Perplexing LessonsWord格式.docx
- 文档编号:20279431
- 上传时间:2023-01-21
- 格式:DOCX
- 页数:4
- 大小:19.16KB
Perplexing LessonsWord格式.docx
《Perplexing LessonsWord格式.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《Perplexing LessonsWord格式.docx(4页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
tknowithadanyparticularshape.Mygunpowderychiefwentoffwithabang,ofcourse,andthenwentonloadingandfiringuntilhewasoutofadjectives.
Ihadlearnedlongagothatheonlycarriedjustsomanyroundsofammunition,andwassuretosubsideintoaveryplacableandevenremorsefuloldsmooth-boreassoonastheywereallgone.Thatword'
old'
ismerelyaffectionate;
hewasnotmorethanthirty-four.Iwaited.Byandbyhesaid--
Myboy,you'
vegottoknowtheSHAPEoftheriverperfectly.Itisallthereislefttosteerbyonaverydarknight.Everythingelseisblottedoutandgone.Butmindyou,ithasn'
tthesameshapeinthenightthatithasintheday-time.'
HowonearthamIevergoingtolearnit,then?
Howdoyoufollowahallathomeinthedark.Becauseyouknowtheshapeofit.Youcan'
tseeit.'
DoyoumeantosaythatI'
vegottoknowallthemilliontriflingvariationsofshapeinthebanksofthisinterminableriveraswellasIknowtheshapeofthefronthallathome?
Onmyhonor,you'
vegottoknowthemBETTERthananymaneverdidknowtheshapesofthehallsinhisownhouse.'
IwishIwasdead!
NowIdon'
twanttodiscourageyou,but----'
Well,pileitonme;
Imightaswellhaveitnowasanothertime.'
Yousee,thishasgottobelearned;
thereisn'
tanygettingaroundit.Aclearstarlightnightthrowssuchheavyshadowsthatifyoudidn'
tknowtheshapeofashoreperfectlyyouwouldclawawayfromeverybunchoftimber,becauseyouwouldtaketheblackshadowofitforasolidcape;
andyouseeyouwouldbegettingscaredtodeatheveryfifteenminutesbythewatch.Youwouldbefiftyyardsfromshoreallthetimewhenyououghttobewithinfiftyfeetofit.Youcan'
tseeasnaginoneofthoseshadows,butyouknowexactlywhereitis,andtheshapeoftherivertellsyouwhenyouarecomingtoit.Thenthere'
syourpitch-darknight;
theriverisaverydifferentshapeonapitch-darknightfromwhatitisonastarlightnight.Allshoresseemtobestraightlines,then,andmightydimones,too;
andyou'
dRUNthemforstraightlinesonlyyouknowbetter.Youboldlydriveyourboatrightintowhatseemstobeasolid,straightwall(youknowingverywellthatinrealitythereisacurvethere),andthatwallfallsbackandmakeswayforyou.Thenthere'
syourgraymist.Youtakeanightwhenthere'
soneofthesegrisly,drizzly,graymists,andthenthereisn'
tanyparticularshapetoashore.Agraymistwouldtangletheheadoftheoldestmanthateverlived.Well,then,differentkindsofMOONLIGHTchangetheshapeoftheriverindifferentways.Yousee----'
Oh,don'
tsayanymore,please!
HaveIgottolearntheshapeoftheriveraccordingtoallthesefivehundredthousanddifferentways?
IfItriedtocarryallthatcargoinmyheaditwouldmakemestoop-shouldered.'
NO!
youonlylearnTHEshapeoftheriver,andyoulearnitwithsuchabsolutecertaintythatyoucanalwayssteerbytheshapethat'
sINYOURHEAD,andnevermindtheonethat'
sbeforeyoureyes.'
Verywell,I'
lltryit;
butafterIhavelearneditcanIdependonit.Willitkeepthesameformandnotgofoolingaround?
BeforeMr.Bixbycouldanswer,Mr.W----cameintotakethewatch,andhesaid--
Bixby,you'
llhavetolookoutforPresident'
sIslandandallthatcountryclearawayupaboveheOldHenandChickens.Thebanksarecavingandtheshapeoftheshoreschanginglikeeverything.Why,youwouldn'
tknowthepointabove40.Youcangoupinsidetheoldsycamore-snag,now.<
footnote[1.Itmaynotbenecessary,butstillitcandonoharmtoexplainthat'
inside'
meansbetweenthesnagandtheshore.--M.T.]>
Sothatquestionwasanswered.Herewereleaguesofshorechangingshape.Myspiritsweredowninthemudagain.Twothingsseemedprettyapparenttome.Onewas,thatinordertobeapilotamanhadgottolearnmorethananyonemanoughttobeallowedtoknow;
andtheotherwas,thathemustlearnitalloveragaininadifferentwayeverytwenty-fourhours.
Thatnightwehadthewatchuntiltwelve.Nowitwasanancientrivercustomforthetwopilotstochatabitwhenthewatchchanged.Whiletherelievingpilotputonhisglovesandlithiscigar,hispartner,theretiringpilot,wouldsaysomethinglikethis--
IjudgetheupperbarismakingdownalittleatHale'
sPoint;
hadquartertwainwiththelowerleadandmarktwain<
footnote[Twofathoms.'
Quartertwain'
istwo-and-a-quarterfathoms,thirteen-and-a-halffeet.'
Markthree'
isthreefathoms.]>
withtheother.'
Yes,Ithoughtitwasmakingdownalittle,lasttrip.Meetanyboats?
Metoneabreasttheheadof21,butshewasawayoverhuggingthebar,andIcouldn'
tmakeheroutentirely.Itookherforthe"
SunnySouth"
--hadn'
tanyskylightsforwardofthechimneys.'
Andsoon.Andastherelievingpilottookthewheelhispartner<
footnote['
Partner'
isatechnicaltermfor'
theotherpilot'
.]>
wouldmentionthatwewereinsuch-and-suchabend,andsaywewereabreastofsuch-and-suchaman'
swood-yardorplantation.Thiswascourtesy;
Isupposeditwasnecessity.ButMr.W----cameonwatchfulltwelveminuteslateonthisparticularnight,--atremendousbreachofetiquette;
infact,itistheunpardonablesinamongpilots.SoMr.Bixbygavehimnogreetingwhatever,butsimplysurrenderedthewheelandmarchedoutofthepilot-housewithoutaword.Iwasappalled;
itwasavillainousnightforblackness,wewereinaparticularlywideandblindpartoftheriver,wheretherewasnoshapeorsubstancetoanything,anditseemedincrediblethatMr.Bixbyshouldhaveleftthatpoorfellowtokilltheboattryingtofindoutwherehewas.ButIresolvedthatIwouldstandbyhimanyway.Heshouldfindthathewasnotwhollyfriendless.SoIstoodaround,andwaitedtobeaskedwherewewere.ButMr.W----plungedonserenelythroughthesolidfirmamentofblackcatsthatstoodforanatmosphere,andneveropenedhismouth.Hereisaprouddevil,thoughtI;
hereisalimbofSatanthatwouldrathersendusalltodestructionthanputhimselfunderobligationstome,becauseIamnotyetoneofthesaltoftheearthandprivilegedtosnubcaptainsandlorditovereverythingdeadandaliveinasteamboat.Ipresentlyclimbeduponthebench;
Ididnotthinkitwassafetogotosleepwhilethislunaticwasonwatch.
However,Imusthavegonetosleepinthecourseoftime,becausethenextthingIwasawareofwasthefactthatdaywasbreaking,Mr.W----gone,andMr.Bixbyatthewheelagain.Soitwasfouro'
clockandallwell--butme;
Ifeltlikeaskinfulofdrybonesandallofthemtryingtoacheatonce.
Mr.BixbyaskedmewhatIhadstayeduptherefor.IconfessedthatitwastodoMr.W----abenevolence,--tellhimwherehewas.IttookfiveminutesfortheentirepreposterousnessofthethingtofilterintoMr.Bixby'
ssystem,andthenIjudgeitfilledhimnearlyuptothechin;
becausehepaidmeacompliment--andnotmuchofaoneeither.Hesaid,
Well,takingyouby-and-large,youdoseemtobemoredifferentkindsofanassthananycreatureIeversawbefore.Whatdidyousupposehewantedtoknowfor?
IsaidIthoughtitmightbeaconveniencetohim.
ConvenienceD-nation!
Didn'
tItellyouthataman'
sgottoknowtheriverinthenightthesameashe'
dknowhisownfronthall?
Well,IcanfollowthefronthallinthedarkifIknowitISthefronthall;
butsupposeyousetmedowninthemiddleofitinthedarkandnottellmewhichhallitis;
howamItoknow?
Wellyou'
veGOTto,ontheriver!
Allright.ThenI'
mgladIneversaidanythingtoMr.W----'
Ishouldsayso.Why,he'
dhaveslammedyouthroughthewindowandutterlyruinedahundreddollars'
worthofwindow-sashandstuff.'
Iwasgladthisdamagehadbeensaved,foritwouldhavemademeunpopularwiththeowners.Theyalwayshatedanybodywhohadthenameofbeingcareless,andinjuringthings.
Iwenttoworknowtolearntheshapeoftheriver;
andofalltheeludingandungraspableobjectsthateverItriedtogetmindorhandson,thatwasthechief.Iwouldfastenmyeyesuponasharp,woodedpointthatprojectedfarintotheriversomemilesaheadofme,andgotolaboriouslyphotographingitsshapeuponmybrain;
andjustasIwasbeginningtosucceedtomysatisfaction,wewoulddrawuptowarditandtheexasperatingthingwouldbegintomeltawayandfoldbackintothebank!
Iftherehadbeenaconspicuousdeadtreestandingupontheverypointofthecape,Iwouldfindthattreeinconspicuouslymergedintothegeneralforest,andoccupyingthemiddleofastraightshore,whenIgotabreastofit!
Noprominenthillwouldsticktoitsshapelongenoughformetomakeupmymindwhatitsformreallywas,butitwasasdissolvingandchangefulasifithadbeenamountainofbutterinthehottestcornerofthetropics.NothingeverhadthesameshapewhenIwascomingdownstreamthatithadbornewhenIwentup.ImentionedtheselittledifficultiestoMr.Bixby.Hesa
- 配套讲稿:
如PPT文件的首页显示word图标,表示该PPT已包含配套word讲稿。双击word图标可打开word文档。
- 特殊限制:
部分文档作品中含有的国旗、国徽等图片,仅作为作品整体效果示例展示,禁止商用。设计者仅对作品中独创性部分享有著作权。
- 关 键 词:
- Perplexing Lessons