Lesson 6 Speaking of Heroes

When the French Institute in Haiti asked me to speak on a subject of my own choice, I picked heroism. It’s a subject I know well. I’ve read many books about it.

I spoke of Saint-Exupery, Malraux, and Hillary. I suggested that I was something of a hero myself. Then I described how the hero, in face of danger, discovers all the great, lasting values of life.

W hen I left the platform, a gentleman came to me. “Great lecture,” he said. “I’m Doctor Bonbon. I’ve been asked to make your stay here as pleasant as possible. Would you like to go hunting sharks with me? You seem to enjoy facing danger.”

I accepted gladly. I saw myself strapped^① into my seat, struggling with a huge fish on my rod^②…

I was to speak again the next afternoon. So we agreed to start early that morning.

“By the way,” the doctor said as we set out, “you should try out your Cousteau.”

“My…what?”

“Your snorkel. You need to breathe. I’ll show you how to work the underwater gun too. What’s the matter? Something w rong?”

I had to sit down. I tried to tell myself it wasn’t so. But there was no doubt about it. I wasn’t to fish with a rod, I was to go right down into the shark-infested water. I opened my mouth to protest^③…

“You know,” the doctor said. “I can’t tell you how much we all enjoyed your lecture on courage.”

I said nothing. There are times when you have to protect your means of earning a living. I was known as a good speaker. If I had to be eaten by sharks to keep my reputation^④, I was ready. I put on my mask.

“Now put on the lead^⑤ belt. It w ill get you down there instantly,” the doctor said. I let myself be harnessed^⑥. “They’ll go down with you.” He pointed to the four giants on board.

Bodyguards, I thought with relief.

“They’re the beaters,” the doctor said. “They’ll go ahead and drive the sharks toward you. Then all you have to do is shoot.” I didn’t have the courage to object. They helped me over the side.

At the bottom the first thing I saw was a big fish. I screamed. But it wasn’t a shark. It was a barracuda.

I can’t quite remember what followed. All I know is that, contrary to what I had said in my lecture, at the moment of danger the hero does not discover the great values of life. At last I opened my eyes again, the barracuda was gone.

I tried to return to the surface. Then I saw a huge form above my head. I grabbed my gun, I closed my eyes and I squeezed the trigger.

The gun was torn from me.

In seconds I was at the surface. Luckily, the boat was near. I was on board in an instant^⑦.

“Where’s your gun?” asked the doctor.

I explained that I had hit a shark. The beast had torn the weapon from my hands.

The black sw immers were climbing back into the boat now. One of them had my gun. He spoke to the doctor in Creole.

“It seems,” the doctor said to me, “that you shot at the hull of the boat.”

He was trying to suggest that I had mistaken the boat passing over my head for a shark. The very idea!

When I stepped onto the platform that afternoon, Doctor Bonbon was sitting in the front row. But I didn’t let his mocking^⑧ stare disturb me. I was determined to rise once more to the level of my subject.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” I began, “when the hero finds himself facing danger, the first thing he discovers…”

Notes

① strap [stræp] vt. 用带子系、捆、绑某人/某物

② rod [rɒd] n. 杆，竿，棍

③ protest [prəˑtest] vi.& vt. 抗议，反对

[ˑprəʊtest] n. 抗议，反对

④ reputation [ˌrepjʊˑteɪʃən] n. 名声，名誉

⑤ lead [led] n. 铅

[liːd] v. 引导；领先；带领；过……(的生活)；导致

⑥ harness [ˑhɑːnɪs] vt. (给马等)套上挽具；套（马）

⑦ instant [ˑɪnstənt] n. 瞬间，顷刻；此刻；速食食品，即溶饮料

adj. 立即的；迫切的；正在考虑的；目前的；即食的

⑧ mock [mɒk] vt. & vi. 取笑，嘲弄

Exercises

Ⅰ. How well did you read?

1. [Note the facts] The w riter had learned about heroism by___.

A. reading many books

B. facing many great dangers

C. making many speeches about it

2. [Draw a conclusion] Malraux, Hillary and Saint-Exupery were___.

A. the w riter’s close friends

B. some celebrities

C. some heroes in the w riter’s eyes

3. [Read between the lines] The w riter agreed to go hunting sharks because he___.

A. enjoyed dangerous adventures

B. thought he would be using a rod

C. wanted to try underwater hunting

4. [See the reason] The w riter went underwater because he___.

A. was eager to use the gun

B. was afraid to admit his fear

C. would be guarded by four sw immers

5. [Follow the order] When the w riter saw the barracuda, the first thing he did was___.

A. closing his eyes 　B. screaming 　C. rising to the surface

6. [See the point] The form the w riter shot at was___.

A. a shark 　B. a barracuda 　C. the boat

7. [See the point] Doctor Bonbon felt he had proved that the w riter was a___.

A. coward 　B. gentleman 　C. poor speaker

Ⅱ. Read for words and exp ressions

1. Choose one best paraphrase for the underlined words.

(1) Your snorkel. You need to breathe. I’ll show you how to work the underwater gun too. (Para. 8)

A. equipment for diving

B. a sw imming suit

C. weapons for fishing

(2) I didn’t have the courage to object. They helped me over the side. (Para. 14)

A. refuse 　B. admit 　C. approve

2. Choose one best paraphrase for the underlined expressions.

(1) I spoke of Saint-Exupery, Malraux, and Hillary. I suggested that I was something of a hero myself. (Para. 2)

A. fond of a hero 　B. anything but a hero 　C. a hero in a way

(2) I wasn’t to fish with a rod, I was to go right down into the shark-infested water. (Para. 9)

A. water with few sharks 　B. water full of sharks

C. water free of sharks

(3) In seconds I was at the surface. Luckily, the boat was near. I was on board in an instant. (Para. 19)

A. after a long time 　B. in no time 　C. now and then

Ⅲ. Writing practice

In not more than 200 words describe the w riter’s experience. Do not include anything that is not in the passage.

Answer these questions in note form to get your points:

1. On what topic did the w riter speak when invited to give a lecture?

2. What did the w riter say about a hero who is in face of danger?

3. Why did the w riter accept Doctor Bonbon’s invitation to hunt sharks so gladly?

4. How was he required to hunt sharks?

5. Why didn’t the w riter have the courage to object?

6. What did he do when he saw a huge “shark” over his head?

7. What did he shoot at actually?

8. What did he learn from his experience?

language box

___________________________________________________________________