酷兔英语
    当前位置:
  1. 首页
  2. 文章
  3. 娱乐英语
  4. 原版小说
  5. 正文

Jerry of the Islands-Part6_JACK LONDON(1876-1916)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

0 收藏 0 分享 0 赞

章节正文
文章总共2页
just the plain s-c-h-n-a-p-p-s schnapps. An' he's a good sailor-



man, Jerry, when he's sober. But when he's schnappy he's sheer

lunatic. Then his noddle goes pinwheeling and he's a blighted fool,



and he'd snore in a gale and suffer for sleep in a dead calm.--

Jerry, you're just beginning to pad those four little soft feet of



yours into the world, so take the advice of one who knows and leave

the schnapps alone. Believe me, Jerry, boy--listen to your father--



schnapps will never buy you anything."

Whereupon, leaving Jerry on deck to stalk the wild-dog, Captain Van



Horn went below into the tiny stateroom and took a long drink from

the very bottle from which Borckman was stealing.



The stalking of the wild-dog became a game, at least to Jerry, who

was so made that his heart bore no malice, and who hugely enjoyed



it. Also, it gave him a delightfulconsciousness of his own

mastery, for the wild-dog always fled from him. At least so far as



dogs were concerned, Jerry was cock of the deck of the Arangi. It

did not enter his head to query how his conduct affected the wild-



dog, though, in truth, he led that individual a wretched existence.

Never, except when Jerry was below, did the wild one dare venture



more than several feet from his retreat, and he went about in fear

and trembling of the fat roly-poly puppy who was unafraid of his



snarl.

In the late afternoon, Jerry trotted aft, after having administered



another lesson to the wild-dog, and found Skipper seated on the

deck, back against the low rail, knees drawn up, and gazing absently



off to leeward. Jerry sniffed his bare calf--not that he needed to

identify it, but just because he liked to, and in a sort of friendly



greeting. But Van Horn took no notice, continuing to stare out

across the sea. Nor was he aware of the puppy's presence.



Jerry rested the length of his chin on Skipper's knee and gazed long

and earnestly into Skipper's face. This time Skipper knew, and was



pleasantly thrilled; but still he gave no sign. Jerry tried a new

tack. Skipper's hand drooped idly, half open, from where the



forearm rested on the other knee. Into the part-open hand Jerry

thrust his soft golden muzzle to the eyes and remained quite still.



Had he been situated to see, he would have seen a twinkle in

Skipper's eyes, which had been withdrawn from the sea and were



looking down upon him. But Jerry could not see. He kept quiet a

little longer, and then gave a prodigious sniff.



This was too much for Skipper, who laughed with such genial

heartiness as to lay Jerry's silky ears back and down in self-



deprecation of affection and pleadingness to bask in the sunshine of

the god's smile. Also, Skipper's laughter set Jerry's tail wildly



bobbing. The half-open hand closed in a firm grip that gathered in

the slack of the skin of one side of Jerry's head and jowl. Then



the hand began to shake him back and forth with such good will that

he was compelled to balance back and forth on all his four feet.



It was bliss to Jerry. Nay, more, it was ecstasy. For Jerry knew

there was neither anger nor danger in the roughness of the shake,



and that it was play of the sort that he and Michael had indulged

in. On occasion, he had so played with Biddy and lovingly mauled



her about. And, on very rare occasion, Mister Haggin had lovingly

mauled him about. It was speech to Jerry, full of unmistakable



meaning.

As the shake grew rougher, Jerry emitted his most ferocious growl,



which grew more ferocious with the increasing violence of the

shaking. But that, too, was play, a making believe to hurt the one



he liked too well to hurt. He strained and tugged at the grip,

trying to twist his jowl in the slack of skin so as to reach a bite.



When Skipper, with a quick thrust, released him and shoved him

clear, he came back, all teeth and growl, to be again caught and



shaken. The play continued, with rising excitement to Jerry. Once,

too quick for Skipper, he caught his hand between teeth; but he did



not bring them together. They pressed lovingly, denting the skin,

but there was no bite in them.



The play grew rougher, and Jerry lost himself in the play. Still

playing, he grew so excited that all that had been feigned became



actual. This was battle a struggle against the hand that seized and

shook him and thrust him away. The make-believe of ferocity passed



out of his growls; the ferocity in them became real. Also, in the

moments when he was shoved away and was springing back to the



attack, he yelped in high-pitched puppy hysteria. And Captain Van

Horn, realizing, suddenly, instead of clutching, extended his hand



wide open in the peace sign that is as ancient as the human hand.

At the same time his voice rang out the single word, "Jerry!" In it



was all the imperativeness of reproof and command and all the




文章总共2页
文章标签:名著  

章节正文
Copyright © 2023 Qeto All rights reserved.
商务合作 | 联系我们 | 关于我们 | 版权声明 | 隐私条款 | 如果智培

京ICP备05059198号-1 京公网安备 11011202003401号