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《Aubrey Maturin Series-06 The Fortune of War 》由会员上传分享，免费在线阅读，更多相关内容在行业资料-天天文库。
1、TheFortuneofWarbyPatrickO'BrianCHAPTERONEThewarmmonsoonblewgentlyfromtheeast,waftingHMSLeopardintothebayofPuloBatang.Shehadspreadallthesailsshecould,toreachtheanchoragebeforethetideshouldturnandtocomeinwithoutdiscredit,butapitifulshowtheymade-patched,withdiscolouredheavy
2、-weathercanvasnexttostuffsothinitscarcelycheckedthebrilliantlight-andherhullwasworse.AprofessionaleyecouldmakeoutthatshehadoncebeenpaintedwiththeNelsonchequer,thatshewasaman-of-war,afourth-ratebuilttocarryfiftygunsontwofulldecks;buttoalandaman,inspiteofherpennantandthedi
3、ngyensignathermizen-peak,shelookedlikeanunusuallyshabbymerchantship.Andalthoughbothwatcheswereondeck,gazingearnestlyattheshore,theextraordinarilybright-greenshore,andbreathingintheheadyscentoftheSpiceIslands,theLeopard'screwwassosparsethatthenotionofherbeingamerchant-man
4、wasconfirmed:furthermore,acasualglanceshowednogunsatall;whiletheragged,shirt-sleevedfiguresonherquarterdeckcouldhardlybecommissionedofficers.Thesefiguresallgazedwithequalintensitydownthebay,tothegreen-rimmedinletwheretheflagshiprode,andbeyondittothespreadingwhitehousetha
5、thadbeentheDutchgovernor'sfavouritewet-seasonresidence:aunionflagflewoveritatpresent.Astheygazedasignalranuponasecondflagstafftotheright.'Theydesireustoheaveouttheprivatesignal,sir,ifyouplease,'saidthesignal-midshipman,histelescopetohiseye.'Makeitso,MrWetherby,togetherwi
6、thournumber,'saidtheCaptain;andtohisfirstlieutenant,'MrBabbington,round-towhenweareabreastthepointandstartthesalute.'TheLeopardglidedon,thewindsinginggentlyinherrigging,thewarm,stillwaterwhisperingdownherside:otherwiseatotalsilence,thehandsbracingheryardswithoutawordasth
7、ebreezecamemoreabeam.AndinthesamesilencetheshorecontemplatedtheLeopard'snumber.Shewasabreastofthepoint;shecamesmoothlytothewind,andhersinglecarronadebegantospeak.Seventeenfeeblepuffsofsmoke,andseventeenlittlebangslikedampsquibsoverthemilesofdeepbluesea;whenthelastfaintye
8、lphaddiedaway,theflagshipbeganherdeep,full-throatedreply,andatthesametimeanotherhoistranuponshore.'Capt
