忍耐

被冰冻住的忍耐号

Endurance
Shackleton’s incredible voyage
Foreword and afterword by Dr. James Dobson in 1999
By Alfred Lansing 1959

我 自己一般不会选择读这样的书 . 一个老外朋友借给我 , 说是读了就放不下的一类 , 我听了他的简单介绍 , 才有兴趣 . 我喜欢读人在艰难环境里寻求生存的故事 , 喜欢里面表现的毅力 , 求生欲望 , 以及由此产生对生命的领悟 . 加之有名的 JAMES DOBSON 为它写了序 .

这是一个真实的故事 , 关于英国著名南极洲探险家 SIR ERNEST SHACKLETON 的一次南极探险经历 . 当时已经有人到达过南极 , 所以他的探险计划 THE IMPERIAL TRANS-ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION 是由海上经过南极穿越南极洲 . 他们选用的是一艘非常坚固的船 ,SHACKLETON 把它改名为 ENDURANCE.

作者尽全力将故事记载得真实无误 , 他采访了很多船员 , 并大量参考了他们的航海日志 , 以求最大程度地和实际发生的情况相符 . 书中讲述了为时两年的探险过程 , 其中的重重困难 , 详细叙述了他们的海上 , 冰上生活 , 以及为求生所作的努力和相伴的心理 . 非常吸引人 .

我很喜欢 Alfred Lansing 的文笔 . 简单 , 字里行间却充满内容和感情 , 常让我沉浸在一种淡淡的氛围里面 , 相信也是同一种氛围环绕着他 , 当他写下这些文字的时候 . 比如他描写的进入南极没有亮光的冬季之前的一段时间 :

Early in May the sun appeared over the horizon for the last time, and then slowly dropped from sight – and the Antarctic night began. It did not happen all at once; the gradually diminishing dusk grew shorter and less intense each day.

For a time a haze, deceiving half-light remained, and the stark outline of the ship could be seen against the horizon. But it was difficult to perceive distances. Even the ice underfoot grew strangely indistinct so that walking became hazardous. A man could drop into an unseen hollow or collide with a hummock thinking it was still a dozen yards away.

But before long even the half-light disappeared – and they were left in darkness.

寥寥几行 , 将我们所无法体会的荒凉 , 寂寥用对模糊昏暗的光的描写勾画出来 , 意味深长 . 当写道 : “ 然后他们被留在了黑暗里 ”. 指的是长达半年的黑暗 , 而他们是在一条不能移动的船里 .

此次探险不很顺利 , 出发后不久忍耐号就被冰在了大片的冰块当中不能动弹 , 船员们很快就开始了南极的冬季 . 他们仅能在船上活动 , 晚上聚在一起玩牌度过漫长的时光 . 这是令人难以想象的寂寞 , 不过和以后的经历比起来 , 这实在是天堂了 .

当天气见暖 , 由于海浪的汹涌 , 水上的冰块开始移动 , 忍耐号终于可以再次行驶 , 可是不很久就遇上了大风暴 . 经过几天的挣扎 ,SHACKLETON 最终不得不下令弃船 . 他们的狗拉着雪橇 , 上面是必需物资 , 以及三条小船 , 由此开始了他们艰难的求生之路 .

冰上的行走实在太过辛苦 , 慢慢也变得不值得 , 于是他们在冰上扎营 , 并不断回到船上去取更多的物资 . 每一个行动都十分艰难 , 需要很大的努力 . 他们把这个营地叫做 OCEAN CAMP. 他们在那儿待了两个月 , 睡在冰上的帐篷里 . 他们也狩猎 , 海豹等动物是他们的主要猎物 , 以保证食物以及燃料的需要 .

有了机会的时候他们继续前行 , 但是很快就又被阻了 , 无奈只能再次扎营 . 可是这一次的冰块愿不如以前的那个大 , 因此也更不坚固 , 安全 . 他们叫它做 PATIENCE CAMP. 他们在那里住了三个多月 , 绝望渐渐吞噬他们 .

An air of tension, of patience pushed too far, settled on the camp that night, and conversation was scant.

…

Many of them, it seemed, finally grasped for the first time just how desperate things really were. More correctly, they became aware of their own inadequacy, of how utterly powerless they were. Until the march from Ocean Camp they had nurtured in the backs of their minds the attitude Shackleton strove so unceasingly to imbue them with, a basic faith in themselves – that they could, if need be, pit their strength and their determination against any obstacle – and somehow overcome it.

But then came the march, a journey that was to carry them nearly two hundred miles. Yet after only five days and nine small miles in a straight line to the northeast, they had been stopped completely and were even forced to retreat. A gale could easily have carried them that far in twenty four hours. So now they sat in Mark Time Camp, disillusioned and humbly aware how truly pygmylike they were to overcome the forces they faced, regardless of how much strength and determination they put forth. The realization was not so much humiliating as frightening.

Their ultimate goal was still to get themselves out, but now it was an empty phrase. They wouldn’t get themselves out. Only if the pack chose, they might be permitted to escape, but for the present they were powerless; there was no goal, not even the smallest achievable objective to aim for. They were faced with total uncertainty. Their position was, if anything, worse than it had been. They had abandoned a goodly quantity of stores, along with one of their boats. And while the floe they were camped on was adequate, it was no match for the giant back at Ocean Camp.

由于食物的缺乏 , 而且以后在冰上行进的可能性几乎为零 , 他们不得不杀掉了所有的狗 . 这一段的描写让读者体会到在身体忍受苦难的同时 , 船员们精神上 , 情感上的伤痛 .

Then on Jan 13, a rumor spread that Shackleton was considering killing the dogs to ease the drain on the food supplies. Among the men, reaction ranged from simple resignation to outraged shock. Stormy debates on the value of the dogs against the food they consumed broke out in each tent that night. But the fundamental, underlying factor in these discussions was that, for many men, the dogs were more than so many pounds of pulling power on the trail; there was a deep emotional attachment involved. It was the basic human need to love something, the desire to express tenderness in this barren place…

…

At the thought of losing Grus, a puppy born a year before on the Endurance, Macklin reflected: “He is a fine little dog, hardworking and of a good disposition. Also, I have had him, fed him, and trained him since he was born. I remember taking him out when he was a puppy in my pocket, only his nose peeping out and getting covered with frost. I used to take him on the sledge when I was driving the team, and in those early days he used to take an active interest in the doings of the dogs.”

当冰面开始裂开 , 有足够的海水空间时 , 他们从 PATIENCE CAMP 出发 , 分三组分乘三艘小船 ., 希望登上最近的岛屿 .

他们没有很好的导向 , 而小船受风向影响很大 , 所以很大程度上是靠运气 , 根据自身所在 , 不得不一再改变目的地 , 最终到达了 ELEPHANT ISLAND. 海水风浪滔天 , 这时他们在海上挣扎了几天几夜都没有睡过觉了 . 坐在船头导航的人由于紧张用力 , 几乎站不起来 . 在冰上扎营时 , 他们的睡袋就没有干过 , 在船上更是湿淋淋的 . 刚刚上岸的他们又发现这是一个非常险恶的海滩 , 所以一夜之后不得不再次寻找合适的海岸 .

此时 , 探险变成了求生存 . 在荒无人烟的南极 , 他们没有任何救援者到来的可能 . 只能在自身的条件下寻求生路 . 这是一群坚强乐观的海员 , 但是绝望还是慢慢侵蚀着他们的心 , 在自然面前 , 他们也越来越意识到自己的渺小 , 对命运的无法掌控 .

It was as if they had suddenly emerged into infinity. They had an ocean to themselves, a desolate, hostile vastness. Shackleton thought of the lines of Coleeridge:

Alone, alone, all, all alone,

Alone on a wide wide sea.

They made a pitiable sight – three little boats, packed with the odd remnants of what had once been a proud expedition, bearing twenty eight suffering men in one final, almost ludicrous bit of survival. But this time there was to be no turning back, and they all knew it.

中途他们也在冰山上过夜 , 但是大风随时刮起 , 冰山破裂 , 甚至就在其中一个帐篷的中间裂开 , 于是他们又经历了一场危险 . 他们用尽全力保持三组人聚在一处 , 其中一艘船状况不好 , 后来需要另一艘在旁协助 , 但第一艘却散落了 .

When there was a deep-throated thud, and the floe split beneath his feet – and directly under No 4 tent in which the eight forecastle hands were sleeping.

Almost instantly the two pieces of the floe drew apart, the tent collapsed, and there was a splash. The crewmen scrambled out from under the limp canvas.

“Somebody’s missing, one man shouted. Shackleton rushed forward and began to tear the tent away. In the dark he could hear muffled, gasping noises coming from below. When he finally got the tent out of the way, he saw a shapeless form wriggling in the water – a man in his sleeping bag. Shackleton reached down for the bag, and with one tremendous heave, he pulled it out of the water. A moment later the two halves of the broken floe came together with a violent shock.

The man in the sleeping bag turned out to be Ernie Holness, one the firmen. He was soaked through, but he was alive, and there was no time to worry about him, then because the crack was opening once more, this time very rapidly, cutting off the occupants of Shackleton’s tent and the men who had been sleeping in the Caird from the rest of the party. A line was pitched across and the two little groups of men, pulling toward one another, managed to bring the halves together once more. The Caird was hurriedly shoved across, and then the men leaped to the larger floe. Shackleton waited until the others were safe, but by the time it was his turn, the pieces had drifted apart again. He took hold of the rope and tried to bring his chunk closer; but with only one man pulling, it was useless. Within ninety seconds he had disappeared into the darkness.

For what seemed a very long tnterval, no one spoke; then from the darkness they heard Shackleton’s voice. “Launch a boat,” he called

Wild had just given the order. The Wills was slid into the water, and a half-dozen volunteers scrambled on board. They put out their oars and rowed toward Shackleton’s voice. Finally they saw his outline in the darkness, and they pulled up alongside his floe. He jumped into the Wills, and they returned ot the campsite.

Sleep now was out of the question . Shackleton ordered the blubber stove lighted. Then he turned his attention to Holness, who was shivering uncontrollably in his soaked clothes. But there weren’t any dry garments to give him because their only clothes were the ones they were wearing. To prevent Holness from freezing, Shackleton ordered that he be kept moving until his own clothes dried. For the rest of the night, the men took turns walking up and down with him. His companions could hear the crackling of his frozen garments, and the tinkle of the ice crystals that fell from him. Though he made no complaint about his clothes, Holness grumbled for hours over the fact that he had lost his tobacco in the water.

在岛上 , 大家终于不需要在时刻惊惶 , 处在危险当中 , 要使出所有的力气求生 . 最终他们决定由 SHACKLETON 带领三人乘小船 CAIRD, 带上他们所有的最好装备 , 前去一个岛上的捕鲸站求救 . 其余的人在岛上等待 . 预计他们到达捕鲸站需要一个月 , 但是他们走了四个月 ,SHACKLETON 还没有回来 ……

It was a joy, for example, to watch the birds simply as birds and not for the significance they might have – whether they were a sign of good or evil, an opening of the pack, or a gathering storm. The island itself was a sight worthy of more than casual observation. Along the coastline, the cliffs looked like an enormous wall thrown up against the sea. Glaciers crept down their sides all the way to the water, where the action of the waves constantly wore away at the ice. Now and again, a small piece or a section almost as big as a berg would plunge into the water.

The ferocity of the land apparently spawned similarly forbidding weather. For some strange meteorological reason, savage, tornadolike downdrafts periodically swooped down from the heights above and fairly exploded when they struck the water, whipping the seas close inshore into a frenzy of spindrift and forth. Hussey thought they were the “williwaws,” sudden burst of wind peculiar to coastal areas in polar regions. It was one of these, apparently, that had nearly caught the Docker the morning before.

SHACKLETON 一行凭着一艘小船 , 进入了南极圈里最为险恶的水域 DRAKE PASSAGE., 在冰冷的风浪里搏击 . 终于到达 SOUTH GEORGIA, 因为航行实在太危险 . 他们选择了徒步翻越岛上的雪上去到那一边的捕鲸站 . 由于没有详细地图 , 他们一再走错 , 登上雪峰后又发现无法穿越峡谷 , 不得不重新下来再爬另一处 . 几经周折 , 他们终于到达了捕鲸站 . 没有人相信他们凭着一条小船 , 在这样的天气和水域航行 , 而没有沉没 . 下面是一段关于他们重新回到文明世界的描写 :

Just then he heard an outcry and looked up. Two small boys about eleven years old were running, not in play but in terror. Behind them Andersen saw the figures of three men walking slowly and with great weariness in his direction.

He was puzzled. They were strangers, certainly. But that was not so unusual as the fact that they were coming – not from the docks, where a ship might come in, but from the direction of the mountains, the interior of the island.

As they drew closer, he saw that they were heavily bearded and their faces were almost black except for their eyes. Their hair was as long as a woman’s and hung down almost to their shoulders. For some reason it looked stringy and stiff. Their clothing was peculiar, too. It was not the sweaters and boots worn by seamen. Instead, the three men appeared to have on parkas, though it was hard to tell because their garments were in such a ragged state.

By then the workmen had stopped what they were doing to stare at the three strangers approaching. The foreman stepped forward to meet them. The man in the center spoke English.

“Would you please take us to Anton Andersen,” he said softly.

The foreman shook his head, Anton Andersen was not at Stromness any longer, he explained. He had been replaced by the regular factory manager, THoralf Sorlle.

The Englishman seemed pleased.”Good” He said. “I know Sorlle well.”

The foreman led the way to Sorlle’s house, about a hundred yards off to the right. Almost all the workmen on the pier had left their jobs to come see the three strangers who had appeared at the dock. Now they lined the route, looking curiously at the foreman and his three companions.

Andersen knocked at the manager’s door, and after a moment Sorlle himself opened it. He was in his shirt sleeves, and he still sported his big handlebar mustache.

When he saw the three men, he stepped back and a look of disbelief came over his face. For a long moment he stood shocked and silent before he spoke.

“Who are you?” he said at last.

The man in the center stepped forward.

“My name is Shackleton,” he replied in a quiet voice.

Again there was silence. Some said that Sorlle turned away and wept.

之后几天内 ,SHACKLETON 等人出发回去救援剩余的人 , 但失败了 . 此后他不停努力 , 寻求合适的船只 , 终于在 1916 年 8 月 30 日回到 ELEPHANT ISLAND, 成功救出所有船员 . 那一刻的激动 , 无以言表 .

SHACKLETON成功回到ELEPHANT ISLAND救援他的船员们

船上有生物学家 , 摄影家等 . 摄影家后来将照片公布于世 , 成了这次传奇式探险的最好记录 .

在这本书里 , 没有豪言壮语 , 没有人们想象中的奇特 . 但就是在对日常生活细密的描写里 , 表现了船员们的心理变化 , 所作的努力 , 以及所承受的压力 . 文中一直存有一种信念 , 乐观 , 和不懈的努力 . 其实最难的就是忍耐 , 几乎无望中 , 无可作为的忍耐 . 等待冰块裂开 , 期望大风将它吹向要去的方向 …… 无尽的期待 , 和耐心 . 很多时候最难的努力就是适应环境 , 保持耐心 . 忍耐当时艰苦得难以想象的生活 .

故事也让我看到船员性格里的顽强 , 以及船长的果断 , 坚毅 , 忠实 . 他关心自己的船员 , 竭尽全力保护了他们的安全 .SIR ERNEST SHACKETON 高大英俊 , 完完全全一个探险家的形象 .

主要大事 :

South Georgia August1914

Cleared the Pack Jan 9 1915

Endurance Abandoned ,Oct 27 1915

Endurance Sank Nov 21 1915

Ocean Camp Oct 30- Dec 23

Patience Camp Jan 1- Apri 9 1916

Swell Mar 9

Boat launched Apr 9

Elephant Isla nd

Caird lauched Apri 24

Landed King Haakon Bay may 10 1916

South Georgia climbed the mountains across the island

Rescue Aug 30 1916