1
Flood-tide below me! I see you face to face!
Clouds of the west—sun there half an hour high—I see you also face
to face.
Crowds of men and women attired1 in the usual costumes, how curious
you are to me!
On the ferry-boats the hundreds and hundreds that cross, returning
home, are more curious to me than you suppose,
And you that shall cross from shore to shore years hence are more
to me, and more in my meditations2, than you might suppose.
2
The impalpable sustenance3 of me from all things at all hours of the day,
The simple, compact, well-join'd scheme, myself disintegrated4, every
one disintegrated yet part of the scheme,
The similitudes of the past and those of the future,
The glories strung like beads5 on my smallest sights and hearings, on
the walk in the street and the passage over the river,
The current rushing so swiftly and swimming with me far away,
The others that are to follow me, the ties between me and them,
The certainty of others, the life, love, sight, hearing of others.
Others will enter the gates of the ferry and cross from shore to shore,
Others will watch the run of the flood-tide,
Others will see the shipping6 of Manhattan north and west, and the
heights of Brooklyn to the south and east,
Others will see the islands large and small;
Fifty years hence, others will see them as they cross, the sun half
an hour high,
A hundred years hence, or ever so many hundred years hence, others
will see them,
Will enjoy the sunset, the pouring-in of the flood-tide, the
falling-back to the sea of the ebb7-tide.
3
It avails not, time nor place—distance avails not,
I am with you, you men and women of a generation, or ever so many
generations hence,
Just as you feel when you look on the river and sky, so I felt,
Just as any of you is one of a living crowd, I was one of a crowd,
Just as you are refresh'd by the gladness of the river and the
bright flow, I was refresh'd,
Just as you stand and lean on the rail, yet hurry with the swift
current, I stood yet was hurried,
Just as you look on the numberless masts of ships and the
thick-stemm'd pipes of steamboats, I look'd.
I too many and many a time cross'd the river of old,
Watched the Twelfth-month sea-gulls, saw them high in the air
floating with motionless wings, oscillating their bodies,
Saw how the glistening8 yellow lit up parts of their bodies and left
the rest in strong shadow,
Saw the slow-wheeling circles and the gradual edging toward the south,
Saw the reflection of the summer sky in the water,
Had my eyes dazzled by the shimmering9 track of beams,
Look'd at the fine centrifugal spokes10 of light round the shape of my
head in the sunlit water,
Look'd on the haze11 on the hills southward and south-westward,
Look'd on the vapor12 as it flew in fleeces tinged13 with violet,
Look'd toward the lower bay to notice the vessels14 arriving,
Saw their approach, saw aboard those that were near me,
Saw the white sails of schooners15 and sloops16, saw the ships at anchor,
The sailors at work in the rigging or out astride the spars,
The round masts, the swinging motion of the hulls17, the slender
serpentine18 pennants19,
The large and small steamers in motion, the pilots in their pilothouses,
The white wake left by the passage, the quick tremulous whirl of the wheels,
The flags of all nations, the falling of them at sunset,
The scallop-edged waves in the twilight20, the ladled cups, the
frolic-some crests21 and glistening,
The stretch afar growing dimmer and dimmer, the gray walls of the
granite22 storehouses by the docks,
On the river the shadowy group, the big steam-tug closely flank'd on
each side by the barges23, the hay-boat, the belated lighter24,
On the neighboring shore the fires from the foundry chimneys burning
high and glaringly into the night,
Casting their flicker25 of black contrasted with wild red and yellow
light over the tops of houses, and down into the clefts26 of streets.
4
These and all else were to me the same as they are to you,
I loved well those cities, loved well the stately and rapid river,
The men and women I saw were all near to me,
Others the same—others who look back on me because I look'd forward
to them,
(The time will come, though I stop here to-day and to-night.)
5
What is it then between us?
What is the count of the scores or hundreds of years between us?
Whatever it is, it avails not—distance avails not, and place avails not,
I too lived, Brooklyn of ample hills was mine,
I too walk'd the streets of Manhattan island, and bathed in the
waters around it,
I too felt the curious abrupt27 questionings stir within me,
In the day among crowds of people sometimes they came upon me,
In my walks home late at night or as I lay in my bed they came upon me,
I too had been struck from the float forever held in solution,
I too had receiv'd identity by my body,
That I was I knew was of my body, and what I should be I knew I
should be of my body.
6
It is not upon you alone the dark patches fall,
The dark threw its patches down upon me also,
The best I had done seem'd to me blank and suspicious,
My great thoughts as I supposed them, were they not in reality meagre?
Nor is it you alone who know what it is to be evil,
I am he who knew what it was to be evil,
I too knitted the old knot of contrariety,
Blabb'd, blush'd, resented, lied, stole, grudg'd,
Had guile28, anger, lust29, hot wishes I dared not speak,
Was wayward, vain, greedy, shallow, sly, cowardly, malignant30,
The wolf, the snake, the hog31, not wanting in me.
The cheating look, the frivolous32 word, the adulterous wish, not wanting,
Refusals, hates, postponements, meanness, laziness, none of these wanting,
Was one with the rest, the days and haps33 of the rest,
Was call'd by my nighest name by clear loud voices of young men as
they saw me approaching or passing,
Felt their arms on my neck as I stood, or the negligent34 leaning of
their flesh against me as I sat,
Saw many I loved in the street or ferry-boat or public assembly, yet
never told them a word,
Lived the same life with the rest, the same old laughing, gnawing35, sleeping,
Play'd the part that still looks back on the actor or actress,
The same old role, the role that is what we make it, as great as we like,
Or as small as we like, or both great and small.
7
Closer yet I approach you,
What thought you have of me now, I had as much of you—I laid in my
stores in advance,
I consider'd long and seriously of you before you were born.
Who was to know what should come home to me?
Who knows but I am enjoying this?
Who knows, for all the distance, but I am as good as looking at you
now, for all you cannot see me?
8
Ah, what can ever be more stately and admirable to me than
mast-hemm'd Manhattan?
River and sunset and scallop-edg'd waves of flood-tide?
The sea-gulls oscillating their bodies, the hay-boat in the
twilight, and the belated lighter?
What gods can exceed these that clasp me by the hand, and with voices I
love call me promptly36 and loudly by my nighest name as approach?
What is more subtle than this which ties me to the woman or man that
looks in my face?
Which fuses me into you now, and pours my meaning into you?
We understand then do we not?
What I promis'd without mentioning it, have you not accepted?
What the study could not teach—what the preaching could not
accomplish is accomplish'd, is it not?
9
Flow on, river! flow with the flood-tide, and ebb with the ebb-tide!
Frolic on, crested37 and scallop-edg'd waves!
Gorgeous clouds of the sunset! drench38 with your splendor39 me, or the
men and women generations after me!
Cross from shore to shore, countless40 crowds of passengers!
Stand up, tall masts of Mannahatta! stand up, beautiful hills of Brooklyn!
Throb41, baffled and curious brain! throw out questions and answers!
Suspend here and everywhere, eternal float of solution!
Gaze, loving and thirsting eyes, in the house or street or public assembly!
Sound out, voices of young men! loudly and musically call me by my
nighest name!
Live, old life! play the part that looks back on the actor or actress!
Play the old role, the role that is great or small according as one
makes it!
Consider, you who peruse42 me, whether I may not in unknown ways be
looking upon you;
Be firm, rail over the river, to support those who lean idly, yet
haste with the hasting current;
Fly on, sea-birds! fly sideways, or wheel in large circles high in the air;
Receive the summer sky, you water, and faithfully hold it till all
downcast eyes have time to take it from you!
Diverge43, fine spokes of light, from the shape of my head, or any
one's head, in the sunlit water!
Come on, ships from the lower bay! pass up or down, white-sail'd
schooners, sloops, lighters44!
Flaunt45 away, flags of all nations! be duly lower'd at sunset!
Burn high your fires, foundry chimneys! cast black shadows at
nightfall! cast red and yellow light over the tops of the houses!
Appearances, now or henceforth, indicate what you are,
You necessary film, continue to envelop46 the soul,
About my body for me, and your body for you, be hung our divinest aromas47,
Thrive, cities—bring your freight, bring your shows, ample and
sufficient rivers,
Expand, being than which none else is perhaps more spiritual,
Keep your places, objects than which none else is more lasting48.
You have waited, you always wait, you dumb, beautiful ministers,
We receive you with free sense at last, and are insatiate henceforward,
Not you any more shall be able to foil us, or withhold49 yourselves from us,
We use you, and do not cast you aside—we plant you permanently50 within us,
We fathom51 you not—we love you—there is perfection in you also,
You furnish your parts toward eternity52,
Great or small, you furnish your parts toward the soul.
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收听单词发音
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1
attired
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| adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服，使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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2
meditations
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| 默想( meditation的名词复数 )； 默念； 沉思； 冥想 | |
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3
sustenance
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| n.食物，粮食；生活资料；生计 | |
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4
disintegrated
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| v.（使）破裂[分裂，粉碎]，（使）崩溃( disintegrate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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5
beads
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| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
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6
shipping
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| n.船运（发货，运输，乘船） | |
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7
ebb
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| vi.衰退，减退；n.处于低潮，处于衰退状态 | |
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8
glistening
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| adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
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9
shimmering
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| v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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10
spokes
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| n.（车轮的）辐条( spoke的名词复数 )；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 | |
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11
haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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12
vapor
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| n.蒸汽，雾气 | |
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13
tinged
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| v.（使）发丁丁声( ting的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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14
vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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15
schooners
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| n.（有两个以上桅杆的）纵帆船( schooner的名词复数 ) | |
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16
sloops
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| n.单桅纵帆船( sloop的名词复数 ) | |
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17
hulls
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| 船体( hull的名词复数 )； 船身； 外壳； 豆荚 | |
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18
serpentine
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| adj.蜿蜒的，弯曲的 | |
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19
pennants
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| n.校旗( pennant的名词复数 )；锦标旗；长三角旗；信号旗 | |
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20
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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21
crests
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| v.到达山顶（或浪峰）( crest的第三人称单数 )；到达洪峰，达到顶点 | |
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22
granite
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| adj.花岗岩，花岗石 | |
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23
barges
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| 驳船( barge的名词复数 ) | |
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24
lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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25
flicker
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| vi./n.闪烁，摇曳，闪现 | |
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26
clefts
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| n.裂缝( cleft的名词复数 )；裂口；cleave的过去式和过去分词；进退维谷 | |
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27
abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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28
guile
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| n.诈术 | |
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29
lust
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| n.性(淫)欲；渴(欲)望；vi.对…有强烈的欲望 | |
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30
malignant
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| adj.恶性的，致命的；恶意的，恶毒的 | |
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31
hog
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| n.猪；馋嘴贪吃的人；vt.把…占为己有，独占 | |
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32
frivolous
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| adj.轻薄的；轻率的 | |
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33
haps
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| n.粗厚毛披巾；偶然，机会，运气( hap的名词复数 ) | |
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34
negligent
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| adj.疏忽的；玩忽的；粗心大意的 | |
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35
gnawing
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| a.痛苦的，折磨人的 | |
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36
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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37
crested
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| adj.有顶饰的，有纹章的，有冠毛的v.到达山顶（或浪峰）( crest的过去式和过去分词 )；到达洪峰，达到顶点 | |
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38
drench
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| v.使淋透，使湿透 | |
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39
splendor
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| n.光彩；壮丽，华丽；显赫，辉煌 | |
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40
countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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41
throb
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| v.震颤，颤动；(急速强烈地)跳动，搏动 | |
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42
peruse
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| v.细读，精读 | |
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43
diverge
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| v.分叉，分歧，离题，使...岔开，使转向 | |
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44
lighters
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| n.打火机，点火器( lighter的名词复数 ) | |
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45
flaunt
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| vt.夸耀，夸饰 | |
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46
envelop
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| vt.包，封，遮盖；包围 | |
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47
aromas
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| n.芳香( aroma的名词复数 )；气味；风味；韵味 | |
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48
lasting
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| adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持 | |
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49
withhold
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| v.拒绝，不给；使停止，阻挡 | |
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50
permanently
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| adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地 | |
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51
fathom
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| v.领悟，彻底了解 | |
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52
eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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