海盗的海洋
I was once on a train leaving Baltimore when a man asked me where I was going.I told him I was going to Baltimore.He looked at me as if I must have made a mistake and exclaimed，“You are on the wrong train；this train is leaving Baltimore.”
“I know that，”I replied，“but I’m going to Baltimore the long way round，round the World to Baltimore.I’m going west to get east.”
On the other side of the World from us are some islands called “The Indies.”People had always gone to the Indies，far，far away，by traveling toward the east.Columbus thought he could go in just the opposite direction—toward the west—and reach the Indies that way.People said it was foolish to go west to get east，but Columbus believed the World was round，and if it were round he knew he could get to these islands by going west just as well as by going east.So he sailed，and he sailed，and he sailed，always toward the setting sun，and at last he did come to some islands.He thought these islands were the Indies，so he named them the “West Indies.”As a matter of fact，we know，but he didn’t know，that he hadn’t gone half far enough to reach the Indies.He didn’t know that even if he had gone on farther，Central America would have been in the way，anyway.
Living on these islands were men with red skins，painted faces，and feathers in their hair，and Columbus called them Indians.Other people called these Indians “Caribs，”which means “brave，”because they were brave，and the blue sea which surrounded these islands they called the Caribbean Sea—the sea of the Caribs.
Columbus was looking for a new way and he found it，but after Columbus other men came along looking for gold and silver and they found
that.Some they found in Mexico and some they found in South America，and some they took away from the Indians who had already found it.They robbed them，that’s all.This gold and silver—treasure—found and stolen，they loaded on ships and started back to Spain.
But many of those ships bearing treasure never reached Spain.Pirates—sea robbers—lay in wait to rob the land robbers.It was better sport to rob robbers than to rob the poor Indians.These pirates were bold and bad and cold and cruel.They wore blood-red sashes round their waists，blood-red handkerchiefs round their necks，and blood-red handkerchiefs round their heads.They hung huge rings in their ears and huge bracelets on their arms，and they were “armed to the teeth”—whatever that means.They hid behind these little islands in the Caribbean Sea，and when they saw a treasure ship coming from afar they hoisted a black flag to their ship’s mast，a flag with a skull and two bones crossed on it，and sailed forth and captured the ship，its treasures，and its crew.They made the crew slaves，or if the pirates didn’t want any more slaves，they made their captives “walk the plank”—that is，walk blindfolded out on a plank set over the ship’s edge.They would reach the end and suddenly step off into the sea and be drowned.Then the pirate would load the treasure he had captured into a huge iron-bound chest，sail back to his little island，and bury the treasure chest in a hole in the sand.He would mark the spot on a map with an X so that he might find it when he wanted it，and so that no one else could find it.
These pirates are gone long years ago，and the ships that sail the blue Caribbean have now no fear of pirates any more，and few of these ships carry anything that pirates would want.But the sea is so blue and the weather so warm and the islands so lovely that many people make voyages to the Pirate Seas just for pleasure.I did once myself.
I left New York when it was snowing and in two days I was on an island called Bermuda，where it was warm and sunny.Easter lilies were growing in the fields，and new potatoes and onions.Farmers were raising them to send to shivering New York so that Americans might have warm-weather flowers and warm-weather vegetables long before warm weather itself
came.
Another two days’sailing south and I was on another island called Nassau，the capital of a group of islands called the Bahamas.In Nassau sponges are gathered from the bottom of the sea and sent back to U.S.for US to USe.Would you believe that the sponges you use were once alive？They were once like jelly with the sponge inside.Men dive down into the sea and tear the live sponges off the rocks where they grow.Then they wash off the jelly-like part and what is left is the sponge.
Another one of the Bahama Islands is the little island on which Columbus first landed—the most famous little island i.t.w.W.A monument marks the spot where he stepped out of his little boat after his long voyage across the ocean，kneeled down in the sand，and thanked God for directing him safely to the New World.He called the island after his Saviour，“Holy Saviour，”which in Spanish is San Salvador.
There are three large islands of the West Indies—tit-tat-to，three in a row.There is also another island a little smaller，and many，many very small islands besides in the Caribbean Sea.
The largest island of all the West Indies—the first one of the tit-tat-to，three in a row islands—is Cuba.Columbus found the Indians in Cuba carrying burning torches in their mouths.They breathed in the smoke and blew it out again in a most strange and amazing fashion，as if they were dragons.It seemed an extraordinary thing for people to do—to breathe in smoke of a burning weed，for that was what it was；yet they seemed to enjoy it.No one across the water had ever seen such a sight before—people breathing fire.But now people all over the World copy the red Indians of Cuba.The weed was called tobacco.Tobacco is now grown in many parts of the World，but the finest tobacco i.t.w.W.for cigars still grows in Cuba，and Havana，the capital of Cuba，ships “Havana”cigars everywhere.
People from Spain went to live in Cuba and Cuba belonged to Spain until not so many years ago，but now Cuba belongs to itself.
Almost all vegetables and fruits in the World have sugar in their juice；they are sweet.Some have a great deal，some have very little.But two
vegetables have such sweet juice that they are raised for the sugar that can be made out of their juice.These vegetables are the beet and sugar-cane.You know what a beet looks like.Sugarcane looks something like stalks of corn.Men press the juice out of the cane and boil it to make sugar.In Cuba they grow more sugar-cane than any other place i.t.w.W.
The Island of Haiti—the tat of the tit-tat-to islands—although it is not large，has two little countries on it.Both these countries are republics like the United States，with presidents and senators and representatives chosen by the people，but their presidents are colored and their senators and representatives are also colored.That may seem strange until I tell you that the people on the island are colored too.
When Columbus died he was buried on this island of Haiti.Many years after，men dug up what they thought were Columbus’s bones and sent them back to Spain，where they are kept in a great cathedral.But many people say they were not Columbus’s bones at all that they took back，but some one else’s，and that Columbus’s body still lies in Haiti.
Puerto Rico，the third of the tit-tat-to islands of the West Indies，belongs to the United States.In Puerto Rico they raise tobacco too，but there seems to be some difference in the land，for they can’t seem to raise quite as good tobacco as the people in Cuba do.
Jamaica is a small island south of the tit-tat-to islands.It belongs to England.In Jamaica they grow many of the bananas that we eat.They are picked when they are still green，but by the time they have been shipped to the United States and are put in the fruit shops on sale they are yellow and ripe—sometimes.If you eat them before they are ripe，you may need a little Jamaica ginger，which is good for “tummy aches”—that comes from Jamaica too.
Tobacco and sugar，sponges and early vegetables，bananas and lilies！—pirates would have turned up their noses in disgust if they had captured a ship laden with such a cargo！
【中文阅读】
我有一次坐火车正要离开巴尔的摩，这时一个男子问我到哪去。我告诉他我要去巴尔的摩。他看着我，现出的神情就好像我弄错了，他大声说：“你坐车了；这辆火车是从巴尔的摩开出的。”
“我知道，”我回答说，“但是我要绕个大圈子到巴尔的摩，绕过整个世界到巴尔的摩去。我要向西走，到东方去。”
在与我们相对的世界的另一面，和我们相对的地方，有一些岛屿叫做“印度群岛”。人们到遥远的印度群岛去总是向东走。哥伦布认为他可以往正相反方向走——向西走——到达印度群岛。人们说到东方去却向西走是很愚蠢的，但哥伦布认为世界是圆的，而世界如果是圆的，他知道他可以向西走，到这些岛屿去，正如可以向东走去一样。于是他扬帆起航，日日夜夜不停地在海上航行，一直朝着落日的方向，最后他真的到达了一些岛屿。他以为这些岛屿就是印度群岛，于是他把它们叫做“西印度群岛”。事实上，我们知道到印度群岛路程他还没走到一半，但他自己却不知道。他不知道即使他再走下去，至少中美洲还会挡住他的路。
住在这些岛上的人有着红色的皮肤，脸上涂着油彩，头发上插着羽毛，哥伦布把他们叫做“印第安人”。其他人把这些印第安人叫做“加勒比人”，意思是“勇敢的人”，因为他们很勇敢，而环绕着这些岛屿的蓝色海洋，他们称之“加勒比海”——加勒比人的海洋。
哥伦布在找一条新的路线，他确实找到了，但是在哥伦布之后其他人跟着来，是寻找金子和银子的，他们也找到了。有些是在墨西哥找到的，有些是在南美洲找到的，还有些是他们从先找到金银的印第安人手里夺来的。他们抢了印第安人，就是这么一回事。这些金子和银子——财宝——找到的和窃取的，他们都装在船上，运回西班牙。
但是很多装满金银财宝的轮船永远没有到达西班牙。海盗——海上的强盗——埋伏以待，抢劫那些陆地上的强盗。和抢劫贫穷的印第安人相比，抢强盗是一种更有刺激性的游戏。这些海盗胆大心狠，冷酷凶残。他们腰上系着血红的腰带，脖子上围着血红的围巾，头上裹着血红的头巾。他们耳朵上戴着巨大的耳环，胳膊上戴着巨大的手镯，他们“武装到牙齿”——无论这是什么意思。他们隐藏在加勒比海这些小岛的后面，当看到一艘载着财宝的船从远驶来时，他们就在桅杆上升起一面黑色的旗子，旗上画有一个骷髅头和两根交叉的骨头，然后他们就驶上前去，劫获船只、连同船上的财宝和船员。他们船员成为奴隶，或者如果海盗不再需要奴隶了，他们就让俘虏去“走跳板”——也就是，蒙住他们的眼睛，强迫他们在突出船舷外的跳板上行走。他们走到尽头，就会突然跌落到海里溺水身亡。然后海盗会把俘获的金银财宝装到一个大的铁皮包的箱子里，驶回他们的小岛，把财宝箱埋入沙子里的一个洞里。海盗会在地图上用一X标出这个地点，以便日后需要的时候可以查找，别人也发现不了。
这些海盗已经消失很多年了，在加勒比海上航行的轮船现在再也不用害海盗了，而且也没有什么船装载着海盗们想要的东西。但是这里海水碧蓝，气候温暖，岛上风景优美，因此很多人乘船来到这海盗曾经出没的海洋游玩。我自己也去过一次。
我在大雪纷飞的时候离开了纽约，两天后到了一个叫百慕大的岛上，那天气温暖，阳光明媚。那里的田野里长着麝香百合、时鲜马铃薯和洋葱。农民们种植这些，是要把它们运到寒气逼人的纽约去，这样在寒冷的季节，美国就能欣赏到温暖季节的鲜花，吃到温暖季节的蔬菜。
乘船往南又航行两天我就到了另一个叫做拿骚的岛屿，它是巴哈马群岛的首都。当地人从海底采收海绵，然后运到美国供我们使用。你能相信你使用的海绵曾经是活的吗？它们曾经就像是被果冻包裹着。人们潜到海底从石上扯下生长在上面的海绵。然后他们把果冻样的那一部分洗掉，剩下的就是海绵了。
巴哈马群岛还有一个小岛，是哥伦布最初登陆的小岛——世界上最著名的小岛。这里有一个纪念碑标示出了哥伦布下船的地点，哥伦布经过漫长的海上航行之后终于看到这个小岛，下船后他跪在沙滩上，感谢上帝指引他安全抵了新大陆。他以救世主的名字把小岛命名为“神圣的救世主”，西班牙语中就是“圣萨尔瓦多”。
西印度群岛有三个大岛——像画“连城”游戏一样，三个岛连成一排。加勒比海还有一个小一点的岛和很多很多非常小的岛屿。
西印度群岛最大的岛——画“连城”游戏中三个一排的第一个岛——是古巴岛。哥伦布发现古巴岛上的印第安人嘴里叼着燃烧的小火把。他们以种极为奇怪而又惊人的方式把烟吸进去然后又呼出来，好像是喷烟吐火的龙一样。人把野草燃烧冒出的烟吸进去，似乎在做一件离奇的事，因为那真就是野草；然而他们看起来却是很享受的样子。从大洋对岸来的人以前从来有见过这种奇观——人吸火。但是现在全世界都有人在仿效古巴红皮肤的印第安人。这种野草叫做烟草。现在世界上很多地方都种植烟草，但是全世界做雪茄用的最优质的烟草还是产自古巴，古巴的首都哈瓦那把“哈瓦那”牌雪茄运送到世界各地。
来自西班牙的人直到几年前才在古巴定居下来。古巴属于西班牙，但是现在古巴是一个独立的国家。
世界上几乎所有的植物和水果的汁液里都含糖，是甜的。有些含有大量的糖分，有些则含量很少。但是有两种植物的汁液含糖量极高，人们种植它们就是为了提取它们汁液中的糖。这两种植物是甜菜和甘蔗。你一定知道甜菜是什么样子的。甘蔗看起来有点像玉米秆。人们榨出甘蔗汁，把它熬成糖。古巴种植的甘蔗比世界上其他任何地方都要多。
海地岛——排在第二的岛——尽管不大，上面却有两个国家。这两个国家都是像美国那样的共和政体，总统、参议员和众议员都由人民选举产生，但是他们的总统都是有色人种，他们的参议员和众议员也是有色人种。你可能觉得这似有点奇怪，那么我告诉你，岛上的居民全是有色人种，你还觉得奇怪吗？
哥伦布死后就埋在这个海地岛上。很多年以后，人们挖出了一副骸骨，认为那是哥伦布的遗骨，将其运回了西班牙，存放在一个大教堂里。但是很多人说他们运回的根本就不是哥伦布的遗骨，而是别人的，他们说哥伦布的遗体还在海地。
波多黎各岛，是西印度群岛排在第三的岛，属于美国。波多黎各人也种烟草，但似乎土壤成分有些不同，因为他们好像种不出像古巴人种的那么好的烟草。
牙买加是三大岛南面的一个小岛。它属于英国。在牙买加，人们种植很多我们吃的香蕉。香蕉刚摘下来时是绿色的，但是被运到美国摆到水果店里出售的时候就变黄变熟了——并不总是这样。如果你吃了不成熟的香蕉，可能需要一点牙买加生姜，这种姜对治疗“肚子痛”很有效——也是产自牙买加的。
烟草和糖，海绵和时鲜蔬菜，香蕉和百合花！——海盗们如果劫夺了一装载着这些货物的轮船肯定会对此不屑一顾，气不打一处来。