Richard H.Dana，Jr.，1815— 1882，was the son of Richard H.Dana，the poet.He was born in Cambridge，Mass.In his boyhood he had a strong desire to be a sailor，but by his father's advice chose a student's life，and entered Harvard University.At the age of nineteen an affection of the eyes compelled him to suspend his studies.He now made a voyage to California as a common sailor，and was gone two years.On his return，he resumed his studies and graduated in 1837.He afterwards studied law，and entered upon an active and successful practice.Most of his life was spent in law and politics，although he won distinction in literature.

The following extract is from his “Two Years before the Mast，”a book published in 1840，giving an account of his voyage to California.This book details，in a most clear and entertaining manner，the everyday life of a common sailor on shipboard，and is the best known of all Mr.Dana's works.

It is usual，in voyages round the Cape from the Pacific，to keep to the eastward of the Falkland Islands；but，as there had now set in a strong，steady，and clear southwester，with every prospect of its lasting，and we had had enough of high latitudes，the captain determined to stand immediately to the northward，running inside the Falkland Islands.Accordingly，when the wheel was relieved at eight o'clock，the order was given to keep her due north，and all hands were turned up to square away the yards and make sail.

In a moment the news ran through the ship that the captain was keeping her off，with her nose straight for Boston，and Cape Horn over her taffrail.It was a moment of enthusiasm.Everyone was on the alert，and even the two sick men turned out to lend a hand at the halyards.The wind was now due southwest，and blowing a gale to which a vessel closehauled could have shown no more than a single close-reefed sail；but as we were going before it，we could carry on.Accordingly，hands were sent aloft and a reef shaken out of the topsails，and the reefed foresail set.When we came to masthead the topsail yards，with all hands at the halyards，we struck up，“Cheerly，men，”with a chorus which might have been heard halfway to Staten Island.

Under her increased sail，the ship drove on through the water.Yet she could bear it well；and the captain sang out from the quarter-deck—“ Another reef out of that fore topsail，and give it to her.”Two hands sprang aloft；the frozen reef points and earings were cast adrift，the halyards manned，and the sail gave out her increased canvas to the gale.All hands were kept on deck to watch the effect of the change.It was as much as she could well carry，and with a heavy sea astern，it took two men at the wheel to steer her.

She flung the foam from her bows；the spray breaking aft as far as the gangway.She was going at a prodigious rate.Still，everything held.Preventer braces were reeved and hauled taut；tackles got upon the backstays；and everything done to keep all snug and strong.The captain walked the deck at a rapid stride，looked aloft at the sails，and then to windward；the mate stood in the gangway，rubbing his hands，and talking aloud to the ship—“Hurrah，old bucket！the Boston girls have got hold of the towrope！”and the like；and we were on the forecastle looking to see how the spars stood it，and guessing the rate at which she was going，—when the captain called out—“Mr.Brown，get up the topmast studding sail！What she can't carry she may drag！”

The mate looked a moment；but he would let no one be before him in daring.He sprang forward，—“ Hurrah，men！rig out the topmast studding sail boom！Lay aloft，and I'll send the rigging up to you！”We sprang aloft into the top；lowered a girtline down，by which we hauled up the rigging；rove the tacks and halyards；ran out the boom and lashed it fast，and sent down the lower halyards as a preventer.It was a clear starlight night，cold and blowing；but everybody worked with a will.Some，indeed，looked as though they thought the “old man”was mad，but no one said a word.

We had had a new topmast studding sail made with a reef in it，—a thing hardly ever heard of，and which the sailors had ridiculed a good deal，saying that when it was time to reef a studding sail it was time to take it in.But we found a use for it now；for，there being a reef in the topsail，the studding sail could not be set without one in it also.To be sure，a studding sail with reefed topsails was rather a novelty；yet there was some reason in it，for if we carried that away，we should lose only a sail and a boom；but a whole topsail might have carried away the mast and all.

While we were aloft，the sail had been got out，bent to the yard，reefed，and ready for hoisting.Waiting for a good opportunity，the halyards were manned and the yard hoisted fairly up to the block；but when the mate came to shake the cat's-paw out of the downhaul，and we began to boom end the sail，it shook the ship to her center.The boom buckled up and bent like a whipstick，and we looked every moment to see something go；but，being of the short，tough upland spruce，it bent like whalebone，and nothing could break it.The carpenter said it was the best stick he had ever seen.

The strength of all hands soon brought the tack to the boom end，and the sheet was trimmed down，and the preventer and the weather brace hauled taut to take off the strain.Every rope-yarn seemed stretched to the utmost，and every thread of canvas；and with this sail added to her，the ship sprang through the water like a thing possessed.The sail being nearly all forward，it lifted her out of the water，and she seemed actually to jump from sea to sea.From the time her keel was laid，she had never been so driven；and had it been life or death with everyone of us，she could not have borne another stitch of canvas.

Finding that she would bear the sail，the hands we're sent below，and our watch remained on deck.Two men at the wheel had as much as they could do to keep her within three points of her course，for she steered as wild as a young colt.The mate walked the deck，looking at the sails，and then over the side to see the foam fly by her，—slapping his hands upon his thighs and talking to the ship—“Hurrah，you jade，you've got the scent！you know where you're going！”And when she leaped over the seas，and almost out of the water，and trembled to her very keel，the spars and masts snapping and creaking，“There she goes！—There she goes—handsomely！—As long as she cracks，she holds！”—while we stood with the rigging laid down fair for letting go，and ready to take in sail and clear away if anything went.

At four bells we have the log，and she was going eleven knots fairly；and had it not been for the sea from aft which sent the chip home，and threw her continually off her course，the log would have shown her to have been going somewhat faster.I went to the wheel with a young fellow from the Kennebec，who was a good helmsman；and for two hours we had our hands full.A few minutes showed us that our monkey jackets must come off；and，cold as it was，we stood in our shirt sleeves in a perspiration，and were glad enough to have it eight bells and the wheels relieved.We turned in and slept as well as we could，though the sea made a constant roar under her bows，and washed over the forecastle like a small cataract.

譯文　TRANSLATION

小理查·H·戴納（1815—1882），詩人理查·H·戴納之子。小理查·H·戴納出生于馬薩諸塞州坎布里奇。少年時，戴納夢想成為一名水手，但聽從父親的建議，他選擇了學者生活，考入了哈佛大學。十九歲時，戴納因眼疾輟學。在這兩年間，他成為一名水手，曾遠航加利福尼亞。歸來后，他重拾學業(yè)，1837年由哈佛畢業(yè)。這之后，小戴納研習法律，成為著名律師。雖然在文學方面，小理查·H·戴納成績斐然，但他主要的時間和精力都投身于政治、法律事業(yè)。

下文選自小理查·H·戴納1840年出版的散文集《桅樓上的時光》。該書以細膩、清新的文筆描摹了水手們的日常生活，是其最著名的作品。

通常在穿越大洋的航行中，船只都從太平洋出發(fā)繞過合恩角，貼近福蘭德群島東側前行。但因適逢強勁、穩(wěn)定、清朗的西南風，而且這一風向有望持續(xù)，加之我們已在高緯航行了頗長時間，船長就決定即刻向北航行，駛入福蘭德群島內側。于是，在舵輪八點換崗的當兒，船長向北航行的命令下達了，船員們馬上一起動手打理帆桁，準備起航。

船長令船繞過合恩角駛向波士頓的消息不脛而走，傳遍了全船。頓時，群情激昂。所有船員都整裝待命，甚至兩個病號也到帆繩前幫忙。當時，正掠過一陣強勁的西南風，面對這樣的情形，逆風行駛的船或許僅能張開一葉緊縮的孤帆；不過，因為是順風，所以我們能夠繼續(xù)。船員們把帆高高張起，上桅帆鼓蕩了起來，緊縮的前桅帆也已就緒。大家一邊齊心協(xié)力拉著帆繩把帆升至頂桅，一邊高唱《歡樂吧，兄弟》，嘹亮的歌聲似乎連史坦頓島都能隱約聽到。

風正一帆懸，我們的船犁破洋面，在波浪間乘風前行；船長在后甲板處高聲喊道：“前頂桅處出現(xiàn)另一處礁石，大家全力以赴?！彼贿呎f一邊舉起雙手；冰冷的礁石歷歷可見，橫帆角上的耳索飄來蕩去，帆繩邊站滿了人，帆被風鼓得滿滿的。所有船員都待在甲板上關注著船能否轉向成功。這時船的承受力想已達到極致，澎湃的巨浪奔向船尾，舵輪要兩個船員才能把控。

船頭雪浪涌起，船尾飛沫四濺，兩舷邊亦是波翻濤滾。我們的船仍以驚人的速度前進，一切盡在掌握。收起、繃緊輔助轉桁索；將索具附著在桅桿上；為使設施堅固、熨帖，我們盡了全力。船長在甲板上闊步巡查，一會兒仰視云帆，一會兒眺望風向。大副站在舷邊，搓著手，在跟船大聲地說著話：“加油，老伙計！波士頓的姑娘們已經握緊船纜，盼著咱們呢！”他翻來覆去地說著諸如此類的話；我們則在水手艙里觀察著風中的桅桿，揣度著船行的速度——這時船長高聲喊道：“布朗先生，升起中桅翼帆！它會有助于換舷轉向！”

大副略一愣神，但在勇氣上，他是絕不甘于后人的。他向前一躍——“跟我來，兄弟們！把中桅翼帆升起來！把它升到頂，我這就把帆纜給你們！”我們一起涌到中桅，放低桅頂?shù)跛鳎源税逊|拉上去；縛緊主帆索和升降索；放出張帆桿把它扎牢，再把下部的升降索放低作為輔助。那夜星光熠熠，冷風習習，大家戮力同心地工作著。的確，有些人看上去似乎在忖度這“老家伙”瘋了，卻沒有一個人吭聲。

我們還備了一個配有縮帆的新型中桅翼帆——這種翼帆水手們以前幾乎從未聽說過，他們常常以此打趣，認為多此一舉。但那時我們卻發(fā)現(xiàn)了它的用武之地。因為如果上桅帆安有縮帆裝置，中桅帆也應有一個同樣的裝置。誠然，帶有收縮帆裝置的中桅帆是個新奇的東西，不過，安裝它卻自有道理，因為有了它，如果我們控制不住，失去的只是一葉帆、一根帆桁，但若是一個整葉上桅帆，一旦失控，就會把桅桿等都卷走。

我們在桅頂時，帆已經展開，系在帆桁上，準備升起。水手們站在升降索邊，等待著恰當?shù)臅r機，而帆桁則已豎在了龍骨墩上。但當大副走過來抖開落帆索上的貓爪結，我們開始一起張帆時，船整個震顫了起來。帆桁系好后，彎得像鞭柄一樣，我們聚精會神地觀察著動向，而由短小、堅韌的云杉制成的帆桁雖彎得像鯨骨一樣，卻絕不會折斷。木匠說這是他見過的最好的張帆桿。

我們齊心協(xié)力把系帆索綁在帆桁上，調整好船帆迎風的角度，縛緊輔助索和上風舷的轉桁索以減少應力。每條繩索，每葉帆都達到了極致。加上這葉中桅翼帆后，船有如神靈附體，在海上劈波斬浪。帆全力前傾，將船托舉出水面，而船則似乎真的在從一片海躍向另一片海。從航行以來，這艘船還從未如此沖勁十足過。原以為那葉帆盡管對我們生死攸關，它卻可能禁不起的。

見船扛住了那葉帆，水手們被派回到艙底，我們仍留在甲板上守望。船像馬駒一樣歡騰，兩名舵手傾盡全力以免它偏離航線。這時，大副走過來，凝視著一葉葉白帆；又踱到舷邊，望著飛濺的浪花，喃喃著：“加油！你已覺察到了！知道自己要去哪兒了！”驀地，船從驚濤駭浪間躍起，幾乎超離了水面，連龍骨都在戰(zhàn)栗。帆桅吱呀作響?！昂?！好！太帥了！聽它吱吱嘎嘎的，它扛得??！”說話間，我們把索具安置好，準備收帆和清除可能的故障。

四點鈴響，我們舉起計程儀，顯示航速恰為十一海里每小時；如果不是船尾的浪使船經常偏離航行，計程儀上顯示的速度應該更快些。我和一個小伙子一起走向舵盤，他是名優(yōu)秀的舵手，來自肯納貝克。在接下來的兩個小時里，我們忙個不停。有幾分鐘，我們必須脫去緊身短上衣，天雖然冷，我們卻穿著短袖衫站在那兒直冒汗。待到八點鈴響時，我們高興地換了崗，爬上床倒頭便睡。我們睡得是那般香甜，盡管大海在船頭不停地咆哮，海浪像小瀑布一樣沖刷著前甲板。