[加]扬·马特尔（ya

marel）

lifeofpi

whenwereachednd，mexicoobeexac，iwasso

weakibarelyhadhesrenghobehappyabouiwehad

greadifficulyndinghelifeboanearlycapsizedinhesurfi

sreamedheseaanchors—whawaslefofhem—fullopeno

keepusperpendicurohewaves，andirippedhemassoon

aswebeganridingacresinhisway，sreamingandrippinghe

anchors，wesurfedinoshoreiwasdangerousbuwecaugh

onewaveajusherighpoinandicarriedusagreadisance，

pashehigh，colpsingwallsofwaeririppedheanchorsa

simeandwewerepushedinheresofhewayheboa

hissedoahalagainshesand

ilemyselfdownhesideiwasafraidolego，afraidha

socloseodeliverance，inwofeeofwaer，iwoulddrowni

lookedaheadoseehowfarihadogohegncegavemeone

ofmysimagesofrichardparker，forahaprecisemomen

hejumpedovermeisawhisbody，soimmeasurablyvial，

srechedinheairaboveme，afleeing，furredrainbowhe

ndedinhewaer，hisbacklegsspyed，hisailhigh，andfrom

here，inafewhops，hereachedhebeachhewenohelef，

hispawsgouginghewesand，buchangedhismindandspun

aroundhepasseddireclyinfronofmeonhiswayoherigh

hedidn’lookameheranahundredyardsorsoalonghe

shorebeforeurninginhisgaiwasclumsyanduncoordinaed

hefellseveralimesaheedgeofhejungle，hesoppediwas

cerainhewouldurnmywayhewouldlookamehewould

fenhisearshewouldgrowlinsomesuchway，hewould

concludeourreionshiphedidnohingofhesorheonly

lookedfixedlyinohejunglehenrichardparker，companion

ofmyormen，awful，fiercehinghakepmealive，moved

forwardanddisappearedforeverfrommylife

isruggledoshoreandfelluponhesandilookedabou

iwasrulyalone，orphanednoonlyofmyfamily，bunowof

richardparker，andnearly，ihough，ofgodofcourse，i

wasn’hisbeach，sosof，firmandvas，waslikehecheekof

god，andsomewherewoeyeswereglieringwihpleasureand

amouhwassmilingahavingmehere

afersomehoursamemberofmyownspeciesfoundme

helefandreurnedwihagroupheyweresixorsevenhey

cameupomewihheirhandscoveringheirnosesandmouhs

iwonderedwhawaswrongwihhemheyspokeomein

asrangeongueheypulledhelifeboaonohesandhey

carriedmeawayheonepieceofurlemeaihadbroughfrom

heboaheywrenchedfrommyhandandhrewaway

iweplikeachildiwasnobecauseiwasovercomeahaving

survivedmyordeal，houghiwasnorwasihepresenceof

mybrohersandsisers，houghhaoowasverymovingiwas

weepingbecauserichardparkerhadlefmesounceremoniously

whaaerriblehingiisobochafarewelliamapersonwho

believesinform，inheharmonyoforderwherewecan，we

musgivehingsameaningfulshapeforexample，iwonder—

couldyouellmyjumbledsoryinexaclyonehundredchapers，

noonemore，nooneless?i’llellyou，ha’sohingihae

aboumynickname，hewayhanumberrunsonforeveri’s

imporaninlifeoconcludehingsproperlyonlyhencanyoule

gooherwiseyouarelefwihwordsyoushouldhavesaidbu

neverdid，andyourhearisheavywihremorsehabungled

goodbyehursmeohisdayiwishsomuchhai’dhadone

slookahiminhelifeboa，haihadprovokedhimalile，

sohaiwasonhismindiwishihadsaidohimhen—yes，

iknow，oaiger，busill—iwishihadsaid，“richardparker，

i’soverwehavesurvivedcanyoubelievei?ioweyoumore

graiudehanicanexpressicouldn’havedoneiwihouyoui

wouldlikeosayiformally:richardparker，hankyouhankyou

forsavingmylifeandnowgowhereyoumusyouhaveknown

heconfinedfreedomofazoomosofyourlife；nowyouwill

knowhefreeconfinemenofajungleiwishyouallhebeswih