隋刚

　　在黑暗的天地之间，船在熊熊燃烧，周围海面在血红的火光的照耀下呈紫色，闪闪发亮，杀气腾腾。一个高大、明亮、孤独的巨大火柱在海面上升起，火柱的顶端不停地朝空中喷着黑烟。船轰轰烈烈地燃烧着，极为悲壮，恰似在黑夜里点燃的火葬柴堆，由大海护卫，由星星照看。

　　这艘老破船度过了辛苦的一生，最终迎来了辉煌的死亡，如同蒙受天恩，如同领赏获奖。它将自己疲惫的灵魂交给了星星和大海，这一幕真像壮观的胜利庆典一样令人激动。桅杆在黎明将至时倒下，刹那间火星四处乱迸，飞舞的火花似乎一下子洒满了耐心看护的夜空，洒满了海面上那浩淼静谧的夜空。

　　Between the darkness of earth and heaven she wasburningfiercelyupon a disc of purple sea shot by the blood-red playofgleams; upona disc of water glittering and sinister. A high,clearflame, an immense and lonely flame, as-cended from the ocean,andfrom its summitthe black smoke poured continuously at the sky.Sheburned furiously,mournful and imposing like a funeral pilekindledin the night, surround-ed by the sea, watched over bythestars.

　　A magnificent death had come like a grace, like a gift, likeareward to that old ship at the end of her laborious days.Thesurrenderof her weary ghost to the keeping of stars and seawasstirring likethe sight of a glorious triumph. The masts felljustbefore daybreak, and for a moment there was a burst and turmoilofsparks that seemed to fill with flying fire the night patientandwatchful, the vast night lying silent upon the sea.

　　背景介绍：

　　作者约瑟夫·康拉德（JosephConrad,1857-1924）,英国著名小说家。他的中长篇代表作包括：《黑暗的心灵》（HeartofDarkness）和《特务》（TheSecretAgent）等。

　　《青春》是康拉德的短篇小说，讲述了充满青春激情的小伙子马洛的首次东方之旅。马洛在破旧的“圣地”号货船上任二副，他和同伴经历了水与火的洗礼，勇往直前。虽然“圣地”号后来遭到灭顶之灾，但全体水手分乘救生艇继续前进。马洛指挥最小的救生艇率先抵达陌生的海岸，赢得了胜利。选文描绘的是着火的“圣地”号在黑夜即将沉入大海的悲壮情景。

　　（本栏目供稿：隋刚教授）