‘He rushes at life and exhausts the passions.’
— Prince Viazemski
I
“My uncle’s goodness is extreme,
If seriously he hath disease;
He hath acquired the world’s esteem1
And nothing more important sees;
A paragon3 of virtue4 he!
But what a nuisance it will be,
Chained to his bedside night and day
Without a chance to slip away.
Ye need dissimulation5 base
A dying man with art to soothe6,
Beneath his head the pillow smooth,
And physic bring with mournful face,
To sigh and meditate7 alone:
When will the devil take his own!”
II
Thus mused10 a madcap young, who drove
Through clouds of dust at postal11 pace,
By the decree of Mighty12 Jove,
Inheritor of all his race.
Friends of Liudmila and Ruslan,1
Let me present ye to the man,
Who without more prevarication13
The hero is of my narration14!
Oneguine, O my gentle readers,
Was born beside the Neva, where
It may be ye were born, or there
Have shone as one of fashion’s leaders.
I also wandered there of old,
But cannot stand the northern cold.2
1 Ruslan and Liudmila, the title of Pushkin’s first important work, written 1817–20. It is a tale relating the adventures of the knight-errant Ruslan in search of his fair lady Liudmila, who has been carried off by a kaldoon, or magician.
2 Written in Bessarabia.
III
Having performed his service truly,
Deep into debt his father ran;
Three balls a year he gave ye duly,
At last became a ruined man.
But Eugene was by fate preserved,
For first “madame” his wants observed,
And then “monsieur” supplied her place;3
The boy was wild but full of grace.
“Monsieur l’Abbe,” a starving Gaul,
Fearing his pupil to annoy,
Instructed jestingly the boy,
Morality taught scarce at all;
Gently for pranks16 he would reprove
And in the Summer Garden rove.
3 In Russia foreign tutors and governesses are commonly styled “monsieur” or “madame.”
IV
When youth’s rebellious19 hour drew near
And my Eugene the path must trace —
The path of hope and tender fear —
Monsieur clean out of doors they chase.
Lo! my Oneguine free as air,
Cropped in the latest style his hair,
Dressed like a London dandy he
The giddy world at last shall see.
He wrote and spoke20, so all allowed,
In the French language perfectly21,
Danced the mazurka gracefully23,
Without the least constraint24 he bowed.
What more’s required? The world replies,
He is a charming youth and wise.
V
We all of us of education
A something somehow have obtained,
Thus, praised be God! a reputation
With us is easily attained26.
Oneguine was — so many deemed
[Unerring critics self-esteemed],
Pedantic27 although scholar like,
In truth he had the happy trick
Without constraint in conversation
Of touching28 lightly every theme.
Silent, oracular ye’d see him
Amid a serious disputation,
Then suddenly discharge a joke
The ladies’ laughter to provoke.
VI
Latin is just now not in vogue29,
But if the truth I must relate,
Oneguine knew enough, the rogue30
A mild quotation31 to translate,
A little Juvenal to spout32,
With “vale” finish off a note;
Two verses he could recollect33
Of the Aeneid, but incorrect.
In history he took no pleasure,
The dusty chronicles of earth
For him were but of little worth,
Yet still of anecdotes34 a treasure
Within his memory there lay,
From Romulus unto our day.
VII
For empty sound the rascal35 swore he
Existence would not make a curse,
Knew not an iamb from a choree,
Although we read him heaps of verse.
Homer, Theocritus, he jeered36,
But Adam Smith to read appeared,
And at economy was great;
That is, he could elucidate37
How empires store of wealth unfold,
How flourish, why and wherefore less
If the raw product they possess
The medium is required of gold.
The father scarcely understands
His son and mortgages his lands.
VIII
But upon all that Eugene knew
I have no leisure here to dwell,
But say he was a genius who
In one thing really did excel.
It occupied him from a boy,
A labour, torment38, yet a joy,
It whiled his idle hours away
And wholly occupied his day —
The amatory science warm,
Which Ovid once immortalized,
For which the poet agonized40
Laid down his life of sun and storm
On the steppes of Moldavia lone8,
Far from his Italy — his own.4
4 Referring to Tomi, the reputed place of exile of Ovid. Pushkin, then residing in Bessarabia, was in the same predicament as his predecessor41 in song, though he certainly did not plead guilty to the fact, since he remarks in his ode to Ovid:
???????To exile self-consigned42,
?With self, society, existence, discontent,
?I visit in these days, with melancholy43 mind,
?The country whereunto a mournful age thee sent.
Ovid thus enumerates44 the causes which brought about his banishment45:
?“Perdiderint quum me duo crimina, carmen et error,
?Alterius facti culpa silenda mihi est.”
???????Ovidii Nasonis Tristium, lib. ii. 207.
IX
How soon he learnt deception’s art,
Hope to conceal46 and jealousy47,
False confidence or doubt to impart,
Sombre or glad in turn to be,
Haughty48 appear, subservient49,
Obsequious50 or indifferent!
What languor51 would his silence show,
How full of fire his speech would glow!
How artless was the note which spoke
Of love again, and yet again;
How deftly52 could he transport feign53!
How bright and tender was his look,
Modest yet daring! And a tear
Would at the proper time appear.
X
How well he played the greenhorn’s part
To cheat the inexperienced fair,
Sometimes by pleasing flattery’s art,
Sometimes by ready-made despair;
The feeble moment would espy54
Of tender years the modesty55
Conquer by passion and address,
Await the long-delayed caress56.
Avowal57 then ’twas time to pray,
Attentive58 to the heart’s first beating,
Follow up love — a secret meeting
Arrange without the least delay —
Then, then — well, in some solitude59
Lessons to give he understood!
XI
How soon he learnt to titillate60
The heart of the inveterate61 flirt62!
Desirous to annihilate63
His own antagonists64 expert,
How bitterly he would malign65,
With many a snare66 their pathway line!
But ye, O happy husbands, ye
With him were friends eternally:
The crafty67 spouse68 caressed69 him, who
By Faublas in his youth was schooled,5
And the suspicious veteran old,
The pompous70, swaggering cuckold too,
Who floats contentedly71 through life,
Proud of his dinners and his wife!
5 Les Aventures du Chevalier de Faublas, a romance of a loose character by Jean Baptiste Louvet de Couvray, b. 1760, d. 1797, famous for his bold oration72 denouncing Robespierre, Marat and Danton.
XII
One morn whilst yet in bed he lay,
His valet brings him letters three.
What, invitations? The same day
As many entertainments be!
A ball here, there a children’s treat,
Whither shall my rapscallion flit?
Whither shall he go first? He’ll see,
Perchance he will to all the three.
Meantime in matutinal dress
And hat surnamed a “Bolivar”6
He hies unto the “Boulevard,”
To loiter there in idleness
Until the sleepless73 Breguet chime7
Announcing to him dinner-time.
6 A la “Bolivar,” from the founder74 of Bolivian independence.
7 M. Breguet, a celebrated75 Parisian watchmaker — hence a slang term for a watch.
XIII
’Tis dark. He seats him in a sleigh,
“Drive on!” the cheerful cry goes forth76,
His furs are powdered on the way
By the fine silver of the north.
He bends his course to Talon77’s, where8
He knows Kaverine will repair.9
He enters. High the cork78 arose
And Comet champagne79 foaming80 flows.
Before him red roast beef is seen
And truffles, dear to youthful eyes,
Flanked by immortal39 Strasbourg pies,
The choicest flowers of French cuisine81,
And Limburg cheese alive and old
Is seen next pine-apples of gold.
8 Talon, a famous St. Petersburg restaurateur.
9 Paul Petrovitch Kaverine, a friend for whom Pushkin in his youth appears to have entertained great respect and admiration82. He was an officer in the Hussars of the Guard, and a noted83 “dandy” and man about town. The poet on one occasion addressed the following impromptu84 to his friend’s portrait:
“Within him daily see the the fires of punch and war,
Upon the fields of Mars a gallant85 warrior86,
A faithful friend to friends, of ladies torturer,
??????But ever the Hussar.”
XIV
Still thirst fresh draughts87 of wine compels
To cool the cutlets’ seething88 grease,
When the sonorous89 Breguet tells
Of the commencement of the piece.
A critic of the stage malicious90,
A slave of actresses capricious,
Oneguine was a citizen
Of the domains91 of the side-scene.
To the theatre he repairs
Where each young critic ready stands,
Capers92 applauds with clap of hands,
With hisses93 Cleopatra scares,
Moina recalls for this alone
That all may hear his voice’s tone.
XV
Thou fairy-land! Where formerly94
Shone pungent95 Satire’s dauntless king,
Von Wisine, friend of liberty,
And Kniajnine, apt at copying.
The young Simeonova too there
With Ozeroff was wont96 to share
Applause, the people’s donative.
There our Katenine did revive
Corneille’s majestic97 genius,
Sarcastic98 Shakhovskoi brought out
His comedies, a noisy rout99,
There Didelot became glorious,
There, there, beneath the side-scene’s shade
The drama of my youth was played.10
10 Denis Von Wisine (1741–92), a favourite Russian dramatist. His first comedy “The Brigadier,” procured100 him the favour of the second Catherine. His best, however, is the “Minor” (Niedorosl). Prince Potemkin, after witnessing it, summoned the author, and greeted him with the exclamation101, “Die now, Denis!” In fact, his subsequent performances were not of equal merit.
Jacob Borissovitch Kniajnine (1742–91), a clever adapter of French tragedy.
Simeonova, a celebrated tragic102 actress, who retired103 from the stage in early life and married a Prince Gagarine.
Ozeroff, one of the best-known Russian dramatists of the period; he possessed104 more originality105 than Kniajnine. “Oedipus in Athens,” “Fingal,” “Demetrius Donskoi,” and “Polyxena,” are the best known of his tragedies.
Katenine translated Corneille’s tragedies into Russian.
Didelot, sometime Director of the ballet at the Opera at St. Petersburg.
XVI
My goddesses, where are your shades?
Do ye not hear my mournful sighs?
Are ye replaced by other maids
Who cannot conjure106 former joys?
Shall I your chorus hear anew,
Russia’s Terpsichore review
Again in her ethereal dance?
Or will my melancholy glance
On the dull stage find all things changed,
The disenchanted glass direct
Where I can no more recollect? —
A careless looker-on estranged107
In silence shall I sit and yawn
And dream of life’s delightful108 dawn?
XVII
The house is crammed109. A thousand lamps
On pit, stalls, boxes, brightly blaze,
Impatiently the gallery stamps,
The curtain now they slowly raise.
Obedient to the magic strings110,
Brilliant, ethereal, there springs
Forth from the crowd of nymphs surrounding
Istomina(*) the nimbly-bounding;
With one foot resting on its tip
Slow circling round its fellow swings
And now she skips and now she springs
Like down from Aeolus’s lip,
Now her lithe111 form she arches o’er
And beats with rapid foot the floor.
*Istomina — A celebrated Circassian dancer of the day, with whom the poet in his extreme youth imagined himself in love.
XVIII
Shouts of applause! Oneguine passes
Between the stalls, along the toes;
Seated, a curious look with glasses
On unknown female forms he throws.
Free scope he yields unto his glance,
Reviews both dress and countenance112,
With all dissatisfaction shows.
To male acquaintances he bows,
And finally he deigns113 let fall
Upon the stage his weary glance.
He yawns, averts114 his countenance,
Exclaiming, “We must change ’em all!
I long by ballets have been bored,
Now Didelot scarce can be endured!”
XIX
Snakes, satyrs, loves with many a shout
Across the stage still madly sweep,
Whilst the tired serving-men without
Wrapped in their sheepskins soundly sleep.
Still the loud stamping doth not cease,
Still they blow noses, cough, and sneeze,
Still everywhere, without, within,
The lamps illuminating115 shine;
The steed benumbed still pawing stands
And of the irksome harness tires,
And still the coachmen round the fires11
Abuse their masters, rub their hands:
But Eugene long hath left the press
To array himself in evening dress.
11 In Russia large fires are lighted in winter time in front of the theatres for the benefit of the menials, who, considering the state of the thermometer, cannot be said to have a jovial116 time of it. But in this, as in other cases, “habit” alleviates117 their lot, and they bear the cold with a wonderful equanimity118.
XX
Faithfully shall I now depict119,
Portray120 the solitary121 den17
Wherein the child of fashion strict
Dressed him, undressed, and dressed again?
All that industrial London brings
For tallow, wood and other things
Across the Baltic’s salt sea waves,
All which caprice and affluence122 craves123,
All which in Paris eager taste,
Choosing a profitable trade,
For our amusement ever made
And ease and fashionable waste —
Adorned125 the apartment of Eugene,
Philosopher just turned eighteen.
XXI
China and bronze the tables weight,
Amber126 on pipes from Stamboul glows,
And, joy of souls effeminate,
Phials of crystal scents127 enclose.
Combs of all sizes, files of steel,
Scissors both straight and curved as well,
Of thirty different sorts, lo! brushes
Both for the nails and for the tushes.
Rousseau, I would remark in passing,12
Could not conceive how serious Grimm
Dared calmly cleanse128 his nails ‘fore him,
Eloquent129 raver all-surpassing —
The friend of liberty and laws
In this case quite mistaken was.
12 “Tout le monde sut qu’il (Grimm) mettait du blanc; et moi, qui n’en croyait rien, je commencai de le croire, non seulement par2 l’embellissement de son teint, et pour avoir trouve des tasses de blanc sur la toilette, mais sur ce qu’entrant un matin dans sa chambre, je le trouvais brossant ses ongles avec une petite vergette faite expres, ouvrage qu’il continua fierement devant moi. Je jugeai qu’un homme qui passe deux heures tous les matins a brosser ses ongles peut bien passer quelques instants a remplir de blanc les creux de sa peau.”
— Confessions130 de J. J. Rousseau
XXII
The most industrious131 man alive
May yet be studious of his nails;
What boots it with the age to strive?
Custom the despot soon prevails.
A new Kaverine Eugene mine,
Dreading132 the world’s remarks malign,
Was that which we are wont to call
A fop, in dress pedantical.
Three mortal hours per diem he
Would loiter by the looking-glass,
And from his dressing-room would pass
Like Venus when, capriciously,
The goddess would a masquerade
Attend in male attire133 arrayed.
XXIII
On this artistical retreat
Having once fixed134 your interest,
I might to connoisseurs135 repeat
The style in which my hero dressed;
Though I confess I hardly dare
Describe in detail the affair,
Since words like pantaloons, vest, coat,
To Russ indigenous136 are not;
And also that my feeble verse —
Pardon I ask for such a sin —
With words of foreign origin
Too much I’m given to intersperse137,
Though to the Academy I come
And oft its Dictionary thumb.13
13 Refers to Dictionary of the Academy, compiled during the reign18 of Catherine II under the supervision138 of Lomonossoff.
XXIV
But such is not my project now,
So let us to the ball-room haste,
Whither at headlong speed doth go
Eugene in hackney carriage placed.
Past darkened windows and long streets
Of slumbering140 citizens he fleets,
Till carriage lamps, a double row,
Cast a gay lustre141 on the snow,
Which shines with iridescent142 hues143.
He nears a spacious144 mansion145’s gate,
By many a lamp illuminate146,
And through the lofty windows views
Profiles of lovely dames147 he knows
And also fashionable beaux.
XXV
Our hero stops and doth alight,
Flies past the porter to the stair,
But, ere he mounts the marble flight,
With hurried hand smooths down his hair.
He enters: in the hall a crowd,
No more the music thunders loud,
Some a mazurka occupies,
Crushing and a confusing noise;
Spurs of the Cavalier Guard clash,
The feet of graceful22 ladies fly,
And following them ye might espy
Full many a glance like lightning flash,
And by the fiddle’s rushing sound
The voice of jealousy is drowned.
XXVI
In my young days of wild delight
On balls I madly used to dote,
Fond declarations they invite
Or the delivery of a note.
So hearken, every worthy148 spouse,
I would your vigilance arouse,
Attentive be unto my rhymes
And due precautions take betimes.
Ye mothers also, caution use,
Upon your daughters keep an eye,
Employ your glasses constantly,
For otherwise — God only knows!
I lift a warning voice because
I long have ceased to offend the laws.
XXVII
Alas149! life’s hours which swiftly fly
I’ve wasted in amusements vain,
But were it not immoral150 I
Should dearly like a dance again.
I love its furious delight,
The crowd and merriment and light,
The ladies, their fantastic dress,
Also their feet — yet ne’ertheless
Scarcely in Russia can ye find
Three pairs of handsome female feet;
Ah! I still struggle to forget
A pair; though desolate151 my mind,
Their memory lingers still and seems
To agitate152 me in my dreams.
XXVIII
When, where, and in what desert land,
Madman, wilt153 thou from memory raze154
Those feet? Alas! on what far strand155
Do ye of spring the blossoms graze?
Lapped in your Eastern luxury,
No trace ye left in passing by
Upon the dreary156 northern snows,
But better loved the soft repose157
Of splendid carpets richly wrought158.
I once forgot for your sweet cause
The thirst for fame and man’s applause,
My country and an exile’s lot;
My joy in youth was fleeting159 e’en
As your light footprints on the green.
XXIX
Diana’s bosom160, Flora’s cheeks,
Are admirable, my dear friend,
But yet Terpsichore bespeaks161
Charms more enduring in the end.
For promises her feet reveal
Of untold162 gain she must conceal,
Their privileged allurements163 fire
A hidden train of wild desire.
I love them, O my dear Elvine,14
Beneath the table-cloth of white,
In winter on the fender bright,
In springtime on the meadows green,
Upon the ball-room’s glassy floor
Or by the ocean’s rocky shore.
14 Elvine, or Elvina, was not improbably the owner of the seductive feet apostrophized by the poet, since, in 1816, he wrote an ode, “To Her,” which commences thus:
“Elvina, my dear, come, give me thine hand,” and so forth.
XXX
Beside the stormy sea one day
I envied sore the billows tall,
Which rushed in eager dense165 array
Enamoured at her feet to fall.
How like the billow I desired
To kiss the feet which I admired!
No, never in the early blaze
Of fiery166 youth’s untutored days
So ardently167 did I desire
A young Armida’s lips to press,
Her cheek of rosy168 loveliness
Or bosom full of languid fire —
A gust169 of passion never tore
My spirit with such pangs170 before.
XXXI
Another time, so willed it Fate,
Immersed in secret thought I stand
And grasp a stirrup fortunate —
Her foot was in my other hand.
Again imagination blazed,
The contact of the foot I raised
Rekindled171 in my withered172 heart
The fires of passion and its smart —
Away! and cease to ring their praise
For ever with thy tattling lyre,
The proud ones are not worth the fire
Of passion they so often raise.
The words and looks of charmers sweet
Are oft deceptive173 — like their feet.
XXXII
Where is Oneguine? Half asleep,
Straight from the ball to bed he goes,
Whilst Petersburg from slumber139 deep
The drum already doth arouse.
The shopman and the pedlar rise
And to the Bourse the cabman plies25;
The Okhtenka with pitcher174 speeds,15
Crunching175 the morning snow she treads;
Morning awakes with joyous176 sound;
The shutters177 open; to the skies
In column blue the smoke doth rise;
The German baker178 looks around
His shop, a night-cap on his head,
And pauses oft to serve out bread.
15 i.e. the milkmaid from the Okhta villages, a suburb of St. Petersburg on the right bank of the Neva chiefly inhabited by the labouring classes.
XXXIII
But turning morning into night,
Tired by the ball’s incessant179 noise,
The votary180 of vain delight
Sleep in the shadowy couch enjoys,
Late in the afternoon to rise,
When the same life before him lies
Till morn — life uniform but gay,
To-morrow just like yesterday.
But was our friend Eugene content,
Free, in the blossom of his spring,
Amidst successes flattering
And pleasure’s daily blandishment,
Or vainly ‘mid luxurious181 fare
Was he in health and void of care? —
XXXIV
Even so! His passions soon abated182,
Hateful the hollow world became,
Nor long his mind was agitated183
By love’s inevitable184 flame.
For treachery had done its worst;
Friendship and friends he likewise curst,
Because he could not gourmandise
Daily beefsteaks and Strasbourg pies
And irrigate185 them with champagne;
Nor slander186 viciously could spread
Whene’er he had an aching head;
And, though a plucky187 scatterbrain,
He finally lost all delight
In bullets, sabres, and in fight.
XXXV
His malady188, whose cause I ween
It now to investigate is time,
Was nothing but the British spleen
Transported to our Russian clime.
It gradually possessed his mind;
Though, God be praised! he ne’er designed
To slay189 himself with blade or ball,
Indifferent he became to all,
And like Childe Harold gloomily
He to the festival repairs,
Nor boston nor the world’s affairs
Nor tender glance nor amorous190 sigh
Impressed him in the least degree —
Callous191 to all he seemed to be.
XXXVI
Ye miracles of courtly grace,
He left you first, and I must own
The manners of the highest class
Have latterly vexatious grown;
And though perchance a lady may
Discourse192 of Bentham or of Say,
Yet as a rule their talk I call
Harmless, but quite nonsensical.
Then they’re so innocent of vice15,
So full of piety194, correct,
So prudent195, and so circumspect196
Stately, devoid197 of prejudice,
So inaccessible198 to men,
Their looks alone produce the spleen.16
16 Apropos199 of this somewhat ungallant sentiment, a Russian scholiast remarks:—“The whole of this ironical200 stanza201 is but a refined eulogy202 of the excellent qualities of our countrywomen. Thus Boileau, in the guise203 of invective204, eulogizes Louis XIV. Russian ladies unite in their persons great acquirements, combined with amiability205 and strict morality; also a species of Oriental charm which so much captivated Madame de Stael.” It will occur to most that the apologist of the Russian fair “doth protest too much.” The poet in all probability wrote the offending stanza in a fit of Byronic “spleen,” as he would most likely himself have called it. Indeed, since Byron, poets of his school seem to assume this virtue if they have it not, and we take their utterances206 under its influence for what they are worth.
XXXVII
And you, my youthful damsels fair,
Whom latterly one often meets
Urging your droshkies swift as air
Along Saint Petersburg’s paved streets,
From you too Eugene took to flight,
Abandoning insane delight,
And isolated207 from all men,
Yawning betook him to a pen.
He thought to write, but labour long
Inspired him with disgust and so
Nought208 from his pen did ever flow,
And thus he never fell among
That vicious set whom I don’t blame —
Because a member I became.
XXXVIII
Once more to idleness consigned,
He felt the laudable desire
From mere209 vacuity210 of mind
The wit of others to acquire.
A case of books he doth obtain —
He reads at random211, reads in vain.
This nonsense, that dishonest seems,
This wicked, that absurd he deems,
All are constrained212 and fetters213 bear,
Antiquity214 no pleasure gave,
The moderns of the ancients rave124 —
Books he abandoned like the fair,
His book-shelf instantly doth drape
With taffety instead of crape.
XXXIX
Having abjured215 the haunts of men,
Like him renouncing216 vanity,
His friendship I acquired just then;
His character attracted me.
An innate217 love of meditation218,
Original imagination,
And cool sagacious mind he had:
I was incensed219 and he was sad.
Both were of passion satiate
And both of dull existence tired,
Extinct the flame which once had fired;
Both were expectant of the hate
With which blind Fortune oft betrays
The very morning of our days.
XL
He who hath lived and living, thinks,
Must e’en despise his kind at last;
He who hath suffered ofttimes shrinks
From shades of the relentless220 past.
No fond illusions live to soothe,
But memory like a serpent’s tooth
With late repentance221 gnaws222 and stings.
All this in many cases brings
A charm with it in conversation.
Oneguine’s speeches I abhorred223
At first, but soon became inured224
To the sarcastic observation,
To witticisms225 and taunts226 half-vicious
And gloomy epigrams malicious.
XLI
How oft, when on a summer night
Transparent227 o’er the Neva beamed
The firmament228 in mellow229 light,
And when the watery230 mirror gleamed
No more with pale Diana’s rays,17
We called to mind our youthful days —
The days of love and of romance!
Then would we muse9 as in a trance,
Impressionable for an hour,
And breathe the balmy breath of night;
And like the prisoner’s our delight
Who for the greenwood quits his tower,
As on the rapid wings of thought
The early days of life we sought.
17 The midsummer nights in the latitude231 of St. Petersburg are a prolonged twilight232.
XLII
Absorbed in melancholy mood
And o’er the granite233 coping bent193,
Oneguine meditative234 stood,
E’en as the poet says he leant.18
’Tis silent all! Alone the cries
Of the night sentinels arise
And from the Millionaya afar19
The sudden rattling235 of a car.
Lo! on the sleeping river borne,
A boat with splashing oar236 floats by,
And now we hear delightedly
A jolly song and distant horn;
But sweeter in a midnight dream
Torquato Tasso’s strains I deem.
18 Refers to Mouravieff’s “Goddess of the Neva.” At St. Petersburg the banks of the Neva are lined throughout with splendid granite quays237.
19 A street running parallel to the Neva, and leading from the Winter Palace to the Summer Palace and Garden.
XLIII
Ye billows of blue Hadria’s sea,
O Brenta, once more we shall meet
And, inspiration firing me,
Your magic voices I shall greet,
Whose tones Apollo’s sons inspire,
And after Albion’s proud lyre 20
Possess my love and sympathy.
The nights of golden Italy
I’ll pass beneath the firmament,
Hid in the gondola’s dark shade,
Alone with my Venetian maid,
Now talkative, now reticent238;
From her my lips shall learn the tongue
Of love which whilom Petrarch sung.
20 The strong influence exercised by Byron’s genius on the imagination of Pushkin is well known. Shakespeare and other English dramatists had also their share in influencing his mind, which, at all events in its earlier developments, was of an essentially239 imitative type. As an example of his Shakespearian tastes, see his poem of “Angelo,” founded upon “Measure for Measure.”
XLIV
When will my hour of freedom come!
Time, I invoke240 thee! favouring gales241
Awaiting on the shore I roam
And beckon242 to the passing sails.
Upon the highway of the sea
When shall I wing my passage free
On waves by tempests curdled243 o’er!
’Tis time to quit this weary shore
So uncongenial to my mind,
To dream upon the sunny strand
Of Africa, ancestral land,21
Of dreary Russia left behind,
Wherein I felt love’s fatal dart244,
Wherein I buried left my heart.
21 The poet was, on his mother’s side, of African extraction, a circumstance which perhaps accounts for the southern fervour of his imagination. His great-grandfather, Abraham Petrovitch Hannibal, was seized on the coast of Africa when eight years of age by a corsair, and carried a slave to Constantinople. The Russian Ambassador bought and presented him to Peter the Great who caused him to be baptized at Vilnius. Subsequently one of Hannibal’s brothers made his way to Constantinople and thence to St. Petersburg for the purpose of ransoming245 him; but Peter would not surrender his godson who died at the age of ninety-two, having attained the rank of general in the Russian service.
XLV
Eugene designed with me to start
And visit many a foreign clime,
But Fortune cast our lots apart
For a protracted246 space of time.
Just at that time his father died,
And soon Oneguine’s door beside
Of creditors247 a hungry rout
Their claims and explanations shout.
But Eugene, hating litigation
And with his lot in life content,
To a surrender gave consent,
Seeing in this no deprivation248,
Or counting on his uncle’s death
And what the old man might bequeath.
XLVI
And in reality one day
The steward249 sent a note to tell
How sick to death his uncle lay
And wished to say to him farewell.
Having this mournful document
Perused250, Eugene in postchaise went
And hastened to his uncle’s side,
But in his heart dissatisfied,
Having for money’s sake alone
Sorrow to counterfeit251 and wail252 —
Thus we began our little tale —
But, to his uncle’s mansion flown,
He found him on the table laid,
A due which must to earth be paid.
XLVII
The courtyard full of serfs he sees,
And from the country all around
Had come both friends and enemies —
Funeral amateurs abound253!
The body they consigned to rest,
And then made merry pope and guest,
With serious air then went away
As men who much had done that day.
Lo! my Oneguine rural lord!
Of mines and meadows, woods and lakes,
He now a full possession takes,
He who economy abhorred,
Delighted much his former ways
To vary for a few brief days.
XLVIII
For two whole days it seemed a change
To wander through the meadows still,
The cool dark oaken grove254 to range,
To listen to the rippling255 rill.
But on the third of grove and mead164
He took no more the slightest heed256;
They made him feel inclined to doze257;
And the conviction soon arose,
Ennui258 can in the country dwell
Though without palaces and streets,
Cards, balls, routs259, poetry or fetes;
On him spleen mounted sentinel
And like his shadow dogged his life,
Or better — like a faithful wife.
XLIX
I was for calm existence made,
For rural solitude and dreams,
My lyre sings sweeter in the shade
And more imagination teems260.
On innocent delights I dote,
Upon my lake I love to float,
For law I far niente take
And every morning I awake
The child of sloth261 and liberty.
I slumber much, a little read,
Of fleeting glory take no heed.
In former years thus did not I
In idleness and tranquil262 joy
The happiest days of life employ?
L
Love, flowers, the country, idleness
And fields my joys have ever been;
I like the difference to express
Between myself and my Eugene,
Lest the malicious reader or
Some one or other editor
Of keen sarcastic intellect
Herein my portrait should detect,
And impiously should declare,
To sketch263 myself that I have tried
Like Byron, bard264 of scorn and pride,
As if impossible it were
To write of any other elf
Than one’s own fascinating self.
LI
Here I remark all poets are
Love to idealize inclined;
I have dreamed many a vision fair
And the recesses265 of my mind
Retained the image, though short-lived,
Which afterwards the muse revived.
Thus carelessly I once portrayed266
Mine own ideal, the mountain maid,
The captives of the Salguir’s shore.22
But now a question in this wise
Oft upon friendly lips doth rise:
Whom doth thy plaintive267 Muse adore?
To whom amongst the jealous throng268
Of maids dost thou inscribe269 thy song?
22 Refers to two of the most interesting productions of the poet. The former line indicates the Prisoner of the Caucasus, the latter, The Fountain of Baktchiserai. The Salguir is a river of the Crimea.
LII
Whose glance reflecting inspiration
With tenderness hath recognized
Thy meditative incantation —
Whom hath thy strain immortalized?
None, be my witness Heaven above!
The malady of hopeless love
I have endured without respite270.
Happy who thereto can unite
Poetic271 transport. They impart
A double force unto their song
Who following Petrarch move along
And ease the tortures of the heart —
Perchance they laurels272 also cull273 —
But I, in love, was mute and dull.
LIII
The Muse appeared, when love passed by
And my dark soul to light was brought;
Free, I renewed the idolatry
Of harmony enshrining thought.
I write, and anguish274 flies away,
Nor doth my absent pen portray
Around my stanzas275 incomplete
Young ladies’ faces and their feet.
Extinguished ashes do not blaze —
I mourn, but tears I cannot shed —
Soon, of the tempest which hath fled
Time will the ravages276 efface277 —
When that time comes, a poem I’ll strive
To write in cantos twenty-five.
LIV
I’ve thought well o’er the general plan,
The hero’s name too in advance,
Meantime I’ll finish whilst I can
Canto278 the First of this romance.
I’ve scanned it with a jealous eye,
Discovered much absurdity279,
But will not modify a tittle —
I owe the censorship a little.
For journalistic deglutition
I yield the fruit of work severe.
Go, on the Neva’s bank appear,
My very latest composition!
Enjoy the meed which Fame bestows280 —
Misunderstanding, words and blows.
End of Canto the First
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esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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par
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| n.标准，票面价值，平均数量；adj.票面的，平常的，标准的 | |
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paragon
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| n.模范，典型 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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dissimulation
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| n.掩饰，虚伪，装糊涂 | |
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soothe
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| v.安慰；使平静；使减轻；缓和；奉承 | |
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meditate
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| v.想，考虑，（尤指宗教上的）沉思，冥想 | |
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lone
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| adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的 | |
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muse
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| n.缪斯（希腊神话中的女神），创作灵感 | |
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mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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postal
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| adj.邮政的，邮局的 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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prevarication
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| n.支吾；搪塞；说谎；有枝有叶 | |
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narration
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| n.讲述，叙述；故事；记叙体 | |
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vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
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pranks
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| n.玩笑，恶作剧( prank的名词复数 ) | |
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den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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rebellious
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| adj.造反的，反抗的，难控制的 | |
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20
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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21
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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22
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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23
gracefully
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| ad.大大方方地；优美地 | |
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24
constraint
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| n.(on)约束，限制；限制(或约束)性的事物 | |
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25
plies
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| v.使用（工具）( ply的第三人称单数 )；经常供应（食物、饮料）；固定往来；经营生意 | |
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26
attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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27
pedantic
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| adj.卖弄学问的；迂腐的 | |
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28
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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29
Vogue
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| n.时髦，时尚；adj.流行的 | |
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30
rogue
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| n.流氓；v.游手好闲 | |
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31
quotation
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| n.引文，引语，语录；报价，牌价，行情 | |
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32
spout
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| v.喷出，涌出；滔滔不绝地讲；n.喷管；水柱 | |
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33
recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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34
anecdotes
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| n.掌故，趣闻，轶事( anecdote的名词复数 ) | |
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35
rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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36
jeered
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| v.嘲笑( jeer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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37
elucidate
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| v.阐明，说明 | |
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38
torment
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| n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠 | |
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39
immortal
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| adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的 | |
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40
agonized
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| v.使（极度）痛苦，折磨( agonize的过去式和过去分词 )；苦斗；苦苦思索；感到极度痛苦 | |
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41
predecessor
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| n.前辈，前任 | |
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42
consigned
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| v.把…置于（令人不快的境地）( consign的过去式和过去分词 )；把…托付给；把…托人代售；丟弃 | |
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43
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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44
enumerates
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| v.列举，枚举，数( enumerate的第三人称单数 ) | |
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45
banishment
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| n.放逐，驱逐 | |
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46
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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47
jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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48
haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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49
subservient
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| adj.卑屈的，阿谀的 | |
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50
obsequious
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| adj.谄媚的，奉承的，顺从的 | |
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51
languor
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| n.无精力，倦怠 | |
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52
deftly
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| adv.灵巧地，熟练地，敏捷地 | |
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53
feign
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| vt.假装，佯作 | |
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54
espy
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| v.（从远处等）突然看到 | |
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55
modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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56
caress
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| vt./n.爱抚，抚摸 | |
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57
avowal
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| n.公开宣称，坦白承认 | |
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58
attentive
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| adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的 | |
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59
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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60
titillate
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| v.挑逗；使兴奋 | |
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61
inveterate
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| adj.积习已深的，根深蒂固的 | |
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62
flirt
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| v.调情，挑逗，调戏；n.调情者，卖俏者 | |
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63
annihilate
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| v.使无效；毁灭；取消 | |
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64
antagonists
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| 对立[对抗] 者，对手，敌手( antagonist的名词复数 )； 对抗肌； 对抗药 | |
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65
malign
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| adj.有害的；恶性的；恶意的；v.诽谤，诬蔑 | |
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66
snare
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| n.陷阱，诱惑，圈套；（去除息肉或者肿瘤的）勒除器；响弦，小军鼓；vt.以陷阱捕获，诱惑 | |
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67
crafty
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| adj.狡猾的，诡诈的 | |
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68
spouse
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| n.配偶(指夫或妻) | |
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69
caressed
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| 爱抚或抚摸…( caress的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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70
pompous
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| adj.傲慢的，自大的；夸大的；豪华的 | |
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71
contentedly
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| adv.心满意足地 | |
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72
oration
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| n.演说，致辞，叙述法 | |
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73
sleepless
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| adj.不睡眠的，睡不著的，不休息的 | |
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74
Founder
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| n.创始者，缔造者 | |
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75
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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76
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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77
talon
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| n.爪；（如爪般的）手指；爪状物 | |
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78
cork
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| n.软木，软木塞 | |
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79
champagne
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| n.香槟酒；微黄色 | |
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80
foaming
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| adj.布满泡沫的；发泡 | |
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81
cuisine
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| n.烹调，烹饪法 | |
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82
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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83
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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impromptu
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| adj.即席的，即兴的；adv.即兴的(地)，无准备的(地) | |
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85
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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86
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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87
draughts
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| n. <英>国际跳棋 | |
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88
seething
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| 沸腾的，火热的 | |
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89
sonorous
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| adj.响亮的，回响的；adv.圆润低沉地；感人地；n.感人，堂皇 | |
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90
malicious
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| adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的 | |
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91
domains
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| n.范围( domain的名词复数 )；领域；版图；地产 | |
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92
capers
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| n.开玩笑( caper的名词复数 )；刺山柑v.跳跃，雀跃( caper的第三人称单数 ) | |
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93
hisses
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| 嘶嘶声( hiss的名词复数 ) | |
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94
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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95
pungent
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| adj.（气味、味道）刺激性的，辛辣的；尖锐的 | |
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wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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97
majestic
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| adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的 | |
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98
sarcastic
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| adj.讥讽的，讽刺的，嘲弄的 | |
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rout
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| n.溃退，溃败；v.击溃，打垮 | |
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100
procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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101
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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102
tragic
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| adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的 | |
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103
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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104
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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105
originality
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| n.创造力，独创性；新颖 | |
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106
conjure
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| v.恳求，祈求；变魔术，变戏法 | |
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107
estranged
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| adj.疏远的，分离的 | |
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108
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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109
crammed
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| adj.塞满的，挤满的；大口地吃；快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满；填入；临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式) | |
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110
strings
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| n.弦 | |
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111
lithe
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| adj.(指人、身体)柔软的，易弯的 | |
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112
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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113
deigns
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| v.屈尊，俯就( deign的第三人称单数 ) | |
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114
averts
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| 防止，避免( avert的第三人称单数 )； 转移 | |
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115
illuminating
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| a.富于启发性的，有助阐明的 | |
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116
jovial
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| adj.快乐的，好交际的 | |
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117
alleviates
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| 减轻，缓解，缓和( alleviate的名词复数 ) | |
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118
equanimity
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| n.沉着，镇定 | |
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119
depict
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| vt.描画，描绘；描写，描述 | |
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120
portray
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| v.描写，描述；画(人物、景象等) | |
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121
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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122
affluence
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| n.充裕，富足 | |
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123
craves
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| 渴望，热望( crave的第三人称单数 )； 恳求，请求 | |
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124
rave
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| vi.胡言乱语；热衷谈论；n.热情赞扬 | |
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125
adorned
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| [计]被修饰的 | |
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126
amber
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| n.琥珀；琥珀色；adj.琥珀制的 | |
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127
scents
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| n.香水( scent的名词复数 )；气味；（动物的）臭迹；（尤指狗的）嗅觉 | |
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128
cleanse
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| vt.使清洁，使纯洁，清洗 | |
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129
eloquent
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| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
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130
confessions
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| n.承认( confession的名词复数 )；自首；声明；（向神父的）忏悔 | |
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131
industrious
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| adj.勤劳的，刻苦的，奋发的 | |
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132
dreading
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| v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的现在分词 ) | |
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133
attire
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| v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装 | |
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134
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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135
connoisseurs
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| n.鉴赏家，鉴定家，行家( connoisseur的名词复数 ) | |
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136
indigenous
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| adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的 | |
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137
intersperse
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| vt.散布，散置，点缀 | |
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138
supervision
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| n.监督，管理 | |
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139
slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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140
slumbering
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| 微睡，睡眠（slumber的现在分词形式） | |
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141
lustre
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| n.光亮，光泽；荣誉 | |
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142
iridescent
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| adj.彩虹色的，闪色的 | |
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143
hues
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| 色彩( hue的名词复数 )； 色调； 信仰； 观点 | |
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144
spacious
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| adj.广阔的，宽敞的 | |
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145
mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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146
illuminate
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| vt.照亮，照明；用灯光装饰；说明，阐释 | |
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147
dames
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| n.（在英国）夫人（一种封号），夫人（爵士妻子的称号）( dame的名词复数 )；女人 | |
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148
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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149
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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150
immoral
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| adj.不道德的，淫荡的，荒淫的，有伤风化的 | |
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151
desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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152
agitate
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| vi.(for,against)煽动，鼓动；vt.搅动 | |
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153
wilt
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| v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱 | |
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154
raze
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| vt.铲平，把(城市、房屋等)夷为平地，拆毁 | |
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155
strand
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| vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地） | |
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156
dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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157
repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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158
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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159
fleeting
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| adj.短暂的，飞逝的 | |
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160
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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161
bespeaks
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| v.预定( bespeak的第三人称单数 )；订（货）；证明；预先请求 | |
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162
untold
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| adj.数不清的，无数的 | |
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163
allurements
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| n.诱惑( allurement的名词复数 )；吸引；诱惑物；有诱惑力的事物 | |
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164
mead
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| n.蜂蜜酒 | |
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165
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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166
fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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167
ardently
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| adv.热心地，热烈地 | |
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168
rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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169
gust
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| n.阵风，突然一阵（雨、烟等），（感情的）迸发 | |
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170
pangs
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| 突然的剧痛( pang的名词复数 )； 悲痛 | |
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171
rekindled
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| v.使再燃( rekindle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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172
withered
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|
| adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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173
deceptive
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| adj.骗人的，造成假象的，靠不住的 | |
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174
pitcher
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| n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐；(棒球)投手 | |
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175
crunching
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| v.嘎吱嘎吱地咬嚼( crunch的现在分词 )；嘎吱作响；（快速大量地）处理信息；数字捣弄 | |
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176
joyous
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|
| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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177
shutters
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| 百叶窗( shutter的名词复数 )； （照相机的）快门 | |
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178
baker
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| n.面包师 | |
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179
incessant
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| adj.不停的，连续的 | |
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180
votary
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| n.崇拜者；爱好者；adj.誓约的，立誓任圣职的 | |
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181
luxurious
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|
| adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的 | |
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182
abated
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|
| 减少( abate的过去式和过去分词 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼） | |
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183
agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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184
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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185
irrigate
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| vt.灌溉，修水利，冲洗伤口，使潮湿 | |
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186
slander
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| n./v.诽谤，污蔑 | |
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187
plucky
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| adj.勇敢的 | |
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188
malady
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| n.病，疾病(通常做比喻) | |
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189
slay
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| v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮 | |
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190
amorous
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| adj.多情的；有关爱情的 | |
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191
callous
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| adj.无情的，冷淡的，硬结的，起老茧的 | |
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192
discourse
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| n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述 | |
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193
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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194
piety
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| n.虔诚，虔敬 | |
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195
prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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196
circumspect
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| adj.慎重的，谨慎的 | |
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197
devoid
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| adj.全无的，缺乏的 | |
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198
inaccessible
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| adj.达不到的，难接近的 | |
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199
apropos
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| adv.恰好地；adj.恰当的；关于 | |
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200
ironical
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| adj.讽刺的，冷嘲的 | |
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201
stanza
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| n.（诗）节，段 | |
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202
eulogy
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| n.颂词；颂扬 | |
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203
guise
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| n.外表，伪装的姿态 | |
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204
invective
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| n.痛骂，恶意抨击 | |
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205
amiability
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| n.和蔼可亲的，亲切的，友善的 | |
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206
utterances
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| n.发声( utterance的名词复数 )；说话方式；语调；言论 | |
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207
isolated
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| adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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208
nought
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| n.／adj.无，零 | |
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209
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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210
vacuity
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| n.(想象力等)贫乏，无聊，空白 | |
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211
random
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| adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动 | |
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212
constrained
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| adj.束缚的,节制的 | |
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213
fetters
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| n.脚镣( fetter的名词复数 )；束缚v.给…上脚镣，束缚( fetter的第三人称单数 ) | |
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214
antiquity
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| n.古老；高龄；古物，古迹 | |
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215
abjured
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| v.发誓放弃( abjure的过去式和过去分词 )；郑重放弃（意见）；宣布撤回（声明等）；避免 | |
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216
renouncing
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| v.声明放弃( renounce的现在分词 )；宣布放弃；宣布与…决裂；宣布摒弃 | |
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217
innate
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| adj.天生的，固有的，天赋的 | |
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218
meditation
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| n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录 | |
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219
incensed
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| 盛怒的 | |
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220
relentless
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| adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的 | |
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221
repentance
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| n.懊悔 | |
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222
gnaws
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| 咬( gnaw的第三人称单数 )； （长时间） 折磨某人； （使）苦恼； （长时间）危害某事物 | |
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223
abhorred
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| v.憎恶( abhor的过去式和过去分词 )；（厌恶地）回避；拒绝；淘汰 | |
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224
inured
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| adj.坚强的，习惯的 | |
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225
witticisms
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| n.妙语，俏皮话( witticism的名词复数 ) | |
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226
taunts
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| 嘲弄的言语，嘲笑，奚落( taunt的名词复数 ) | |
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227
transparent
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| adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的 | |
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228
firmament
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| n.苍穹；最高层 | |
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229
mellow
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| adj.柔和的；熟透的；v.变柔和；(使)成熟 | |
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230
watery
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| adj.有水的，水汪汪的；湿的，湿润的 | |
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231
latitude
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| n.纬度，行动或言论的自由(范围)，(pl.)地区 | |
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232
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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233
granite
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| adj.花岗岩，花岗石 | |
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234
meditative
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| adj.沉思的，冥想的 | |
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235
rattling
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| adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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236
oar
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| n.桨，橹，划手；v.划行 | |
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237
quays
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| 码头( quay的名词复数 ) | |
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238
reticent
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| adj.沉默寡言的；言不如意的 | |
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239
essentially
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| adv.本质上，实质上，基本上 | |
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240
invoke
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| v.求助于(神、法律)；恳求，乞求 | |
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241
gales
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| 龙猫 | |
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242
beckon
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| v.(以点头或打手势)向...示意，召唤 | |
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243
curdled
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| v.（使）凝结( curdle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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244
dart
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| v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲 | |
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245
ransoming
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| 付赎金救人，赎金( ransom的现在分词 ) | |
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246
protracted
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| adj.拖延的；延长的v.拖延“protract”的过去式和过去分词 | |
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247
creditors
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| n.债权人，债主( creditor的名词复数 ) | |
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248
deprivation
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| n.匮乏；丧失；夺去，贫困 | |
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249
steward
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| n.乘务员，服务员；看管人；膳食管理员 | |
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250
perused
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| v.读（某篇文字）( peruse的过去式和过去分词 )；（尤指）细阅；审阅；匆匆读或心不在焉地浏览（某篇文字） | |
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251
counterfeit
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| vt.伪造，仿造；adj.伪造的，假冒的 | |
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252
wail
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| vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸 | |
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253
abound
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| vi.大量存在；(in，with)充满，富于 | |
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254
grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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255
rippling
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| 起涟漪的，潺潺流水般声音的 | |
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256
heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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257
doze
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| v.打瞌睡；n.打盹，假寐 | |
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258
ennui
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| n.怠倦，无聊 | |
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259
routs
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| n.打垮，赶跑( rout的名词复数 )；（体育）打败对方v.打垮，赶跑( rout的第三人称单数 )；（体育）打败对方 | |
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260
teems
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| v.充满( teem的第三人称单数 )；到处都是；（指水、雨等）暴降；倾注 | |
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261
sloth
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| n.[动]树懒；懒惰，懒散 | |
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262
tranquil
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| adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的 | |
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263
sketch
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| n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述 | |
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264
bard
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| n.吟游诗人 | |
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265
recesses
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| n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 )；（工作或业务活动的）中止或暂停期间；学校的课间休息；某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 )；将（墙）做成凹形，在（墙）上做壁龛；休息，休会，休庭 | |
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266
portrayed
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| v.画像( portray的过去式和过去分词 )；描述；描绘；描画 | |
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267
plaintive
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| adj.可怜的，伤心的 | |
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268
throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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269
inscribe
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| v.刻；雕；题写；牢记 | |
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270
respite
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| n.休息，中止，暂缓 | |
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271
poetic
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| adj.富有诗意的，有诗人气质的，善于抒情的 | |
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272
laurels
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| n.桂冠，荣誉 | |
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273
cull
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| v.拣选；剔除；n.拣出的东西；剔除 | |
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274
anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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275
stanzas
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| 节，段( stanza的名词复数 ) | |
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276
ravages
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| 劫掠后的残迹，破坏的结果，毁坏后的残迹 | |
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277
efface
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| v.擦掉，抹去 | |
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278
canto
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| n.长篇诗的章 | |
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279
absurdity
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| n.荒谬，愚蠢；谬论 | |
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280
bestows
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的第三人称单数 ) | |
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