B
"I didn’t understand then what he meant. The three of them were desperately(不顾一切地) pulling and pushing at the boat, and calling each other names, but something was wrong with the ropes and the boat wouldn’t move. I stood away from them, watching the sea, black and calm and deadly. My head was full of ideas, and I was thinking hard, but I couldn’t see any chance of survival for us. You think I’m a coward(懦夫) because I just stood there, but what would you do? You can’t tell—nobody can. I needed time..."
He was breathing quickly. He was not speaking to me, but seemed to be on trial(审判) in front of an unseen judge, who was responsible for his soul. This was a matter too difficult for the court of inquiry(调查法庭) to decide. It was about the true nature of life, about light and darkness, truth and lies, good and evil.
As he spoke, his eyes shone. "Ever since I was a boy, I’ve been preparing myself for difficulties and danger. I was ready, I tell you! Ready for anything! But—" and the light went out of his face, "—this was so unexpected! Well, I’ll tell you the rest. As I was standing there on the bridge, the second engineer ran up and begged me to help them. I pushed him away, in fact I hit him. ‘Won’t you save your own life—you coward?’ he cried. Coward! That’s what he called me. Ha! Ha! Ha!"
Jim threw himself back in his chair and laughed loudly. I had never heard anything as bitter(使人悲痛的) as that noise. All around us on the veranda(游廊) conversation stopped. People stared at him.
After a while he continued with his story. "I was saying to the Patna(帕特纳号), ‘Sink! Go on, sink!’ I wanted it to finish. Then in the sky I saw a big black thunder cloud coming towards us, and I knew the ship couldn’t survive a storm. I saw that George, the third engineer, had now joined the other three, who were still trying to get the boat lowered. Suddenly George fell backwards, and lay without moving on the deck. He was dead. Heart trouble, I think. And just then there was a loud crash as the captain and the two others managed to get the boat down into the water. They were in the boat, and I could hear them shouting from below, ‘Jump, George! Jump!’"
Jim trembled(颤抖) a little, and then sat very still, as he relived(再次体验) the awful moment. "There were eight hundred living people on that ship, and they were shouting for the one dead man to jump! ‘Jump, George, we’ll catch you!’ I felt the ship move—I thought she was going down, under me..." Jim put his hand to his head again, and paused for a moment. "I had jumped... it seems," he added. His clear blue eyes looked miserably(痛苦地) at me, and I felt like an old man helplessly watching a childish disaster.
"It seems you did," I agreed.
"When I was in the boat, I wished I could die. But I couldn’t go back. I’d jumped into an everlasting deep hole..."
(
) 4. Why did the three persons push and pull at the boat?
A. The sea was too stormy.
B. To test the strength of the ropes.
C. They were ordered to do so by the captain.
D. To get the boat moving.
(
) 5. What happened to George, the third engineer?
A. He fell into the sea by accident.
B. He died of heart trouble.
C. He joined Jim in the boat.
D. He refused to help lower the boat.
(
) 6. How did Jim feel about being called a “coward”?
A. Proud and relaxed.
B. Painful and ashamed.
C. Mixed up and angry.
D. Amused and indifferent.
(
) 7. Why did Jim jump into the boat?
A. He thought the ship was sinking.
B. He wanted to save the other people.
C. He was pushed by the engineer.
D. He saw the storm coming.
(
) 8. Which of the following is the best title for the story?
A. The storm at sea
B. The sinking of the Patna
C. The coward’s fight
D. A hero’s decision
