英语听书《白鲸记》 第39期

Soon I proposed a social smoke; and, producing hispouch and tomahawk, he quietly offered me a puff.And then we sat exchanging puffs from that wildpipe of his, and keeping it regularly passing betweenus.

If there yet lurked any ice of indifference towardsme in the Pagan's breast, this pleasant, genialsmoke we had, soon thawed it out, and left uscronies. He seemed to take to me quite as naturallyand unbiddenly as I to him; and when our smokewas over, he pressed his forehead against mine,clasped me round the waist, and said that henceforth we were married; meaning, in hiscountry's phrase, that we were bosom friends; he would gladly die for me, if need should be. Ina countryman, this sudden flame of friendship would have seemed far too premature, a thingto be much distrusted; but in this simple savage those old rules would not apply.

After supper, and another social chat and smoke, we went to our room together. He made mea present of his embalmed head; took out his enormous tobacco wallet, and groping underthe tobacco, drew out some thirty dollars in silver; then spreading them on the table, andmechanically dividing them into two equal portions, pushed one of them towards me, and saidit was mine. I was going to remonstrate; but he silenced me by pouring them into my trowsers'pockets. I let them stay. He then went about his evening prayers, took out his idol, andremoved the paper fireboard. By certain signs and symptoms, I thought he seemed anxious forme to join him; but well knowing what was to follow, I deliberated a moment whether, in casehe invited me, I would comply or otherwise.

I was a good Christian; born and bred in the bosom of the infallible Presbyterian Church. Howthen could I unite with this wild idolator in worshipping his piece of wood? But what isworship? thought I. Do you suppose now, Ishmael, that the magnanimous God of heavenand earth—pagans and all included—can possibly be jealous of an insignificant bit of blackwood? Impossible! But what is worship?—to do the will of God—THAT is worship. And what isthe will of God?—to do to my fellow man what I would have my fellow man to do to me—THATis the will of God. Now, Queequeg is my fellow man. And what do I wish that this Queequegwould do to me? Why, unite with me in my particular Presbyterian form of worship.Consequently, I must then unite with him in his; ergo, I must turn idolator. So I kindled theshavings; helped prop up the innocent little idol; offered him burnt biscuit with Queequeg;salamed before him twice or thrice; kissed his nose; and that done, we undressed and went tobed, at peace with our own consciences and all the world. But we did not go to sleep withoutsome little chat.

How it is I know not; but there is no place like a bed for confidential disclosures betweenfriends.