The race began in the summer of 1910．

On June lst，in London，a black ship，the Terra Nova， went down the river Thames to the sea．Thousands of people stood¹ by the river to watch it．They were all excited² and happy．

On the Terra Nova，Captain³ Robert Falcon⁴ Scott smiled quietly．It was⁶ a very important⁷ day for him．He was a strong man，not very tall，in the blue clothes of a captain．He was forty-one years old，but he had⁸ a young face，like a boy．His eyes were dark⁹ and quiet．

One man on the ship，Titus Oates，smiled at Scott．

'What an exciting day，Captain！'he said．'Look at those people！I feel like an important man！'

Scott laughed．'You are important，Titus，'he said．'And you're going¹¹ to be famous，too．We all are．Do you see this flag？'He looked at the big British¹³ flag¹² at the back of the ship，and smiled at Oates．'That flag is coming with us，'he said．

'In the Antarctic，I'm going to carry it under my clothes． We're going to be the first men at the South Pole，and that flag is going to be first，too！'

* * * * *

Five days later，on June 6th，a man opened the door of his wooden¹⁵ house in Norway．He was a tall man，with a long face． He waited outside the house for a minute．Everything was very quiet．He could¹⁶ see no houses，only mountains，trees，and water．It was nearly¹⁷ dark．The sky was black over the mountains．

The man smiled，and walked quickly away from the house，down to the sea．In the water，a big wooden ship waited for him．The man got¹⁸ onto¹⁹ the ship，and talked and laughed quietly⁵ with his friends．

The ship's name was Fram，and the man was Roald Amundsen．The Fram was the most beautiful ship on earth，Amundsen thought．His friends were the best skiers on earth，too．One of them，Olav Bjaaland，smiled at him．

'North Pole，here we come，Captain，'he said．

'Yes．'Amundsen said．His friends could not see his face in the dark．'Fram is going to the Arctic．'

Everyone on the Fram was ready to go to the North Pole，to the Arctic．Amundsen wanted to go there，too．But first he wanted to go south．His friends didn't know that．

At midnight²¹ on June 6th，the Fram moved quietly away from Amundsen's house，out to sea．

比赛开始于1910年夏天。

6月1日，伦敦。特若•诺瓦号这艘黑船顺泰晤士河而下，向大海驶去。成千上万的人伫立岸边观望，所有的人脸上都露出兴奋与幸福。

特若•诺瓦号上，队长罗伯特•福尔康•斯科特无声地笑了。这一天对他来说太重要了。他个头不高，但长得壮实，穿着蓝色的队长制服。他虽说已经41岁，但是由于长着一张娃娃脸，所以看上去仍像个小孩。他双眼乌黑而又沉静。

泰特斯•奥茨，船上的一位水手，冲着队长笑了。

“多么令人兴奋的日子啊，队长！”他说，“看看这些人！我觉得自己好似成为重要人物了！”

队长朗声笑了。“泰特斯，你的确是重要人物，”他说，“而且你很快就要名扬天下，就同我们大家一样。你看到这国旗了吗？”他注视着船尾那面巨幅的英国国旗，微笑着对奥茨说：“那面国旗将会随我们一道去。在南极洲，我将把它夹在衣服里面带着。我们将成为首批到达南极的人，那面国旗也将是第一面到达南极的旗帜。”

* * * * *

5天以后，6月6日。在挪威，一个人拉开了自己的木房子的门。这人高个、长脸。他在室外稍候片刻，四周万籁俱寂。他目光所及之处，没有住房，只有群山、树林和大海。天近傍晚，群山上面是黑沉沉的一片天空。

这人脸上露出微笑，快步离开木屋，朝海边走去。大海中，一艘大型木船正等着他。他来到船上，与朋友们聊着，悄悄地笑着。

这船叫弗雷门号，这人便是罗阿尔•阿蒙森。阿蒙森认为，弗雷门号是地球上最美丽的一艘船。

他的朋友是地球上最优秀的滑雪者。其中有位朋友叫奥拉夫•比阿兰德，正冲着他微笑。

“北极，我们去那儿，队长。”他说。

“是的，”阿蒙森说。由于天色已黑，这位朋友看不见他的面部表情。“弗雷门号正驶向北极。”

弗雷门号上的每个人全都准备就绪：到北极圈，上北极。阿蒙森也想去那儿。然而他第一想做的事，便是向南航行。他的朋友却毫不知情。

6月6日午夜，弗雷门号无声地驶离阿蒙森的家园，驶向大海。