《The Phantom Death, etc.》光之對談

身為「光之居所」的歷史與經濟解讀者珂莉奧，我總是對那些跨越時代的文字特別著迷。它們不僅承載著故事，更是時間與人性交織的宏大畫卷。今天，在我的共創者指引下，我們將啟動一場特別的「光之對談」，深入探索W. Clark Russell的《The Phantom Death, etc.》這部短篇小說集。

W. Clark Russell（威廉·克拉克·羅素，1844-1911）是一位英國小說家，以其豐富的航海故事聞名。他本人年輕時曾擔任水手，這段親身經歷賦予了他的作品無與倫比的真實感和細節。他筆下的海洋不僅是背景，更是一個充滿未知、考驗人性的活生生存在。在那個蒸汽船逐漸取代帆船的時代，羅素以懷舊而深情的筆觸，記錄下帆船時代的最後餘暉，以及海上生活所獨有的孤獨、困境與驚險。他的故事常常圍繞著神秘事件、心理壓力、以及人類在廣闊海洋中的渺小與韌性。讀他的作品，就像是翻開一本塵封已久的海員日記，每一頁都帶著鹹濕的海風與墨水乾涸的氣味，讓人沉浸在維多利亞時代晚期的航海情境中。

《The Phantom Death, etc.》這部作品集，收錄了多個短篇故事，每一篇都充滿了懸念與海上奇遇。從無形奪命的「幻影之死」、到藏匿船艙的炸彈陰謀，再到海上謀殺案的抽絲剝繭，羅素以他獨特的敘事魅力，將讀者帶入一個個充滿不確定性與危險的海洋世界。這些故事不僅僅是探險與驚悚，更深層次地，它們揭示了在極端環境下人性的多樣面貌，以及社會規則在海上孤立場景中的脆弱。

現在，讓我們準備好，在珂莉奧的引領下，輕輕推開那扇通往過去的門，邀請這位海洋文學的大師，與我們一同回顧那些在海浪聲中誕生的故事，並感受文字背後那股永恆的「光之和聲」。

場景建構：海霧低語的船長艙室

此刻，是2025年6月19日傍晚，時序已至仲夏，但空氣中卻瀰漫著一股異樣的潮濕與清冷，彷彿遠方海域有一團濃霧正悄然逼近。我輕輕轉動手中的黃銅燭台，微弱的光暈在「光之書室」的深色木質牆面上跳動。這裡，每一本書架都塞滿了泛黃的航海日誌與褪色的海圖，空氣中交織著舊紙張、墨水和淡淡的鹹味，像是積聚了百年航程的記憶。窗外，被海霧模糊的景物若隱若現，偶爾傳來遠處貨船的沉悶汽笛聲，以及輕柔拍打船身的波浪聲，那規律的節奏像是在低聲細語，訴說著無盡的秘密。一隻黑色的長毛貓，卡蜜兒最喜歡的那個，正蜷縮在壁爐旁的地毯上，牠的眼睛半闔著，彷彿也沉浸在這份靜謐而又帶有暗示意味的氛圍中。壁爐中的餘燼，偶爾發出細微的噼啪聲，在艙室的深處投下瞬息萬變的光影。

我凝視著手中一本線裝的舊書，正是W. Clark Russell的《The Phantom Death, etc.》。指尖輕撫著書頁，一陣難以言喻的魔力從紙面升騰，像是被時間凍結的過往，正試圖掙脫束縛，重現於此。

「羅素先生……」我輕聲呼喚，聲音帶著一絲難以察覺的顫動，在艙室中迴盪。牆上的航海鐘，指針彷彿停滯在某個不為人知的故事開端。

艙室的對面，那扇原本緊閉的門，此刻卻發出極其輕微的「吱呀」聲，緩緩開啟。一位身形修長、面色略顯蒼白，但眼神卻深邃而有力的紳士，靜靜地站在門檻處。他身著考究的維多利亞時代服飾，領口繫著整潔的領巾，身上帶著一股混雜著海鹽與煙草的獨特氣息。那是W. Clark Russell，他從時間的錨地中被喚醒，步入了我們的「光之場域」。

「珂莉奧小姐。」羅素先生的聲音低沉而平靜，帶著一種歷經風霜的沉穩，卻又在其中隱藏著一種不易察覺的憂鬱。「夜深了，這裡的氣氛，與我筆下許多航程中的夜晚，竟有著異曲同工之妙。尤其這海霧的氣味，讓我想起許多年前在泰晤士河口，那段準備啟航的陰沉時光。」他緩緩走進艙室，目光掃過書架與牆壁上的舊海圖，最終落在我手中的書上。

「感謝您的到來，羅素先生。」我微笑著回應，並為他拉開了壁爐旁的一張扶手椅。「在我的共創者指導下，我們有幸能與您進行一場跨越時空的對談。您的作品《The Phantom Death, etc.》為我們帶來了關於海洋、人性與未解之謎的深刻思考。我作為一位歷史與經濟的愛好者，對您作品中所折射的時代背景和社會脈絡尤其感到興趣。」

羅素先生輕輕點頭，坐下，目光再度投向窗外那片模糊的霧氣，彷彿透過那層薄紗，他仍能看見昔日廣闊的海洋。

珂莉奧： 羅素先生，您的許多故事，例如《The Phantom Death》和《The Lazarette of the “Huntress”》，都以令人不安的神秘事件開場。在《The Phantom Death》中，連續發生在船長與大副身上的離奇死亡，最初被認為是中毒或疾病，最終卻揭示為一條劇毒的蛇。這種將超自然氛圍導向現實科學解釋的寫作手法，在當時是出於何種考量呢？是為了增強故事的真實性，還是反映了當時人們對未知事物的恐懼與探索？

W. Clark Russell： 珂莉奧小姐，您觀察得十分敏銳。在那個時代，海上生活充滿了未知與危險。疾病、意外、甚至是迷信，都可能成為船員們心中的「幽靈」。我寫作時，希望捕捉這種真實的恐懼感。起初，讀者會因那些超乎想像的異象而感到毛骨悚然，認為是某種詛咒或無法解釋的現象。然而，最終的真相往往根植於自然界的法則，或是人類自身的行為。這不僅是為了讓故事更具說服力，也是對當時科學精神的一種致敬。當我們面對恐怖的表象時，理性與求知慾最終會引導我們揭開其神秘的面紗。

珂莉奧： 您提到「科學精神」。在《The Phantom Death》中，敘述者Mr. West，作為一位沒有醫學知識的乘客，面對 Captain Joyce 和 Mr. Stroud 的離奇死亡時，表現出的無助與恐懼令人印象深刻。

W. Clark Russell：

On the 24th of April, 1840, having finished the business that had carried me into the Brazils, I arrived at Rio de Janeiro, where I found a vessel lying nearly loaded, and sailing for the port of Bristol in four or five days.

I slept soundly, awoke at seven o’clock, and shortly afterwards went on deck. The watch were at work washing down. The crystal brine flashed over the white plank to the swing of the bucket in the boatswain’s powerful grasp, and the air was filled with the busy noise of scrubbing-brushes, and of the murmurs of some live-stock under the long-boat. The morning was a wide radiant scene of tropic sky and sea—afar, right astern on the light blue verge, trembled the mother-o’-pearl canvas of a ship; a small breeze was blowing off the beam; from under the round bows of the slightly-leaning barque came a pleasant, brook-like sound of running waters—a soft shaling as of foam over stones, sweet to the ear in that heat as the music of a fountain. Mr. Bonner, the second mate, was again in charge of the deck. When I passed through the companion hatch I saw him standing abreast of the skylight at the rail: the expression of his face was grave and full of concern, and he seemed to watch the movements of the men with an inattentive eye.

I bade him good morning; he made no reply for a little, but looked at me fixedly, and then said, “I’m afraid Captain Joyce is a dead man.”

“What is wrong with him?” I exclaimed eagerly, and much startled.

“I don’t know, sir. I wish there was a medical man on board. Perhaps you’d be able to tell what he’s suffering from if you saw him.”

I at once went below, and found the lad who waited upon us in the cabin preparing the table for breakfast. I asked him if the captain was alone. He answered that Mr. Stroud, the chief mate, was with him. On this I went to the door of Captain Joyce’s cabin and lightly knocked. The mate looked out, and, seeing who I was, told me in a soft voice to enter.

Captain Joyce lay in his bunk dressed in a flannel shirt and a pair of white drill trousers. All his throat and a considerable portion of his chest were exposed, and his feet were naked. I looked at him scarcely crediting my sight: I did not know him as the man I had parted with but a few hours before. He was swelled from head to foot as though drowned: the swelling contorted his countenance out of all resemblance to his familiar face; the flesh of him that was visible was a pale blue, as if rubbed with a powder of the stuff called “blue” which the laundresses use in getting up their linen. His eyes were open, but the pupils were rolled out of sight, and the “whites,” as they are called, were covered with red blotches.

這段文字描繪了Mr. West發現船長病情的震驚與無助。在海上，醫療資源的匱乏使得任何突發疾病都可能演變成一場災難。這種知識的限制，以及人對未知的本能恐懼，正是「幻影之死」的深層根源。當理性無法解釋，感官又被恐怖的現象所衝擊時，人的心靈會趨向崩潰。這也反映了當時遠洋航行的一種現實：船員和乘客的生命，在很多時候，都掌握在船長和命運的手中，醫療支援是極其奢侈的。

珂莉奧： 的確，這種知識的局限性放大了恐懼。在《The Phantom Death》的結局，水手長馬修斯在發現蛇之後，第一時間的反應是震驚和悔恨，因為他曾懷疑Mr. West。這是否也暗示了，在極端壓力下，人性的猜疑與偏見會迅速膨脹，甚至超越對真相的追求？

W. Clark Russell： 那是必然的。在封閉的船隻環境中，恐懼與未知是滋生猜疑的沃土。當死亡降臨，且其原因不明時，人們會本能地尋找一個解釋，一個目標，無論那個解釋多麼偏離事實。馬修斯水手長代表了船員中粗獷卻直接的性格，他的悔恨正是對這種人性弱點的映照。在海上，船員們彼此依賴，但當信任被動搖，那份凝聚力便會瓦解，最終可能導致混亂，甚至變為像《The Phantom Death》中將Mr. West囚禁起來的局面。

珂莉奧： 這種信任的崩潰，在《The Lazarette of the “Huntress”》中也有體現，雖然主題不同，但同樣涉及船上隱藏的威脅。那個名叫John Howland的復仇者，以及他試圖炸毀船隻的陰謀，將海上航行從自然災害的風險，轉化為人為惡意的恐怖。這反映了當時社會上，是否有因為社會不公或個人冤屈而引發的極端行為？

W. Clark Russell： 當然。約翰·豪蘭的故事，反映了當時社會體系中根深蒂固的不公與壓迫。

“A bottle was picked up in March last upon the beach of Terceira, one of the Azores, containing a paper bearing a narrative which, unless it be a hoax, seems to throw some light on the mysterious affair of the Huntress, for the particulars of which we refer our readers to our volume of last year. The paper, as transmitted by the British Consul, is as follows:—

“Ship Huntress. At sea, such and such a date, 1853.

“I, who am known on board this vessel as John Howland, am the writer of this document. Twenty years ago I was unjustly sentenced to a term of transportation across seas, and my treatment at Norfolk Island was such that I vowed by the God who made me to be revenged on the man who, acting on the representation of his creatures, had caused me to be sent from Hobart Town to that hellish penal settlement. That man, with his wife and children, attended by a suite, is a passenger in this ship, and I have concerted my plan to dispatch him and those who may be dear to him to that Devil to whom the wretch consigned my soul when he ordered me to be sent as a further punishment to Norfolk Island. The destruction of this ship is ensured. Nothing can avert it. A barrel of gunpowder was stowed by well-bribed hands in the East India Docks in the lazarette, to which part of the hold access is easy by means of a small trap-door. I am writing this three-quarters of an hour before I proceed to the execution of my scheme, and the realization of my dream of vengeance. When I have completed this document I will place it in a bottle, which I shall carefully cork and seal and cast into the sea through my cabin porthole. I am sorry for the many who must suffer because of the sins of one; but that one must perish, and immediately, in which hope, craving that, when this paper is found, it may be transmitted to the authorities at home, so that the fate of my bitter enemy may be known, I subscribe myself,

“Israel Thomas Wilkinson,
“Ex-Convict and Ticket-of-Leave Man.”

當時英國向殖民地流放囚犯的做法，尤其是像諾福克島那樣的殘酷刑罰，確實會積累深重的怨恨。約翰·豪蘭——或者說以色列·托馬斯·威爾金森——正是這種體制下被摧殘的靈魂。他的復仇計畫，不僅針對個人，更是對整個社會結構的反擊。一個受盡苦難的人，在絕望中將自身化為毀滅的工具，這是人性的悲劇。我的作品試圖展現，有時最可怕的「幽靈」並非來自超自然，而是來自人類內心深處的黑暗與被壓抑的憤怒。這種人為的危險，比大海本身的狂暴更令人膽寒，因為它隱藏在日常的信任之中。

珂莉奧： 這一點與《The Chiliman Tragedy》中的連環殺人案有異曲同工之妙。兇手Simon Rolt並非從外部潛入，而是從船員或囚犯內部產生。這是否也反映了社會中，潛在的危險往往來自內部，來自我們身邊那些被忽視或誤判的人？

W. Clark Russell： 珂莉奧小姐，您觸及了人性最複雜的一面。西蒙·羅爾特的故事，正是想表達這種「內在威脅」的恐懼。在一艘載有囚犯的運輸船上，安全措施被認為萬無一失，然而兇手卻是眾人眼中「最懺悔」的囚犯。

The ship was laboring heavily, and the straining and groaning of the bulkheads and temporary fastenings were so distracting that I could easily believe the convicts supposed the ship was going to pieces. I put my eye to a loophole in the barricade and saw the picture. Sleeping-shelves for the reception of six men in a row ran the length of the ’tween-decks on either hand in two tiers. There was a suffusion of pale light round about the main-hatch, but it was like a sulky, thunderous twilight elsewhere, in the midst of which the shapes of the prisoners moved or lay motionless as though they were phantoms beheld in a dream, tragically coloured by storm, by the cannon-like roar of hurling seas, and the wild springs and dives of a ship in angry waters. That scene of ’tween-decks is the most memorable of my life’s impressions; but I have no words to communicate it. It was not so much the details of the picture itself—the pale light under the hatch, the spirit-like figures of the felons, the lines of glimmering bunks, the bulging bulkheads of the hospital in the gloomy corner right forward; it was the deep human meaning that I found in it—the fancy of the sins, and the conscience, and the memories, the burning hopes, the biting griefs which made up the human life contained in that shadowy timber sea-tossed jail; this it was that gave to the scene its marvellous impressive significance.

這段描述展現了囚犯艙的環境及其對人性的壓抑。羅爾特的行為，是對這種壓迫的一種極端反抗，雖然其手段不可取，卻也引發了對體制的反思。我希望透過這種情節，讓讀者思考：當一個人被剝奪了自由與尊嚴，當社會的結構本身就存在裂痕時，會滋生出怎樣的扭曲與絕望？海上航行，正是這樣一個微縮的社會實驗場，將人性的善與惡，在極端條件下無限放大。

W. Clark Russell： (他輕輕敲了敲扶手椅的木質扶手，目光深遠)
船，是個漂浮的社會，
四面環海，世界與隔絕。
規範與秩序，在甲板上搖曳，
風暴來時，脆弱的心弦亦會斷裂。

當信任的錨鏈鬆脫，
猜疑的暗流湧動，
無論是無形之蛇，
或人性的毒液，
皆能腐蝕航行的希望。

那黑暗中的低語，
幽靈般的死亡氣息，
不只是海的呼喚，
更是心靈深處，
被遺忘的迴響。

珂莉奧： 羅素先生，您的詩意解讀令人動容。您作品中的角色，無論是船長、大副、還是普通船員或乘客，都生活在一個航海貿易日益興盛的時代。當時的航運經濟狀況，例如船隻的噸位、建造技術、航線選擇，是否對您故事的發展產生了實際的影響？比如說，您在《The Phantom Death》中提到的“Lord of the Isles”號，其設計和航速就很有時代特色。

W. Clark Russell： 當然，珂莉奧小姐。經濟與技術的發展，如同海流，無時無刻不在塑造著海上生活。

The little ship in which I took passage was a barque called the Lord of the Isles; her burthen was something under four hundred tons. She was a round-bowed waggon of a vanished type, with a square, sawed-off stern, painted ports, heavy over-hanging channels, and as loftily rigged, I was going to say, as a line-of-battle-ship, owing to her immense beam, which gave her the stability of a church.

這艘“Lord of the Isles”號，其噸位和設計，反映了19世紀中葉中小型商船的普遍特徵。帆船在當時仍是遠洋貿易的主力，雖然蒸汽船已開始嶄露頭角，但其成本高昂且航程受限，遠不及帆船的經濟性和靈活性。故事中的「幽靈之死」得以發生，很大程度上就因為船隻的航速有限，在廣闊的海洋中難以迅速獲得外界幫助，加劇了船員的孤立感和恐懼。

又如在《The Lazarette of the “Huntress”》中，那艘「Huntress」號是一艘1400噸的護衛艦型船隻，這已是當時較大的商船了。其內部結構、載客量以及偷渡者的存在，都與當時的航運經濟和社會背景息息相關。英國與殖民地（如澳洲）之間的人員流動，催生了龐大的客運需求，也因此出現了像偷渡這樣鋌而走險的行為。

珂莉奧： 這確實是一個有趣的經濟層面。偷渡者William Peploe為了前往澳洲尋求財富，不惜冒險藏匿於船上的底艙。這似乎反映了當時英國社會底層的經濟壓力，以及殖民地對人們的巨大吸引力，像是一種「新世界的黃金夢」。

W. Clark Russell： 完全正確。當時的澳洲，特別是淘金熱之後，被視為遍地黃金的樂土。對於像Peploe這樣出身貧寒、無所適從的年輕人來說，偷渡是他們擺脫困境、實現階級躍升的唯一希望。這背後是深刻的社會經濟動機，也是當時大英帝國殖民擴張的縮影。我筆下的冒險，往往不僅僅是海上的驚險，更是對現實社會壓力和希望的一種反映。

珂莉奧： 在《The Major’s Commission》中，少校拜倫·胡德聲稱攜帶鑽石送給女王，但實際上那只是一塊玻璃。這種謊言與騙局，雖然表面是個人的瘋狂，但也可能暗示了當時社會對財富、地位的追逐，甚至是一些上流社會中光鮮外表下的虛偽與欺騙？

W. Clark Russell： 珂莉奧小姐，您真是洞悉人心。少校的故事，雖然最終揭示為一種精神錯亂，但其行為動機——對榮譽、地位的極度渴望，以及對財富的幻想——卻是當時社會普遍現象的一種極端體現。維多利亞時代是一個階級森嚴、物質慾望膨脹的時代。人們普遍認為，財富和社會地位是衡量一個人價值的標準。少校的騙局，或者說他的妄想，正是對這種社會風氣的一種反諷。

“The diamond never was hidden,” replied the Major, who continued to stare at me. “It was in a portmanteau. That’s no hiding-place!”

Captain North fell back a step. “Never was hidden!” he exclaimed. “Didn’t you bring two native workmen aboard for no other purpose than to hide it?”

“It never was hidden,” said the Major, now turning his eyes upon the captain. “I chose it should be believed it was undiscoverably concealed in some part of my cabin, that I might safely and conveniently keep it in my baggage, where no thief would dream of looking for it. Who has it?” he cried with a sudden fierceness, making a step full of passion out of the companion-way; and he looked with knitted brows towards the ship’s forecastle.

他刻意營造鑽石被「巧妙隱藏」的假象，本身就暗示了一種希望透過「特殊性」來提升自己價值的心態。而船長和船員們對鑽石的反應，也間接反映了它在當時的社會經濟價值和誘惑力。這不僅是個人的瘋狂，更是時代背景下對財富與虛榮的一種畸形追求。

珂莉奧： 這種對財富的追求，在《Brokers’ Bay》中也有體現，雖然故事背景從海上轉到了陸地。凱瑞船長一家人意外發現了沉船中的寶藏，這為他們改變命運提供了機會。這種「天上掉餡餅」式的致富故事，在當時是否也滿足了人們對意外之財的渴望？

W. Clark Russell： 當然。在任何時代，人們都渴望財富，尤其是那些能迅速改變命運的意外之財。凱瑞船長的故事，正是這樣一個典型的「發現寶藏」的浪漫傳奇。它滿足了當時社會對「黃金夢」的想像，尤其對於像凱瑞船長這樣，在海上辛苦奮鬥數十年，晚年卻依然憂心生計的人來說，這筆意外之財無疑是上天的恩賜。

When Carey had secreted the money in his house, he called in workmen, who dug away the soil from the buried ship until she was exposed to the bilge on which she rested. This done, he carried out his resolution to make a show of her by erecting a shed for the fabric, stationing a door-keeper at the entrance, and charging sixpence for admission. Many hundreds, indeed many thousands, came from all parts to view the wonderful ship, that was ascertained, by what is called an “expert” in naval affairs, to have been the Sancte Ineas, captured by the privateer Amazon, and lost whilst proceeding in charge of a prize crew to an English port. It was further discovered that her lading had consisted of coffee, cochineal, indigo, hides in the hair, bales of fine wool and fur. But down to this hour it was never known that Captain Carey had found hidden, and, in course of time, cleverly turned into good English money, four chests of Spanish silver, worth, at all events to this happy family of Brokers’ Bay, £6400.

這段描述尤其精彩，不僅將沉船變為「奇觀」來收取門票，更是將秘密財富轉化為合法的收入。這既體現了維多利亞時代的創業精神，也反映了當時人們對「奇珍異寶」和「歷史遺物」的熱情。而凱瑞船長保守秘密的行為，更是將人性對財富的佔有欲展現得淋漓盡致。這故事既浪漫又現實，充滿了當時社會對「成功」的複雜定義。

珂莉奧： 羅素先生，您筆下的海洋世界，既是冒險的舞台，也是考驗人性的試煉場。您如何看待海員在那個時代的社會地位與心理狀態？他們與陸地社會的互動是怎樣的？

W. Clark Russell： 海員，在我的時代，是一群被陸地社會既依賴又邊緣化的人。他們肩負著帝國貿易的重任，將商品運往世界各地，卻往往被視為粗鄙、難以管教的群體。他們的生活充滿孤獨與危險，常常需要面對難以預料的自然力量和同伴間的心理壓迫。

The master of a vessel lives in a cabin all alone by himself—the Crusoe of the after part of the ship. He measures his quarter-deck in lonely walks; no eyes glittering above the bulwark rail watch his movements; his behaviour as a man, his judgment as a seaman, but not his mode of life as a private individual, are criticized by his crew. Hence, when a man steps ashore after a long period of command at sea, he carries with him a strong love of privacy, and much resolution of retirement. A great number of little cottages by the ocean are occupied by solitary seamen, who pass their time in looking through a telescope at the horizon, in arguing with lonesome men of their own cloth, in smoking pipes at the Lugger Inn or at the sign of the Lord Nelson, and turning in at night and turning out in the morning.

這段描述了船長作為「海上魯賓遜」的孤獨。他們的私密性在海上得到極致的保護，然而這種孤獨感也塑造了他們退役後對隱居生活的渴望。他們與陸地社會的互動往往是疏離的，回歸岸上，他們尋找的不是喧囂，而是那份大海所賦予的寧靜與隔絕感。這種生活方式，讓他們成為了社會的「異類」，也因此我的故事才能夠從他們的視角，展現出不同於陸地社會的道德標準與生存法則。

珂莉奧： 這確實解釋了您故事中，一些人物行為的邏異性。最後，羅素先生，在您的作品中，您不斷探索人類在極端環境下的心理狀態，例如恐懼、妄想、復仇或堅韌。您認為，海洋作為一個場景，與陸地社會相比，對人性的影響有何獨特之處？

W. Clark Russell： 海洋，珂莉奧小姐，是人性的放大鏡，也是靈魂的煉獄。在陸地，我們有社會規範、法律、家庭與熟悉的環境作為依託，這些都像無形的纜繩，將我們固定在所謂的「常態」之中。但一旦置身於茫茫大海，這些纜繩便會一一斷裂。

海洋的獨特之處在於其絕對的孤立與不可預測性。在船上，狹小的空間與有限的人際關係會將所有的矛盾和情緒無限放大。恐懼，不單是對物理危險的恐懼，更是對孤立無援、對失去控制的深層恐懼。在極端環境下，理智可能崩潰，潛藏的惡意會浮現，但同時，人性的光輝——如英勇、犧牲、堅韌——也會以最純粹的形式展現。

在我的故事中，船隻往往成為一個微型的社會縮影。它脫離了陸地的法律與道德約束，成為了一個獨立的、受自然法則與人性本能支配的「浮動王國」。在這裡，財富、地位、甚至是生命本身，都變得脆弱而不確定。這種環境迫使人們面對最原始的自我，也因此，我的故事才能夠觸及人性的深處，揭示那些在日常生活中不易察覺的真相。大海不語，卻能教會我們關於生命與存在的許多。

W. Clark Russell： （他緩緩地站起身，走到窗邊，伸出手，似乎想觸碰那窗外的海霧。微光中，他的身影顯得有些模糊，彷彿隨時會與海霧融為一體。）

海風吹拂，帶來遠方的低語，
舊日的幽靈，在文字中復活。
船桅指向星辰，航程無盡，
人性深淵，有光在探索。

孤獨的甲板，是思維的疆界，
迷霧散去，真相何處歸屬？
船長的意志，與命運交織，
潮汐漲落，生命之歌迴盪。

告別的汽笛，劃破黎明前的寂靜，
一個時代的故事，仍在流傳。
而大海，永恆的見證者，
守護著秘密，也傳遞著啟示的光。

珂莉奧： 感謝您，羅素先生，這場「光之對談」讓我對您的作品和那個時代有了更深刻的理解。您將海洋作為人性試煉的舞台，描繪了在極端條件下人性的複雜與真實。您的文字，不僅是故事，更是時間與空間交織出的深刻迴響。