ما کشتیمان را پیدا کردیم

CHAPTER 2 We Find Our Ship

I hat morning I looked around Nantucket for a good whaling ship. I stopped looking when I saw the Peqtiod. It was tall and strong. Its wood was dark from many years on the wild oceans.

1 went onto the ship. A man sat at a table with a big book in front of him. He wore a long black coat and a big black hat. He didn’t smile.

“This is a fine ship and I want to go whaling with you! Where do I write my name, Captain?” I asked happily.

“I’m not the captain. Captain Ahab is sick. He’s down below. I’m Starbuck. Are you a whaler?” he asked.

“No, but I’m a good sailor,” I answered. “You can ask the captains of my other ships.”

“I’m not interested in your captains and your ships,” he said. “Sailing is not whaling. Whaling is a hard life. You’ll be away from home for many years. The work is difficult. You have to be strong and fast. And it’s very dangerous,” “I want to learn. And I want to see the world,” I said.

“Oh, you’ll see the world. And you’ll see more—good and bad. Some very bad things.”

He looked at me for a minute. Then he spoke again. “I’ll tell you about whaling. Captain Ahab has only one leg. And do you know why? Because a whale took his other leg. A huge whale took it off!” I said nothing. What could I say?

“So, you want to be a whaler on Captain Ahab’s ship. Can you look into the eye of a whale? Can you stand in front of its huge mouth and throw your harpoon?” “I can and I will!” I shouted. “I’m not afraid. I’m a good sailor. You’ll see! This is my life and I …” He stopped me and turned the big book around. “Write your name here,” he said. His eyes were tired.

“Thank you. You won’t he sorry,” I said.

“Don’t forget my words,” he answered.

“I have a friend. He’s a good whaler,” I said.

“We’ll see. Bring him tomorrow,” said Starbuck.

Queequeg and I went to the Pequod the next day. The men on the ship laughed at this huge, ugly man. Queequeg didn’t say anything. He looked down at the water from the ship. Then he turned and spoke to the men.

“Do you see that bird?” he asked.

The men looked, but they couldn’t see anything.

“There,” said Queequeg.

The men looked carefully this time and saw a small dead bird a long way away on the water.

“That bird is a whale’s eye,” said Queequeg. He threw’ his harpoon and hit the bird. “Now’ that whale is dead,” he said.

The men were quiet. Queequeq was better than every other man on that ship. And so the Pequod had two new whalers.

We went to our room and got our things. An old man stopped us on the street before we got back to the Pequod.

“Are you sailing with Captain Ahab? Do you know him?’’ he asked.

“Yes, we’re sailing with him. He’s sick now But we’ll meet him later,” I answered.

“Sick!” he shouted. “Yes! He’s a sick man. He’s the DEVIL!”

“And who are you?” I asked.

“I’m Elijah,” he answered.

“Why do you say this about Captain Ahab? Men say that lie’s a good whaler. He knows the ocean.” “They’re right,” answered the man quietly. Then his eyes turned big and wild. “But lie’s the DEVIL! I sailed with him. I know! And his men are the Devil’s helpers!” He looked at me strangely. “He only has one leg. Do you know Captain Ahab’s story?” I suddenly felt afraid. “Of course we do,” I said. I turned to Queequeg. “Come my friend,” I said. “Let’s leave this crazy old man.” And we went quickly to the ship.

♦

We sailed on Christmas morning. Captain Ahab didn’t come up and meet the whalers. But every night we heard him. He walked up and down … up and down …

One night we heard Starbuck speak. “Please Captain. Stop. You’re waking your men up.”

“No! I can’t sleep, so my men won’t sleep. They can think of whales in their beds—dead whales. That’s their job!” shouted Captain Ahab.

I thought of Elijah’s words:“the Devil’s helpers.”Were the men on the Pequod devils? There was unhappy Starbuck. Then there was Stubb. Lie was very different. He always laughed and told funny stories. From my bed I looked around at my neighbors —Bildad, Tishtego, Daggoo, Flask, Manxman, and the other whalers. They were from many different countries and had interesting stories. They weren’t all good men, but they weren’t devils. Who mere Captain Ahab’s devils?