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Island of Dr Moreau - H. G. Wells, CHAPTER ONE Lost and Found

CHAPTER ONE Lost and Found

I was one of the few lucky passengers on the Lady Vain. When the ship went down in the Pacific in February 1887, I found myself in a small boat with another passenger, Helmar, and a sailor. I never knew the sailor's name. A fourth man jumped from the ship, trying to reach us. But his head hit the side of the ship. He went down under the water and never came up again.

We had only a little bread and a small container of water on board. On the first day, the sea was very rough and we were almost thrown out of the boat. But then the sea became calmer and that danger passed. We spoke little. Most of the time, we did not move. We lay under the hot sun, looking out across the ocean.

On the fourth day, we had no more water to drink. We became very thirsty. Then on the sixth day, Helmar finally spoke of the idea that was already in all our minds. 'We need to kill someone. Then the other two can drink his blood.' Helmar had two longer sticks and one shorter one. The person with the short stick had to die. But the sailor chose the short stick and he did not accept the result. The love of life was too strong in him. He attacked Helmar, and the two men fought. I tried to help Helmar. But as I was going towards them, the boat moved suddenly. Helmar and the sailor fell straight over the side together and went down like stones.

In my weak state, I lay in the boat, laughing quietly. I did not know why I was laughing. But for many minutes I could not stop. After that, I did nothing. I thought about drinking sea water.

That way I could die more quickly. But I was too weak even for this.

On the eighth day, I saw a sail far away across the sea. I remember thinking, 'How strange. A ship is coming, but too late, because I'm already dead.' Hour after hour, I lay with my head on the side of the boat, and the sail came closer and closer. I did nothing to call the ship to me. But still it came. I remember seeing the side of the ship next to my boat, and then... nothing.

I woke in a small, untidy room on board the ship. A young man was sitting by my bed, holding my wrist. He had fair hair, a thick moustache and grey, watery eyes.

The man started speaking. Suddenly, from above us, came the sound of metal against metal and then the low, angry growl of an animal.

The man showed no surprise, but repeated his question: 'How do you feel now?' I tried to speak, but no sound came from my mouth. Luckily the man saw the question in my eyes.

'You were found in a small boat. You had no food or drink.' I looked at my hand - terribly thin, with the skin hanging off it. Suddenly, I remembered my long days lost at sea.

'Have some of this,' said the man, offering me a red drink. It tasted like blood, but I drank it all. I soon felt a bit stronger.

'You are lucky that I know about medicine,' said the man. 'What ship is this?' I asked slowly and painfully. These were my first words for many days. 'The Ipecacuanha. Oh, and I'm Montgomery.' The noise above us began again.

'You'll be OK now,' continued Montgomery. 'You've been asleep for almost thirty hours, you know.' I heard a number of dogs up above.

'Can I eat?' I asked.

'Of course. The cook is already preparing a meal for you.' 'That sounds wonderful,' I replied. 'But tell me, what happened to you? Why were you alone in that boat?... Damn that noise!' He stood up suddenly and left the room. He shouted at someone for a minute, then returned.

'Well, you were starting to tell me your story,' he said. I told him my name, Edward Prendick. I was, I said, travelling in the Pacific because of my interest in natural history. He was excited by this, and told me about his own days as a biology student in London. He asked me many questions about his favourite places in the city - the university, the shops and, most of all, the clubs.

'They were happy days,' he said sadly. 'But then I did something silly, and it all ended suddenly. Ten years ago now... I'll just go and ask the cook about your food.' The growls above us started again, even louder and angrier.

'What's that?' I called after him, but the door was already closing. Montgomery came back a minute later with some food, and in my excitement at the wonderful smell I forgot about the animal noises.


CHAPTER ONE Lost and Found الفصل الأول المفقودات BİRİNCİ BÖLÜM Kayıp ve Buluntu

I was one of the few lucky passengers on the Lady Vain. كنت أحد الركاب المحظوظين القلائل على متن ليدي فاين. Я был одним из немногих счастливчиков на Леди Вэйн. When the ship went down in the Pacific in February 1887, I found myself in a small boat with another passenger, Helmar, and a sailor. عندما سقطت السفينة في المحيط الهادئ في فبراير 1887 ، وجدت نفسي في قارب صغير مع راكب آخر ، هو هيلمار ، وبحار. I never knew the sailor's name. A fourth man jumped from the ship, trying to reach us. Четвертый человек спрыгнул с корабля, пытаясь добраться до нас. But his head hit the side of the ship. He went down under the water and never came up again.

We had only a little bread and a small container of water on board. У нас был только маленький хлеб и маленький контейнер с водой на борту. On the first day, the sea was very rough and we were almost thrown out of the boat. В первый день море было очень бурным, и нас почти выбросило из лодки. But then the sea became calmer and that danger passed. We spoke little. Most of the time, we did not move. Большую часть времени мы не двигались. We lay under the hot sun, looking out across the ocean. Nous nous sommes allongés sous le soleil brûlant, regardant l'océan. Мы лежали под жарким солнцем, глядя на океан.

On the fourth day, we had no more water to drink. We became very thirsty. Then on the sixth day, Helmar finally spoke of the idea that was already in all our minds. Затем на шестой день Хелмар наконец-то заговорил об идее, которая уже была у нас в голове. 'We need to kill someone. Then the other two can drink his blood.' Helmar had two longer sticks and one shorter one. У Хельмара было две более длинные палки и одна более короткая. The person with the short stick had to die. But the sailor chose the short stick and he did not accept the result. Но моряк выбрал короткую палку и не принял результат. The love of life was too strong in him. He attacked Helmar, and the two men fought. Он напал на Хельмара, и двое мужчин сразились. I tried to help Helmar. But as I was going towards them, the boat moved suddenly. Но когда я шел к ним, лодка внезапно двинулась. Helmar and the sailor fell straight over the side together and went down like stones.

In my weak state, I lay in the boat, laughing quietly. Dans mon état de faiblesse, j'étais allongé dans le bateau, riant doucement. В моем слабом состоянии я лежал в лодке, тихо смеясь. I did not know why I was laughing. But for many minutes I could not stop. After that, I did nothing. I thought about drinking sea water.

That way I could die more quickly. Таким образом я мог бы умереть быстрее. But I was too weak even for this.

On the eighth day, I saw a sail far away across the sea. На восьмой день я увидел парус далеко за морем. I remember thinking, 'How strange. A ship is coming, but too late, because I'm already dead.' Корабль идет, но слишком поздно, потому что я уже мертв. Hour after hour, I lay with my head on the side of the boat, and the sail came closer and closer. I did nothing to call the ship to me. But still it came. Но все же это пришло. I remember seeing the side of the ship next to my boat, and then... nothing.

I woke in a small, untidy room on board the ship. A young man was sitting by my bed, holding my wrist. He had fair hair, a thick moustache and grey, watery eyes.

The man started speaking. Suddenly, from above us, came the sound of metal against metal and then the low, angry growl of an animal.

The man showed no surprise, but repeated his question: 'How do you feel now?' Мужчина не удивился, но повторил вопрос: «Как ты себя сейчас чувствуешь?» I tried to speak, but no sound came from my mouth. Luckily the man saw the question in my eyes.

'You were found in a small boat. You had no food or drink.' I looked at my hand - terribly thin, with the skin hanging off it. Я посмотрел на свою руку - ужасно худая, с кожи свисала. Suddenly, I remembered my long days lost at sea. Внезапно я вспомнил свои долгие дни, потерянные в море.

'Have some of this,' said the man, offering me a red drink. «Выпей немного, - сказал мужчина, предлагая мне красный напиток. It tasted like blood, but I drank it all. I soon felt a bit stronger. Вскоре я почувствовал себя немного сильнее.

'You are lucky that I know about medicine,' said the man. «Вам повезло, что я знаю о медицине», - сказал мужчина. 'What ship is this?' I asked slowly and painfully. These were my first words for many days. 'The Ipecacuanha. Oh, and I'm Montgomery.' The noise above us began again.

'You'll be OK now,' continued Montgomery. 'You've been asleep for almost thirty hours, you know.' I heard a number of dogs up above. Я слышал несколько собак наверху.

'Can I eat?' I asked.

'Of course. The cook is already preparing a meal for you.' 'That sounds wonderful,' I replied. 'But tell me, what happened to you? Why were you alone in that boat?... Damn that noise!' Черт бы побрал этот шум! He stood up suddenly and left the room. He shouted at someone for a minute, then returned.

'Well, you were starting to tell me your story,' he said. I told him my name, Edward Prendick. I was, I said, travelling in the Pacific because of my interest in natural history. He was excited by this, and told me about his own days as a biology student in London. He asked me many questions about his favourite places in the city - the university, the shops and, most of all, the clubs.

'They were happy days,' he said sadly. 'But then I did something silly, and it all ended suddenly. «Но потом я сделал что-то глупое, и все внезапно закончилось. Ten years ago now... I'll just go and ask the cook about your food.' Десять лет назад ... Я просто пойду и спрошу повара о твоей еде. The growls above us started again, even louder and angrier.

'What's that?' I called after him, but the door was already closing. Я позвонил ему вслед, но дверь уже закрывалась. Montgomery came back a minute later with some food, and in my excitement at the wonderful smell I forgot about the animal noises.