(英会話リスニングスクリプト)
In June 1884, Richard Parker, a young English
boy, ran away from home and joined the crew of a ship called
"the Eagle" which was bound for Australia.
The captain, whose name was Tom Dudley,
was an experienced and respected sailor and he expected
a long, but uneventful voyage to Australia.
However, when they were 2,000 kilometres
from land, they ran into a typhoon.
"The Eagle" was hit by enormous
waves and sank in five minutes.
Four of them, including Richard Parker and
the captain, managed to get into a lifeboat, but things
happened so quickly that they didn't have enough time to
put water and food supplies into the lifeboat.
After a few days in the lifeboat, Parker
drank sea water and became sick and spent much of the time
in a semi-conscious state.
The others were exhausted and desperate,
but determined to survive.
After 15 days in the boat they discussed
drawing lots - they decided that one of them had to die
so that the others might live.
However, the boy drank more sea water and
seemed near death so they decided to kill him.
They said some prayers over the sleeping
boy, then the Captain woke him up and said: "Wake up
Richard my boy. Your time has come."
They then cut his throat and caught the
blood in a bucket.
Then the three men drank the warm blood,
ate some of the flesh and prayed to God for forgiveness.
A German ship picked them up three days
later.
As soon as they arrived in Britain they
confessed to what they had done.
There was a trial and they were found to
be guilty of manslaughter but not murder, and served six
months in prison.
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