Our first view of Juam was imposing8. A dark green pile of cliffs, towering some one hundred toises; at top, presenting a range of steep, gable-pointed projections9; as if some Titanic10 hammer and chisel11 had shaped the mass.
Sailing nearer, we perceived an extraordinary rolling of the sea; which bursting into the lagoon through an adjoining breach12 in the reef, surged toward Juam in enormous billows. At last, dashing against the wall of the cliff; they played there in unceasing fountains. But under the brow of a beetling13 crag, the spray came and went unequally. There, the blue billows seemed swallowed up, and lost.
Right regally was Juam guarded. For, at this point, the rock was pierced by a cave, into which the great waves chased each other like lions; after a hollow, subterraneous roaring issuing forth14 with manes disheveled.
Cautiously evading15 the dangerous currents here ruffling16 the lagoon, we rounded the wall of cliff; and shot upon a smooth expanse; on one side, hemmed17 in by the long, verdent, northern shore of Juam; and across the water, sentineled by its tributary18 islets.
With sonorous19 Vee-Vee in the shark's mouth, we swept toward the beach, tumultuous with a throng20.
Our canoes were secured. And surrounded by eager glances, we passed the lower ends of several populous21 valleys; and crossing a wide, open meadow, gradually ascending22, came to a range of light-green bluffs23. Here, we wended our way down a narrow defile24, almost cleaving25 this quarter of the island to its base. Black crags frowned overhead: among them the shouts of the Islanders reverberated26. Yet steeper grew the defile, and more overhanging the crags till at last, the keystone of the arch seemed dropped into its place. We found ourselves in a subterranean27 tunnel, dimly lighted by a span of white day at the end.
Emerging, what a scene was revealed! All round, embracing a circuit of some three leagues, stood heights inaccessible28, here and there, forming buttresses29, sheltering deep recesses30 between. The bosom31 of the place was vivid with verdure.
Shining aslant32 into this wild hollow, the afternoon sun lighted up its eastern side with tints33 of gold. But opposite, brooded a somber34 shadow, double-shading the secret places between the salient spurs of the mountains. Thus cut in twain by masses of day and night, it seemed as if some Last Judgment35 had been enacted36 in the glen.
No sooner did we emerge from the defile, than we became sensible of a dull, jarring sound; and Yoomy was almost tempted37 to turn and flee, when informed that the sea-cavern, whose mouth we had passed, was believed to penetrate38 deep into the opposite hills; and that the surface of the amphitheater was depressed39 beneath that of the lagoon. But all over the lowermost hillsides, and sloping into the glen, stood grand old groves40; still and stately, as if no insolent41 waves were throbbing42 in the mountain's heart.
Our attention was now directed to the habitations of the glen; comprised in two handsome villages; one to the west, the other to the east; both stretching along the base of the cliffs.
Said Media, "Had we arrived at Willamilla in the morning, we had found Donjalolo and his court in the eastern village; but being afternoon, we must travel farther, and seek him in his western retreat; for that is now in the shade."
Wending our way, Media added, that aside from his elevated station as a monarch, Donjalolo was famed for many uncommon47 traits; but more especially for certain peculiar48 deprivations49, under which he labored50.
Whereupon Braid-Beard unrolled his old chronicles; and regaled us with the history, which will be found in the following chapter.
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1 lagoon | |
n.泻湖,咸水湖 | |
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2 bestowed | |
赠给,授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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3 isles | |
岛( isle的名词复数 ) | |
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4 engulfing | |
adj.吞噬的v.吞没,包住( engulf的现在分词 ) | |
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5 dominions | |
统治权( dominion的名词复数 ); 领土; 疆土; 版图 | |
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6 monarch | |
n.帝王,君主,最高统治者 | |
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7 comeliness | |
n. 清秀, 美丽, 合宜 | |
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8 imposing | |
adj.使人难忘的,壮丽的,堂皇的,雄伟的 | |
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9 projections | |
预测( projection的名词复数 ); 投影; 投掷; 突起物 | |
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10 titanic | |
adj.巨人的,庞大的,强大的 | |
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11 chisel | |
n.凿子;v.用凿子刻,雕,凿 | |
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12 breach | |
n.违反,不履行;破裂;vt.冲破,攻破 | |
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13 beetling | |
adj.突出的,悬垂的v.快速移动( beetle的现在分词 ) | |
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14 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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15 evading | |
逃避( evade的现在分词 ); 避开; 回避; 想不出 | |
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16 ruffling | |
弄皱( ruffle的现在分词 ); 弄乱; 激怒; 扰乱 | |
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17 hemmed | |
缝…的褶边( hem的过去式和过去分词 ); 包围 | |
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18 tributary | |
n.支流;纳贡国;adj.附庸的;辅助的;支流的 | |
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19 sonorous | |
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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20 throng | |
n.人群,群众;v.拥挤,群集 | |
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21 populous | |
adj.人口稠密的,人口众多的 | |
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22 ascending | |
adj.上升的,向上的 | |
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23 bluffs | |
恐吓( bluff的名词复数 ); 悬崖; 峭壁 | |
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24 defile | |
v.弄污,弄脏;n.(山间)小道 | |
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25 cleaving | |
v.劈开,剁开,割开( cleave的现在分词 ) | |
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26 reverberated | |
回响,回荡( reverberate的过去式和过去分词 ); 使反响,使回荡,使反射 | |
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27 subterranean | |
adj.地下的,地表下的 | |
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28 inaccessible | |
adj.达不到的,难接近的 | |
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29 buttresses | |
n.扶壁,扶垛( buttress的名词复数 )v.用扶壁支撑,加固( buttress的第三人称单数 ) | |
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30 recesses | |
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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31 bosom | |
n.胸,胸部;胸怀;内心;adj.亲密的 | |
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32 aslant | |
adv.倾斜地;adj.斜的 | |
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33 tints | |
色彩( tint的名词复数 ); 带白的颜色; (淡色)染发剂; 痕迹 | |
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34 somber | |
adj.昏暗的,阴天的,阴森的,忧郁的 | |
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35 judgment | |
n.审判;判断力,识别力,看法,意见 | |
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36 enacted | |
制定(法律),通过(法案)( enact的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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37 tempted | |
v.怂恿(某人)干不正当的事;冒…的险(tempt的过去分词) | |
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38 penetrate | |
v.透(渗)入;刺入,刺穿;洞察,了解 | |
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39 depressed | |
adj.沮丧的,抑郁的,不景气的,萧条的 | |
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40 groves | |
树丛,小树林( grove的名词复数 ) | |
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41 insolent | |
adj.傲慢的,无理的 | |
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42 throbbing | |
a. 跳动的,悸动的 | |
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43 hereditary | |
adj.遗传的,遗传性的,可继承的,世袭的 | |
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44 abode | |
n.住处,住所 | |
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45 immured | |
v.禁闭,监禁( immure的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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46 naught | |
n.无,零 [=nought] | |
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47 uncommon | |
adj.罕见的,非凡的,不平常的 | |
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48 peculiar | |
adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的 | |
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49 deprivations | |
剥夺( deprivation的名词复数 ); 被夺去; 缺乏; 匮乏 | |
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50 labored | |
adj.吃力的,谨慎的v.努力争取(for)( labor的过去式和过去分词 );苦干;详细分析;(指引擎)缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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