第8集 - 惊奇号战舰（下）

欢迎收听《情人洞》，帕特里克·奥布莱恩的播客节目。这里是《HMS惊奇号》的第二部分，伊恩和迈克将继续朗读帕特里克·奥布莱恩的奥布里·马特隆系列小说。

Welcome to the Lovers Hole, a Patrick O'Brien podcast. Here we are part two of HMS surprise as Ian and Mike read through the Patrick O'Brien, Aubrey Matron novels.

上回我们讲到《HMS惊奇号》故事的开始，主要发生在岸上——斯蒂芬正在揭露他作为情报官职业生涯中不为人知的真相。同时海上剧情中，暂时指挥HMS活泼号的杰克在岸上执行行动后，前往梅诺卡岛寻找执行长期情报任务的斯蒂芬。斯蒂芬遭遇不幸被法军俘虏并遭受酷刑，但杰克和活泼号船员在莫汉港展开了一场惊险的夜袭行动，奇迹般地救出了重伤的斯蒂芬。如今他已被送回伦敦疗养，而我们的故事正从这里继续展开。

Last time we looked at the beginning of the HMS surprise story really mostly based at Shore where Stephen is uncovering what's really been going on in his career and context as an intelligence agent. And also at sea as Jack still in temporary command of HMS Lively has been engaging in action ashore and then goes to seek out Stephen on an extended intelligence mission in Minorca. Disaster has befallen Stephen. Stephen was taken captured tortured and against the odds rescued in a daring nighttime mission in Port Mohan by Jack and the crew of the Lively. Stephen was horribly injured by the French but is alive and has been brought back to London to convalesce, which is where we pick it up with Jack and Stephen.

迈克，接下来几章小说会为我们准备什么惊喜呢？

What does this novel have in store for us in the next couple of chapters, Mike?

没错。如你所说，首先是斯蒂芬在伦敦康复，随后前往巴斯，在那里我们再次遇到威廉姆斯一家。还会见到上周和前几本书中讨论过的约瑟夫·布莱恩爵士。我们将揭晓斯蒂芬为约瑟夫爵士准备的惊喜，现在轮到约瑟夫爵士给斯蒂芬的惊喜，以及斯蒂芬要给杰克的惊喜。

Yeah. We've got, as you say, Stephen's recovery first in London, then moving up to Bath, where we run into the Williams family again. Pick up with Sir Joseph Blayne, who we talked about last week and in earlier books. And we cover a surprise that Stephen had for Sir Joseph and now a surprise that Sir Joseph has for Stephen and a surprise that Stephen has for Jack.

太棒了，我最爱惊喜了，超爱惊喜！

Oh, this is great. I love surprises. I love surprises.

奥布莱恩在铺垫这部分时，把这个词用得绝妙——我估计至少用了150次'惊喜'。回顾这段被大家称为'环球航行'的情节时，真是惊喜连连，惊喜套着惊喜。

And O'Brien does such a phenomenal job of using this word at least, I think 150 times as we lead up to this. This, as I look back on my, what everybody calls it a circumnavigation, right? You're rereading the canon that surprise, surprise, surprise, surprise, surprise.

我觉得剧透一句也无妨：HMS惊奇号将在故事中扮演重要角色。这艘船几乎要成为具有独立人格的角色了。所以本期我们可以花些时间，首次了解她对杰克的意义，以及她即将对斯蒂芬意味着什么。

And I don't think it's a really great spoiler to say that HMS Surprise is gonna be important to our story. This ship's almost gonna become a character in her own right. So we can spend some time this episode learning for the first time what she means to to Jack and then what she's gonna mean to Steven as well.

确实如此。而对于你来说，

Absolutely. And for you,

你

you

知道吗，自然哲学的爱好者们，这周我们应有尽有。有吸血鬼，有老鼠，有树懒，还有正典中最令人难忘的台词之一。

know, natural philosopher fans out there, we've got everything this week. We've got vampires. We've got rats. We've got a sloth, and and one of the most memorable lines of the canon.

哦，我们有。好吧，这些都还在后面。但现在我们有什么？史蒂文在伦敦的住所养病，慢慢地、慢慢地从伤病中恢复。而杰克在邦丹和基利克的帮助下（如果我没记错的话），带他在城里走动。

Oh, we have. Well, that's all still to come. But for now, what have we got? We've got Steven in lodgings in London convalescing and slowly, slowly recovering from his injuries. And we've got Jack helping him get about town with the assistance of Bondan and Killick, if I'm right.

是啊，是啊。我在努力回忆，伊恩，当我们重新开始这段时，史蒂文刚回到英格兰不久，杰克想帮他，却因债务被捕。所以，杰克暂时有点不在场。

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I think, I'm trying to remember, Ian, as we pick it back up here that you know, Stephen had kind of no sooner gotten back to England than Jack trying to help him out gets arrested for debt. So we've got, Jack a little bit out of the picture.

杰克不止一方面有点不在场。我很喜欢我们看到了帕特里克·奥布莱恩的两个经典反复出现的主题。第一个是每当史蒂文在健康、快乐或安全方面稍有不足时，他就会变成你能想象到的最刻薄、脾气最坏、最爱争吵的人。太真实了。而且他讨厌每个人都讨厌每个人都在照顾他。

Jack a little bit out of the picture in more than one way. I do like that we get two two great Patrick O'Brien recurring ideas. The first is the recurring idea that whenever Steven's any any less than a 100% in terms of his health or his happiness or his security, He is the meanest, most ill tempered, most cantankerous person you could want. Too true. And he hates that everyone he hates that everyone's looking after him.

他讨厌每个人都在添柴火、往马车里塞稻草、给他端来滋补酒和药水，他希望他们都见鬼去，但这种方式没人买账。不管他愿不愿意，史蒂文都会被照顾得好好的。现在杰克甚至向房东太太莫斯抱怨，他说，我试过了。

He hates that everyone's stoking the fire and filling the coach with straw and offering him posits and neguses and potions and shrubs, and he wishes them all to the devil, but in a way that doesn't convince anybody. Nobody's having any of it. Steven's going to get looked after whether he likes it or not. Now Jack even complains to missus Moss, the landlady. He says, I've tried.

我曾试图帮助他，照顾他、护理他。但这种奥布里式的固执，他倔得像牛蹄里的蜜蜂。现在杰克·奥布里养成了这个习惯，对吧？总是用些错得离谱的短语，制造出极其滑稽的效果。

I've tried to help him out. I've tried to look after him and nurse him. But this great Aubreyism, he's as obstinate as a bee in a bull's foot. Now Jack Aubrey's got this habit, hasn't he? Of using these sort of malaproppish, mis turns of phrase in a for really, really great comic effect.

网上有人整理过这些‘奥布里语录’。我感觉我们可能发现了一个未被广泛记录的，所以很兴奋。没错，史蒂文倔得像牛蹄里的蜜蜂。

There are lists of them on the Internet. There are lists of Aubreyisms. I have a feeling that we might have come across one that's not been widely written about, so I'm excited about that. That's right. So Steven is as obstinate as a bee in a bull's foot.

给我们拆解一下这句话，它由哪些成分组成？

Pick that apart for us. What what are the components of that?

嗯，伊恩，说来有趣。我查遍了资料，想着直接去炮舱找答案——炮舱通常知道这些——但这次炮舱也帮不上忙。

Well, you know, it's funny, Ian. I I like you, I looked all over for this one. I thought, you know, we'll go right to the gun room. The gun room usually knows about this. No help at the gun room on this one.

我查到的是，斯珀吉翁，早期基督教作家在著作中常提到分不清蜜蜂和牛蹄的人。所以我怀疑奥布莱恩不知怎么挖出了这个典故，然后如你所说，在奥布里式表达中，杰克把这些谚语、格言和智慧箴言都搅得乱七八糟。

And what I did find, Spurgeon, some early Christian writers writing back, talked a lot about people who are unable to distinguish between the difference between a bee and a bull's foot. So I suspect that O'Brien has somehow pulled this out, but then in in the Aubreyism, as you say, Jack takes these little proverbs, these sayings, these wisdom things, and always gets them all twisted around here.

是啊。可能他大脑一部分想着‘倔得像骡子’，另一部分又和‘蜜蜂与牛蹄’的典故混在一起了。

Yeah. So he's probably got obstinate as a mule in one part of his brain and it merges in another part of his brain with the bee and the bull's foot thing.

嗯，正是如此。

Well, exactly.

是啊，我们书里这样的内容还挺多的

Yeah, we've got quite a few of these in

书里还有一段我觉得特别有趣的。杰克后来会因夺取西班牙宝藏船的行动获得报酬，但金额远不够他还债。他说：'虽算不上丰厚，但一鸟在手胜过百鸟在林。'你同意吗？

the book, haven't we? We've got a, a later one that I thought was really funny as well. Jack at some point is gonna get some payment for his action in the taking of the Spanish treasure ships and the amount of money is not what he needed really to get out of debt. And he says, it's not what you'd call handsome, but a bird in the hand is worth any amount of beating about the bush. Don't you agree?

没错。我觉得这本书里他确实把高潮戏码玩得很溜。

Right. And so he's he's definitely got his orgasm game on in this book, I think.

对。后面还有一段，杰克说——稍后我们会补充更多背景——'他们不会高兴，但他们知道我们必须乘着装备精良的船赶上季风，也知道自己身在海军。既然选了这块蛋糕，就得躺在上面。'史蒂文回道：'你是说他们不能既要床又要吃蛋糕？'

Yeah. There's there's one, I think, that comes later as well that says, Jack saying and we'll them a little more context later. It's won't be pleased, but they know we must catch the monsoon with a well found ship, and they know they're in the Navy. They've chosen their cake and they must lie on it. And Steven replies, you mean they cannot have their bed and eat it?

不，不，也不是那个意思。我是说，希望你别搅乱我的思路，史蒂文。不过这种事总是一再发生。

No. No. That is not quite that neither. I mean, I wish you would not confuse my mind, Steven. But these things happen over and over again.

第一本和第二本书里都有。我们没特意指出，但就像隐藏的彩蛋，每次发现都会会心一笑：'啊，又是奥布雷式的幽默'。

They've been in book one and book two. We haven't been calling them out, but it's just one of those secret delights that you say, ah, another Aubreyism.

完全同意。我在想奥布莱恩是不是早就构思好了这些段子，像调味料般精心安插在作品各处。

Absolutely. And I wonder if O'Brien had ideas for a few of them and he's kind of saving them up. They'll put them in special places as as seasoning for the rest of the the the writing.

嗯，他似乎对两件事都怀有特别的喜爱，正如你所说，一是用杰克的舌头把这些事情搅乱，二是在即将与约瑟夫爵士的对话中，当爵士用了些陈词滥调或谚语时，史蒂文立刻能联想到十个类似的例子——奥布莱恩非常擅长这种意识流式的表达，但他一个都没提，又回到了对话本身。

Well, he's he seems to have a fond place in his heart both for, as you say, twisting these things up in Jack's tongue. And then also, in a conversation coming up shortly with Sir Joseph, Sir Joseph uses a little bit of a cliche or a proverb or something. And then Steven immediately, you know, brings about 10 to mind, O'Brien is so good about just sort of stream of consciousness and says, but he mentions none of them and then goes back on the conversation.

是的。史蒂文正在与布莱恩交谈，他们不得不继续这场相当尴尬的对话，讨论接下来该怎么办，以及如何看待史蒂文作为特工身份的暴露。布莱恩还密切关注着史蒂文的康复情况。约瑟夫·布莱恩对他同事沃林先生的描述让我印象深刻：‘他今天好多了，’约瑟夫爵士说。

Yeah. So Stephen's talking to Blaine, and they have to have this rather awkward continuing conversation about what to do next and what to make of the the unblinding of Stephen's identity as an agent. And Blaine is also paying close attention to how Steven's recovery is getting on. And I was really struck by this account that Joseph Blaine gives to, his colleague, mister Waring. He's doing better today, said sir Joseph.

‘好多了，’沃林先生说，‘他周四走了将近一英里。我简直不敢相信。你看到他的身体了吗？’‘只看到他的手，’约瑟夫爵士回答。

Far better, said Mister Waring. He walked the best part of a mile on Thursday. I should never have believed it. You saw his body? Only his hands, said Sir Joseph.

‘他必定有着非凡的意志力和体质。’‘确实如此，确实如此，’约瑟夫爵士说。这是帕特里克·奥布莱恩在暗示史蒂文遭受了多么残酷的折磨和伤害，但又不直接描述以免显得病态。这也让约瑟夫爵士有机会继续讨论史蒂文的性格，并与沃林谈论史蒂文目前的人生阶段。

He must have uncommon strength of will, uncommon strength of constitution. He has, he has, said Sir Joseph. So this is Patrick O'Brien trying to give the hint of just how unpleasantly Stephen's been maimed and injured in the proceeding of torture without without drawing it out for us and making it morkish. But that also gives Sir Joseph the the chance to go on discussing Stephen's character and talking about where Stephen's at in his, in in in the course of his life with Waring.

约瑟夫爵士告诉史蒂文，他自己即将退休，沃林将成为接班人。所以他们正在培养这位顶级特工，并试图了解史蒂文。我认为沃林虽然已经表示很欣赏史蒂文的工作，但他现在真正开始意识到史蒂文是个多么独特的人——对于这样一位哲学家般的天才来说，还带着点浪漫主义。约瑟夫爵士对沃林说：‘正如我刚才说的，他很坚强，但并非没有弱点。’

Sir Joseph has told Steven that he, Sir Joseph, is retiring and Waring is gonna be his successor. And so they're they're cultivating their top prize agent here and getting to know Stephen a little bit. And I think Waring is, you know, while he's already said that Waring really appreciates all of Stephen's work, Waring is really coming to appreciate what a unique individual Stephen is. And perhaps for such a philosopher kind of genius here, also what a bit of a romantic he is. Sir Joseph's telling Waring says, as I was saying, strong, but not without his weaknesses.

‘前几天他还责备他那位特别的朋友有浪漫念头，然后滔滔不绝地讲个不停。我都差点笑出来。’接着他讲述了史蒂文的背景，并将其比作堂吉诃德：先是93年前的热血革命支持者，后是联合爱尔兰人成员，再是爱德华勋爵的顾问（顺便一提，还是他的表亲），现在又支持加泰罗尼亚独立——或者说从一开始就同时支持这些事业。

He was blaming his particular friend for romantic notions the other day. And he goes on and on and on. And I should have been tempted to laugh. And then he gives this history of Stephen's background, which he compares to Don Quixote here. You know, an enthusiastic supporter of the revolution until '93, a united Irishman until the rising, Lord Edward's advisor, his cousin by the way, and now Catalan independence, or perhaps I should say Catalan independence from the beginning simultaneously with the others.

‘但他总是全心全意、倾尽所有投入那些不可能给他带来任何个人利益的事业。他是否像常人那样浪漫？沃林，你问问他。不，事实上他非常节制，有段时间甚至让我们感到不安。’

But always heart and soul, blood and purse in some cause from which he can derive no conceivable personal benefit. Is he romantic in the common sense? Worrying, ask him. No. So chaste indeed that at one time we were uneasy.

但他随后向他保证，曾有一位年轻女士让他们可以安心休息。作为经纪人，他们不必为史蒂文有这种特别的担忧。

But then he assures him that there was one young lady one time that made them, you know, rest easy. They didn't have to have that particular worry with Steven as an agent.

是的。谈话中有个有趣的小插曲，帕特里克·奥布莱恩阐释了浪漫主义哲学对十九世纪初人们的意义。我认为布莱恩显然是将功利主义视为一种我们试图优化个人利益或结果的哲学，这曾是启蒙哲学的一部分。而史蒂文似乎经常拒绝启蒙哲学。

Yeah. And a little interesting side note of the conversation is Patrick O'Brien illustrating what romantic philosophy meant to people in the early nineteenth century. So I I think, certainly, you Blaine is looking back on utilitarianism as one where, you know, personal benefit or consequences are the thing that we try and optimize. And that was a part, I think, of enlightenment philosophy. And Stephen very often seems to reject enlightenment philosophy.

他不喜欢卢梭。也不喜欢十九世纪早期哲学中那种浪漫主义、自然主义和个人主义的宣泄。但他在这里精准地抓住了史蒂文的特质——他具有浪漫主义性格的一面，即执着于事业和理想。

Doesn't like Rousseau. Doesn't like any of the kind of the the romantic, naturalistic, individualistic outpourings of early nineteenth century philosophy. But he's absolutely nailed Steven here that he has got that part of the romantic character, which is that he's attached to causes and he's attached to ideals.

确实如此。正如你所说，这些事业和理想在浪漫主义观念中，以一种非功利的方式，实际上对他毫无益处，但他仍追求它们。而杰克似乎也成了史蒂文的其中一个事业。

For sure. And and these causes and ideals, as you say, in the romantic notion of that, you know, in a non utilitarian way, have apt you know, really do nothing for him, but he goes after them. And Jack seems to have become one of those causes for Steven as well.

接下来会有这样一个时刻：史蒂文发现约瑟夫爵士、情报部门和海军部欠他一个人情。史蒂文打算兑现这个人情，目的是让杰克受益。他在《舰长》结尾就这样做过，我想现在他又要重演这一幕。

So there's gonna be this moment coming up where Steven finds that Sir Joseph and the intelligence community and the Admiralty owe a favor. They owe a favor to Steven, and Steven's gonna cash it in in with the intention of making that benefit Jack. Again, he did this at the end of post captain, and he's doing it again, I think, now.

没错。我们说到这儿了。幸运的是，约瑟夫爵士即将退休，可以说从海军部精灵那里得到一个愿望。按你的说法，他将代表史蒂文为杰克兑现这个愿望。

Right. Yeah. Here we are. Luckily, sir Joseph is retiring and gets, if you will, one wish from the admiralty genie. And to your point, he's gonna cash it in on Steven's behalf here for Jack.

因为如你所说，杰克当时在伦敦帮忙解救史蒂文，却在那时因债务被捕。史蒂文已将此事告知约瑟夫爵士并深感忧虑，爵士也正以此方式为他斡旋。

Because Jack, as you said, Jack was helping out right there in London or right there getting getting Steven off. And right at that time was arrested for debt. Stephen has told Sir Joseph about this and is very concerned. And Sir Joseph is also interceding on his behalf that way.

没错。就在这一刻，杰克明白了。我特别喜欢这个情节安排——我们通过史蒂文口述给索菲写信的过程，逐渐了解部分剧情。随着信件被朗读和口述，镜头不断切换到正在发生的其他行动线。远东突袭任务的宣布与杰克·奥布里即将参与的任务同时到来，而杰克此时恰好能从债务监狱脱身，这一连串事件突然触发了行动与决策的连锁反应，史蒂文终于能对约瑟夫爵士说：不，我没事了。

That's right. So this is the moment where Jack learns. I love the fact that we hear some of this plot being told out in the course of Steven writing a letter dictating to Sophie. And as the letter is read out and dictated, we get little side cuts into other bits of action that are now taking place. The announcement of the surprise and the mission to the Far East as the thing that Jack Aubrey is gonna be engaged upon coming at the same time as Jack being then able to free himself from the sponging house suddenly triggers this cascade of motion and decision and Steven's able to say to sir Joseph, no, I'm fine.

漫长炎热的海上巡航正合我意。杰克已迫不及待要出发。长期远离岸上的烦恼困扰对杰克·奥布里再好不过，你可以卸下责任，在退休的重要时刻宣布：杰克·奥布里、史蒂文·马瑟林，惊喜吧，登上斯坦霍普号启航吧。所有登船准备工作此刻几乎从叙事中喷涌而出，非常有趣。史蒂文迅速从脾气暴躁转为轻松愉快，在与索菲的私下对话中展现出真正幽默、慷慨和善良的一面。

A long hot weather cruise is gonna suit me. Jack is raring to go. A long spell away from the troubles and tribulations of being ashore is gonna be great for Jack Aubrey, you can relieve yourself of his obligation and take the the great moment of your retirement to say Jack Aubrey, Steven Matsherin, surprise, go on a Stanhope, go forth. So all of the embarkation and preparation almost tumbles out of the storytelling at this point and it's funny and Steven switched so rapidly from being a curmudgeon to being lighthearted and really funny and generous and kind as he's having this little kind of side conversation with Sophie.

完全正确。虽然我不想剧透，甚至我们之前都没怎么讨论这个细节——但让我觉得特别有趣的是，为了让杰克能登上'惊喜号'，史蒂文专门规划了路线。这样杰克就能在周日抵达而不会被因债务逮捕。索菲太想见他了，所以史蒂文偷偷带走了索菲，用马车载着她赶来。

So absolutely true. And I don't wanna jump ahead, and and I don't even think we we talked about this as much, but it tickled me that, you know, in order to get on the surprise, Steven sets up, a route for Jack to take so that he can get there. He can arrive on a Sunday and not be arrested for debt. Sophie wants so badly to see him. So he's stealing Sophie away, bringing her up on a coach.

杰克骑着马从半路赶来。其实那是基利格安排的灵车。他和邦登一起过来。他们有一辆马车，史蒂文也有辆马车。

Jack's riding down partway on a coach. Actually, a hearse that Killig arranges. He's coming down with Bonden. You know, they've got a coach. Steven has a coach.

两辆马车即将会合。骑马的杰克会与他们会面。当杰克骑马靠近时，驾驶史蒂文和索菲马车的车夫以为这是个强盗，然后——

The coaches are gonna meet. Jack on the horse is gonna meet them. And as Jack rides up, the coachmen that are driving Steven and Sophie, are afraid that this is a robber. And-

是啊。嘿，等一下

Yeah. Hi, Wait a

索菲说：史蒂文，别开枪。史蒂文回答：噢，我不会开枪的。当这个黑影骑马来到车窗前，史蒂文却说：饶了我吧，带走姑娘，但饶我一命。这个细节让我看到了史蒂文性格中新的一面。

minute. Sophie says, Steven, don't shoot him. And Steven says, you know, Oh, I'm not gonna shoot him. And as this dark figure rides to the window, Steven says, Spare me, spare me, take the girl, but spare me. This is a little bit for me was a little bit of a new piece of Steven's character.

天啊，太棒了。但苏菲对我们都不理不睬，只有杰克，我早就知道是你。我就是喜欢那一幕。

Boy, great. But Sophie's having none of us. Just Jack, I knew it was you the whole time. I just love that scene.

是啊。史蒂文真的很享受他撮合了两位朋友苏菲和杰克这件事，简直忍不住。没错，正看着他们俩呢。

Yeah. Steven's really enjoying the fact that he sent up his two friends, Sophie and Jack, and just can't resist. Yeah. Looking out of them both.

完全同意。而且，你知道，那份我们都记得的大学时代或其他地方的美好礼物，给了他们三十分钟独处时间。

Absolutely. And and does that, you know, that that gracious gift that we all remember back from our college days and elsewhere gives them thirty minutes alone.

确实如此。那就稍微聊聊

Absolutely. So talk a little

对，正是这样。

Yeah. Exactly.

不过我确信这一切都合乎礼仪，毕竟这是十九世纪。

Although I'm sure it was all perfectly chased because this was the nineteenth century.

绝对没错。

Absolutely.

所以杰克是惊喜号的主人，是惊喜号的船长。他是一位正式任命的船长，拥有一艘名副其实的护卫舰——HMS惊喜号。书中会反复出现的一句话，也是我脑海中挥之不去的描述，就是杰克对HMS惊喜号的赞美。我要借用罗素·克劳在《怒海争锋》电影中饰演杰克·奥布里时那动人的嗓音来歌颂这艘惊喜号。

So Jack is master of the surprise. Jack is captain of the surprise. He's a post captain and he's got a frigate, an honest to goodness frigate, HMS surprise, and one of the lines that I think we'll hear a lot in the book and certainly I hear in my head as I remember the description that Jack always gives of, HMS Surprise. I'm gonna borrow the voice of Russell Crowe who in the Master of Commander movie does a beautiful turn as Jack Aubrey singing the praises of the surprise.

医生，你会称我为老战舰吗？惊喜号并不老。没人会说她老。她有着粗犷的船首，美丽的狮首雕饰。她是只出色的海鸟，能迎风破浪，船身坚固，速度飞快。

Would you call me an aged man of war, doctor? Surprise is not old. No one would call her old. She's a bluff bow, lovely lion's. She's a fine seabird, weatherly, stiff, and fast.

如果操控得当，她速度极快。不，她并不老。她正值壮年。

Very fast if she's well handled. No. She's not old. She's in her prime.

很好。那么让我们用备用方案来切换场景。来看看维基百科的剧情摘要：故事此时，奥布里和马图林乘坐惊喜号护送一位大使前往马来半岛的坎彭苏丹国。奥布里希望能找到曾俘虏过他的利努瓦指挥的法国分舰队。

Nice. Nice. So let let let's use our standby for moving from one setting to another. Let's dip into the Wikipedia plot summary, which says at this point in the story, Aubrey and Maturin leave in the surprise to ferry an ambassador to the Sultan of Kampong on the Malay Peninsula. Aubrey hopes to find the French squadron commanded by Linois who once took him prisoner.

迟早，惊喜号会在赤道以北的无风带陷入停滞。迈克，我注意到奥布莱恩在这里运用了电影化的远视角技巧。他在《怒海争锋》中用过，这里再次使用。他以上帝视角展现惊喜号在世界中的位置。画面极其优美，令人印象深刻。

And sooner or later, surprise is gonna be caught in the doldrums in the windless calms just North of the Equator. Now Mike, I noticed here that O'Brien uses this cinematic long distance perspective trick. He did it in Master and Commander and he's doing it again here. He gives us this god's eye view of surprise and where she's set in the world. It's very very beautiful as well, very striking image.

他描写太阳此刻正悬在孟买上空——那是他们的中途目的地——而同一时刻，太阳刚刚在大西洋赤道以北升起，那里正是惊喜号停泊之处。我们追随着那道光线：它在孟买投下令人昏聩的酷热，同一束光却正划破黎明，照亮无风停滞中惊喜号的索具。这文字再次展现出惊人的美感。

He talks about the sun being overhead in Bombay at one instant which is their destination where they're headed for as their interim stop. And at the same time, it's just rising in the Atlantic, just North of the Equator where surprises become, and we follow the ray of light, which is casting its silent deadening heat over Bombay, and that same ray of light is just breaking the dawn and lighting up the rigging of surprise be calmed. And it's, once again, it's beautiful writing.

这场景确实很美，但我感觉有点怪异，甚至有点上当。什么意思？我们已经到孟买了？哦不，事实上我们还在西边数千英里外。

It is a beautiful scene, and and I felt just a little bit odd and also a little cheated. Like, what do you mean? We're already in Bombay? Oh, no, we're not. As a matter of fact, we are thousands of miles west.

从西边数千英里之外到最终抵达孟买，这期间会发生许多事情。

And there's a lot to happen between that thousands of miles west and and ultimately getting to Bombay.

确实如此。我们有了一个新的——部分是新角色的阵容。有奥布里的一些老部下，当然还有史蒂文、基利克、邦登等人。我们有一位新中尉，名叫尼科尔斯。

There surely is. And we've got a new well, partly new cast of characters as well. We've got some of Aubrey's old followers, and, of course, we've got Steven and Killick and Bondon and the rest of them. We have a new lieutenant. We have lieutenant Nichols.

当我第一次遇到尼科尔斯这个角色时，书中描述他在炮舱餐桌上显得有点笨拙、迟钝，这让我想起了波利克雷斯特号的帕克中尉那样难相处的人。或许也让我联想到《怒海争锋》中因深沉性格而阴郁的詹姆斯·狄龙。我好奇尼科尔斯会扮演什么角色。顺便说，他早期就表现出严重坏血病症状，这种可怕的营养缺乏症正是外科医生史蒂文全力对抗的疾病。

And I when I first encountered the character of Nichols, he's described as being the slightly awkward, slightly lump and one around the dinner table in the gun room and that made me think of people like Lieutenant Parker and the Polycrest who is a bit of a hard horse. Maybe think also a little bit of James Dillon in Master and Commander who is the slightly moody, slightly sullen one, although for a very deep character led reasons. And I was wondering what role Nichols might be going to play. He's also, by the way, the one that early on exhibits some of the serious symptoms of scurvy, which is the dread disease, the dread deficiency that Steven's wrestling with as the surgeon.

没错。他们截获'惊喜号'时其实没多少船员，所以大家像往常一样凑齐了能找到的人手。其中不少来自长期在美洲执勤的'浣熊号'，这些人估计是刚下那艘船就直接登上了'惊喜号'，连喘息时间都没有。

Right. And they've they've picked up when they picked up the surprise, they really didn't have much of a crew. And so everybody pulled together as usual what they could get. And a number of them came off this ship, the Raccoon, which had been doing duty in The Americas for a very long time. And I guess walked straight off of that ship and on the onto the surprise with no break.

毫无喘息。而且我想他们尤其没理由对金发杰克·奥布里船长效忠——刚从一艘船转到另一艘，除了沮丧他们还能有什么情绪呢。

No break. And and no reason, I guess, particularly to favor captain Goldilocks Jack Aubrey with any kind of loyalty or anything other than dejection, really, if they've turned straight over from one ship into another.

是啊，这生活确实艰难。

Yeah. Tough life for sure.

确实。无风停航已经够难熬了。你能想象吗？船就那样在漂浮着自身排泄物的海域静止不动，只能盼着哪天起风。他们慢慢、慢慢地才望见圣保罗岩——那座覆盖着鸟粪和海鸟的怪异孤绝火山岩。

Yeah. And it's tough enough being becalmed. Can you imagine just kind of floating around still, you know, in a patch of your own, you know, shipboard waste just hoping that one day the wind's gonna pick up. And they gradually, gradually heave into sight of St. Paul's Rock, this really odd isolated volcanic rock covered in bird dung and birds.

对我们大多数人来说，这不过是风景的一部分。但对史蒂文而言，这却像是自然哲学探索的契机。

And this is just part of the scenery to most of us. But for Steven, this looks like an opportunity for a bit of natural philosophy.

确实如此。史蒂文望着这片未被人类染指的潜在天堂，迫不及待想去探访。但今天是周日，你知道的，不能要求别人在安息日工作。

It really does. Steven looks at this, this remote potential paradise, untouched by human hands, and is dying to go see it. But it's Sunday, and so, you know, you can't ask anybody to do any work on Sunday.

没错。而主动提出划船送他的，正是那个阴郁固执、脾气暴躁的尼科尔斯中尉。这让我们不禁猜想，或许现在要揭开尼科尔斯所扮演的角色了。显然他正处于低谷——竟觉得在周日休息日顶着烈日，划船送这个古怪的爱因斯坦式人物（那位哲学家外科医生）去臭气熏天的孤岛是种消遣。若这就是他眼中的乐趣，可见其生活与心境原本就糟透了。

That's right. And the person who offers to row him across is the sullen, dogged, surly, moody, Lieutenant Nichols. And that, I guess, starts us thinking, oh, maybe now we're gonna learn something about Nichols and the role that he plays. And he's obviously, at at a relatively low point, if it seems like a fun distraction for him on a Sunday, on his day off, to to get in a boat in the hot sun and row this slightly weird Einstein fella, the the the philosopher surgeon, out to this hot, stinking, isolated rock. So if if that was his idea of a of a fun distraction, his life and his mood can't have been great to begin with.

是啊。奇怪的是，当尼科尔斯无意听见斯蒂芬拜托杰克找人送他时，竟主动说'我来吧'——而杰克刚以周日为由拒绝。你会好奇接下来如何发展。斯蒂芬试图开启对话，尼科尔斯却显得心不在焉。

No. And it's odd because you think, you know, Nichols says, oh, I'll take it when he overhears Stephen asking Jack to ask somebody to take him and Jack says, you can't because it's Sunday. And and you think, well, I wonder what's gonna happen. And Stephen is starting to start a conversation with him. Nichols doesn't seem to be paying any attention to it.

斯蒂芬又沉浸于研究他的印度语言和语法著作。读者难免疑惑：这段情节究竟要引向何方？

Stephen kind of goes back to thinking about studying his languages of India and his grammars there. And you're kinda wondering where is this going?

它正通向一场告解。我们多次用'告解'来形容这场对话。对天主教徒斯蒂芬而言，告解具有极其特定的含义。他提到新教徒不遵守告解圣事，有时会转而向医生倾诉心声——此刻斯蒂芬正扮演着告解神父的角色。尼科尔斯突然爆发：'告诉你我受不了什么，就是这缓慢的死亡'。谈话至此尚不明确'缓慢死亡'所指，但他随即解释自'乌利亚斯号'解散到被派往'惊奇号'期间，他与妻子产生争执。虽未详述细节，但可见这道伤痕极深——这个可怜人一直在试图弥补。

And it's it's headed towards confession. And we use this word confession about this conversation in a in a couple of different instances. And to Stephen, as somebody raised a Catholic, confession means something very, very specific. And he kinda remarks, doesn't he that protestants don't observe the sacrament of confession and that as a substitute protestants sometimes find their way to telling what's in their heart to a medical man and Stephen's playing the role of of confessor and Nichols says I tell you what it is I can't bear it this long slow death and I think at this point in the conversation it's not clear what he means by the long slow death but he goes straight on to explain he was ashore from the time the urialis paid off until I was appointed at the surprise and I had a disagreement with my wife and we don't get the details of the disagreement except that there's just this deep bitter wounding. This wretched guy has been trying to make amends.

斯蒂芬暗自思忖这故事似曾相识。我们听到的是：婚姻生活徒具形式，言语谨慎，相敬如冰，夜不能寐的煎熬，友谊与交流的逐渐消亡。简直荒芜至极——这人已到崩溃边缘。而斯蒂芬成为了他告解的对象。

Stephen remarks to himself that he's heard the story before and we hear about this. There's a civil imitation of a married life, guarded words, politeness, restraint, the blank misery of nights and waking, the progressive decay of all friendship and communication. And this is just desolate. This guy is right at the end of his tether. And Steven is the person to whom he confesses it.

我不认为这完全是巧合，这就是忏悔的本质，而且他是在向史蒂文忏悔。

And I don't think it's entirely a coincidence that this is the nature of the confession and that it's Steven to whom he's confessing.

不，不。回想起来很有趣。杰克和普林斯之前有过一些互动。你知道，杰克说，普林斯，你想来吗？

No. No. It's funny looking back. There's been a little interaction between Jack and, Pullings early. You know, Jack saying, Pullings, do you wanna come?

哦，但你妻子不会生气吗？我们听到了一些关于婚姻的小评论。现在史蒂文在思考之前的忏悔，然后是尼科尔斯的忏悔，就像你说的，这真是相当沉重的内容。非常凄凉，你知道，非常不快乐。

Oh, but won't your wife be upset? And we're getting little commentaries on marriage. And now here with Stevens thinking about prior confessions and then Nichols' confession here, this is this is, like you say, pretty pretty tough stuff here. Very desolate. You know, very unhappy.

如此不快乐以至于史蒂文预见到尼科尔斯之后可能会后悔倾诉了自己。他说，你知道，常规的忏悔更正式，细节更少。所以这种非圣礼性质的忏悔远不够令人满意。至少忏悔者一生都是牧师，而医生大部分时间只是个普通人，这让他在晚餐桌上面对这样的人变得困难。我想这其中也有情报人员的悔意，一旦你知道一个人性格的阴暗面，就很难再在日常中看待他们。他在想尼科尔斯，也许还有他自己史蒂文，在这次倾诉后是否会感到不适。

And so unhappy that Stephen's anticipating that Nichols might later on regret having unburdened himself. And he says, you know, regular confession is more formal, less detailed. So this was far less satisfactory in its unsacramental aspect. At least a confessor was a priest for his whole life whereas a doctor was such an ordinary being for much of the time which makes him difficult to face over the dinner table after such privies and again I think there's a little bit of the regret of the intelligence agent there you know once you know the the dark side of a person and their character it can be pretty hard to see them again in everyday life and he's wondering whether Nichols and maybe also he, Steven are going to feel uncomfortable after this unburdening Yeah.

日复一日和他一起坐在枪械室里会是什么感觉？

How is it gonna be sitting around the gun room table with him day in and day out?

故事再次发生了奇怪的转折。典型的帕特里克·奥布莱恩风格，非常实事求是。他们上岸了。尼科尔斯在两支桨之间搭起的衣物下躲避阳光，史蒂文则在采集植物。然后一场巨大的暴风雨袭击了岩石，顺便也袭击了船只。一阵令人目眩的海水、浪花和雨水过后，风暴平息了，尼科尔斯不见了。

And again, with the story takes a really strange turn. Again, in typical Patrick O'Brien style, it's very matter of fact. They're ashore. Nichols takes shelter under some clothing stretch between two oars for a for a sun canopy and Stephen is botanizing and then this massive squall hits the rock and by the way also hits the ship And there's this blinding storm of spray and seawater and rain, and the storm clears, and Nichols is gone.

是的。但在我们讨论那之前，先稍事休息。欢迎回来。您正在收听的是《情人洞》的迈克和伊恩，一档关于帕特里克·奥布莱恩的播客。

Yeah. But before we get to that, let's take a short break. Welcome back. You're listening to Mike and Ian on The Lovers Hole, a Patrick O'Brien podcast. Yeah.

从我们仅有的一点描述中可知，史蒂文斯在这块寸草不生、没有水源的岩石上四处奔走。那里地势陡峭，似乎一侧根本无法攀登，他们不得不划船绕到另一侧寻找抓手的地方。

And and we know that from this little what little description we have is Stevens running around on this rock that nothing grows there. There's no water there. It's pretty sheer. It seems like that, you know, there was no way up on the one side. They had to row around to the other side to kinda get some handholds.

是的，那地方相当荒凉，完全被鸟类和它们的排泄物覆盖。但现在，正如你所说，这场可怕的风暴过后，尼克尔斯不见了，船也不见了。史蒂文环顾四周——这场景有点令人心疼——他来回找了几次试图找到尼克尔斯。当他爬到顶部时，也发现看不到'惊喜号'的踪影。

So it's Yeah. It's pretty desolate stuff just completely covered, like you said, with birds and their excrement. But now, as as you say, after this horrific storm, no nickels, no boat. And as as Steven kind of looks around, which is is a little endearing, he he goes around a couple times trying to find nickels. He also realizes climbing to the top, he can't see the surprise either.

我曾经常思考这个问题：我们从未真正查明真相，没有调查可能发生的事，甚至史蒂文心中也没有推测——尼科尔斯是选择随波逐流让风暴带走他，还是遭遇意外，或是某种程度接受了命运的安排，这算不算自杀？后来我意识到，这一刻其实是让史蒂文领悟婚姻和人际关系中可能涉及的阴暗面。在这极端环境的洗礼下，通过这次忏悔，他获得了某种治愈——当然他最终被驳船救起，与船员们欢乐重逢。史蒂文描述自己在这块岩石上历经干渴、雨淋、饥饿、脱水和近乎烧焦的折磨后，身体创伤几乎焕然新生，就像浴火重生的凤凰。奥布莱恩想让我们把这段岩石上的对话当作史蒂文的精神宣泄，虽然我科学思维的一面实在难以相信有人能通过脱水灼烧后复活来治愈严重伤势。

So I used to wonder a lot about this that we we never really uncover that that there's no investigation into what might have happened or even speculation in Steven's mind about whether Nichols chose to just drift off somehow and let the storm take him or whether it was an accident or whether Nichols was resigned somehow to his fate whether this was a suicide. And I wondered about that and I think I also later realized that this was a moment for Stephen to be told some things about what marriage and a relationship might involve on the on the dark side of a relationship between two people. And also then as a result of this around this confession and as a result of this extreme environment that he's been exposed to to somehow be cured because he goes back aboard ship of course he's rescued by the barge I think pulled by Bondon and a bunch of the crew members and we have this very light hearted reunion and Stephen describes now how having been parched and rained on and starved and dehydrated and burned almost to a cinder on this rock that his physical injuries are almost renewed he's almost become a phoenix if you like and there's something about this conversation in the episode of The Rock that O'Brien wanted us to use as some kind of catharsis for Steven and the scientific part of my brain thought I I really don't believe that any human being has ever been cured of terrible physical injuries by being doused and dehydrated and burned and then brought back to life.

我实在无法相信这种事真实存在，但显然奥布莱恩是以魔幻现实主义的方式在向我们传达——史蒂文经历这些是为了从酷刑的创伤中恢复，然后以某种改变后的姿态继续故事，同时重获身体机能。

I I just can't believe that that's that that's a real thing but of course I think O'Brien must be talking to us about this not in the sense of natural philosophy and Steven's medical history but in a sort of magical realistic way saying Steven went through this so that he could recover from the wounds of the of of torture and then begin to carry on the rest of the story changed in some way, but restored in his physical capabilities.

没错。有趣的是史蒂文全书一直在对不同角色说'我是火蜥蜴，只需要阳光烘烤就能复苏'。这种超级热量能让他复活的想法，正是魔幻现实主义的体现。

Yeah. And it it's interesting because Steven has been saying all along in this book to a multitude of different characters, you know, I'm a salamander. I just need to be baked by the sun. It's that super heat that will revive me. And so there is this notion of magical realism.

还有个小细节：就像奥布莱恩常做的那样，19世纪初的史蒂文作为自然哲学家，几乎是自己创造了一个安慰剂，然后被冲上岸与之相遇。

There's also a little notion of, as O'Brien does sometimes, Stephen in the early 1800s believing what he believes is a natural philosopher, almost kind of creating his own placebo and then getting washed ashore on it.

这个意象非常妙——创造自己的安慰剂然后被冲上岸，我喜欢。或许我们可以延续这个热量比喻：'惊喜号'在某种程度上是史蒂文的熔炉，他经历极端高温、极端匮乏和极端压力后脱胎换骨，在身心层面都得到了某种解放与升华。

That's a really good image. Creating his placebo and getting washed ashore, I like that. So maybe, you and I talked a little bit about this episode and the idea of the surprise, to to keep going with the heat analogy is in some way a crucible for Steven he goes through this process of extreme heat and extreme deprivation and extreme pressure and emerges on the other side a bit transformed, a a bit liberated and a bit made better, but also a a bit transformed physically and spiritually.

非常确定。

Very definitely.

是的。这又回到了你一开始提出的观点。如果说《舰长》是关于杰克的错误，那么这个故事则转向了史蒂文的发展，以及他可能尚未犯下的错误，还有我们一路走来他日复一日正在犯的错误。

Yeah. And this links back to the point you made at the beginning. If post captain is about Jack's mistakes, this story is turning out to be about Steven and his development and the mistakes that he might be yet to make and the mistakes that he's making day by day as we go along.

没错。而且他正在——我们之前聊过——他走得越来越多。我们会听到他爬上索具，你知道，真的在挑战自己游泳，尽管阳光确实在很大程度上重振了他的精神，他仍在身体上不断努力让自己变得更好、更好、更好。我们或许会想，他在情感上如何处理自己，尤其是考虑到尼科尔斯这段黑暗的忏悔，以及我们所知的史蒂文过去的一些历史，还有戴安娜·维拉尔斯正在孟买等着他。

Yeah. And he's got this, you know, he's, we talked earlier about he's walking and walking more. We'll hear him climbing up the rigging and, you know, just really challenging himself swimming that he really is, you know, even though this the sun has really renewed him at least a lot in his spirit, he continues to really work on himself physically to get better and better and better. And we wonder perhaps, what's he doing with himself emotionally, especially in light of this the darkness of this confession of Nichols and what we know as some of Stephen's past history and the fact that Diana Villars is waiting for him in Bombay.

非常正确。非常正确。我认为我们不知道他在情感上是如何内化这些的。但我认为故事的接下来几章向我们展示了其中一个宣泄口，展示了他决定转向生活另一面、寻找积极性所带来的情感后果。因为我们现在看到了史蒂文与动物的故事。

Very true. Very true. I think that we don't know where he takes that internally in terms of his emotion. But I I think the next couple of chapters of the story show us one of the outlets of that shows one of the emotional consequences of him deciding to turn to a different aspect of his life and look for positivity. Because we get now the the story of Steven and animals.

动物以一种在前两本书中甚至未曾有过的方式成为叙事的一部分。所以让我们转向史蒂文的植物学生活。在史蒂文和杰克第一次关于或许在比里约更北的地方靠岸的对话中，我们看到了与之的联系。或许靠岸是为了补充抗坏血病的紧急物资，比如绿色蔬菜和新鲜肉类。

And the animals become part of the the narrative here in a way that I don't think they did even in in the earlier two books. So let's let's turn to Steven's. Steven's botanizing life. We get a link to that in the first conversation that Steven and Jack have about perhaps touching a shore further north than Rio. Perhaps touching a shore in order to stock up on emergency supplies of anti scorbotics like green vegetables and fresh meat.

史蒂文向杰克坦白，他在岩石上靠喝鲣鸟的血活了下来。这些鸟就在岩石上。杰克意识到史蒂文还认为巴西的森林里有吸血鬼。对。而吸血鬼这个词是杰克略带讽刺的简称，指代所有史蒂文想上岸收集、观察并做记录的生物。

And Steven confesses to Jack that while he was on the rock he kept kept alive by drinking the blood of boobies. These birds that were on the rock. And Jack realizes that Steven's also thinking that there are vampires in the forest in Brazil. Right. And and vampires is kind of the slightly sarcastic word that Jack uses as a shorthand for all of the living creatures that Steven wants to go ashore and collect and observe and make notes about.

对，对。他有几次轻描淡写地提到，'是啊，你就是想上岸看看你的那些吸血鬼。'

Right. Right. He talks dismissively a couple of times about, yeah, yeah, you just wanna go ashore and see some of your vampires.

没错，完全正确。而且史蒂文甚至还没上岸就能遇到一些有趣的动物。我们知道，在他被困在圣保罗礁之前，他正在进行一项实验。他养了一些老鼠，随着船上补给逐渐减少，坏血病又开始蔓延，他们的口粮所剩无几。

Exactly. Exactly. And and Steven doesn't even have to get ashore quite yet to have some interesting animals. You know, he's we've heard leading up to this before he got marooned on on Saint Paul's Rock that Stephen had an experiment going. He has these rats that, you know, as the rations were getting down a little bit in the ship, scurvy was starting to increase again that they're low on rations.

正如我们从过去的故事中了解到的，船上的水手们正在吃老鼠。史蒂文提到他的老鼠，说船上的老鼠都饿得皮包骨头。而他用自己的方法喂养它们——给老鼠吃涂了大量黄油的面包干，所以他的老鼠又肥又快乐。但令人惊讶的是，当他被困在礁石上时，他的老鼠被人偷走了。

And the mid shipment, you know, as we know from from past stories are eating rats. Well, Steven says, you know, he talks about his rats. They they're saying about how the rats on the ship are not, you know, not very well fed and and everything. And Steven's saying, well, he feeds his own rats, ships biscuit with lots of butter, and they're fat, and they're happy. And he lo and behold, he finds out that while he's been on the rock, his rats have been taken and are gone.

对此他感到非常愤怒。

And and he's pretty upset about this.

他带着恶作剧般的喜悦向他们透露——当发现真相时那些人会多么不安——他一直在用茜草红染料喂养这些老鼠做实验。茜草是一种能渗透到骨骼的物质，自然学家用它来测量解剖动物时的骨骼生长和形成。虽然不确定史蒂文是否知道，但茜草对人类确实没有显著的药理作用。

And he reveals to them, to his great delight, he reveals in their discomfort at the discovery that he's also been experimenting on the rats and feeding them this red dye called madder. And matter is a substance that penetrates to the bones. It was used by naturalists as a way of measuring bone growth and bone formation in in animals that became dissected. I don't know whether Steven knows. It's certainly true that matter has no great pharmacological effect on humans.

但这是19世纪初，在所有人认知里茜草可能有毒。史蒂文得意地戏弄那些水手，说他们吃了这些老鼠，现在必须坦白认罪——只要坦白就能从这种红色染料可能带来的致命后果中得救。这呼应了之前关于水手们的话题：杰克负责教导他们数学，而史蒂文则通过这件事给他们上了一堂道德课——'你们偷了我的老鼠，现在必须服用难喝的药来清除体内的茜草'。我最爱那段对话：史蒂文传话问杰克'能否让这些年轻绅士们请假几小时或一天？'杰克回复说'在我看来他们一周都不用来了'。

But this is the early nineteenth century and as far as anybody's concerned, matter could be poisonous and Steven really delights in the fact that he can tease the midshipman about the fact that they have eaten these rats and that they should all now confess to have eaten the rats because if they confess then they can be saved from the perhaps dead dread consequences of eating this dye, this red dye. And it is harked back a little bit to the earlier conversation about midshipmen and Right. Attending to their Jack has been attending to their mathematical education and Steven attends a little bit to their moral education by saying, well, you stole my rats. So, now you're gonna have to take some really unpleasant medicine while we clean your system of this matter and I love the quote where Steven sends a message to Jack saying, can the young gentleman be dispensed with for a few hours or perhaps a day and Jack sends a message back saying, haven't for a whole week as far as I'm concerned.

正是如此。

That's right.

于是那些水手们服用了某种泻药。后来赫维中尉抱怨道：'为什么我找不到一个水手？'巴宾顿回答'他在厕所'，另一个水手说'他离不开厕所'，这到底是怎么回事？

So they get whatever kind of purgative they get. And later on the Lieutenant Hervey's complaining where the why can't I get a midshipman? Babington says he's in the head. The other midshipman says he's the head. What's going on?

他们中没有一个人敢直视他的眼睛，承认因为吃了老鼠而被史蒂文从身体到道德上彻底清算，导致他们连续几天频繁上厕所的事实。

And they none of them will meet his eye and confess to the fact that they've had several days worth of of bathroom visits because of them being physically and morally cleaned out by Steven in revenge for eating the rats.

好吧，他们确实解决了老鼠问题，但坏血病仍在持续影响船员。杰克一直有点怀疑史蒂文只是想上岸，不愿被卷入麻烦。实际上他们的船已经漂向巴西，反正他们最终会在里约停靠——这是命令要求的。

Well, they they do they've they've wrapped up the rat problem, but the scurvy is continuing to have its impact on the the crew. Jack keeps a little bit suspicious that Steven just wants to get ashore. He doesn't want to get entangled up. They've actually drifted now well towards Brazil and they're going to dock at Rio anyway. That's under their orders.

但史蒂文向杰克展示了几名坏血病患者的症状。杰克完全被说服了，甚至回去告诉基里克说看完这些后他要跳过下一顿饭。他们决定停船，这又给了史蒂文上岸寻找更多动物的机会。但杰克让他发誓——要他郑重承诺绝不会带回任何吸血鬼。

But Steven shows a number of the patients to Jack and the effects of the scurvy. Jack becomes quite convinced and so convinced that he even returns and tells Kilik he's gonna skip the next meal after everything he's seen. And that they're gonna stop, which now sets up another opportunity for Steven to go ashore for some more animals. But Jack makes him swear, know, you he give his oath that he will not bring back any vampires.

愿上帝保佑他。史蒂文信守承诺。确实连一个吸血鬼的影子都没找到。没错。杰克从远处看见史蒂文乘船归来，身上缠着个毛茸茸的大家伙。

And God bless him. Steven's good for his word. Not a vampire was there to be found. Right. And from from a distance, Jack sees Steven coming back in a boat with some grain great hairy thing wrapped around Steven, I think.

这这到底是什么品种的吸血鬼？

What what the heck kind of a vampire is this?

杰克看着他简直气疯了。知道吗？他觉得这肯定是某种可憎的巨型吸血鬼，最毒的那种无疑。然后他又想，史蒂文可是发过神圣誓言的——当船靠岸时他本该惊慌失措，但他却高兴得不得了。

And Jack is so mad watching him. You know? You know, he he he thinks it's some loathsome great vampire, the most poisonous kind, no doubt. And and then he thinks, you know, surely Stephen is going to, he's given a sacred oath that he comes up to the side, he'll be all upset, but he's not. He's just as happy as he can be.

杰克质问他时，史蒂文稍微教育了杰克一下：'杰克，这不是吸血鬼。这是树懒。而且是个很棒的家伙。'当杰克告诉——

And Jack confronts him, to which Stephen educates Jack a little bit to say, Jack, this is not a vampire. This is a sloth. And, you know, he's just a wonderful one. Know, when Jack tells-

深情又挑剔的树懒，你能想象吧。

Affectionate discriminating sloth, you can imagine.

是啊。太喜欢了。既深情又挑剔。简直太美妙了。显然它对所有人都充满深情且挑剔，唯独对杰克例外，那一刻真是绝了。

Yeah. Love that. Affectionate and discriminating. It's just beautiful. And apparently he's affectionate and discriminating, loving the world for everybody except for Jack, which is quite the moment there.

你知道吗，书上说树懒转过圆圆的脑袋，盯着杰克，发出绝望的哀嚎，又把脸埋进史蒂文的肩膀，勒紧到几乎让人窒息的程度。

You know, that it says the sloth turned its round head, fixed its eyes on Jack, uttered a despairing wail, and buried its face again in Steven's shoulder, tightening its grip to the strangling point.

这只树懒显然对很多东西尤其是史蒂文依恋很深。显然和杰克处不来，而我们对此毫无依据。书里对杰克有段评价——我是说，杰克生性乐观。他喜欢别人，当发现别人不喜欢他时会很惊讶，这种容易满足的性格对他很重要。

The slough is clearly attached to to to many things and most especially Steven. Clearly, can't get along with Jack and we have no basis for this at all. There's this commentary about Jack. I mean, Jack's of a sanguine temperament. He liked people and was surprised that they didn't like him and this readiness to be pleased was was important for him.

至少在对待马、狗和树懒时，他这种性格似乎从未改变。当看到树懒在杰克走进小屋时眼中含泪，这让他很受伤。他只是渴望被爱而已。没错。他是爱的使者而非恨的化身。

Seemed to remain intact as far as horses, dogs, and sloths were concerned and it wounded him to see tears come into the creature's eyes when Jack walked into the cabin. He just wants to be loved. Exactly. He's a lover not a hater.

太滑稽了。

It's so funny.

而树懒对史蒂文有种非常自然、毫不设防的依恋，或许作者想让我们相信这近乎亲子之情。然后我们又能将这种情感与树懒最终对杰克产生的那种勉强建立的亲近形成对比。要讲讲树懒最后怎么和杰克成为朋友的吗？

And the sloth has a very natural, very unguarded affection for Steven and maybe we're expected to believe that that's almost like the affection between a parent and a child. And we get to contrast that with the kind of affection that only eventually springs up between the sloth and Jack. Do you wanna tell the story of how the sloth finally makes it into friendship with Jack?

天啊。你知道吗，杰克在这里用尽各种办法讨好那只树懒。他给它食物，跟它说话，甚至尝试用葡萄牙语交流，但树懒毫无反应。

Oh my gosh. What you know, Jack is trying everything, to get on the good side of the sloth here. He gives him things to eat. He talks to him. He even attempts Portuguese, but nothing answers.

然后有一天，杰克用浸过格洛格酒的蛋糕喂它。据说他们因此成了好朋友，只要供应格洛格酒就会定期聚会。你看，这只树懒渐渐变成了个小酒鬼。基本上就是杰克和树懒在一起喝酒。这时候，史蒂文突然走了进来。

And then one day, Jack feeds him with a little bit of cake dipped in grog. And it says they became they became good friends with a regular meeting whenever grog is served out. And, you know, the sloth becomes really a bit of a lush here. And so Jack and the sloth are drinking together essentially. And at one point, you know, Steven walks in.

树懒蜷缩在杰克膝盖上，呼吸沉重。树懒面前放着装格洛格酒的碗，杰克拿着酒瓶。史蒂文看见两个容器都空了，正在检查他的树懒。当他试图把树懒挂回绳子上睡觉时，终于明白发生了什么——树懒用一只爪子抓着绳子，另一只爪子悬空，就像我们年轻时可能也有过的醉酒状态。

The sloth is curled up on Jack's knees, breathing heavily. The sloth has a bowl for his grog. Jack has a bottle. Steven sees both of them empty and, you know, is examining his sloth. And he finally realizes what's happening because he tries to hang the sloth up on his rope to sleep, but he kind of hangs on with a foot in one hand and the other foot in hand, you know, are kind of falling off our, you know, we can remember from our the days of our youth where we might have been in this kind of position.

史蒂文完全震惊了。这是我最喜欢的经典台词之一，你必须原汁原味地演绎出来。

And Steven is just shocked. And one of my favorite lines in the canon, which you have to deliver.

于是史蒂文环顾四周，看到酒瓶，闻了闻树懒，哭喊道：'杰克，你带坏了我的树懒！'

So Stephen looks around, sees the decanter, smells the sloth, and cries, Jack, you have debauched my sloth.

我太爱这句台词了。

I just love this line.

事实上，在全部21本书提到的众多动物中，这只树懒确实深深俘获了网友的心。树懒是读者们反复提及的角色。每天我上网搜索奥布里-马图林系列相关内容时，总能看到树懒图片、树懒纹章——这只动物真正走进了读者内心。虽然它出场时间不长，但此刻它确确实实成为了史蒂文学会接纳自我、建立健康情感纽带这段成长历程的重要组成部分。

And the fact that there are many animals that are talked about in all twenty twenty one books and the sloth has really got a place in the hearts of all the people that you see writing and talking about online. The the sloth is the character that people come back to. Every day I go on the internet looking for stuff about the Aubrey Matryan Canon and I see pictures of a sloth or imagery of a sloth or I see a coat of arms featuring a sloth. It's like this this is the animal that people took to their hearts and it's very very He's not going to be around for very long but he's around for now and he's absolutely part of this renewed you know Steven learning how to be okay with himself and how to how to be attached, in a positive way.

是的。是的。

Yeah. Yeah.

而且还有点沉迷于他的自然哲学。

And and getting getting indulged a little bit in his natural philosophy as well.

绝对不想错过那只树懒的名字。你还记得树懒叫什么吗？

Absolutely. I don't wanna miss the name of the sloth. Do you remember the sloth's name?

树懒的名字叫‘怠惰’。

The sloth's name is lethargy.

怠惰。这名字太美了，我喜欢。没错。

Lethargy. It's just so beautiful. I love that. Yes.

而且也非常有十九世纪的风格。

And and very nineteenth century as well.

正是如此。

Exactly.

如果简·奥斯汀养了一只树懒，她会叫它‘慵懒’。我觉得这名字起得妙极了。

If if Jane Austen had a sloth, she'd call it lethargy. I think that's very good.

我只能想象。确实。

I can only imagine. Right.

由于这次计划外的停靠，我们短暂接触了陆地。成功为船只补充了酸橙汁、青菜和鲜肉。我们还和树懒交了朋友。穿越赤道时，斯坦霍普总督和他的秘书目睹了海神登船的庆祝仪式，以及所有跨赤道航行中那些略显怪异的派对活动。我想说，我真的很享受杰克和‘惊奇号’正在进行的那种——我称之为‘蓝水航行’的旅程。要知道，他们之前大多从事沿岸航行。

With that unscheduled stop, we've been briefly in touch with the land. We've managed to stock up the ship with lime juice and green vegetables and fresh meat. We've made friends with the sloth. We crossed the line and Governor Stanhope and his secretary get to see the celebration of Neptune coming aboard and all the slightly strange party goings on that happened on any ship crossing the line and I I want to say that I'm really enjoying how Jack and the surprise are doing some what I would call blue water sailing. You know, they've done lots of coastal sailing.

他们在地中海航行过一阵，但现在进行的航行方式，我认为需要船员、杰克以及他们所乘的‘惊奇号’具备一套全新的技能与耐力。因为远洋航行、深入公海会考验杰克的导航能力，挑战全体船员的海上技艺，也将对‘惊奇号’本身提出考验。但似乎海水越蓝越咸，杰克就越发如鱼得水。尽管他远离了苏菲，但俗话说得好：咸涩的海水能冲淡一切忧愁。

They've been in the Mediterranean a little but now they're doing a kind of sailing that calls for I think a new set of skills and strengths from the crew and from Jack and also from the ship that they're embarked on. Because sailing long distances, sailing far far offshore challenges Jack's navigation, challenge the whole crew seamanship, and he's gonna challenge us surprise herself as well. But it just seems that the the bluer and saltier the water gets, the happier and the more capable Jack becomes. Even though he's far away from Sophie, there's that saying, isn't there? Salt salt water washes all away.

杰克正得其所哉。不过那位特使可就另当别论了。

Jack is in his element. I don't think you can say the same for the envoy, though.

确实。特使在船上的日子相当难熬，启航时就已显出几分病容。每次遇到风浪，情况就恶化。他晕船很严重，而这次航程还很长。

No. No. The envoy really is having a difficult time on board the ship and, you know, seems to have had a few maladies when they started. Every time they get into rougher water, it gets worse. He gets very sick at sea, and this is gonna be a long voyage.

要知道，根据最新条约，荷兰人现在控制着好望角。因此‘惊奇号’必须绕行非洲南端向东航行。他们已经启程，已经越过，已经触及那片海域。

You know, the Dutch, now have the Cape Of Good Hope after the last treaty. And so the the surprise has to sail below Africa to go east. So they've, you know, they've they've gone off. They've gone over. They touched it.

里约。他们得先南下绕过非洲，再向东航行才能返回印度。

Rio. They're, you know, gonna have to head down below Africa to go east to come back to India.

他们正处在咆哮西风带。对，对。就连史蒂文似乎也意识到了这点。他说，哦，我想可以合理推测，南纬45度意味着我们将遭遇强劲的大风。

They're in the roaring forties. Yeah. Yeah. Even Steven seems to know this at some point. He says, oh, I suppose it's fair to assume that forty five degrees south latitude means that we're gonna see a fair gale of wind.

是啊。而且确实如此。确实如此。

Yeah. And and and that they are. That they are.

我认为进入高纬度南半球后，第一个显著特征就是信天翁的出现。我特别喜欢史蒂文和邦顿共同发现第一只信天翁的那个瞬间。

And I think the first feature that we get of being in high southern latitudes is albatrosses. And I love the moment where Stephen and Bondon between them noticed their first albatross.

哦，我也是。就像斯蒂芬一样，他对看到信天翁兴奋不已。他向杰克打听这事，杰克已经向全体船员下达了命令。每次大家看到什么都会告诉他，但那都不是信天翁。

Oh, I do too. As as Stephen has he's so excited about seeing an albatross. He's asked Jack about it. Jack's put an order out to the whole crew. Everybody's been telling him every time they see anything, but it's not an albatross.

但斯蒂芬这个人——你看，这又体现了书中斯蒂芬的一些错误，但同时也展现了他的善良与仁慈。斯蒂芬早在巴斯时就意识到邦登不会写字。于是斯蒂芬带着邦登爬上高高的索具，一直在教他写字。邦登不断练习，你看，他的字写得越来越好了。

But Steven who, and another, you know, again, this is some of this is the mistakes of Steven in this book, but some of it is the goodness and kindness of Steven. Steven realized back in Bath that Bondin didn't know how to write. So Steven and Bondin have been going way up into the rigging. Steven's been teaching him how to write. Bondin's been writing, and they've, you know, he's gotten better and better and better.

今天就是他们开始练习诗句的日子。斯蒂芬要朗诵一些诗句，邦登则负责抄写来练字。斯蒂芬吟诵起这段关于航行的美妙韵文：‘在月照的世界安稳航行，上帝作证，我仿佛看见了信天翁。’邦登的嘴唇无声地跟着念道：我仿佛看见了信天翁。

And today's the day that they're gonna start working on verse. And Steven is gonna be reciting some verse. Bonden is gonna be writing it down to practice his hand. And Stephen goes into this whole beautiful rhyme about their voyage and on the lunar world securely, pry by God, I believe I see the albatross. Believe I see the albatross, said Bonden's lips silently.

这不合韵脚。先生，再来一句如何？但见严厉的教师沉默不语，他顺着其视线抬头问道，先生您怎么了？我敢说它马上会追上我们，把我们彻底检查一遍。这些鸟真是神奇。

It don't rhyme. Another line, sir, maybe? But receiving no answer from his rigid teacher, he looked up following his gaze and said, why you do, sir? I dare say he'll fetch our wake directly and overhaul us. Wonderful, birds they are.

不过少了你剥皮，总感觉有些可疑。

Though something fishy without you skin them.

所以这鸟是食物。信天翁，我认为，预示着他们正身处高纬度地区，正如我们所说，在横渡海洋的这一阶段将面临巨大挑战。杰克甚至暗示过这点，他告诉史蒂文汉斯人对信天翁有迷信，可能会去捕猎信天翁。他们不会喜欢的。你会遭遇怪异的眼神和简短答复，半数老水手会开始预言灾祸，说我们将撞上寡妇制造者或冰山。

So the bird is food. The albatross, I think, is foretelling the fact that they're in, as we said, high latitudes that they're facing a big challenge in this stage of their ocean crossing. Jack even alludes to this when he tells Steven that the Hans have a superstition regarding albatrosses and that the Hans will maybe go fishing to try and catch the albatrosses. They won't like it. You'll get wry looks and short answers, And half the older hands will start prophesying woe that we shall run into a widowmaker or hit a mountain of ice.

来吧，杰克说着拿起小提琴，趁睡前把波卡里尼曲目练完。过了海角可能就没机会了——毕竟你扰乱了自然秩序。许多灰白头颅在人群中摇晃，说着不祥却深刻的预言，这些话史蒂芬听得一清二楚。咱们走着瞧吧。

Come, said Jack, reaching for his fiddle. Let's play the boccarini through before we turn in. We may not have another chance this side of the cape with you upsetting the natural order of things. Many a grizzled head was shaken on the folks all with ominous words profoundly true and not altogether outside Stephen's hearing. We shall see what we shall see.

是啊。此刻我强烈感受到《古舟子咏》的韵律氛围。

Yeah. At this point, I'm getting this distinct rhyme of the ancient Mariner vibe.

你懂吧？

You know?

这信天翁象征什么？某个角色的救赎又是什么？即将降临在众人头上的灾祸究竟为何？

What is this albatross? What is this redemption for some character? What are the woes that are gonna befall everybody here?

是的，这种不祥预感并非来自法国人，也不是来自敌方海军，甚至不是敌方间谍带来的。这种预感纯粹源于他们所处的地理位置以及必须穿越世界尽头的航程。

Yeah. That there's foreboding, and it doesn't come from the French. It doesn't come from the the enemy navy. It doesn't even come from enemy agents. This foreboding just comes from where they are in the world and the voyage that they have to make across the bottom of the world.

我们正驶入北极水域，面临着《古舟子咏》中预言的那种潜在厄运，还有那些饱经风霜的水手们在此预言灾难。至于担心树懒的各位，请容我快速说明——他们确实在里约停留过，方济会修士们好心接手了史蒂芬的树懒。原来他私下偷喝祭坛酒，

We're now sailing into Arctic waters. We've got this potential doom of the rhyme of the ancient mariner and this, you know, these, grizzled semen prophesying doom here. And for those of you who are worried about lethargy, let's be quick to note that they did stop off in Rio and the Franciscans were kind enough to take lethargy off Steven's hand. He's they're a secret drinker of the altar wine,

这

which

听起来如果哪天我要转世重生，或许会想变成一只树懒，与忧郁的朋友一起待在里约的爱尔兰方济会修道院里。

sounds like if if I'm gonna come back reincarnated one day, I might want to be a sloth in if with a sad friend with the with the Irish Franciscans at Rio.

祭坛酒。

The altar wine.

树懒倒没事，但我对那位意外乘客和晕船的使节就不太确定了。

Lethargy's fine. I'm not so sure about the surprise, her crew, and our seasick envoy.

不，我认为他们将面临艰难时刻，我们或许得在下期节目中继续聆听这段故事。

No. I think they're in for a tough time, and I think we might have to hear about that some more in our next episode.

好主意。那么，伊恩，下次多来点帕特里克·奥布莱恩的风格怎么样？

Great idea. So, Ian, what do you say next time to a little bit more Patrick O'Brien?

迈克，我全心全意赞同。这太棒了。我喜欢惊喜，真的超爱惊喜。

Mike, with all my heart. This is great. I love surprises. I love surprises.

还有。

And.