When my speech was ended, they all cried out with loud voices: “We will have Pikil-Su, for emperor.” When I heard this, I became terrified, and begged them, with tears in my eyes, not to forget the fidelity2 and duty they owed to the imperial family. But my words were of no use. They all approached me, and placed the crown upon my head, repeating the above-mentioned exclamation3. I was then carried from the tent and proclaimed before the whole army, emperor of Quama, king of Tanaqui, Arctonia and Alectoria, and duke of Kispusianania. Afterwards we made a triumphal entry into the capital, where prince Timuso, himself acknowledged me for emperor. Thus, from a miserable4, shipwrecked wretch5, I became a great and powerful monarch. I soon married the daughter of the deceased emperor, for the people still loved and honored the old royal family. This princess was named Ralac, and
Bloomed, like the new-blown rose
In mellowed6, purple-smile.
when I had reduced to order the affairs of the empire, and firmly established myself on the throne, I thought of new means, by which I might extend my dominions7, and render my power fearful to the whole subterranean8 world. I turned my attention to a navy, and soon had a fleet of twenty ships on the sea.
I soon came to regard myself an under-ground Alexander; and determined9 to make myself as famous as he had on our globe. I concluded to sail first for Mezendore and thence to Martinia. We set sail at that period of the year, when the planet Nazar is of the middle size, and in a few days came in sight of the Mezendoric coast.
I immediately sent ambassadors to the imperial residence, of whom was demanded in the name of the emperor,
“What their purpose; whence they came
Over the foaming10 billows of the swelling11 main.”
The ambassadors answered:
“Neither misleading stars, deluding12 winds nor storm
Here brought us; with voluntary will we steered13.”
and thereupon delivered to the emperor a letter of the following contents:
“We, Niels Klim, ambassador of the sun, emperor in Quama, king of Tanaqui, Arctonia, and Alectoria, and duke of Kispusianania, salute14 the emperor of Mezendore, Miklopolata. We humbly15 make known, that it is concluded in the unchangeable councils of heaven, that all the empires and kingdoms of the world must surrender themselves to the power of Quama; and as the will of providence16 is irrevocable, your kingdom must necessarily submit to fate. We therefore advise you to surrender voluntarily yourself and your dominions, rather than foolishly resist our invincible17 phalanx, and thereby18 experience all the bloody19 horrors of war.
“Given from our fleet, the third day in the month Rimat.”
In a few days our ambassadors returned with a bold and haughty20 answer. I made a descent upon the coast, placed my army in battle array, and sent spies to examine the condition of the enemy. The spies came back in great haste, and related that an immense army, of sixty thousand in number, consisting of lions, tigers, elephants, bears and birds of prey21, was drawing towards us. We were soon apprised22 of their near approach, by roars, shrieks23 and terrific cries, commingling24 a devilish tumult25. The combat soon commenced, and truly, ’twas one of the hottest and most contumaceous, in which I ever engaged: at last we put them to flight.
In this engagement fell thirty-three thousand Mezendarians, and about four thousand were made prisoners. We followed our victory, and drew before the capital city; this we besieged26 both by land and sea. So energetic was our blockade, that the enemy quickly proposed a parley27, and sent ambassadors to ask for peace on reasonable conditions. The emperor offered to me his daughter, the handsomest of the lionesses, in marriage, and the half of his empire as a dowry. These conditions, although very honorable, were very displeasing28 to me, for I considered it both unsafe and illicit29 to forsake30 my wife, whom I left behind in pregnancy31, and marry a lioness. I therefore sent back the ambassadors without answer.
I now ordered my cannon32 to be directed against the wall, which, although built of stone, was soon rent. The emperor lost all hope and surrendered himself together with all his lands. After putting a garrison33 in the capital, I took the emperor on board my own ship, and laid my course for Martinia, the coast of which we reached after a long but fortunate voyage.
We obtained here the same success as elsewhere. When the Martinians submitted, I determined to include their neighbors under the same yoke34. As I was preparing to effect this, ambassadors from four adjacent countries arrived, and voluntarily acknowledged allegiance to me. I now possessed35 so many kingdoms, that I did not deem it worth my trouble to ascertain36 the names of these; but included them all under the title of the Martinianic “dominion.”
点击收听单词发音
1 monarch | |
n.帝王,君主,最高统治者 | |
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2 fidelity | |
n.忠诚,忠实;精确 | |
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3 exclamation | |
n.感叹号,惊呼,惊叹词 | |
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4 miserable | |
adj.悲惨的,痛苦的;可怜的,糟糕的 | |
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5 wretch | |
n.可怜的人,不幸的人;卑鄙的人 | |
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6 mellowed | |
(使)成熟( mellow的过去式和过去分词 ); 使色彩更加柔和,使酒更加醇香 | |
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7 dominions | |
统治权( dominion的名词复数 ); 领土; 疆土; 版图 | |
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8 subterranean | |
adj.地下的,地表下的 | |
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9 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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10 foaming | |
adj.布满泡沫的;发泡 | |
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11 swelling | |
n.肿胀 | |
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12 deluding | |
v.欺骗,哄骗( delude的现在分词 ) | |
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13 steered | |
v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 );操纵;控制;引导 | |
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14 salute | |
vi.行礼,致意,问候,放礼炮;vt.向…致意,迎接,赞扬;n.招呼,敬礼,礼炮 | |
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15 humbly | |
adv. 恭顺地,谦卑地 | |
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16 providence | |
n.深谋远虑,天道,天意;远见;节约;上帝 | |
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17 invincible | |
adj.不可征服的,难以制服的 | |
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18 thereby | |
adv.因此,从而 | |
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19 bloody | |
adj.非常的的;流血的;残忍的;adv.很;vt.血染 | |
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20 haughty | |
adj.傲慢的,高傲的 | |
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21 prey | |
n.被掠食者,牺牲者,掠食;v.捕食,掠夺,折磨 | |
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22 apprised | |
v.告知,通知( apprise的过去式和过去分词 );评价 | |
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23 shrieks | |
n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 ) | |
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24 commingling | |
v.混合,掺和,合并( commingle的现在分词 ) | |
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25 tumult | |
n.喧哗;激动,混乱;吵闹 | |
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26 besieged | |
包围,围困,围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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27 parley | |
n.谈判 | |
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28 displeasing | |
不愉快的,令人发火的 | |
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29 illicit | |
adj.非法的,禁止的,不正当的 | |
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30 forsake | |
vt.遗弃,抛弃;舍弃,放弃 | |
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31 pregnancy | |
n.怀孕,怀孕期 | |
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32 cannon | |
n.大炮,火炮;飞机上的机关炮 | |
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33 garrison | |
n.卫戍部队;驻地,卫戍区;vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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34 yoke | |
n.轭;支配;v.给...上轭,连接,使成配偶 | |
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35 possessed | |
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 | |
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36 ascertain | |
vt.发现,确定,查明,弄清 | |
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