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1、PATRICKO'BRIANBlueattheMizzenChapterOneTheSurprise,lyingwelloutinthechannelwithGibraltarhalfamileawayonherstarboardquarter,lyingatasingleanchorwithherheadtothefresheningnorth-westbreeze,pipedallhandsatfourbellsintheafternoonwatch;andatthecheerfulsoundhertenderRingle,detachedoncemoreonapr
2、ivateerrandbyLordKeith,cheeredwiththeutmostgoodwill,whiletheSurprisesturnedoutwithawonderfulreadiness,laughing,beamingandthumpingoneanotheronthebackinspiteofastrongpromiseofrainandaheavysearunningalready.Manyhadputontheirbestclothes-embroideredwaistcoats,andsilkBarcelonahandkerchiefsarou
3、ndtheirnecks-fortheSurprisesandtheircaptain,JackAubrey,hadtakenaveryelegantprizeindeed,aMoorishgalleyladenwithgold,noless-agalleythathadfiredonSurprisefirst,thusqualifyingherselfasapirate,sothattheprize-court,sittingatthepressingrequestofCaptainAubrey'sfriendAdmiralLordKeith,hadcondemned
4、heroutofhand:aperfectlylawfulprize,tobesharedaccordingtotheusageofthesea,ormoreexactlyaccordingtothePrizeLawof1808.Andnowtheywereallondeck,radiatingjoyandfacingaftonthelarboardsideofthequarterdeckintheusualdisorderlynavalheap,gazingattheircaptain,hisofficers,thepurserandtheclerk,rangedat
5、hwartshipsandfacingforwardoneithersideofsomecharmingbarrels.ThesehadbeenbroughtaboardbyaguardofMarines,heavilysealed:butnowtheirheadshadbeentakenoff(thoughcarefullynumberedandpreservedbythecooper)anditwasapparentthattheirbodieswerefilledwithcoin.Thegoldwassomewhatunorthodox,ithavingbeenc
6、apturedinsmalluneveningotswhichtheGibraltargoldsmithshadcastintosmoothshiningdiskseachmarked13ozTroy:onehundredandthirtygrainsTroyweight:butthesilverandcopperwereintheirusualhomelyforms.Theechoofthefourthbellandthecheeringdied:theclerk,catchinghiscaptain'snod,called'JohnAnderson'.Sinceno
7、oneelseaboardSurpriseinthiscommissionhadevercomeearlierinthealphabetitwasnosurprisetoJohnAndersonorhisshipmates;andalthoughhewasordinarilyshyandawkwardhenowsteppedaftquitehappilytothecapstan-head:takingoffhishat,hetouchedhisforelockandcried,'JohnAnderson,sir,ifyouplease:o
