英语听书《白鲸记》 第34期

But all in vain; the indignant gale howls louder;then, with one hand raised invokingly to God, withthe other they not unreluctantly lay hold of Jonah.

"And now behold Jonah taken up as an anchor anddropped into the sea; when instantly an oilycalmness floats out from the east, and the sea isstill, as Jonah carries down the gale with him, leavingsmooth water behind. He goes down in the whirlingheart of such a masterless commotion that hescarce heeds the moment when he drops seethinginto the yawning jaws awaiting him; and the whaleshoots-to all his ivory teeth, like so many white bolts, upon his prison. Then Jonah prayed untothe Lord out of the fish's belly. But observe his prayer, and learn a weighty lesson. For sinfulas he is, Jonah does not weep and wail for direct deliverance. He feels that his dreadfulpunishment is just. He leaves all his deliverance to God, contenting himself with this, that spiteof all his pains and pangs, he will still look towards His holy temple. And here, shipmates, istrue and faithful repentance; not clamorous for pardon, but grateful for punishment. Andhow pleasing to God was this conduct in Jonah, is shown in the eventual deliverance of himfrom the sea and the whale. Shipmates, I do not place Jonah before you to be copied for hissin but I do place him before you as a model for repentance. Sin not; but if you do, take heedto repent of it like Jonah."

While he was speaking these words, the howling of the shrieking, slanting storm withoutseemed to add new power to the preacher, who, when describing Jonah's sea-storm, seemedtossed by a storm himself. His deep chest heaved as with a ground-swell; his tossed armsseemed the warring elements at work; and the thunders that rolled away from off his swarthybrow, and the light leaping from his eye, made all his simple hearers look on him with a quickfear that was strange to them.

There now came a lull in his look, as he silently turned over the leaves of the Book once more;and, at last, standing motionless, with closed eyes, for the moment, seemed communing withGod and himself.

But again he leaned over towards the people, and bowing his head lowly, with an aspect of thedeepest yet manliest humility, he spake these words:

"Shipmates, God has laid but one hand upon you; both his hands press upon me. I have readye by what murky light may be mine the lesson that Jonah teaches to all sinners; and thereforeto ye, and still more to me, for I am a greater sinner than ye. And now how gladly would Icome down from this mast-head and sit on the hatches there where you sit, and listen as youlisten, while some one of you reads ME that other and more awful lesson which Jonah teaches toME, as a pilot of the living God.