as aventuras de Arthur Gordon Pym

Chapter X 

Shortly afterward an incident occurred which I am induced to look upon as more intensely productive of emotion, as far more replete with the extremes first

of delight and then of horror, than even any of the thousand chances which afterward befell me in nine long years, crowded with events of the most startling

and, in many cases, of the most unconceived and unconceivable character. We were lying on the deck near the companion-way, and debating the possibility of

yet making our way into the storeroom, when, looking toward Augustus, who lay fronting myself, I perceived that he had become all at once deadly pale, and that his lips were quivering in the most singular and accountable manner. Greatly alarmed, I spoke to him, but he made me no reply, and I was beginning to think that he was suddenly taken ill, when I took notice of his eyes, which were glaring apparently at some object behind me. I turned my head, and shall never forget the ecstatic joy which thrilled through every particle of my frame, when I perceived a large brig bearing down upon us, and not more than a couple of miles off. I sprung to my feet as if a musket bullet had suddenly struck me to the heart; and, stretching out my arms in the direction of the vessel, stood in this manner, motionless, and unable to articulate a syllable. Peters and Parker were equally affected, although in different ways. The former danced about the deck like a madman, uttering the most extravagant rhodomontades, intermingled with howls and imprecations, while the latter burst into tears, and continued for many minutes weeping like a child. The vessel in sight was a large hermaphrodite brig, of a Dutch build, and

painted black, with a tawdry gilt figure-head. She had evidently seen a good deal of rough weather, and, we supposed, had suffered much in the gale which had proved so disastrous to ourselves; for he foretopmast was gone, and some of her starboard bulwarks. When we first saw her, she was, as I have already said, about two miles off and to windward, bearing down upon us. The breeze was very gentle, and what astonished us chiefly was, that she had no other sails set than her foremast and mainsail, with a flying jib- of course she came down but slowly, and our impatience amounted nearly to phrensy. The awkward manner in which she steered, too, was remarked by all of us, even excited as we were. She yawed about so considerably, that once or twice we thought it impossible she could see us, or imagined that, having seen us, and discovered no person on board, she was about to tack and make off in another direction. Upon each of these occasions we screamed and shouted at the top of our voices, when the stranger would appear to change for a moment her intention, and again hold on toward us- this singular conduct being repeated two or three times, so that at last we could think of no other manner of accounting for it than by supposing the helmsman to be in liquor. No person was seen upon her decks until she arrived within about a quarter of a mile of us. We then saw three seamen, whom by their dress we took to be Hollanders. Two of these were lying on some old sails near the forecastle, and the third, who appeared to be looking at us with great curiosity, was leaning over the starboard bow near the bowsprit. This last was a stout and tall man, with a very dark skin. 

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket

Edgar Allan Poe
1837

traducido ao galego por Alberto Avendaño

As Aventuras de Arthur Gordon Pym

Edicións Xerais de Galiza, 1997

Capítulo X

Pouco despois ocurreu algo que provocou emocións radicais e extremas, primeiro de ledicia e logo de horror, como nunca experimentei nos milleiros de sucesos inconcibibles que durante nove longos anos encheron a miña vida. Estabamos deitados na ponte, preto da escaleira da cámara, vendo que posibilidades tiñamos de chegarmos ata a bodega. Daquela levantei a vista, ollei para Augustus e vin que palidecera de morte e que os seus labios tremelicaban de maneira máis singular. Faleille todo alarmado pero non me respondeu. Comezaba a pensar que adoecera de golpe, cando me fixei nos seus ollos e vin que fitaban algo que se debía encontrar detrás de min. Virei a cabeza e nunca esquecerei a sensación de alegría que me invadiu cando vin, como a un par de millas de distancia, que un bergantín se achegaba cara a nós. Incorporeime como impulsado por unha bala de mosquete que me atravesara o corazón e, estirando os meus brazos na dirección daquel barco, quedei inerte e incapaz de articular unha palabra. A Peters e mais a Parker tamén lles afectou, pero de maneira diferente. O primeiro, púxose a bailar por cuberta coma un tolo, fanfurriñando entre ouveos e berrando vulgaridades. O outro, pola súa parte, rompeu a chorar coma un neno. O barco á vista era un enorme bergantín goleta, de estructura holandesa, pintado en negro e cun mascarón de proa cunha cabezaz pintada dun rechamante dourado. Era evidente que vira mal tempo e supuxemos que tamén sufrita o temporal que trouxera o desastre sobre nós, porque perdera a cofa do trinquete e parte da amurada de estribor. A primeira vez que o vimos, como xa dixen, estaba a un par de millas a barlovento e dirixíase cara a nós. Sopraba unha brisa leve e chamounos poderosamente a atención que non despregase máis trapo que o trinquete maior, cun petifoque. Achegábase con tal lentitude que a nosa impaciencia volvíase pouco menos que frenesí. Pero a pesar da nosa excitación, reparamos na estraña maneira en que navegaba. Guinaba de tal maneira que chegamos a pensar que era imposible que nos vise ou que, logo de divisarnos e comprobar que non había ningué a bordo, se dispuña a virar para cambiar de rumbo. Cando isto ocorría, voceabamos e berrabamos con tódalas nosas forzas. Daquela o buque recuperaba o rumbo e volvía a navegar cara a nós. Como isto se repetiu en dúas ou tres ocasións, non lle encontramos outra explicación máis que pensar que o temoneiro estaría bébedo. Non distinguimos tripulación a bordo ata que estivo como a un cuarto de milla de nós. Entón vimos tres mariñeiros a quen tomamos por holandeses, dada a súa estraña indumentaria. Dous deles deitábanse sobre un vello velame xunta o castelo de proa, e o terceiro, que ollaba para nós con gran curiosidade, estaba apoiado na amurada do estribor, preto do bauprés. Era este un home membrudo e alto, de pel moi escura.