英语听书《白鲸记》第31期

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 the swift punishment,repentance,prayers,and finally the deliverance and joy of Jonah.As with all sinners among men, 

 the sin of this son of Amittai was in his wilful² disobedience of the command of God never mind now what that command was, 

 or how conveyed which he found a hard command.But all the things that God would have us do are hard for us to do remember that and hence, 

 he oftener commands us than endeavors to persuade.And if we obey God,we must disobey ourselves;and it is in this disobeying ourselves,wherein the hardness of obeying God consists. 

 With this sin of disobedience in him,Jonah still further flouts³ at God,by seeking to flee from Him. 

 He thinks that a ship made by men will carry him into countries where God does not reign,but only the Captains of this earth. 

 He skulks⁴ about the wharves⁵ of Joppa,and seeks a ship that's bound for Tarshish.There lurks,perhaps,a hitherto unheeded meaning here. 

 By all accounts Tarshish could have been no other city than the modern Cadiz.That's the opinion of learned men.And where is Cadiz,shipmates? 

 Cadiz is in Spain;as far by water,from Joppa,as Jonah could possibly have sailed in those ancient days,when the Atlantic was an almost unknown sea. 

 Because Joppa,the modern Jaffa,shipmates,is on the most easterly coast of the Mediterranean,the Syrian;and Tarshish or Cadiz more than two thousand miles to the westward⁶ from that, 

 just outside the Straits of Gibraltar.See ye not then,shipmates,that Jonah sought to flee world wide from God?Miserable⁷ man!Oh! 

 most contemptible⁸ and worthy⁹ of all scorn;with slouched hat and guilty eye,skulking from his God;prowling among the shipping¹⁰ like a vile¹¹ burglar hastening to cross the seas. 

 So disordered,self condemning¹² is his look,that had there been policemen in those days,Jonah,on the mere¹³ suspicion of something wrong,had been arrested ere he touched a deck. 

 How plainly he's a fugitive¹⁴!no baggage,not a hat box,valise,or carpet bag,no friends accompany him to the wharf¹⁵ with their adieux.At last,after much dodging¹⁶ search, 

 he finds the Tarshish ship receiving the last items of her cargo;and as he steps on board to see its Captain in the cabin, 

 all the sailors for the moment desist from hoisting¹⁷ in the goods,to mark the stranger's evil eye.Jonah sees this; 

 but in vain he tries to look all ease and confidence;in vain essays his wretched smile. 

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