But for years after the struggle was over, the United States still policed the Mediterranean Sea with such thoroughness 但在这场斗争结束多年后，美国仍然完全的监管着地中海区域，

that the pirate ships that dared risk leaving port were bold and desperate indeed. 而那些敢于冒险离开港口的海盗船确实是胆大妄为，铤而走险。

It was thither that the West Wind was to sail, with important messages for the commodore of the Mediterranean fleet. 西风号就是在那里航行的，它向地中海舰队的海军准将传达了重要的信息。

OFF TO PIRATE WATERS 驶往海盗水域

At last the ship was ready, a rare and beautiful sight with her slim hull, her rows of guns, and her towering sails of silvery new canvas. 最后，船终于建好了，这艘船有着修长的船身、一排排的大炮和银色新帆布制成的高耸的船帆，

She sailed with the early tide, at daybreak of a mid-April morning, a ghostly fairy-like thing, 这真是一幅罕见而美丽的景象。四月中旬的一个早晨，天刚破晓，她就随着早潮航行，

slipping away in the gray light and the mist of dawn. Jonathan stood on the dock to watch her go, 她就像一个幽灵般的精灵，在灰蒙蒙的晨光和黎明的薄雾中悄悄溜走了。乔纳森站在码头上，目送她离去，

staring fixedly after his winged dream, flying at last across the Atlantic. There will be tales to tell when she comes back, he said at last, 他目不转睛地盯着他那长着翅膀的梦想，终于飞越了大西洋。等她回来的时候，会有很多故事可讲的，他最后说，

and I look for her to cut down the sailing time by three, four, five days, perhaps. She is a good ship, and she will not disappoint us. 我希望她能把开船的时间缩短三、四天、五天，也许吧。她是艘好船，她是不会让我们失望的。

His stout faith in his ship was matched only by Humphrey's steady confidence. 乔纳森对他的船的信心十分坚定，这份信心唯有汉弗莱对船的信心才能匹配的上。

Others might have said that this maiden voyage was a heart-breaking one for Humphrey and his crew. 其他人可能会说，这次处女航让汉弗莱和他的船员心碎。

Their living-quarters were narrow, and the labor was heavy; while the handling of the new vessel was, in itself, very difficult to learn. 因为他们在船上的住舱狭小，劳动繁重；同时，这艘新船的操作本身就非常难学，

The weather was stormy and the winds fitful, but the West Wind did not disappoint the two good friends who had made her. 当时天气狂风大作，但西风并没有使建造这艘船的两个好朋友失望。

The storms lent her wings so that, at last, anxiety and discontent gave way entirely to pride in the speed that she was making. 暴风雨给了她翅膀，最后，人们对她的速度的自豪完全盖过了焦虑和不满。