His free and easy carriage evinced, that though acknowledging my assumptions, he was no way overawed by them; treating me as familiarly, indeed, as if I were a mere2 mortal, one of the abject3 generation of mushrooms.
The scene in the temple, however, had done much toward explaining this demeanor4 of his. A demi-god in his own proper person, my claims to a similar dignity neither struck him with wonder, nor lessened5 his good opinion of himself.
As for any thing foreign in my aspect, and my ignorance of Mardian customs—-all this, instead of begetting6 a doubt unfavorable to my pretensions7, but strengthened the conviction of them as verities8. Thus has it been in similar instances; but to a much greater extent. The celebrated9 navigator referred to in a preceding chapter, was hailed by the Hawaiians as one of their demi-gods, returned to earth, after a wide tour of the universe. And they worshiped him as such, though incessantly10 he was interrogating11 them, as to who under the sun his worshipers were; how their ancestors came on the island; and whether they would have the kindness to provide his followers12 with plenty of pork during his stay.
But a word or two concerning the idols13 in the shrine14 at Odo. Superadded to the homage15 rendered him as a temporal prince, Media was there worshiped as a spiritual being. In his corporeal16 absence, his effigy17 receiving all oblations intended for him. And in the days of his boyhood, listening to the old legends of the Mardian mythology18, Media had conceived a strong liking19 for the fabulous20 Taji; a deity21 whom he had often declared was worthy22 a niche23 in any temple extant. Hence he had honored my image with a place in his own special shrine; placing it side by side with his worshipful likeness24.
I appreciated the compliment. But of the close companionship of the other image there, I was heartily25 ashamed. And with reason. The nuisance in question being the image of a deified maker26 of plantain- pudding, lately deceased; who had been famed far and wide as the most notable fellow of his profession in the whole Archipelago. During his sublunary career, having been attached to the household of Media, his grateful master had afterward27 seen fit to crown his celebrity28 by this posthumous29 distinction: a circumstance sadly subtracting from the dignity of an apotheosis30. Nor must it here be omitted, that in this part of Mardi culinary artists are accounted worthy of high consideration. For among these people of Odo, the matter of eating and drinking is held a matter of life and of death. "Drag away my queen from my arms," said old Tyty when overcome of Adommo, "but leave me my cook."
Now, among the Mardians there were plenty of incarnated31 deities32 to keep me in countenance33. Most of the kings of the Archipelago, besides Media, claiming homage as demi-gods; and that, too, by virtue34 of hereditary35 descent, the divine spark being transmissable from father to son. In illustration of this, was the fact, that in several instances the people of the land addressed the supreme36 god Oro, in the very same terms employed in the political adoration37 of their sublunary rulers.
Ay: there were deities in Mardi far greater and taller than I: right royal monarchs38 to boot, living in jolly round tabernacles of jolly brown clay; and feasting, and roystering, and lording it in yellow tabernacles of bamboo. These demi-gods had wherewithal to sustain their lofty pretensions. If need were, could crush out of him the infidelity of a non-conformist. And by this immaculate union of church and state, god and king, in their own proper persons reigned39 supreme Caesars over the souls and bodies of their subjects.
Beside these mighty40 magnates, I and my divinity shrank into nothing. In their woodland ante-chambers plebeian41 deities were kept lingering. For be it known, that in due time we met with several decayed, broken down demi-gods: magnificos of no mark in Mardi; having no temples wherein to feast personal admirers, or spiritual devotees. They wandered about forlorn and friendless. And oftentimes in their dinnerless despair hugely gluttonized, and would fain have grown fat, by reflecting upon the magnificence of their genealogies42. But poor fellows! like shabby Scotch43 lords in London in King James's time, the very multitude of them confounded distinction. And since they could show no rent-roll, they were permitted to fume44 unheeded.
Upon the whole, so numerous were living and breathing gods in Mardi, that I held my divinity but cheaply. And seeing such a host of immortals45, and hearing of multitudes more, purely46 spiritual in their nature, haunting woodlands and streams; my views of theology grew strangely confused; I began to bethink me of the Jew that rejected the Talmud, and his all-permeating principle, to which Goethe and others have subscribed47.
Instead, then, of being struck with the audacity48 of endeavoring to palm myself off as a god—the way in which the thing first impressed me—I now perceived that I might be a god as much as I pleased, and yet not whisk a lion's tail after all at least on that special account.
As for Media's reception, its graciousness was not wholly owing to the divine character imputed49 to me. His, he believed to be the same. But to a whim50, a freakishness in his soul, which led him to fancy me as one among many, not as one with no peer.
But the apparent unconcern of King Media with respect to my godship, by no means so much surprised me, as his unaffected indifference51 to my amazing voyage from the sun; his indifference to the sun itself; and all the wonderful circumstances that must have attended my departure. Whether he had ever been there himself, that he regarded a solar trip with so much unconcern, almost became a question in my mind. Certain it is, that as a mere traveler he must have deemed me no very great prodigy52.
My surprise at these things was enhanced by reflecting, that to the people of the Archipelago the map of Mardi was the map of the world. With the exception of certain islands out of sight and at an indefinite distance, they had no certain knowledge of any isles53 but their own.
And, no long time elapsed ere I had still additional reasons to cease wondering at the easy faith accorded to the story which I had given of myself. For these Mardians were familiar with still greater marvels54 than mine; verily believing in prodigies55 of all sorts. Any one of them put my exploits to the blush.
Look to thy ways then, Taji, thought I, and carry not thy crest56 too high. Of a surety, thou hast more peers than inferiors. Thou art overtopped all round. Bear thyself discreetly57 and not haughtily58, Taji. It will not answer to give thyself airs. Abstain59 from all consequential60 allusions61 to the other world, and the genteel deities among whom thou hast circled. Sport not too jauntily62 thy raiment, because it is novel in Mardi; nor boast of the fleetness of thy Chamois, because it is unlike a canoe. Vaunt not of thy pedigree, Taji; for Media himself will measure it with thee there by the furlong. Be not a "snob," Taji.
So then, weighing all things well, and myself severely63, I — resolved to follow my Mentor's wise counsel; neither arrogating64 aught, nor abating65 of just dues; but circulating freely, sociably66, and frankly67, among the gods, heroes, high priests, kings, and gentlemen, that made up the principalities of Mardi.
点击收听单词发音
1 intercourse | |
n.性交;交流,交往,交际 | |
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2 mere | |
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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3 abject | |
adj.极可怜的,卑屈的 | |
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4 demeanor | |
n.行为;风度 | |
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5 lessened | |
减少的,减弱的 | |
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6 begetting | |
v.为…之生父( beget的现在分词 );产生,引起 | |
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7 pretensions | |
自称( pretension的名词复数 ); 自命不凡; 要求; 权力 | |
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8 verities | |
n.真实( verity的名词复数 );事实;真理;真实的陈述 | |
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9 celebrated | |
adj.有名的,声誉卓著的 | |
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10 incessantly | |
ad.不停地 | |
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11 interrogating | |
n.询问技术v.询问( interrogate的现在分词 );审问;(在计算机或其他机器上)查询 | |
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12 followers | |
追随者( follower的名词复数 ); 用户; 契据的附面; 从动件 | |
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13 idols | |
偶像( idol的名词复数 ); 受崇拜的人或物; 受到热爱和崇拜的人或物; 神像 | |
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14 shrine | |
n.圣地,神龛,庙;v.将...置于神龛内,把...奉为神圣 | |
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15 homage | |
n.尊敬,敬意,崇敬 | |
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16 corporeal | |
adj.肉体的,身体的;物质的 | |
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17 effigy | |
n.肖像 | |
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18 mythology | |
n.神话,神话学,神话集 | |
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19 liking | |
n.爱好;嗜好;喜欢 | |
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20 fabulous | |
adj.极好的;极为巨大的;寓言中的,传说中的 | |
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21 deity | |
n.神,神性;被奉若神明的人(或物) | |
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22 worthy | |
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的 | |
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23 niche | |
n.壁龛;合适的职务(环境、位置等) | |
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24 likeness | |
n.相像,相似(之处) | |
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25 heartily | |
adv.衷心地,诚恳地,十分,很 | |
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26 maker | |
n.制造者,制造商 | |
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27 afterward | |
adv.后来;以后 | |
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28 celebrity | |
n.名人,名流;著名,名声,名望 | |
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29 posthumous | |
adj.遗腹的;父亡后出生的;死后的,身后的 | |
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30 apotheosis | |
n.神圣之理想;美化;颂扬 | |
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31 incarnated | |
v.赋予(思想、精神等)以人的形体( incarnate的过去式和过去分词 );使人格化;体现;使具体化 | |
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32 deities | |
n.神,女神( deity的名词复数 );神祗;神灵;神明 | |
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33 countenance | |
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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34 virtue | |
n.德行,美德;贞操;优点;功效,效力 | |
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35 hereditary | |
adj.遗传的,遗传性的,可继承的,世袭的 | |
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36 supreme | |
adj.极度的,最重要的;至高的,最高的 | |
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37 adoration | |
n.爱慕,崇拜 | |
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38 monarchs | |
君主,帝王( monarch的名词复数 ) | |
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39 reigned | |
vi.当政,统治(reign的过去式形式) | |
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40 mighty | |
adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
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41 plebeian | |
adj.粗俗的;平民的;n.平民;庶民 | |
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42 genealogies | |
n.系谱,家系,宗谱( genealogy的名词复数 ) | |
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43 scotch | |
n.伤口,刻痕;苏格兰威士忌酒;v.粉碎,消灭,阻止;adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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44 fume | |
n.(usu pl.)(浓烈或难闻的)烟,气,汽 | |
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45 immortals | |
不朽的人物( immortal的名词复数 ); 永生不朽者 | |
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46 purely | |
adv.纯粹地,完全地 | |
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47 subscribed | |
v.捐助( subscribe的过去式和过去分词 );签署,题词;订阅;同意 | |
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48 audacity | |
n.大胆,卤莽,无礼 | |
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49 imputed | |
v.把(错误等)归咎于( impute的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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50 whim | |
n.一时的兴致,突然的念头;奇想,幻想 | |
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51 indifference | |
n.不感兴趣,不关心,冷淡,不在乎 | |
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52 prodigy | |
n.惊人的事物,奇迹,神童,天才,预兆 | |
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53 isles | |
岛( isle的名词复数 ) | |
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54 marvels | |
n.奇迹( marvel的名词复数 );令人惊奇的事物(或事例);不平凡的成果;成就v.惊奇,对…感到惊奇( marvel的第三人称单数 ) | |
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55 prodigies | |
n.奇才,天才(尤指神童)( prodigy的名词复数 ) | |
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56 crest | |
n.顶点;饰章;羽冠;vt.达到顶点;vi.形成浪尖 | |
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57 discreetly | |
ad.(言行)审慎地,慎重地 | |
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58 haughtily | |
adv. 傲慢地, 高傲地 | |
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59 abstain | |
v.自制,戒绝,弃权,避免 | |
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60 consequential | |
adj.作为结果的,间接的;重要的 | |
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61 allusions | |
暗指,间接提到( allusion的名词复数 ) | |
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62 jauntily | |
adv.心满意足地;洋洋得意地;高兴地;活泼地 | |
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63 severely | |
adv.严格地;严厉地;非常恶劣地 | |
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64 arrogating | |
v.冒称,妄取( arrogate的现在分词 );没来由地把…归属(于) | |
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65 abating | |
减少( abate的现在分词 ); 减去; 降价; 撤消(诉讼) | |
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66 sociably | |
adv.成群地 | |
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67 frankly | |
adv.坦白地,直率地;坦率地说 | |
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