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Fast in the Ice by Robert Michael Ballantyne, Chapter Eight.

Chapter Eight.

The Cause of Ice-Bergs—Fox-Chase—A Bear.

One day, long after the walrus-hunt just described, Joe Davis stood on the deck of the Hope , leaning over the side and looking out to sea—at least in the direction of the sea, for, although mid-day, it was so dark that he could not see very far in any direction. Joe was conversing with Mr Dicey on the appearance of things around him.

“Do you know, Mr Dicey,” said he, “wot it is as causes them there ice-bergs?”

Mr Dicey looked very grave and wise for a few seconds without answering. Then he said, in rather a solemn tone, “Well, Davis, to tell you the real truth, I don't know!” Now, as this question is one of considerable interest, I shall endeavour to answer it for the benefit of the reader.

The whole of the interior of Greenland is covered with ice and snow. This snowy covering does not resemble that soft snow which falls on our own hills. It is hard, and never melts entirely away. The snow there is in some places a thousand feet thick! It covers all the hill-tops and fills up all the valleys, so that the country may be said to be a buried land. Since the world began, perhaps, snow has been falling on it every winter; but the summers there have been so short that they could not melt away the snow of one winter before that of another came and covered it up and pressed it down. Thus, for ages, the snow of one year has been added to that which was left of the preceding, and the pressure has been so great that the mass has been squeezed nearly as hard as pure ice.

The ice that has been formed in this way is called glacier ; and the glaciers of Greenland cover, as I have said, the whole country, so that it can never be cultivated or inhabited by man unless the climate change. There are glaciers of this kind in many other parts of the world. We have them in Switzerland and in Norway, but not on nearly so large a scale as in Greenland.

Now, although this glacier-ice is clear and hard, it is not quite so solid as pure ice, and when it is pushed down into the valleys by the increasing masses above it, actually flows . But this flowing motion cannot be seen. It is like the motion of the hour hand of a watch, which cannot be perceived however closely it may be looked at. You might go to one of the valleys of Greenland and gaze at a glacier for days together, but you would see no motion whatever. All would appear solid, frozen up, and still. But notice a block of stone lying on the surface of the glacier, and go back many months after and you will find the stone lying a little further down the valley than when you first saw it. Thus glaciers are formed and thus they slowly move. But what has all this to do with ice-bergs? We shall see.

As the great glaciers of the north, then, are continually moving down the valleys, of course their ends are pushed into the sea. These ends, or tongues, are often hundreds of feet thick. In some places they present a clear glittering wall to the sea of several hundreds of feet in height, with perhaps as much again lost to view down in the deep water. As the extremities of these tongues are shoved farther and farther out they chip off and float away. These chips are ice-bergs ! I have already said that ice-bergs are sometimes miles in extent—like islands; that they sink seven or eight hundred feet below the surface, while their tops rise more than a hundred feet above it—like mountains. If these, then, are the “chips” of the Greenland glaciers, what must the “old blocks” be?

Many a long and animated discussion the sailors had that winter in the cabin of the Hope on the subject of ice and ice-bergs!

When the dark nights drew on, little or nothing could be done outside by our voyagers, and when the ice everywhere closed up, all the animals forsook them except polar bears, so that they ran short of fresh provisions. As months of dreary darkness passed away, the scurvy, that terrible disease, began to show itself among the men, their bodies became less able to withstand the cold, and it was difficult for them at last to keep up their spirits. But they fought against their troubles bravely.

Captain Harvey knew well that when a man's spirits go he is not worth much. He therefore did his utmost to cheer and enliven those around him.

One day, for instance, he went on deck to breathe a mouthful of fresh air. It was about eleven in the forenoon, and the moon was shining brightly in the clear sky. The stars, too, and the aurora borealis, helped to make up for the total absence of the sun. The cold air cut like a knife against his face when he issued from the hatchway, and the cold nose of one of the dogs immediately touched his hand, as the animal gambolled round him with delight; for the extreme severity of the weather began to tell on the poor dogs, and made them draw more lovingly to their human companions.

“Ho! hallo!” shouted the captain down the hatchway. “A fox-chase! a fox-chase! Tumble up, all hands!”

The men were sitting at the time in a very dull and silent mood. They were much cast down, for as it had been cloudy weather for some weeks past, thick darkness had covered them night and day, so that they could not tell the one from the other, except by the help of their watches, which were kept carefully going. Their journals, also, were written up daily, otherwise they must certainly have got confused in their time altogether!

In consequence of this darkness the men were confined almost entirely to the cabin for a time. Those who had scurvy, got worse; those who were well, became gloomy. Even Pepper, who was a tremendous joker, held his tongue, and Joe Davis, who was a great singer, became silent. Jim Crofts was in his bunk “down” with the scurvy, and stout Sam Baker, who was a capital teller of stories, could not pluck up spirit enough to open his mouth. “In fact,” as Mr Dicey said, “they all had a most 'orrible fit o' the blues!” The captain and officers were in better health and spirits than the men, though they all fared alike at the same table, and did the same kind of work, whatever that might chance to be. The officers, however, were constantly exerting themselves to cheer the men, and I have no doubt that this very effort of theirs was the means of doing good to themselves. “He that watereth others shall be watered,” says the Word of God. I take this to mean—he that does good to others shall get good to himself. So it certainly was with the officers of the Hope .

When the captain's shout reached the cabin Jim Crofts had just said: “I'll tell 'ee what it is, messmates, if this here state of things goes on much longer, I'll go out on the floes, walk up to the first polar bear I meet, and ask him to take his supper off me!” There was no laugh at this, but Pepper remarked, in a quiet way, that “he needn't put himself to so much trouble, for he was such a pale-faced, disagreeable looking object that no bear would eat him unless it was starving.” “Well, then, I'll offer myself to a starvin' bear—to one that's a'most dead with hunger,” retorted Jim gloomily. “What's that the cap'en is singin' out?” said Davy Butts, who was mending a pair of canvas shoes. The men roused themselves at once; for the hope of anything new turning up excited them.

“Hallo! ho!” roared the captain again, in a voice that might have started a dead walrus. “Tumble up, there!—a fox-chase! I'll give my second-best fur-coat to the man that catches foxey!” In one instant the whole crew were scrambling up the ladder. Even Jim Crofts, who was really ill, rolled out of his bunk and staggered on deck, saying he would have a “go after foxey if he should die for it!”

The game of fox is simple. One man is chosen to be the fox. He runs off and the rest follow. They are bound to go wherever the fox leads. In this case it was arranged that the fox should run round the deck until he should be caught; then the man who caught him should become fox, and continue running on with all the rest following, until he, in turn, should be caught, and so on until the one who could run longest and fastest should break down all the rest. The warm fur-coat was a prize worth running for in such a cold climate, so the game began with spirit. Young Gregory offered to be fox first, and away they went with a yell. Mr Mansell was a little lame, and soon gave in. Mr Dicey fell at the second round, and was unable to recover distance. Gregory would certainly have gained the coat, for he was strong, and had been a crack racer at school; but he did not want the coat, so allowed Sam Baker to catch him. Sam held on like a deer for a few minutes, and one after another the men dropped off as they were blown. Jim Crofts, poor fellow, made a gallant burst, but his limbs refused to help his spirit. He fell, and was assisted below by the captain and replaced in his bunk, where, however, he felt the benefit of his efforts.

The race was now kept up by Sam Baker, Joe Davis, and Butts. These three were struggling on and panting loudly, while their comrades danced about, clapped their mittened hands, and shouted, “Now then, Sam!—go in and win, Joe!—Butts, forever!” and such-like encouraging cries.

To the surprise of everyone Davy Butts came off the winner, and for many a day after that enjoyed the warm coat which he said his long legs had gained for him.

This effort of the captain to cheer the men was very successful, so he resolved to follow it up with an attempt at private theatricals. Accordingly this thing was proposed and heartily agreed to. Next day everyone was busy making preparations. Tom Gregory agreed to write a short play. Sam Baker, being the healthiest man on board, was willing to act the part of an invalid old lady, and Jim Crofts consented to become a gay young doctor for that occasion.

Meanwhile the captain arranged a piece of real work, for he felt that the attempt to keep up the spirits alone would not do. They had been for a long time living on salt provisions. Nothing could restore the crew but fresh meat—yet fresh meat was not to be had. The walrus and deer were gone, and although foxes and bears were still around them, they had failed in all their attempts to shoot or trap any of these animals. A visit to the Eskimo camp, therefore, (if such a camp really existed), became necessary; so, while the theatricals were in preparation, a small sledge was rigged up, Gregory and Sam Baker were chosen to go with him; the dogs were harnessed, and, on a fine, starry forenoon, away they went to the south at full gallop, with three hearty cheers from the crew of the brig, who were left in charge of the first mate.

The journey thus undertaken was one full of risk. It was not known how far distant the natives might be, or where they were likely to be found. The weather was intensely cold. Only a small quantity of preserved meat could be taken—for the rest, they trusted in some measure to their guns. But the captain's great hope was to reach the Eskimo village in a day or two at the farthest. If he should fail to do so, the prospect of himself and his crew surviving the remainder of the long winter was, he felt, very gloomy indeed.

Success attended this expedition at the very beginning. They had only been eight hours out when they met a bear sitting on its haunches behind a hummock. “Hallo! look out!” cried Gregory, on catching sight of him. “Fire, lads,” said the captain, “I'm not quite ready.” Gregory fired and the bear staggered. Baker then fired and it fell!

This was a blessing which filled their hearts so full of thankfulness that they actually shook hands with each other, and then gave vent to three hearty cheers. Their next thoughts were given to their comrades in the Hope .

“You and Baker will camp here, Tom,” said the captain, “and I will return to the brig with a sledge-load of the meat. When I've put it aboard I'll come straight back to you. We'll keep a ham for ourselves, of course. Now then, to work.”

To work the three men went. A hind leg of the bear was cut off, the rest was lashed firmly on the sledge, and the dogs enjoyed a feed while this was being done. Then the captain cracked his whip. “Good-bye, lads,” “Good-bye, captain,” and away he and the dogs and sledge went, and were soon lost to view among the hummocks of the frozen sea.

Chapter Eight. Chapitre huit.

The Cause of Ice-Bergs—Fox-Chase—A Bear.

One day, long after the walrus-hunt just described, Joe Davis stood on the deck of the  Hope , leaning over the side and looking out to sea—at least in the direction of the sea, for, although mid-day, it was so dark that he could not see very far in any direction. Joe was conversing with Mr Dicey on the appearance of things around him.

“Do you know, Mr Dicey,” said he, “wot it is as causes them there ice-bergs?”

Mr Dicey looked very grave and wise for a few seconds without answering. Then he said, in rather a solemn tone, “Well, Davis, to tell you the real truth, I  don't know!” Now, as this question is one of considerable interest, I shall endeavour to answer it for the benefit of the reader.

The whole of the interior of Greenland is covered with ice and snow. This snowy covering does not resemble that soft snow which falls on our own hills. It is hard, and  never melts entirely away. The snow there is in some places a thousand feet thick! It covers all the hill-tops and fills up all the valleys, so that the country may be said to be a buried land. Since the world began, perhaps, snow has been falling on it every winter; but the summers there have been so short that they could not melt away the snow of one winter before that of another came and covered it up and pressed it down. Thus, for ages, the snow of one year has been added to that which was left of the preceding, and the pressure has been so great that the mass has been squeezed nearly as hard as pure ice.

The ice that has been formed in this way is called  glacier ; and the glaciers of Greenland cover, as I have said, the whole country, so that it can never be cultivated or inhabited by man unless the climate change. There are glaciers of this kind in many other parts of the world. We have them in Switzerland and in Norway, but not on nearly so large a scale as in Greenland.

Now, although this glacier-ice is clear and hard, it is not quite so solid as pure ice, and when it is pushed down into the valleys by the increasing masses above it, actually  flows . But this flowing motion cannot be seen. It is like the motion of the hour hand of a watch, which cannot be perceived however closely it may be looked at. You might go to one of the valleys of Greenland and gaze at a glacier for days together, but you would see no motion whatever. All would appear solid, frozen up, and still. But notice a block of stone lying on the surface of the glacier, and go back many months after and you will find the stone lying a little further down the valley than when you first saw it. Thus glaciers are formed and thus they slowly move. But what has all this to do with ice-bergs? We shall see.

As the great glaciers of the north, then, are continually moving down the valleys, of course their ends are pushed into the sea. These ends, or tongues, are often hundreds of feet thick. In some places they present a clear glittering wall to the sea of several hundreds of feet in height, with perhaps as much again lost to view down in the deep water. As the extremities of these tongues are shoved farther and farther out they chip off and float away. These chips are ice-bergs ! I have already said that ice-bergs are sometimes miles in extent—like islands; that they sink seven or eight hundred feet below the surface, while their tops rise more than a hundred feet above it—like mountains. If these, then, are the “chips” of the Greenland glaciers, what must the “old blocks” be?

Many a long and animated discussion the sailors had that winter in the cabin of the  Hope on the subject of ice and ice-bergs!

When the dark nights drew on, little or nothing could be done outside by our voyagers, and when the ice everywhere closed up, all the animals forsook them except polar bears, so that they ran short of fresh provisions. 当黑夜来临,我们的航海者在外面几乎什么也做不了,当到处都是冰层封闭时,除了北极熊之外,所有的动物都抛弃了它们,以至于它们缺乏新鲜的食物。 As months of dreary darkness passed away, the scurvy, that terrible disease, began to show itself among the men, their bodies became less able to withstand the cold, and it was difficult for them at last to keep up their spirits. 数月的阴森森的黑暗过去了,坏血病这种可怕的疾病开始在男人身上出现,他们的身体越来越不耐寒,他们终于难以振作起来了。 But they fought against their troubles bravely. 但他们勇敢地与困难作斗争。

Captain Harvey knew well that when a man's spirits go he is not worth much. He therefore did his utmost to cheer and enliven those around him.

One day, for instance, he went on deck to breathe a mouthful of fresh air. It was about eleven in the forenoon, and the moon was shining brightly in the clear sky. The stars, too, and the aurora borealis, helped to make up for the total absence of the sun. The cold air cut like a knife against his face when he issued from the hatchway, and the cold nose of one of the dogs immediately touched his hand, as the animal gambolled round him with delight; for the extreme severity of the weather began to tell on the poor dogs, and made them draw more lovingly to their human companions. 他从舱口出来的时候,冷空气像刀子一样划在他的脸上,一只狗冰冷的鼻子立刻碰到了他的手,那只动物高兴地围着他转来转去。因为极端恶劣的天气开始影响可怜的狗,使它们更喜欢它们的人类同伴。

“Ho! hallo!” shouted the captain down the hatchway. “A fox-chase! a fox-chase! Tumble up, all hands!”

The men were sitting at the time in a very dull and silent mood. 男人们当时正坐在一个非常沉闷和沉默的情绪中。 They were much cast down, for as it had been cloudy weather for some weeks past, thick darkness had covered them night and day, so that they could not tell the one from the other, except by the help of their watches, which were kept carefully going. 他们非常沮丧,因为过去几个星期一直是阴天,厚厚的黑暗日夜笼罩着他们,所以他们无法分辨一个人与另一个人,除非借助他们的手表,手表被保存着小心翼翼地走。 Their journals, also, were written up daily, otherwise they must certainly have got confused in their time altogether! 他们的日记也是每天写的,否则他们肯定在他们的时代完全混淆了!

In consequence of this darkness the men were confined almost entirely to the cabin for a time. 由于这种黑暗,这些人一度几乎完全被限制在小屋里。 Those who had scurvy, got worse; those who were well, became gloomy. 患有坏血病的人会变得更糟;那些健康的人变得阴沉。 Even Pepper, who was a tremendous joker, held his tongue, and Joe Davis, who was a great singer, became silent. Jim Crofts was in his bunk “down” with the scurvy, and stout Sam Baker, who was a capital teller of stories, could not pluck up spirit enough to open his mouth. 吉姆·克罗夫茨和坏血病在他的铺位上“倒下”,而身强力壮的山姆·贝克(Sam Baker)是个讲故事的资本家,他提不起精神来张开嘴。 “In fact,” as Mr Dicey said, “they all had a most 'orrible fit o' the blues!” The captain and officers were in better health and spirits than the men, though they all fared alike at the same table, and did the same kind of work, whatever that might chance to be. “事实上,”正如戴雪先生所说,“他们都非常‘糟糕’地适应了布鲁斯!”船长和军官们的健康和精神都比男人们好,尽管他们都在同一张桌子上吃得差不多,做同样的工作,不管有什么机会。 The officers, however, were constantly exerting themselves to cheer the men, and I have no doubt that this very effort of theirs was the means of doing good to themselves. 然而,军官们不断地努力为这些人加油,我毫不怀疑他们的这种努力就是对自己行善的手段。 “He that watereth others shall be watered,” says the Word of God. I take this to mean—he that does good to others shall get good to himself. So it certainly was with the officers of the  Hope .

When the captain's shout reached the cabin Jim Crofts had just said: “I'll tell 'ee what it is, messmates, if this here state of things goes on much longer, I'll go out on the floes, walk up to the first polar bear I meet, and ask him to take his supper off me!” 当船长的喊声传到船舱时,吉姆·克罗夫茨刚刚说:“我会告诉你这是怎么回事,伙计们,如果这里的这种情况持续更长时间,我会离开浮冰,走到我遇到的第一只北极熊,请他把晚餐从我身上拿走!” There was no laugh at this, but Pepper remarked, in a quiet way, that “he needn't put himself to so much trouble, for he was such a pale-faced, disagreeable looking object that no bear would eat him unless it was starving.” 对此没有人笑,但佩珀平静地说,“他不必为自己操心,因为他脸色苍白,看起来很讨厌,没有熊会吃掉他,除非它是饿死了。” “Well, then, I'll offer myself to a starvin' bear—to one that's a'most dead with hunger,” retorted Jim gloomily. “好吧,那么,我会把自己献给一只饿死的熊——献给一只饿死的熊,”吉姆沮丧地反驳道。 “What's that the cap'en is singin' out?” said Davy Butts, who was mending a pair of canvas shoes. “队长在唱什么?”正在修补一双帆布鞋的戴维·巴茨说。 The men roused themselves at once; for the hope of anything new turning up excited them. 男人们立刻醒了过来。对任何新事物的希望使他们兴奋不已。

“Hallo! ho!” roared the captain again, in a voice that might have started a dead walrus. 嗬!”船长再次吼道,声音可能会激起一只死去的海象。 “Tumble up, there!—a fox-chase! I'll give my second-best fur-coat to the man that catches foxey!” 我会把我第二好的皮大衣送给捉狐狸的人!” In one instant the whole crew were scrambling up the ladder. Even Jim Crofts, who was really ill, rolled out of his bunk and staggered on deck, saying he would have a “go after foxey if he should die for it!” 就连病得很重的吉姆·克罗夫茨(Jim Crofts)也从他的铺位上滚了出来,在甲板上蹒跚而行,说他会“去追捕狐狸,如果他为此而死!”

The game of fox is simple. One man is chosen to be the fox. 一个人被选为狐狸。 He runs off and the rest follow. 他跑了,其余的人也跟着跑了。 They are bound to go wherever the fox leads. 他们一定会去任何狐狸带领的地方。 In this case it was arranged that the fox should run round the deck until he should be caught; then the man who caught him should become fox, and continue running on with all the rest following, until he, in turn, should be caught, and so on until the one who could run longest and fastest should break down all the rest. 在这种情况下,安排狐狸在甲板上跑来跑去,直到被抓住。然后抓住他的人应该变成狐狸,继续跑,其余的人都跟着跑,直到他被抓住,以此类推,直到跑得最长和最快的人把其余的人都摔倒。 The warm fur-coat was a prize worth running for in such a cold climate, so the game began with spirit. 在如此寒冷的气候下,温暖的皮大衣是值得一试的奖品,所以比赛开始时精神抖擞。 Young Gregory offered to be fox first, and away they went with a yell. 年轻的格雷戈里提出先成为狐狸,然后他们大喊一声就走了。 Mr Mansell was a little lame, and soon gave in. 曼塞尔先生有点跛脚,很快就让步了。 Mr Dicey fell at the second round, and was unable to recover distance. 戴雪先生在第二轮摔倒,无法恢复距离。 Gregory would certainly have gained the coat, for he was strong, and had been a crack racer at school; but he did not want the coat, so allowed Sam Baker to catch him. 格雷戈里肯定会得到这件外套,因为他很强壮,而且在学校曾是一名出色的赛车手。但他不想要这件外套,所以让山姆·贝克抓住了他。 Sam held on like a deer for a few minutes, and one after another the men dropped off as they were blown. 山姆像鹿一样坚持了几分钟,一个接一个的人被炸飞了。 Jim Crofts, poor fellow, made a gallant burst, but his limbs refused to help his spirit. He fell, and was assisted below by the captain and replaced in his bunk, where, however, he felt the benefit of his efforts. 他摔倒了,在船长的帮助下,他被安置在他的铺位上,然而,他觉得自己的努力有好处。

The race was now kept up by Sam Baker, Joe Davis, and Butts. These three were struggling on and panting loudly, while their comrades danced about, clapped their mittened hands, and shouted, “Now then, Sam!—go in and win, Joe!—Butts, forever!” and such-like encouraging cries. 这三个人继续挣扎,大声喘着粗气,而他们的同伴则跳来跳去,拍着戴手套的手,喊道:“现在,山姆!——进去赢吧,乔!——永远的屁股!”和诸如此类的鼓励叫声。

To the surprise of everyone Davy Butts came off the winner, and for many a day after that enjoyed the warm coat which he said his long legs had gained for him. 出乎所有人的意料,戴维·巴茨从冠军中脱颖而出,在那之后的很多天里,他都享受着温暖的外套,他说他的长腿为他赢得了。

This effort of the captain to cheer the men was very successful, so he resolved to follow it up with an attempt at private theatricals. 船长为队员们加油的努力非常成功,因此他决定继续尝试在私人剧院上演。 Accordingly this thing was proposed and heartily agreed to. 因此,这件事被提出并由衷地同意。 Next day everyone was busy making preparations. 第二天,大家都在忙着准备。 Tom Gregory agreed to write a short play. 汤姆·格雷戈里同意写一部短剧。 Sam Baker, being the healthiest man on board, was willing to act the part of an invalid old lady, and Jim Crofts consented to become a gay young doctor for that occasion. 山姆贝克是船上最健康的人,他愿意扮演一位病弱的老太太,而吉姆克罗夫茨也同意在那个场合成为一名年轻的同性恋医生。

Meanwhile the captain arranged a piece of real work, for he felt that the attempt to keep up the spirits alone would not do. 与此同时,船长安排了一件真正的工作,因为他觉得单靠保持精神是行不通的。 They had been for a long time living on salt provisions. 他们长期以来一直靠食盐为生。 Nothing could restore the crew but fresh meat—yet fresh meat was not to be had. 除了新鲜的肉,没有什么能让船员们恢复活力——然而新鲜的肉是不能吃的。 The walrus and deer were gone, and although foxes and bears were still around them, they had failed in all their attempts to shoot or trap any of these animals. 海象和鹿不见了,虽然狐狸和熊还在他们身边,但他们射杀或诱捕这些动物的所有尝试都失败了。 A visit to the Eskimo camp, therefore, (if such a camp really existed), became necessary; so, while the theatricals were in preparation, a small sledge was rigged up, Gregory and Sam Baker were chosen to go with him; the dogs were harnessed, and, on a fine, starry forenoon, away they went to the south at full gallop, with three hearty cheers from the crew of the brig, who were left in charge of the first mate. 因此,访问爱斯基摩人营地(如果确实存在这样的营地)是必要的;所以,在准备戏剧的时候,一个小雪橇被架起,格雷戈里和山姆贝克被选中和他一起去。狗被套好,在一个晴朗的、繁星点点的上午,它们全速驰骋向南,在双桅船船员的三声热烈的欢呼声中,他们留下了负责大副的工作。

The journey thus undertaken was one full of risk. 如此进行的旅程充满了风险。 It was not known how far distant the natives might be, or where they were likely to be found. 不知道当地人可能有多远,或者他们可能在哪里被发现。 The weather was intensely cold. 天气异常寒冷。 Only a small quantity of preserved meat could be taken—for the rest, they trusted in some measure to their guns. 只能带走少量的腌肉——剩下的,他们在某种程度上相信他们的枪。 But the captain's great hope was to reach the Eskimo village in a day or two at the farthest. 但船长最大的希望是最远的一两天内能到达爱斯基摩村。 If he should fail to do so, the prospect of himself and his crew surviving the remainder of the long winter was, he felt, very gloomy indeed. 如果他不这样做,他觉得自己和他的船员在漫长的冬天剩下的时间里幸存下来的前景确实非常悲观。

Success attended this expedition at the very beginning. 成功参加了这次探险。 They had only been eight hours out when they met a bear sitting on its haunches behind a hummock. “Hallo! look out!” cried Gregory, on catching sight of him. “Fire, lads,” said the captain, “I'm not quite ready.” Gregory fired and the bear staggered. “开火,伙计们,”船长说,“我还没准备好。”格雷戈里开枪,熊摇摇晃晃。 Baker then fired and it fell! 贝克随后开枪,它倒下了!

This was a blessing which filled their hearts so full of thankfulness that they actually shook hands with each other, and then gave vent to three hearty cheers. 这份祝福让他们的心中充满了感激,他们竟然握了握手,然后发出三声热烈的欢呼。 Their next thoughts were given to their comrades in the  Hope . 他们接下来的想法交给了他们在希望中的战友。

“You and Baker will camp here, Tom,” said the captain, “and I will return to the brig with a sledge-load of the meat. “汤姆,你和贝克会在这里扎营,”船长说,“我会带着一大堆肉回到双桅船。 When I've put it aboard I'll come straight back to you. 当我把它放在船上时,我会直接回到你身边。 We'll keep a ham for ourselves, of course. 当然,我们会为自己准备一个火腿。 Now then, to work.”

To work the three men went. 三个人去上班了。 A hind leg of the bear was cut off, the rest was lashed firmly on the sledge, and the dogs enjoyed a feed while this was being done. 熊的一条后腿被切断,其余的被牢牢地绑在雪橇上,狗一边吃一边吃。 Then the captain cracked his whip. 然后船长挥动鞭子。 “Good-bye, lads,” “Good-bye, captain,” and away he and the dogs and sledge went, and were soon lost to view among the hummocks of the frozen sea. “再见,小伙子们”,“再见,船长”,他和狗和雪橇走了,很快就消失在冰冻的海面的小丘上。