下面这段话是摘自C.S.Lewis的"The Voyage of the Dawn Treader":
"She (the ship Dawn Treader) was obviously running fast before a gay wind, listing a little on her port side.(By the way, if you are going to read this story at all, you had better get it into yourh head that the left of a ship when you are looking ahead is port, and the right is starboard.)
port:the left side of a ship or aircraft when you are looking towards the front - (船舶、飞机的）左舷，左侧
starboard:the side of a ship or aircraft that is on your right when you are facing forwards - (船舶、飞机的）右舷，右侧
大家比较熟悉的port的意思是“港口”。
port of call - 沿途停靠的港口
any port in a storm spoken used to say that you should take whatever help you can when you are in trouble, even if it has some disadvantages
航海的船只遇上暴风雨随便找个港口就靠岸了。也就是说人处于劣势、没有多少选择的时候就不那么挑剔了。 和中文的“饥不择食”意思相近。
另外一个西谚“Beggars can't be chosers."意思也相近：
beggars can't be choosers used to say that when you have no money or no power to choose, you have to accept whatever you are given
讨饭的人当然没有资格对别人给的食物挑三拣四，诸多要求。求人办事的时候也是如此。