and lashed them with whips of hide. They stretched out their lean arms and pulled the heavy oars through the The salt spray flew from the blades At last they reached a little bay, and began to take soundings. a light wind blew from the shore, and covered the deck and the great lateen sair with a fine red dust. Three Arabs mounted on wild asses rode out and threw spears at them. The master of the galley took a painted bow in his hand and shot one of them in the throat He fell heavily into the surf, and his companions galloped away. a woman wrapped in a yellow veil followed slowly on a camel, looking back now and then at the dead body As soon as they had cast anchor and hauled down the sail, the negroes went into th hold and brought up a long rope- ladder, heavily weighted with lead. 7 The master of the galley threw it over the side making the ends fast to two iron stanchions. Then the negroes seized the youngest of the slaves and knocked his gyves off, and filled his nostrils and his ears with wax, and tied a big stone round his waist. He crept wearily down the ladder, and disappeared into the sea. A few bubbles rose where he sank. Some of the other slaves peered curiously over the side. At the prow of the galley sat a shark- charmer, beating monotonously upon a drum After some time the diver rose up out of the water, and clung panting to the ladder with a pearl in his right hand The negroes seized it from him, and thrust him back. The slaves fell asleep over their oars Again and again he came up, and each time that he did so he brought with him a beautiful pearl. The master of the galley weighed them, and put them into a little bag of green leather The young King tried to speak, but his tongue seemed to cleave to the roof of his mouth, and his lips refused to move. The negroes chattered to each other, and began to quarrel over a string of bright beads. Two cranes flew round and round the vessel Then the diver came up for the last time, and the pearl that he brought with him was fairer than all the pearls of Ormuz, for it was shaped like the full moon, and whiter than the morning star. But his face was strangely pale, and as he fell upon the deck the blood gushed from his ears and nostrils. He quivered for a little, and then he was still The negroes shrugged their shoulders, and threw the body overbo And the master of the galley laughed, and, reaching out, he took the pearl, and when he saw it he pressed it to his forehead and bowed 'lt shall be, he said, for the sceptre of the young King and he made a sign to the negroes to draw up the anchor And when the young King heard this he gave a great cry, and woke, and through the window the great lateen sai大三角帆 As soon as they had cast anchor and hauled down the sail, the negroes went into the hold and brought up a long rope-ladder, heavi ly we i ghted with lead.黑人们抛了锚,降下了帆,纷纷来到了舱底下,拿出一根长长的吊 梯来,梯下绑着吊锤。 The master of the ga l ley threw it over the side, mak ing the ends fast to two iron stanchions.船长把绳梯从船侧扔下去,把梯的两端系在两根铁柱 上 shark- charmer驱赶鲨鱼的人 monotonous ly单调不停地 Ormuz忽鲁谟斯此外,印度半岛西岸的古里,也就是今天的卡利卡特 ( al icut),还有西亚的忽鲁谟斯(0rmuz),都是郑和在印度洋上的重要据点。 它们是通向麦加圣地、红海和非洲的枢纽。and lashed them with whips of hide. They stretched out their lean arms and pulled the heavy oars through the water. The salt spray flew from the blades. At last they reached a little bay, and began to take soundings. A light wind blew from the shore, and covered the deck and the great lateen sail46 with a fine red dust. Three Arabs mounted on wild asses rode out and threw spears at them. The master of the galley took a painted bow in his hand and shot one of them in the throat. He fell heavily into the surf, and his companions galloped away. A woman wrapped in a yellow veil followed slowly on a camel, looking back now and then at the dead body. As soon as they had cast anchor and hauled down the sail, the negroes went into the hold and brought up a long rope-ladder, heavily weighted with lead.47 The master of the galley threw it over the side, making the ends fast to two iron stanchions48 . Then the negroes seized the youngest of the slaves and knocked his gyves off, and filled his nostrils and his ears with wax, and tied a big stone round his waist. He crept wearily down the ladder, and disappeared into the sea. A few bubbles rose where he sank. Some of the other slaves peered curiously over the side. At the prow of the galley sat a shark-charmer49, beating monotonously50 upon a drum. After some time the diver rose up out of the water, and clung panting to the ladder with a pearl in his right hand. The negroes seized it from him, and thrust him back. The slaves fell asleep over their oars. Again and again he came up, and each time that he did so he brought with him a beautiful pearl. The master of the galley weighed them, and put them into a little bag of green leather. The young King tried to speak, but his tongue seemed to cleave to the roof of his mouth, and his lips refused to move. The negroes chattered to each other, and began to quarrel over a string of bright beads. Two cranes flew round and round the vessel. Then the diver came up for the last time, and the pearl that he brought with him was fairer than all the pearls of Ormuz51, for it was shaped like the full moon, and whiter than the morning star. But his face was strangely pale, and as he fell upon the deck the blood gushed from his ears and nostrils. He quivered for a little, and then he was still. The negroes shrugged their shoulders, and threw the body overboard. And the master of the galley laughed, and, reaching out, he took the pearl, and when he saw it he pressed it to his forehead and bowed. 'It shall be,' he said, 'for the sceptre of the young King,' and he made a sign to the negroes to draw up the anchor. And when the young King heard this he gave a great cry, and woke, and through the window 46 the great lateen sail 大三角帆 47 As soon as they had cast anchor and hauled down the sail, the negroes went into the hold and brought up a long rope-ladder, heavily weighted with lead. 黑人们抛了锚，降下了帆，纷纷来到了舱底下，拿出一根长长的吊 梯来，梯下绑着吊锤。 48 The master of the galley threw it over the side, making the ends fast to two iron stanchions. 船长把绳梯从船侧扔下去，把梯的两端系在两根铁柱 上。 49 shark-charmer 驱赶鲨鱼的人 50 monotonously 单调不停地 51 Ormuz 忽鲁谟斯 此外，印度半岛西岸的古里，也就是今天的卡利卡特 （Calicut），还有西亚的忽鲁谟斯（Ormuz ），都是郑和在印度洋上的重要据点。 它们是通向麦加圣地、红海和非洲的枢纽