I WELL remember how sentiment was shocked when it was proposed to construct a tram-line to the Pyramids of Gizeh: I may also have turned up the whites of my eyes at the mere2 thought of such a desecration3. It is now a well-established concern, and we may congratulate ourselves that neither the Pyramids nor the Sphinx seem much the worse for it. The line ends just below the plateau on which the Pyramids have been raised, and by the time these are reached the prosaic4 tram-cars are well out of sight. The Antiquities5 Department holds all the ground which contains anything here of interest, so we shall be spared the erection of anything tending to vulgarise it. The tram is in truth a great boon6 to many, and not the least to those who, like myself, spend much time in the bazaars8 and streets of the old city.
I can look back on nothing more pleasurable, during my last sojourn9 in Egypt, than the moonlit evenings quietly spent on the glorious Pyramid plateau. I put this off until the season was well on the wane10 and the first great heat had emptied Cairo of the bulk of its foreign sightseers. A forty minutes’ run—and, my word, there is no dawdling11 here!—along the Gizeh128 road, blows the heat and the bazaar7 stuffiness12 well out of one’s system, and the pure dry air of the desert, when the higher level is reached, prepares one to enjoy everything to the uttermost. Familiarity may have lessened13 the excitement which a first gaze at the world’s greatest wonder must produce, but familiarity has never robbed it of its awful impressiveness.
The rays of the declining sun or the light of the moon may glorify14 the most commonplace subjects; but that which is always grand here reaches the sublime15 on a fine moonlight night. Let us cross the broad shadow cast by Kheops’ mighty16 tomb, and glance up that vast surface, rapidly receding17 and lessening18, yet more and more clearly defined as it rises into the deepening background of the star-spangled blue. Its base is hardly definable from the pale golden sand on which it rests, and the distance to the further angle is hard to judge. To our left three shapeless masses stand out dark against the eastern horizon: they are the ruins of the small pyramids beneath which were laid the Pharaoh’s daughters. Was Henwetsen young or fair when she found her resting-place beneath that heap of stones? Had no monument been raised to mark the spot, the sixty centuries since elapsed might not have disturbed her sleep.
Page 128
PERSIAN ALMSHOUSES
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129 Following a straightish course over the sand-buried necropolis, we soon see, rising from a hollow in the plateau, a mushroom-shaped rock, and we know that our objective is in sight. We skirt the depression in the soil till we are arrested by the huge human profile, which is now clearly defined against the sky. I leave my companion to his contemplations; for the supreme19 moment, when I consider the Sphinx is to be at his best, has now arrived. I run round the edge of the hollow to compare a three-quarter view with his full face. He seems too sunk and dwarfed20 by the ground behind him, and I descend21 to the lower level till his shoulders just appear above the horizon. I feel I can’t better this view, and I settle down to try and absorb as much as my memory will hold, with a dim hope of being able to record it on the following morning.
The moon shines so brightly in these latitudes22, that I had looked forward to being able to paint by its light. That was in my earlier days, and the muddy-looking mess, which the next morning’s light revealed, made me abandon any further attempts in that direction. To take all the notes one can, and to retain as much of the colour as one’s memory can hold, is the only possible way to battle with this subject.
There are moments when uncalled-for information might almost justify23 homicide. I had flattered myself that, hid away as I was in the shadow of the shelving slope of the hollow, I might have remained unobserved by the Pyramid pests who look upon every stranger as their fair prey24. Some broken stones sliding down the slope make me look up, and there to my horror I find one of these pests taking his seat just above me. ‘Hi, mister, you take my donkey; Roosevelt best donkey in Egypt; take you to Mena House for two piastres.’ I tell the man in Arabic to go away and not to disturb me. He is evidently disappointed in me when he finds I am not entirely25 new to the country; possibly this is130 only a phrase I may have learnt in a guide-book, so he begins again: ‘Yaas, Roosevelt best donkey in Egypt; two piastres not much money; you ride my ...’ I jump up on murder intent, though I am the most peaceable of mortals. The Arab jumps up also and, throwing himself on Roosevelt’s back, moves off faster than he came. When my irritation26 has calmed down, I have to begin over again to try and impress on my mind the essentials of the grand subject before me.
I admit that the nuisance of the Pyramid Bedouins has been somewhat diminished of late; but they are nevertheless a great nuisance still. The fault lies to a certain extent with the tourists, especially the ladies, who take far too much notice of them. If the ladies were aware of what these blackguards say of them, they would perhaps keep them at a better distance. They have lost all the virtues27 of the true Bedouins, and have acquired all the vices28 of the Fellaheen. They are a good-looking set of ruffians, which accounts for the way some visitors spoil them; but this does not excuse the police from stopping their importunities.
I found on the following morning that a second visit was necessary, and allowing for the later rising of the moon, I went a second time accompanied by a sympathetic friend. We managed to shake off the Pyramid limpets, and my friend kept guard over me while enjoying his pipe. I think I got what notes I wanted before another distraction29 came. Some half-dozen British soldiers were having an evening out, and were also attracted to the moonlit Sphinx. Their131 object was also to get a presentment of the ‘Mysterious One,’ though chiefly as a background to themselves. The conventional group, which may be seen here any day during the season, did not satisfy the Tommy with the camera. He was probably a corporal, for he directed his sitters as one accustomed to command. ‘Crawl up on to his mug, can’t yer,’ to two or three who had found a safe seat on the shoulders. ‘Right you are, Cocky,’ came from an adventurous30 sitter, who proceeded to climb the neck and swarm31 up the wig32 till he reached a safe position in the Sphinx’s ear. A more dangerous climb was that of one who worked his way round the cheek to find a foot-hold in a crack where the nose used to be. Another proceeded by a northern route and risked his neck to get on to the lip. Finding this an insecure place he appealed to the artist below. ‘’Ang on to ’is eyelid33 and put your foot into ’is norstril,’ came the word of command, as well as plenty of advice from the Arab spectators. ‘Now—ready—present—fire!’ A dim light from a lucifer match was all the fire we saw, and loud jeers34 from the Arabs drowned what language was addressed to the defective35 flashlight.
An Arab who had some magnesium36 wire saw his opportunity to do a deal. ‘I give you plenty light for one shilling.’ ‘One shilling, you blighter, for an ’aporth of wire!’ came from the photographic artist, with comments from the sitters up aloft. The one safely fixed37 in the Sphinx’s ear was for holding out, while the one hanging on to the eyelid proposed coming to terms. ‘We’ll give ye three piastres132 when ta job’s feenished,’ bawled38 out the latter in a strong North British accent. ‘Me know what them piastres feel like,’ from the Arab, who had not yet learnt that the word of a Briton is equal to his bond. A ready-money transaction was clearly indicated, and two piastres down was finally taken in preference to the promise of three from the Scot hanging on to the eyelid. A flash of white light and a ‘Hip39, hip, hip, hurrah40!’ from the Arab spectators, brought the séance to a close.
The British infantry41, when quartered in the East, develop a passion for riding some beast or another. Donkey-boys fought for its custom, and the supply being greater than the demand, satisfactory terms were arranged. One Tommy declaring that the ‘commisairy camuel’ was the boy for him, camels were soon on the spot. ‘’Ands off, you measly son of the Proofit, or I’ll give you a clip on the side of the ear,’ was Tommy’s warning to an over-zealous claimant for his custom. The driver moved off quickly to take his ear out of danger, and a less presumptuous42 rival got the fare. We heard, as might be expected, the well-worn jest about the camel having the hump when the beast showed a disinclination to rise, and soon after the merry party disappeared in the shades of the desert.
Times and oft have I heard our occupation of Egypt criticised, not by foreigners residing there, but by those who could easily clear out if things looked awkward. It is naturally also a reproach to the native that his people should not be considered fit to govern themselves, even when he doubts that fitness himself. But,133 be this as it may, the conduct of the British soldier is rarely a cause of complaint. I will even go further and say that Tommy Atkins is popular with the very people whom he is called upon to hold in check. He spends his money—often injudiciously, I admit—more freely than does the Levantine, and the natives feel sure that the payment of a just debt can always be enforced. Besides this, he is a jolly fellow, and a bit of rough fun appeals to the lower orders in Cairo. British military police patrol the streets at night, and woe43 betide Tommy if he is caught in a broil44.
How far Cairo is conducive45 to our soldier’s morals is another matter; Cairo, however, may be more to blame in this than the men we send there. The military authorities do their utmost to ensure good behaviour, but they can’t prevent the men from enjoying themselves in their own particular way when off duty. Should we be anxious to know the latest ‘turn’ of the London music-halls, we have but to walk down some of the streets north of the Esbekiyeh an hour or two before tattoo46, and we will find Tommy giving the ‘turn,’ with suitable action, to an admiring crowd in the drink-shop. There is also generally one to play a piano accompaniment, and I have often wondered how and when this soldier could have found the opportunity to acquire a sufficient knowledge of his instrument. A concertina obbligato is also of frequent occurrence. When the Levantine landlord’s raw spirits begin to tell, the songs do not of necessity become more uproarious, as might be expected; but a mawkish47 sentimentality is the chief characteristic. ‘The sailor sighs’ or ‘The134 soldier dropt a tear’ is then more the type of song than the livelier ones with rollicking choruses. Donkey-boys hang about these drink-shops and other less reputable places, and manage somehow to get the carousers back to barracks before tattoo has sounded.
Unfortunately, it is those who spend their evenings in the least profitable manner who are most in evidence. The places where harmless recreation is provided for the soldiers are not in like manner open to the street, and the number who use them may well resent being judged by the samples who frequent the drink-shops.
Let us return to the Sphinx: the very thought of the gaslit streets near the Esbekiyeh makes the air seem purer and cooler; the expression of the ‘Mysterious One’ is no more ruffled48 by his late indignities49 than would be the face of a sheykh after having brushed off a few flies. I had taken the notes I wanted and my companion had been well entertained by the comic interlude the soldiers had provided. It was a glorious moonlight night, the Sphinx looked majestic50 despite his battered51 features, the pale warm colouring of the neck and shoulders harmonised beautifully with the desert shades in which it was partly lost, and the more sombre lines of the head were relieved against a low-toned blue of a quality as hopeless to attempt to describe as it seemed hopeless ever to match with the limitations of the pallet. One leaves such a scene with much the same sensations as after having witnessed some grand and solemn function. It is as well that these scenes are not of daily occurrence, lest the critical eye rob it of its solemnity.
The tram-cars run us back across the five miles of135 cultivation52 which separate the Pyramid plateau from the Nile; they cross by the new bridge to the island of Rodah, and then, skirting Old Cairo, we are carried along the east bank of the river till we are put down in the heart of the modern quarters.
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1
dissertation
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| n.（博士学位）论文，学术演讲，专题论文 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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desecration
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| n. 亵渎神圣, 污辱 | |
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prosaic
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| adj.单调的，无趣的 | |
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antiquities
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| n.古老( antiquity的名词复数 )；古迹；古人们；古代的风俗习惯 | |
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boon
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| n.恩赐，恩物，恩惠 | |
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bazaar
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| n.集市，商店集中区 | |
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bazaars
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| （东方国家的）市场( bazaar的名词复数 )； 义卖； 义卖市场； （出售花哨商品等的）小商品市场 | |
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sojourn
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| v./n.旅居，寄居；逗留 | |
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wane
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| n.衰微，亏缺，变弱；v.变小，亏缺，呈下弦 | |
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dawdling
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| adj.闲逛的，懒散的v.混（时间）( dawdle的现在分词 ) | |
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stuffiness
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| n.不通风，闷热；不通气 | |
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lessened
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| 减少的，减弱的 | |
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glorify
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| vt.颂扬，赞美，使增光，美化 | |
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sublime
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| adj.崇高的，伟大的；极度的，不顾后果的 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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receding
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| v.逐渐远离( recede的现在分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题 | |
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lessening
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| 减轻，减少，变小 | |
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supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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dwarfed
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| vt.（使）显得矮小（dwarf的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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latitudes
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| 纬度 | |
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justify
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| vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护 | |
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prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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irritation
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| n.激怒，恼怒，生气 | |
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virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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vices
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| 缺陷( vice的名词复数 )； 恶习； 不道德行为； 台钳 | |
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distraction
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| n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐 | |
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adventurous
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| adj.爱冒险的；惊心动魄的，惊险的，刺激的 | |
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swarm
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| n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入 | |
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wig
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| n.假发 | |
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eyelid
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| n.眼睑，眼皮 | |
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jeers
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| n.操纵帆桁下部（使其上下的）索具；嘲讽( jeer的名词复数 )v.嘲笑( jeer的第三人称单数 ) | |
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defective
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| adj.有毛病的，有问题的，有瑕疵的 | |
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magnesium
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| n.镁 | |
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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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bawled
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| v.大叫，大喊( bawl的过去式和过去分词 )；放声大哭；大声叫出；叫卖（货物） | |
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hip
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| n.臀部，髋；屋脊 | |
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hurrah
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| int.好哇，万岁，乌拉 | |
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41
infantry
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| n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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presumptuous
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| adj.胆大妄为的，放肆的，冒昧的，冒失的 | |
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43
woe
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| n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌 | |
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44
broil
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| v.烤，烧，争吵，怒骂；n.烤，烧，争吵，怒骂 | |
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conducive
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| adj.有益的，有助的 | |
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tattoo
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| n.纹身，(皮肤上的)刺花纹；vt.刺花纹于 | |
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47
mawkish
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| adj.多愁善感的的；无味的 | |
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48
ruffled
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| adj. 有褶饰边的, 起皱的 动词ruffle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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49
indignities
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| n.侮辱，轻蔑( indignity的名词复数 ) | |
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50
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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51
battered
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| adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损 | |
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52
cultivation
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| n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成 | |
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