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《Aubrey Maturin Series-03 HMS Surprise 》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、H.M.S.SurprisebyPatrickO'BrianChapterOne'ButIputittoyou,mylord,thatprize-moneyisofessentialimportancetotheNavy.Thepossibility,howeverremote,ofmakingafortunebysomebrilliantstrokeisanunparalleledspurtothediligence,theactivity,andtheunremittingattentionof
2、everymanafloat.IamsurethattheservingmembersoftheBoardwillsupportmeinthis,'hesaid,glancingroundthetable.Severaloftheuniformedfigureslookedup,andtherewasamurmurofagreement:itwasnotuniversal,however;someofthecivilianshadastuffedandnon-committalair,andoneo
3、rtwoofthesailorsremainedstaringatthesheetsofblotting-paperlaidoutbeforethem,Itwasdifficulttocatchthesenseofthemeeting,ifindeedanydistinctcurrenthadyetestablisheditself:thiswasnottheusualrestrictedsessionoftheLordsCommissionersoftheAdmiralty,butthefirst
4、omniumgatherumofthenewadministration,thefirstsinceLordMelville'sdeparture,withseveralnewmembers,manyheadsofdepartmentandrepresentativesofotherboards;theywerefeelingtheirway,behavingwithpoliticrestraint,holdingtheirfire.Itwasdifficulttosensetheatmospher
5、e,butalthoughheknewhedidnothavethemeetingentirelywithhim,yethefeltnodecidedopposition-awavering,rather-andhehopedthatbytheforceofhisownconvictionhemightstillcarryhispointagainstthetepidunwillingnessoftheFirstLord.'Oneortwostrikingexamplesofthiskind,int
6、hecourseofalong-protractedwar,areenoughtostimulatethezealofthewholefleetthroughoutyearsandyearsofhardshipatsea;whereasadenial,ontheotherhand,mustnecessarilyhavea-mustnecessarilyhavethecontraryeffect.'SirJosephwasacapable,experiencedchiefofnavalintellig
7、ence;buthewasnoorator,particularlybeforesuchalargeaudience;hehadnotstruckuponthegoldenphrase;therightwordshadescapedhim,andhewasconsciousofacertainnegative,unpersuadedqualityintheair.'IcannotfeelthatSirJosephisquiterightinattributingsuchinterestedmotiv
8、estotheofficersofourservice,'remarkedAdmiralHarte,bendinghisheadobsequiouslytowardstheFirstLord.Theotherservicemembersglancedquicklyathimandatoneanother:HartewasthemosteagerpursuerofthemainchanceintheNavy,themostardentsnapper-upofanythi
