《夏洛特·多尔的真实自白》（节选）

“Dont be afraid of her，” Captain Jaggery cried. “Look at her. Shes nothing but an unnatural girl， a girl trying to act like a man， trying to be a man. She can only harm you by living. Let her have her punishment.”

I started up the forecastle steps. The men began to back away. Horrified， I paused. I sought out Barlow， Ewing， Grimes， Fisk. Each in turn seemed to shrink from my look. I turned back.

Captain Jaggery fingered the pistol in his hand. “Take her！” he commanded.

But that far they would not go. And the captain who saw this as soon as I now began to advance toward me himself.

I backed away from him until I was atop the forecastle deck. The line of crew had split， some to either side. “Help me！” I appealed to them again. But though they were deaf to Captain Jaggery they were equally deaf to me.

The captain， in careful pursuit， now slowly mounted the steps to the forecastle. I retreated into the bow， past the capstan， on a line with the cathead. He kept coming. Against the moon， he seemed to be a faceless shadow， a shadow broken only by the daggerlike glitter of the pistol that caught the light of the moon. My heart hammered so I could hardly breathe. I looked for a way to escape but found none.

The bow seemed to dance under my feet. Frantically I looked behind me； there was little space now between me and the sea.

Still the captain closed in. I scrambled back high into the forepeak. He stopped， braced his legs wide， extended his arm and pistol. I could see his hand tighten.

The bow plunged. The deck bucked. He fired all the same. The shot went wide and in a rage he flung the pistol at me.

I stumbled backward， tripped. He made a lunge at me， but I， reacting with more panic than reason， scrambled down onto the bowsprit itself， grabbing at the back rope to keep from falling.

Clinging desperately to the rope—for the ship plunged madly again—I kept edging further out on the bowsprit， all the while looking back at Captain Jaggery. In the next moment he scrambled after me.

I pushed past the trembling sails. Below， the sea rose and fell.

Vaguely， I sensed that the crew had rushed forward to watch what was happening.

There was no more back rop to hold to. And the captain continued to inch forward， intent on pushing me off. There were only a few feet between us. With a snarl he lunged at me with both hands.

Even as he did the Seahawk plunged. In that instant Captain Jaggery lost his footing. His arms flew wide. But he was teetering off balance and began to fall. One hand reached desperately out to me. With an instinctive gesture I jumped toward him. For a brief moment our fingers linked and held. Then the ship plunged again and he tumbled into the waves. The ship seemed to rear up. For one brief interval Captain Jaggery rose from the sea， his arm gripped in the foaming beak of the figurehead. Then， as if tossing him off， the Seahawk leaped， and Captain Jaggery dropped into the roaring foam and passed beneath the ship， not to be seen again.

Weak， trembling， soaking wet， I made my way back along the bowsprit until I could climb into the forepeak.

The crew parted before me， no one saying a word. I stopped and turned， “Give me a knife，” I said.

Grimes took one from his pocket.

I hurried across the deck to where Zachariah still stood. Keetch had fled his side. I cut the rope that bound Zachariah and then embraced him as he did me. Finally he walked to the quarterdeck rail. As if summoned， the crew gathered below.

“Shipmates，” Zachariah cried. “Its needful that we have a captain. Not Keetch， for he was an informer and should be in the brig. But Miss Doyle here has done what we could not do. Let her be captain now.”

“别怕她！”谢克利船长大喊，“看看她，不过就是个不正常的姑娘，一心想学男人的举止，想成为一个男人。留她活命只会伤害你们，让她领受应得的惩罚吧。”

我登上了通往前甲板的阶梯。他们开始往后退。我满心恐惧，停了下来。我看向巴洛、尤因、格兰姆斯、费思克，但他们似乎挨个回避我的眼神。我转过身去。

谢克利船长摆弄手里的枪，命令道：“抓住她！”

不过，他们也不会做得那么绝。谢克利船长和我一样迅速发现了这一点，于是他现在开始自己一步步向我逼近。

我不停地后退躲避，一直退到了前甲板上。排成一列的水手们让开一条道，分列两边。“帮帮我！”我再次向他们求助。虽然他们之前对谢克利船长的命令装聋作哑，但现在他们对我的乞求同样置若罔闻。

谢克利船长小心翼翼地向我展开追捕，慢慢地登上通往前甲板的台阶。我一直退到船头，退过了起锚机，停在了锚架边上。他还在不停地逼近。他背对着月光，看起来像是一个没有面孔的暗影，打碎它的只有手枪在月光下闪出的匕首般的光泽。我的心怦怦狂跳，几乎不能呼吸。我搜寻逃跑的路，但一条也找不着。

船头似乎在我的脚下舞动一般。我发狂似的看向身后，只见大海此时已近在咫尺。

谢克利船长还在逼近。我往回爬到船首高处。他停了下来，双腿分开站定，伸出拿着枪的那只手。我能看到他的手慢慢收紧。

就在这时，船头突然猛地一沉，甲板剧烈地晃动了一下，他的枪也响了。那一枪打偏了，他一气之下抬手就把枪扔向了我。

我踉跄着向后一躲，绊倒在地。他向我猛扑过来，我惊慌失措，手脚并用地下到了船首的斜桁上，双手紧抓着反支索以防自己掉下去。

我拼命紧抓着反支索，因为船身又猛地一沉。我不断地向斜桁的末端挪动，不时还回头看谢克利船长的动静。下一刻，他也尾随我爬了过来。

我爬过鼓动着的船帆，脚下海水汹涌起伏。

隐隐约约地，我感觉到船员们都赶忙跑过来，一探究竟。

我身后已经没有反支索可抓了。而谢克利船长还在一点点地靠近，想要把我推下去。现在他离我只有几英尺远了。他咆哮一声，张开双手向我扑来。

就在这时，“海鹰号”又是一沉，谢克利船长脚下失去了平衡。他的手臂狂舞，身体摇晃着，眼看着就要掉入海里。他的一只手绝望地伸向了我，我本能地向他的方向一扑。有那么一瞬间，我的手指碰到了他的，我甚至抓住了他的手。可接着船再次一沉，他掉进了海浪里，船头似乎要一扬。有很短的一瞬间，谢克利船长被海浪高高托起，手臂还紧扒着船首雕像上沾着泡沫的鹰喙。然后，就像是要把他甩掉一样，“海鹰号”一个起伏，谢克利船长就掉进了呼啸着的泡沫里，消失在了船下，再也没有出现。

这时的我已经浑身湿透、虚脱无力、颤抖不已。我艰难地沿着斜桁往回爬，直到我能爬进船首的尖舱。

船員们在我面前散开站定，谁也没有说话。我停下来，转过身说：“给我把刀。”

格兰姆斯从口袋里拿出一把刀来。

我急忙穿过甲板来到老查所在的地方。基奇（编注：背叛了夏洛特和老查的一名水手）已经逃走了。我割断了绑着老查的绳子，和他拥抱在一起。然后老查走到船尾甲板的栏杆处。船员们像是受到召唤一般，自动在下方集合起来。

“伙计们！”老查大声说，“我们需要一个船长。但不是基奇，因为他告密。我们应该把他关到禁闭室里去。但是这位多尔小姐做到了我们做不到的事情。现在就让她做我们的船长吧。”

艾非·沃提斯（Avi Wortis），1937年12月23日出生于美国纽约，著名儿童文学作家。

一岁时，艾非·沃提斯的双胞胎姐姐替他取了“艾非”这个名字。后来，他便一直用这个名字发表作品。

艾非的创作生涯从剧作开始，直到自己的孩子降生，他才动笔为孩子们写故事。迄今为止，艾非为孩子们创作的作品已经超过了二十本，其中有冒险故事、历史小说、灵异传奇、动物故事等。《夏洛特·多尔的真实自白》是艾非·沃提斯的代表作，该书荣获了1991年纽伯瑞儿童文学奖银奖。