The sea – this truth must be confessed – has no generosity. No display of manly qualities – courage, hardihood, endurance, faithfulness – has ever been known to touch its irresponsible consciousness of power. The ocean has the conscienceless temper of a savage autocrat spoiled by much adulation. He cannot brook the slightest appearance of defiance, and has remained the irreconcilable enemy of ships and men ever since ships and men had the unheard-off audacity to go afloat together in the face of his frown. From that day he has gone on swallowing up fleets and men without his resentment being glutted by the number of victims – by so many wrecked ships and wrecked lives. Today, as ever, he is ready to beguile and betray. To smash and do drown the incorrigible optimism of men who, backed by the fidelity of ships, are trying to wrest from him the fortune of their house, the dominion of their world, or only a dole of food for their hunger. If not always in the hot mood to smash, he is always stealthily ready for a drowning. The most amazing wonder of the deep is its unfathomable cruelty. 湖南“阳光高考”公益平台
(from The Mirror of the Sea by Joseph Conrad) Night
generosity  慷慨，仁慈
hardihood  大胆，刚毅
savage  野蛮的，蛮横的
autocrat  独裁者，专制君主
adulation  谄媚，奉承
brook  容忍，允许
defiance  反抗，反对
irreconcilable  难和解的，不可调和的
audacity  勇气，胆量，冒险
resentment  忿恨，不满
glut  满足，厌腻
beguile  迷惑
smash  粉碎，破坏
incorrigible  固执的，难以克服的
wrest  夺取，强占
dominion  统治，领地，范围
dole  少量的施舍
unfathomable  深不可测的，无底的，难解的 湖南阳光高考公益平台