拉住了他的袖子，开口说：
“你是拿了钱谋杀人。”
霍西森忽地转过身，大声说：
“什么？你说什么？我跟你一起出海三次了。你知道我的为人。
我虽然厉害，可决不谋财害命。你说这个小子会死?”
“不错，他会死的。”里亚契说。
“好吧，先生，那就把他搬到水平舱里。”霍西森说。
船长上梯子走了。里亚契先生
ropes from my hands and feet. A seaman lifted meon his back and carried me up to the forecastle. Helaid me in a berth，and I lost my senses again.
把我手脚上的绳子解开，一名水手把我背到水手舱里，放在一张床铺上。我又昏过去了。
I opened my eyes at last. The forecastle was awide place in the front of the ship. It was below themain deck. Several scanlen were lying in theirberths. Some were smoking，some resting，somesleeping The day was calm，and the scanlen hole inthe deck above - was open. I was glad that therewas light and air.
When I moved，a seaman brought me someme- dicine. He told me Mr Riach had prepared itfor me.
I lay there for many days until my health returned.
My companions were rough and bad. Theirlife had made them hard，but sometimes they werekind to me. The captain had taken all my money，and had shared it among them. They gave some of itback to me.
I needed the money to help me in America.
My uncle had sent me there to be a slave in thefields.
Sometimes Ransome came in. He showed themarks of many blows. Often Mr Shuan had beatenhim. The first officer was very cruel，but the menrespected him. They said he was the best seaman
我终于睁开了眼睛。水手舱在船前部主甲板下面，挺宽敞。有几名水手在他们的床铺上躺着，有的正抽烟，有的在休息，有的在睡觉。
那天风平浪静，甲板上的舷窗敞开着，水手舱里光线充足，空气流通，我很高兴。
一个水手见我动了动，便把药拿过来。他说药是里亚契先生给我配的。
我在水手舱躺了好多天，慢慢恢复了健康。我的同伴们粗野、蛮横。海上生活使他们变成硬心肠。
不过，他们有时候待我很好。船长把我的钱都掏走跟他们瓜分了，可是他们又还给我一些。
到了美国我需要手头有这点钱。叔叔是要把我送到那里当奴隶，在地里做苦工的。
有时候，兰塞姆来水手舱，让我看他一次次挨打后留下的伤痕。夏先生经常揍他。这位大副非常凶狠，河水手们都尊敬他，说他是这艘
on the brig.
It was a very strange thing. Mr Shuan was agood man when he was not drinking. Mr Riach wasa good man only when he was drinking. When hewas not drinking，he did not come near me.
The storm continued. The men were alwayspulling in the sails，or opening them out. It washard work for them. The scuttle in the forecastlewas never open now，and I was a prisoner there. Sothe days passed slowly.
双桅船上最棒的水手。
说来是件怪事。夏先生不酗酒时人很好，而里亚契只有在喝得醉醺醺的时候才会有好心肠。他不喝醉时连我理也不理。
暴风还在刮着。水手们一会儿拉帆，一会儿张帆，忙得不亦乐乎。
那可真是一件苦差事。水手舱里的舷窗一直关着，我被囚在舱内，真是度日如年。
One day Mr Riach came in，and I told him mystory.
“I will he lp you if I ca n ，”he said.“I will ge t youpe n a nd pa pe r a nd in k. You ca n write to Mr Campbe lla nd Mr Ra nke illor. Me a nwhile ，ha ve c oura ge .”
He told me he was a laird ’s son himself. Hewas half a doctor，but he had not finished his examinations.
He had gone to sea instead. I asked himthe reason. He said he just liked fun.
有一天，里亚契先生来到舱内，我把自己的遭遇对他讲了。他说：
“有可能的话我会帮助你的。
我给你弄支笔，弄点纸和墨水，你可以给坎贝尔先生和兰基勒先生写信。可是在当前，你要打起精神。”
他对我说他自己也是一个地主家的少爷。还说他是半个大夫，只是没有考完试，后来却当了水手。
我问他为什么要当水手时，他说他这个人就爱玩儿。
