【英文读物】Jack Archer.docx

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1、【英文读物】Jack ArcherCHAPTER I. THE MIDSHIPMAN The first day of term cannot be considered a cheerful occasion. As the boys arrive on the previous evening, they have so much to tell each other, are so full of what they have been doing, that the chatter and laughter are as great as upon the night precedin

2、g the breaking-up. In the morning, however, all this is changed. As they take their places at their desks and open their books, a dull, heavy feeling takes possession of the boys, and the full consciousness that they are at the beginning of another half years work weighs heavily on their minds. It i

3、s true enough that the half year will have its play, too, its matches, with their rivalry and excitement. But at present it is the long routine of lessons which is most prominent in the minds of the lads who are sitting on the long benches of the Kings School, Canterbury. As a whole, however, these

4、have not great reason for sadness. Not more than a third of them are boarders, and the rest, who have in truth, for the last week, begun to be tired of their holidays, will, when they once get out of school, and begin to choose sides for football, be really glad that the term has again commenced. So

5、 your brother is not coming back again, Archer? one of the boys said to a lad of some fifteen years old, a merry, curly-haired fellow, somewhat short for his age, but square-shouldered and sturdy. No. He is expecting in another six months to get his commission, and is going up to town to study with

6、a coach. My father has lodged the money for him, and hopes to get him gazetted to his old regiment, the 33d. What is he going to a coach for? There is no examination, is there? And if there was, I should think he could pass it. He has been in the sixth for the last year. Oh, he is all right enough,

7、Archer said. But my father is sending him to an army man to get up military drawing and fortification. Dad says it is of no use his going on grinding here at Greek and Latin, and that he had much better spend the time, till he gets his commission, in learning something that may be of use to him. I w

8、ish I had done with Latin and Greek too, Im sure theyll never be of any use to me, and I hate them. At this moment the conversation between the boys was abruptly broken off by Archer being called up by the class master. Archer, he said, looking up from the papers on the desk before him, these verses

9、 are disgraceful. Of all in the holiday tasks sent in, yours appears to me to be the worst. Im very sorry, sir, Jack Archer said, I really tried hard to do them, but somehow or other the quantities never will come right. I dont know what you call trying hard, Archer, but its utterly impossible, if y

10、ou had taken the trouble to look the words out in the Gradus, that you could have made such mistakes as those here. I dont know, sir, Jack answered. I can do exercises and translations and all that sort of thing well enough, but I always break down with verses, and I dont see what good they are, exc

11、ept for fellows who want to write Latin verses for tombstones. That has nothing to do with it, the master said; and I am not going to discuss the utility of verses with you. I shall report you to Dr. Wallace, and if you will not work in your holidays, you will have to do so in your play-hours. Jack

12、retired to his seat, and for the next ten minutes indulged in a diatribe against classical learning in general, and hexameters and pentameters in particular. Presently one of the sixth form came down to where Jack was sitting, Archer, Dr. Wallace wants you. Oh, lord, Jack groaned, now Im in for it!

13、I havent seen Marshall get out of his seat. I suppose he has written a report about those beastly verses. The greeting of Dr. Wallace was, however, of a different nature from that which he had anticipated. Archer, he said, I have just received a note from your father. You are to go home at once. Jac

14、k Archer opened his eyes in astonishment. It was but an hour and a half since he had started from Harbledown, a mile or so distant from the school. His father had said nothing at breakfast, and what on earth could he want him home again for? With a mechanical Yes, sir, he returned to his place, gath

15、ered up his books hastily together, fastening them with a strap, and was soon on his way home at a rapid trot. He overtook ere long the servant who had brought the notean old soldier, who had been Major Archers servant in the army. What is the matter, Jones? Is any one ill at home? No, sir; no one i

16、s ill as I knows of. The major called me into his study, and told me to take a note to Dr. Wallace, and, of course, I asked the master no questions. No, Jack said, I dont suppose you did, Jones. I dont suppose youd ask any questions if you were told to take a letter straight to the man in the moon.

17、I wonder what it can mean. And continuing his run, he soon left the steady-going old soldier far behind. Up High Street, under the great gate, along through the wide, straggling street beyond, into the open country, and then across through the fields to Harbledown. Jack never paused till, hot and pa

18、nting, he entered the gate. His father and his elder brother, who had seen him coming across the fields, were standing in the porch. Hurrah! Jack, the latter shouted; youre going to be first out after all. Going to be first out? Jack gasped. What on earth do you mean, Harry? Come into the parlor, Ja

19、ck, his father said, and you shall hear all about it. Here his mother and two sisters were sitting. My dear boy, the former said, rising and throwing her arms round his neck, this is sudden indeed. What is sudden, mother? What is sudden? Jack asked. What is it all about? and noticing a tear on his m

20、others cheek, he went on, It cant be those beastly verses, is it? the subject most upon his mind being prominent. But no, it couldnt be that. Even if Wallace took it into his head to make a row about them, there would not be time. But what is it, mother? Sit down, Jack, his father said. You know, my

21、 boy, you have always said that you would like to go to sea. I had no interest that way, but six months ago I wrote to my nephew Charles, who is, as you know, a first lieutenant in the navy, and asked him if he thought he could get you a midshipmans berth. He wrote back to say that he was at present

22、 on half pay, and feared it would be a long time before he was afloat again, as there were but few ships in commission, and he had not much interest. But if he were appointed he might be able to get you a berth on board the ship. As that didnt seem very hopeful, I thought it better to say nothing to

23、 you about it. However, this morning, just after you had started for school, the postman brought a letter from him, saying that, owing to the threatening state of affairs in the East, a number of ships were being rapidly put in commission, and that he had been appointed to the Falcon, and had seen t

24、he captain, and as the latter, who happened to be an old friend of his, had no one in particular whom he wished to oblige, he had kindly asked the Admiralty for a midshipmans appointment for you. This he had, of course, obtained. The Falcon is being fitted out with all haste, and you are to join at

25、once. So I shall take you to Portsmouth to-morrow. Jack was too much delighted and surprised to be able to speak at first. But after a minute or two he recovered his breath, uttered a loud hurrah of delight, and then gave vent to his feelings by exuberantly kissing his mother and sisters. This is gl

26、orious, he said. Only to think that I, who have just been blown up for my verses, am a midshipman in her Majestys service. I can hardly believe that it is true. Oh, father, I have so wished to go to sea, but I have never said much about it because I thought you did not like it, and now to think of m

27、y getting it when I had quite given up all hope, and just at a time, too, when there seems to be a chance of a row. What is it all about, father? I have heard you say something about a dispute with Russia, but I never gave much attention to it. The cause of the dispute is trumpery enough, and in its

28、elf wholly insufficient to cause a war between two great nations. It began by a squabble about the holy places at Jerusalem, as to the rights of the Greek and Latin pilgrims respectively. But what have we got to do with either the Latin or the Greek pilgrims? Jack asked. I should have thought that w

29、e were quite bothered enough with Latin and Greek verses, without having anything to do with pilgrims. Besides, I didnt know there were any Latins now, and the Greeks aint much. Major Archer smiled. The Latin pilgrims are the members of the countries which profess the Roman Catholic religion, while

30、the Greeks are those who profess the religion of the Greek Church. That is to say, in the present case, principally Russians. There have for years been squabbles, swelling sometimes into serious tumults, between the pilgrims of these creeds, the matter being generally complicated by the interference

31、 of the Turkish authorities with them. The Russian government has been endeavoring to obtain from Turkey the protectorate of all Christians in her dominions, which France, as the leading Catholic country, naturally objects to. All this, however, is only a pretext. The real fact is that Russia, who h

32、as for centuries been casting a longing eye upon Turkey, thinks that the time has arrived when she can carry out her ambitious designs. It has always been our policy, upon the other hand, to sustain Turkey. We have large interests in the Mediterranean, and a considerable trade with the Levant, and w

33、ere Russia to extend her dominion to Constantinople, our position would be seriously menaced. Moreover, and this perhaps is the principal point, it is absolutely necessary for us in the future to be dominant in the east of the Mediterranean. Egypt is rapidly becoming our highway to India, and many m

34、en think that in the future our trade with that great dependency will flow down the valley of the Euphrates. Consequently, it is necessary to prevent Russia, at any cost, obtaining a footing south of the Black Sea. And do you think, father, that there will really be a war? Im inclined to think that

35、there will be, Jack, although this is not the popular opinion. We have so long, in England, been talking about the iniquity of war that I believe that the Emperor Nicholas has persuaded himself that we will not fight at any price. In this I am sure that he is wholly mistaken. So long as there was no

36、 probability of war, the people of England have quietly permitted the cheese-paring politicians who govern us to cut down the army and navy to a point when we can hardly be said to have an army at all. But I am convinced that the people of England are at heart as warlike as of old. Few nations have

37、done more fighting than we, and, roughly speaking, the wars have always been popular. If the people at large once become convinced that the honor and interest of England are at stake, they will go to war, and the politicians in power will have to follow the popular current, or give way to men who wi

38、ll do so. At present, however, the general idea is that a demonstration upon the part of England and France, will be sufficient to prevent Russia from taking any further steps. I think myself that Russia has gone too far to draw back. Russia is a country where the czars are nominally all-powerful, b

39、ut where, in point of fact, they are as much bound as other sovereigns to follow the wishes of the country. The conquest of Constantinople has long been the dream of every Russian, and now that the Czar has held out hopes that this dream is about to be realized, he will scarcely like to draw back. B

40、ut surely, father, Harry Archer said, Russia cannot think herself a match for England and France united. I dont know that, my boy. Russia has an enormous population, far larger than that of England and France united. Every man, from the highest to the lowest, is at the disposal of the Czar, and ther

41、e is scarcely any limit to the force which he is capable of putting into the field. Russia has not fought since the days of Napoleon, and in those days the Russian troops showed themselves to be as good as any in Europe. At Borodino and Smolensko they were barely defeated after inflicting enormous l

42、osses on the emperors army, and, as in the end, they annihilated the largest army even Napoleon had ever got together, they may well think that, fighting close to their own borders, while England and France have to take their troops across Europe, they will be more than a match for us. And now, Jack

43、, we must go down to the town. There is much to do and to think about. The principal part of your outfit I shall, of course, get at Portsmouth, where the tailors are accustomed to work at high pressure. But your underclothes we can get here. Now, my dear, if you will go upstairs and look through Jac

44、ks things, and let me know exactly how he stands, I will go down with him to the town, and get anything he requires. And will you be able to spare me for a quarter-of-an-hour, father? I should like to be outside the school when they come out at one oclock, to say good-bye to them. Wont they be surpr

45、ised, and jolly envious? Oh no, I should think not! They would give their ears, some of them, I know, to be in my place. I should like to say good-bye, too, to old Marshall. His face will be a picture when he finds that he is not going to drop on me for those verses, after all. It was a day of bustl

46、e and business, and Jack, until the very moment when he was embracing his weeping mother and sisters, while his father stood at the door, in front of which was the pony-chaise, which was waiting to take him down to the station, could hardly realize that it was all true, that his school-days were ove

47、r, and that he was really a midshipman in her Majestys service. Harry had already gone to the station on foot, as the back seat in the pony-chaise was occupied by Jacks luggage, and the last words that he said, as he shook hands with his brother, were, I shouldnt be surprised, old boy, if we were to

48、 meet in the East before long. If anything comes of it, they will have to increase the strength of the army as well as of the navy, and it will be bad luck indeed if the 33d is left behind. On arriving at Portsmouth, Major Archer took up his quarters at the famous George Inn, and, leaving their luggage there, was soon on his way down to the Hard. Half a century had gone by since Portsmouth had exhibited such a scene of life and bustle. Large numbers of extra hands had been taken on at the dockyards, and the fitters and riggers labored night and day,