Meanwhile, all over the isle4, to and fro went heralds5, dismally6 arrayed, beating shark-skin drums; and, at intervals7, crying—"A man is dead; let no fires be kindled8; have mercy, oh Oro!—Let no canoes put to sea till the burial. This night, oh Oro!—Let no food be cooked."
And ever and anon, passed and repassed these, others in brave attire10; with castanets of pearl shells, making gay music; and these sang—
Be merry, oh men of Mondoldo,
Be merry, oh damsels of Mardi,—
Flowers, flowers for the bridal bed.
Informed that the preliminary rites were about being rendered, we repaired to the arbor13, whither the body had been removed.
Arrayed in white, it was laid out on a mat; its arms mutely crossed, between its lips an asphodel; at the feet, a withered14 hawthorn15 bough16.
The relatives were wailing17, and cutting themselves with shells, so that blood flowed, and spotted18 their vesture.
Upon remonstrating19 with the most abandoned of these mourners, the wife of the diver, she exclaimed, "Yes; great is the pain, but greater my affliction."
Another, the deaf sire of the dead, went staggering about, and groping; saying, that he was now quite blind; for some months previous he had lost one eye in the death of his eldest20 son and now the other was gone.
"I am childless," he cried; "henceforth call me Roi Mori," that is, Twice-Blind.
While the relatives were thus violently lamenting22, the rest of the company occasionally scratched themselves with their shells; but very slightly, and mostly on the soles of their feet; from long exposure, quite callous23. This was interrupted, however, when the real mourners averted24 their eyes; though at no time was there any deviation25 in the length of their faces.
But on all sides, lamentations afresh broke forth21, upon the appearance of a person who had been called in to assist in solemnizing the obsequies, and also to console the afflicted26.
As he approached the corpse28, a sobbing29 silence ensued; when holding the hand of the dead, between his, the stranger thus spoke:—
"Mourn not, oh friends of Karhownoo, that this your brother lives not. His wounded head pains him no more; he would not feel it, did a javelin30 pierce him. Yea; Karhownoo is exempt31 from all the ills and evils of this miserable32 Mardi!"
Hereupon, the Twice-Blind, who being deaf, heard not what was said, tore his gray hair, and cried, "Alas33! alas! my boy; thou wert the merriest man in Mardi, and now thy pranks34 are over!"
But the other proceeded—"Mourn not, I say, oh friends of Karhownoo; the dead whom ye deplore35 is happier than the living; is not his spirit in the aerial isles36?"
"True! true!" responded the raving37 wife, mingling38 her blood with her tears, "my own poor hapless Karhownoo is thrice happy in Paradise!" And anew she wailed39, and lacerated her cheeks.
And now the good stranger departed; saying, he must hie to a wedding, waiting his presence in an arbor adjoining.
Understanding that the removal of the body would not take place till midnight, we thought to behold42 the mode of marrying in Mondoldo.
Drawing near the place, we were greeted by merry voices, and much singing, which greatly increased when the good stranger was perceived.
Gayly arrayed in fine robes, with plumes43 on their heads, the bride and groom44 stood in the middle of a joyous45 throng46, in readiness for the nuptial47 bond to be tied.
Standing41 before them, the stranger was given a cord, so bedecked with flowers, as to disguise its stout48 fibers49; and taking: the bride's hands, he bound them together to a ritual chant; about her neck, in festoons, disposing the flowery ends of the cord. Then turning to the groom, he was given another, also beflowered; but attached thereto was a great stone, very much carved, and stained; indeed, so every way disguised, that a person not knowing what it was, and lifting it, would be greatly amazed at its weight. This cord being attached to the waist of the groom, he leaned over toward the bride, by reason of the burden of the drop.
All present now united in a chant, and danced about the happy pair, who meanwhile looked ill at ease; the one being so bound by the hands, and the other solely50 weighed down by his stone.
A pause ensuing, the good stranger, turning them back to back, thus spoke:—
"By thy flowery gyves, oh bride, I make thee a wife; and by thy burdensome stone, oh groom, I make thee a husband. Live and be happy, both; for the wise and good Oro hath placed us in Mardi to be glad. Doth not all nature rejoice in her green groves51 and her flowers? and woo and wed not the fowls52 of the air, trilling their bliss53 in their bowers54? Live then, and be happy, oh bride and groom; for Oro is offended with the unhappy, since he meant them to be gay."
But not all nuptials56 in Mardi were like these. Others were wedded57 with different rites; without the stone and flowery gyves. These were they who plighted58 their troth with tears not smiles, and made responses in the heart.
Returning from the house of the merry to the house of the mournful, we lingered till midnight to witness the issuing forth of the body.
By torch light, numerous canoes, with paddlers standing by, were drawn59 up on the beach, to accommodate those who purposed following the poor diver to his home.
The remains embarked60, some confusion ensued concerning the occupancy of the rest of the shallops. At last the procession glided61 off, our party included. Two by two, forming a long line of torches trailing round the isle, the canoes all headed toward the opening in the reef.
For a time, a decorous silence was preserved; but presently, some whispering was heard; perhaps melancholy62 discoursing63 touching64 the close of the diver's career. But we were shocked to discover, that poor Karhownoo was not much in their thoughts; they were conversing65 about the next bread-fruit harvest, and the recent arrival of King Media and party at Mondoldo. From far in advance, however, were heard the lamentations of the true mourners, the relatives of the diver.
Passing the reef, and sailing a little distance therefrom, the canoes were disposed in a circle; the one bearing the corpse in the center. Certain ceremonies over, the body was committed to the waves; the white foam66 lighting67 up the last, long plunge68 of the diver, to see sights more strange than ever he saw in the brooding cells of the Turtle Reef.
And now, while in the still midnight, all present were gazing down into the ocean, watching the white wake of the corpse, ever and anon illuminated69 by sparkles, an unknown voice was heard, and all started and vacantly stared, as this wild song was sung:—
We drop our dead in the sea,
The bottomless, bottomless sea;
Each bubble a hollow sigh,
As it sinks forever and aye.
We drop our dead in the sea,—
We drop our dead in the sea,—
The sea ne'er gives it a thought.
Sink, sink, oh corpse, still sink,
Far down in the bottomless sea,
Where the unknown forms do prowl,
Down, down in the bottomless sea.
'Tis night above, and night all round,
And night will it be with thee;
As thou sinkest, and sinkest for aye,
Deeper down in the bottomless sea.
The mysterious voice died away; no sign of the corpse was now seen; and mute with amaze, the company long listed to the low moan of the billows and the sad sough of the breeze.
At last, without speaking, the obsequies were concluded by sliding into the ocean a carved tablet of Palmetto, to mark the place of the burial. But a wave-crest received it, and fast it floated away.
Returning to the isle, long silence prevailed. But at length, as if the scene in which they had just taken part, afresh reminded them of the mournful event which had called them together, the company again recurred71 to it; some present, sadly and incidentally alluding72 to Borabolla's banquet of turtle, thereby73 postponed74.
点击收听单词发音
1 rites | |
仪式,典礼( rite的名词复数 ) | |
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2 remains | |
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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3 sepulcher | |
n.坟墓 | |
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4 isle | |
n.小岛,岛 | |
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5 heralds | |
n.使者( herald的名词复数 );预报者;预兆;传令官v.预示( herald的第三人称单数 );宣布(好或重要) | |
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6 dismally | |
adv.阴暗地,沉闷地 | |
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7 intervals | |
n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 );间隔时间;[数学]区间;(戏剧、电影或音乐会的)幕间休息 | |
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8 kindled | |
(使某物)燃烧,着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 ); 激起(感情等); 发亮,放光 | |
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9 rave | |
vi.胡言乱语;热衷谈论;n.热情赞扬 | |
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10 attire | |
v.穿衣,装扮[同]array;n.衣着;盛装 | |
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11 maiden | |
n.少女,处女;adj.未婚的,纯洁的,无经验的 | |
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12 wed | |
v.娶,嫁,与…结婚 | |
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13 arbor | |
n.凉亭;树木 | |
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14 withered | |
adj. 枯萎的,干瘪的,(人身体的部分器官)因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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15 hawthorn | |
山楂 | |
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16 bough | |
n.大树枝,主枝 | |
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17 wailing | |
v.哭叫,哀号( wail的现在分词 );沱 | |
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18 spotted | |
adj.有斑点的,斑纹的,弄污了的 | |
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19 remonstrating | |
v.抗议( remonstrate的现在分词 );告诫 | |
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20 eldest | |
adj.最年长的,最年老的 | |
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21 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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22 lamenting | |
adj.悲伤的,悲哀的v.(为…)哀悼,痛哭,悲伤( lament的现在分词 ) | |
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23 callous | |
adj.无情的,冷淡的,硬结的,起老茧的 | |
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24 averted | |
防止,避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 ); 转移 | |
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25 deviation | |
n.背离,偏离;偏差,偏向;离题 | |
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26 afflicted | |
使受痛苦,折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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27 puffed | |
adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 );喷着汽(或烟)移动;吹嘘;吹捧 | |
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28 corpse | |
n.尸体,死尸 | |
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29 sobbing | |
<主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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30 javelin | |
n.标枪,投枪 | |
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31 exempt | |
adj.免除的;v.使免除;n.免税者,被免除义务者 | |
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32 miserable | |
adj.悲惨的,痛苦的;可怜的,糟糕的 | |
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33 alas | |
int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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34 pranks | |
n.玩笑,恶作剧( prank的名词复数 ) | |
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35 deplore | |
vt.哀叹,对...深感遗憾 | |
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36 isles | |
岛( isle的名词复数 ) | |
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37 raving | |
adj.说胡话的;疯狂的,怒吼的;非常漂亮的;令人醉心[痴心]的v.胡言乱语(rave的现在分词)n.胡话;疯话adv.胡言乱语地;疯狂地 | |
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38 mingling | |
adj.混合的 | |
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39 wailed | |
v.哭叫,哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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40 raved | |
v.胡言乱语( rave的过去式和过去分词 );愤怒地说;咆哮;痴心地说 | |
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41 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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42 behold | |
v.看,注视,看到 | |
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43 plumes | |
羽毛( plume的名词复数 ); 羽毛饰; 羽毛状物; 升上空中的羽状物 | |
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44 groom | |
vt.给(马、狗等)梳毛,照料,使...整洁 | |
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45 joyous | |
adj.充满快乐的;令人高兴的 | |
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46 throng | |
n.人群,群众;v.拥挤,群集 | |
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47 nuptial | |
adj.婚姻的,婚礼的 | |
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49 fibers | |
光纤( fiber的名词复数 ); (织物的)质地; 纤维,纤维物质 | |
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50 solely | |
adv.仅仅,唯一地 | |
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51 groves | |
树丛,小树林( grove的名词复数 ) | |
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52 fowls | |
鸟( fowl的名词复数 ); 禽肉; 既不是这; 非驴非马 | |
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53 bliss | |
n.狂喜,福佑,天赐的福 | |
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54 bowers | |
n.(女子的)卧室( bower的名词复数 );船首锚;阴凉处;鞠躬的人 | |
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55 joyful | |
adj.欢乐的,令人欢欣的 | |
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56 nuptials | |
n.婚礼;婚礼( nuptial的名词复数 ) | |
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57 wedded | |
adj.正式结婚的;渴望…的,执著于…的v.嫁,娶,(与…)结婚( wed的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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58 plighted | |
vt.保证,约定(plight的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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59 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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60 embarked | |
乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 ); 装载; 从事 | |
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61 glided | |
v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 );掠过;(鸟或飞机 ) 滑翔 | |
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62 melancholy | |
n.忧郁,愁思;adj.令人感伤(沮丧)的,忧郁的 | |
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63 discoursing | |
演说(discourse的现在分词形式) | |
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64 touching | |
adj.动人的,使人感伤的 | |
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65 conversing | |
v.交谈,谈话( converse的现在分词 ) | |
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66 foam | |
v./n.泡沫,起泡沫 | |
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67 lighting | |
n.照明,光线的明暗,舞台灯光 | |
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68 plunge | |
v.跳入,(使)投入,(使)陷入;猛冲 | |
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69 illuminated | |
adj.被照明的;受启迪的 | |
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70 reek | |
v.发出臭气;n.恶臭 | |
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71 recurred | |
再发生,复发( recur的过去式和过去分词 ); 治愈 | |
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72 alluding | |
提及,暗指( allude的现在分词 ) | |
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73 thereby | |
adv.因此,从而 | |
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74 postponed | |
vt.& vi.延期,缓办,(使)延迟vt.把…放在次要地位;[语]把…放在后面(或句尾)vi.(疟疾等)延缓发作(或复发) | |
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