Madder and wilder than ever, the savage5 pitched it away, yelling, rushed forward with a fierce curse on his angry tongue, and flung himself, tooth and nail, on his astonished opponent.
The suddenness of the onslaught almost took the Englishman’s breath away. By this time, however, Felix had pulled together his ideas and taken in the situation. Tu-Kila-Kila was attacking him now with his heavy stone axe6. He must parry those deadly blows. He must be alert, but watchful7. He must put himself in a posture8 of defence at once. Above all, he must keep cool and have his wits about him.
If he could but have drawn9 his knife, he would have stood a better chance in that hand-to-hand conflict. But there was no time now for such tactics as those. Besides, even in close fight with a bloodthirsty savage, an English gentleman’s sense of fair play never for one moment deserts him. Felix felt, if they were to fight it out face to face for their lives, they should fight at least on a perfect equality. Steel against stone was a mean advantage. Parrying Tu-Kila-Kila’s first desperate blow with the haft of his own hatchet11, he leaped aside half a second to gain breath and strength. Then he rushed on, and dealt one deadly downstroke with the ponderous12 weapon.
For a minute or two they closed, in perfectly13 savage single combat. Fire and Water, observant and impartial14, stood by like seconds to see the god himself decide the issue, which of the two combatants should be his living representative. The contest was brief but very hard-fought. Tu-Kila-Kila, inspired with the last frenzy15 of despair, rushed wildly on his opponent with hands and fists, and teeth and nails, dealing16 his blows in blind fury, right and left, and seeking only to sell his life as dearly as possible. In this last extremity17, his very superstitions18 told against him. Everything seemed to show his hour had come. The parrot’s bite—the omen10 of his own blood that stained the dust of earth—Ula’s treachery—the chance by which the Korong had learned the Great Taboo19—Felix’s accidental or providential success in breaking off the bough—the length of time he himself had held the divine honors—the probability that the god would by this time begin to prefer a new and stronger representative—all these things alike combined to fire the drunk and maddened savage with the energy of despair. He fell upon his enemy like a tiger upon an elephant. He fought with his tomahawk and his feet and his whole lithe20 body; he foamed21 at the mouth with impotent rage; he spent his force on the air in the extremity of his passion.
Felix, on the other hand, sobered by pain, and nerved by the fixed22 consciousness that Muriel’s safety now depended absolutely on his perfect coolness, fought with the calm skill of a practised fencer. Happily he had learned the gentle art of thrust and parry years before in England; and though both weapon and opponent were here so different, the lesson of quickness and calm watchfulness23 he had gained in that civilized24 school stood him in good stead, even now, under such adverse25 circumstances. Tu-Kila-Kila, getting spent, drew back for a second at last, and panted for breath. That faint breathing-space of a moment’s duration sealed his fate. Seizing his chance with consummate26 skill, Felix closed upon the breathless monster, and brought down the heavy stone hammer point blank upon the centre of his crashing skull27. The weapon drove home. It cleft28 a great red gash29 in the cannibal’s head. Tu-Kila-Kila reeled and fell. There was an infinitesimal pause of silence and suspense30. Then a great shout went up from all round to heaven, “He has killed him! He has killed him! We have a new-made god! Tu-Kila-Kila is dead! Long live Tu-Kila-Kila!”
Felix drew back for a moment, panting and breathless, and wiped his wet brow with his sleeve, his brain all whirling. At his feet, the savage lay stretched, like a log. Felix gazed at the blood-bespattered face remorsefully31. It is an awful thing, even in a just quarrel, to feel that you have really taken a human life! The responsibility is enough to appall32 the bravest of us. He stooped down and examined the prostrate33 body with solemn reverence34. Blood was flowing in torrents35 from the wounded head. But Tu-Kila-Kila was dead—stone-dead forever.
Hot tears of relief welled up into Felix’s eyes. He touched the body cautiously with a reverent36 hand. No life. No motion.
Just as he did so, the woman Ula came forward, bare-limbed and beautiful, all triumph in her walk, a proud, insensitive savage. One second she gazed at the great corpse37 disdainfully. Then she lifted her dainty foot, and gave it a contemptuous kick. “The body of Lavita, the son of Sami,” she said, with a gesture of hatred38. “He had a bad heart. We will cook it and eat it.” Next turning to Felix, “Oh, Tu-Kila-Kila,” she cried, clapping her hands three times and bowing low to the ground, “you are a very great god. We will serve you and salute39 you. Am not I, Ula, one of your wives, your meat? Do with me as you will. Toko, you are henceforth the great god’s Shadow!”
Felix gazed at the beautiful, heartless creature, all horrified41. Even on Boupari, that cannibal island, he was hardly prepared for quite so low a depth of savage insensibility. But all the people around, now a hundred or more, standing42 naked before their new god, took up the shout in concert. “The body of Lavita, the son of Sami,” they cried. “A carrion43 corpse! The god has deserted44 it. The great soul of the world has entered the heart of the white-faced stranger from the disk of the sun; the King of the Rain; the great Tu-Kila-Kila. We will cook and eat the body of Lavita, the son of Sami. He was a bad man. He is a worn-out shell. Nothing remains45 of him now. The great god has left him.”
They clapped their hands in a set measure as they recited this hymn46. The King of Fire retreated into the temple. Ula stood by, and whispered low with Toko. There was a ceremonial pause of some fifteen minutes. Presently, from the inner recesses47 of the temple itself, a low noise issued forth40 as of a rising wind. For some seconds it buzzed and hummed, droningly. But at the very first note of that holy sound Ula dropped her lover’s hand, as one drops a red-hot coal, and darted48 wildly off at full speed, like some frightened wild beast, into the thick jungle. Every other woman near began to rush away with equally instantaneous signs of haste and fear. The men, on the other hand, erect49 and naked, with their hands on their foreheads, crossed the taboo-line at once. It was the summons to all who had been initiated50 at the mysteries—the sacred bull-roarer was calling the assembly of the men of Boupari.
For several minutes it buzzed and droned, that mystic implement51, growing louder and louder, till it roared like thunder. One after another, the men of the island rushed in as if mad or in flight for their lives before some fierce beast pursuing them. They ran up, panting, and dripping with sweat; their hands clapped to their foreheads; their eyes starting wildly from their staring sockets52; torn and bleeding and lacerated by the thorns and branches of the jungle, for each man ran straight across country from the spot where he lay asleep, in the direction of the sound, and never paused or drew breath, for dear life’s sake, till he stood beside the corpse of the dead Tu-Kila-Kila.
And every moment the cry pealed53 louder and louder still. “Lavita, the son of Sami, is dead, praise Heaven! The King of the Rain has slain54 him, and is now the true Tu-Kila-Kila!”
Felix bent55 irresolute56 over the fallen savage’s bloodstained corpse. What next was expected of him he hardly knew or cared. His one desire now was to return to Muriel—to Muriel, whom he had rescued from something worse than death at the hateful hands of that accursed creature who lay breathless forever on the ground beside him.
Somebody came up just then, and seized his hand warmly. Felix looked up with a start. It was their friend, the Frenchman. “Ah, my captain, you have done well,” M. Peyron cried, admiring him. “What courage! What coolness! What pluck! What soldiership! I couldn’t see all. But I was in at the death! And oh, mon Dieu, how I admired and envied you!”
By this time the bull-roarer had ceased to bellow57 among the rocks. The King of Fire stood forth. In his hands he held a length of bamboo-stick with a lighted coal in it. “Bring wood and palm-leaves,” he said, in a tone of command. “Let me light myself up, that I may blaze before Tu-Kila-Kila.”
He turned and bowed thrice very low before Felix. “The accepted of Heaven,” he cried, holding his hands above him. “The very high god! The King of all Things! He sends down his showers upon our crops and our fields. He causes his sun to shine brightly over us. He makes our pigs and our slaves bring forth their increase. All we are but his meat. We, his people, praise him.”
And all the men of Boupari, naked and bleeding, bent low in response. “Tu-Kila-Kila is great,” they chanted, as they clapped their hands. “We thank him that he has chosen a fresh incarnation. The sun will not fade in the heavens overhead, nor the bread-fruits wither58 and cease to bear fruit on earth. Tu-Kila-Kila, our god, is great. He springs ever young and fresh, like the herbs of the field. He is a most high god. We, his people, praise him.”
Four temple attendants brought sticks and leaves, while Felix stood still, half dazed with the newness of these strange preparations. The King of Fire, with his torch, set light to the pile. It blazed merrily on high. “I, Fire, salute you,” he cried, bending over it toward Felix.
“Now cut up the body of Lavita, the son of Sami,” he went on, turning toward it contemptuously. “I will cook it in my flame, that Tu-Kila-Kila the great may eat of it.”
Felix drew back with a face all aglow59 with horror and disgust. “Don’t touch that body!” he cried, authoritatively60, putting his foot down firm. “Leave it alone at once. I refuse to allow you.” Then he turned to M. Peyron. “The King of the Birds and I,” he said, with calm resolve, “we two will bury it.”
The King of Fire drew back at these strange words, nonplussed61. This was, indeed, an ill-omened break in the ceremony of initiation62 of a new Tu-Kila-Kila, to which he had never before in his life been accustomed. He hardly knew how to comport63 himself under such singular circumstances. It was as though the sovereign of England, on coronation-day, should refuse to be crowned, and intimate to the archbishop, in his full canonicals, a confirmed preference for the republican form of Government. It was a contingency64 that law and custom in Boupari had neither, in their wisdom, foreseen nor provided for.
The King of Water whispered low in the new god’s ear. “You must eat of his body, my lord,” he said. “That is absolutely necessary. Every one of us must eat of the flesh of the god; but you, above all, must eat his heart, his divine nature. Otherwise you can never be full Tu-Kila-Kila.”
“I don’t care a straw for that,” Felix cried, now aroused to a full sense of the break in Methuselah’s story and trembling with apprehension65. “You may kill me if you like; we can die only once; but human flesh I can never taste; nor will I, while I live, allow you to touch this dead man’s body. We will bury it ourselves, the King of the Birds and I. You may tell your people so. That is my last word.” He raised his voice to the customary ceremonial pitch. “I, the new Tu-Kila-Kila,” he said, “have spoken it.”
The King of Fire and the King of Water, taken aback at his boldness, conferred together for some seconds privately66. The people meanwhile looked on and wondered. What could this strange hitch67 in the divine proceedings68 mean? Was the god himself recalcitrant69? Never in their lives had the oldest men among them known anything like it.
And as they whispered and debated, awe-struck but discordant70, a shout arose once more from the outer circle—a mighty71 shout of mingled72 surprise, alarm, and terror. “Taboo! Taboo! Fence the mysteries. Beware! Oh, great god, we warn you. The mysteries are in danger! Cut her down! Kill her! A woman! A woman!”
At the words, Felix was aware of somebody bursting through the dense73 crowd and rushing wildly toward him. Next moment, Muriel hung and sobbed74 on his shoulder, while Mali, just behind her, stood crying and moaning.
Felix held the poor startled girl in his arms and soothed75 her. And all around another great cry arose from five hundred lips: “Two women have profaned76 the mysteries of the god. They are Tu-Kila-Kila’s trespass-offering. Let us kill them and eat them!”
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收听单词发音
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1
buckled
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| a. 有带扣的 | |
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buckle
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| n.扣子，带扣；v.把...扣住，由于压力而弯曲 | |
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3
braces
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| n.吊带，背带；托架( brace的名词复数 )；箍子；括弧；（儿童）牙箍v.支住( brace的第三人称单数 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
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shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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7
watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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posture
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| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
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9
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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omen
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| n.征兆，预兆；vt.预示 | |
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hatchet
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| n.短柄小斧；v.扼杀 | |
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12
ponderous
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| adj.沉重的，笨重的，(文章)冗长的 | |
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13
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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impartial
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| adj.(in,to)公正的，无偏见的 | |
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15
frenzy
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| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
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dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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superstitions
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| 迷信，迷信行为( superstition的名词复数 ) | |
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taboo
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| n.禁忌，禁止接近，禁止使用；adj.禁忌的；v.禁忌，禁制，禁止 | |
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20
lithe
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| adj.(指人、身体)柔软的，易弯的 | |
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foamed
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| 泡沫的 | |
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22
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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watchfulness
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| 警惕，留心； 警觉（性） | |
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civilized
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| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
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adverse
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| adj.不利的；有害的；敌对的，不友好的 | |
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consummate
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| adj.完美的；v.成婚；使完美 [反]baffle | |
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skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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cleft
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| n.裂缝；adj.裂开的 | |
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gash
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| v.深切，划开；n.(深长的)切(伤)口；裂缝 | |
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suspense
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| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
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remorsefully
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| adv.极为懊悔地 | |
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32
appall
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| vt.使惊骇，使大吃一惊 | |
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prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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34
reverence
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| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
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35
torrents
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| n.倾注；奔流( torrent的名词复数 )；急流；爆发；连续不断 | |
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reverent
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| adj.恭敬的，虔诚的 | |
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corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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39
salute
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| 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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40
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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41
horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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42
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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carrion
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| n.腐肉 | |
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44
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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45
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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46
hymn
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| n.赞美诗，圣歌，颂歌 | |
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47
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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48
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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49
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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50
initiated
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| n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入 | |
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51
implement
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| n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行 | |
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52
sockets
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| n.套接字，使应用程序能够读写与收发通讯协定(protocol)与资料的程序( Socket的名词复数 )；孔( socket的名词复数 )；（电器上的）插口；托座；凹穴 | |
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53
pealed
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| v.（使）（钟等）鸣响，（雷等）发出隆隆声( peal的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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54
slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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55
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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56
irresolute
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| adj.无决断的，优柔寡断的，踌躇不定的 | |
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57
bellow
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| v.吼叫，怒吼；大声发出，大声喝道 | |
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58
wither
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| vt.使凋谢，使衰退，(用眼神气势等)使畏缩；vi.枯萎，衰退，消亡 | |
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59
aglow
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| adj.发亮的；发红的；adv.发亮地 | |
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60
authoritatively
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| 命令式地，有权威地，可信地 | |
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61
nonplussed
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| adj.不知所措的，陷于窘境的v.使迷惑( nonplus的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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62
initiation
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| n.开始 | |
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63
comport
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| vi.相称，适合 | |
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64
contingency
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| n.意外事件，可能性 | |
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65
apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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66
privately
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| adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地 | |
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67
hitch
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| v.免费搭(车旅行)；系住；急提；n.故障；急拉 | |
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68
proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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69
recalcitrant
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| adj.倔强的 | |
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70
discordant
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| adj.不调和的 | |
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71
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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72
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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73
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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74
sobbed
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| 哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说 | |
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75
soothed
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| v.安慰( soothe的过去式和过去分词 )；抚慰；使舒服；减轻痛苦 | |
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profaned
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| v.不敬( profane的过去式和过去分词 )；亵渎，玷污 | |
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