"Say you so, my lord? then for one, I am with you;" cried Babbalanja. "Fill me a brimmer. Ah! but this wine leaps through me like a panther. Ay, let us laugh: let us roar: let us yell! What, if I was sad but just now? Life is an April day, that both laughs and weeps in a breath. But whoso is wise, laughs when he can. Men fly from a groan7; but run to a laugh. Vee-Vee! your gourd8. My lord, let me help you. Ah, how it sparkles! Cups, cups, Vee-Vee, more cups! Here, Taji, take that: Mohi, take that: Yoomy, take that. And now let us drown away grief. Ha! ha! the house of mourning, is deserted9, though of old good cheer kept the funeral guests; and so keep I mine; here I sit by my dead, and replenish10 your wine cups. Old Mohi, your cup: Yoomy, yours: ha! ha! let us laugh, let us scream! Weeds are put off at a fair; no heart bursts but in secret; it is good to laugh, though the laugh be hollow; and wise to make merry, now and for aye. Laugh, and make friends: weep, and they go. Women sob11, and are rid of their grief: men laugh, and retain it. There is laughter in heaven, and laughter in hell. And a deep thought whose language is laughter. Though wisdom be wedded12 to woe13, though the way thereto is by tears, yet all ends in a shout. But wisdom wears no weeds; woe is more merry than mirth; 'tis a shallow grief that is sad. Ha! ha! how demoniacs shout; how all skeletons grin; we all die with a rattle14. Laugh! laugh! Are the cherubim grave? Humor, thy laugh is divine; whence, mirth- making idiots have been revered16; and therefore may I. Ho! let us be gay, if it be only for an hour, and Death hand us the goblet17. Vee-Vee! bring on your gourds18! Let us pledge each other in bumpers19!—let us laugh, laugh, laugh it out to the last. All sages20 have laughed,—let us; Bardianna laughed, let us; Demorkriti laughed,—let us: Amoree laughed,—let us; Rabeelee roared,—let us; the hyenas21 grin, the jackals yell,—let us.—But you don't laugh, my lord? laugh away!"
"No, thank you, Azzageddi, not after that infernal fashion; better weep."
"He makes me crawl all over, as if I were an ant-hill," said Mohi.
"He's mad, mad, mad!" cried Yoomy.
"Ay, mad, mad, mad!—mad as the mad fiend that rides me!—But come, sweet minstrel, wilt22 list to a song?—We madmen are all poets, you know:—Ha! ha!—
Stars laugh in the sky:
Oh fugle-fi I. — The waves dimple below:
Oh fugle-fo!
"The wind strikes her dulcimers; the groves23 give a shout; the hurricane is only an hysterical24 laugh; and the lightning that blasts, blasts only in play. We must laugh or we die; to laugh is to live. Not to laugh is to have the tetanus. Will you weep? then laugh while you weep. For mirth and sorrow are kin15; are published by identical nerves. Go, Yoomy: go study anatomy25: there is much to be learned from the dead, more than you may learn from the living and I am dead though I. — live; and as soon dissect26 myself as another; I curiously27 look into my secrets: and grope under my ribs28. I have found that the heart is not whole, but divided; that it seeks a soft cushion whereon to repose29; that it vitalizes the blood; which else were weaker than water: I have found that we can not live without hearts; though the heartless live longest. Yet hug your hearts, ye handful that have them; 'tis a blessed inheritance! Thus, thus, my lord, I run on; from one pole to the other; from this thing to that. But so the great world goes round, and in one Somerset, shows the sun twenty-five thousand miles of a landscape!"
At that instant, down went the fiery30 full-moon, and the Dog-Star; and far down into Media, a Tivoli of wine.
CHAPTER LXXX. — Morning
Life or death, weal or woe, the sun stays not his course. On: over battle-field and bower31; over tower, and town, he speeds,—peers in at births, and death-beds; lights up cathedral, mosque32, and pagan shrine;—laughing over all;—a very Democritus in the sky; and in one brief day sees more than any pilgrim in a century's round.
So, the sun; nearer heaven than we:—with what mind, then, may blessed Oro downward look.
It was a purple, red, and yellow East;—streaked, and crossed. And down from breezy mountains, robust33 and ruddy Morning came,—a plaided Highlander34, waving his plumed35 bonnet36 to the isles37.
Over the neighboring groves the larks38 soared high; and soaring, sang in jubilees39; while across our bows, between two isles, a mighty40 moose swam stately as a seventy-four; and backward tossed his antlered wilderness41 in air.
Just bounding from fresh morning groves, with the brine he mixed the dew of leaves,—his antlers dripping on the swell42, that rippled43 before his brown and bow-like chest.
"Five hundred thousand centuries since," said Babbalanja, "this same sight was seen. With Oro, the sun is co-eternal; and the same life that moves that moose, animates44 alike the sun and Oro. All are parts of One. In me, in me, flit thoughts participated by the beings peopling all the stars. Saturn45, and Mercury, and Mardi, are brothers, one and all; and across their orbits, to each other talk, like souls. Of these things what chapters might be writ46! Oh! that flesh can not keep pace with spirit. Oh! that these myriad47 germ-dramas in me, should so perish hourly, for lack of power mechanic.—Worlds pass worlds in space, as men, men,—in thoroughfares; and after periods of thousand years, cry:—"Well met, my friend, again!"—To me to me, they talk in mystic music; I hear them think through all their zones. —Hail, furthest worlds! and all the beauteous beings in ye! Fan me, sweet Zenora! with thy twilight48 wings!—Ho! let's voyage to Aldebaran.—Ha! indeed, a ruddy world! What a buoyant air! Not like to Mardi, this. Ruby49 columns: minarets50 of amethyst51: diamond domes52! Who is this?—a god? What a lake-like brow! transparent53 as the morning air. I. — see his thoughts like worlds revolving—and in his eyes—like unto heavens—soft falling stars are shooting.—How these thousand passing wings winnow54 away my breath:—I faint:—back, back to some small asteroid55.—Sweet being! if, by Mardian word I may address thee— speak!—'I bear a soul in germ within me; I feel the first, faint trembling, like to a harp-string, vibrate in my inmost being. Kill me, and generations die.'—So, of old, the unbegotten lived within the virgin56; who then loved her God, as new-made mothers their babes ere born. Oh, Alma, Alma, Alma!—Fangs off, fiend!—will that name ever lash57 thee into foam58?—Smite not my face so, forked flames!"
"Babbalanja! Babbalanja! rouse, man! rouse! Art in hell and damned, that thy sinews so snake-like coil and twist all over thee? Thy brow is black as Ops! Turn, turn! see yonder moose!"
"Hail! mighty brute59!—thou feelest not these things: never canst thou be damned. Moose! would thy soul were mine; for if that scorched60 thing, mine, be immortal—so thine; and thy life hath not the consciousness of death. I read profound placidity—deep—million— violet fathoms61 down, in that soft, pathetic, woman eye! What is man's shrunk form to thine, thou woodland majesty62?—Moose, moose!—my soul is shot again—Oh, Oro! Oro!"
"He falls!" cried Media.
"Mark the agony in his waning63 eye," said Yoomy;—"alas, poor Babbalanja! Is this thing of madness conscious to thyself? If ever thou art sane64 again, wilt thou have reminiscences? Take my robe:— here, I strip me to cover thee and all thy woes65. Oro! by this, thy being's side, I kneel:—grant death or happiness to Babbalanja!"
点击收听单词发音
1 muffled | |
adj.(声音)被隔的;听不太清的;(衣服)裹严的;蒙住的v.压抑,捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 );用厚厚的衣帽包着(自己) | |
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2 barbs | |
n.(箭头、鱼钩等的)倒钩( barb的名词复数 );带刺的话;毕露的锋芒;钩状毛 | |
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3 slay | |
v.杀死,宰杀,杀戮 | |
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4 debark | |
v.卸载;下船,下飞机,下车 | |
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5 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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6 quaff | |
v.一饮而尽;痛饮 | |
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7 groan | |
vi./n.呻吟,抱怨;(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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8 gourd | |
n.葫芦 | |
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9 deserted | |
adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的 | |
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10 replenish | |
vt.补充;(把…)装满;(再)填满 | |
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11 sob | |
n.空间轨道的轰炸机;呜咽,哭泣 | |
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12 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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13 woe | |
n.悲哀,苦痛,不幸,困难;int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌 | |
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14 rattle | |
v.飞奔,碰响;激怒;n.碰撞声;拨浪鼓 | |
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15 kin | |
n.家族,亲属,血缘关系;adj.亲属关系的,同类的 | |
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16 revered | |
v.崇敬,尊崇,敬畏( revere的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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17 goblet | |
n.高脚酒杯 | |
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18 gourds | |
n.葫芦( gourd的名词复数 ) | |
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19 bumpers | |
(汽车上的)保险杠,缓冲器( bumper的名词复数 ) | |
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20 sages | |
n.圣人( sage的名词复数 );智者;哲人;鼠尾草(可用作调料) | |
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21 hyenas | |
n.鬣狗( hyena的名词复数 ) | |
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22 wilt | |
v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎;(指人)疲倦,衰弱 | |
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23 groves | |
树丛,小树林( grove的名词复数 ) | |
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24 hysterical | |
adj.情绪异常激动的,歇斯底里般的 | |
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25 anatomy | |
n.解剖学,解剖;功能,结构,组织 | |
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26 dissect | |
v.分割;解剖 | |
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27 curiously | |
adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地 | |
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28 ribs | |
n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 );(船或屋顶等的)肋拱;肋骨状的东西;(织物的)凸条花纹 | |
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29 repose | |
v.(使)休息;n.安息 | |
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30 fiery | |
adj.燃烧着的,火红的;暴躁的;激烈的 | |
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31 bower | |
n.凉亭,树荫下凉快之处;闺房;v.荫蔽 | |
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32 mosque | |
n.清真寺 | |
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33 robust | |
adj.强壮的,强健的,粗野的,需要体力的,浓的 | |
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34 highlander | |
n.高地的人,苏格兰高地地区的人 | |
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35 plumed | |
饰有羽毛的 | |
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36 bonnet | |
n.无边女帽;童帽 | |
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37 isles | |
岛( isle的名词复数 ) | |
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38 larks | |
n.百灵科鸟(尤指云雀)( lark的名词复数 );一大早就起床;鸡鸣即起;(因太费力而不想干时说)算了v.百灵科鸟(尤指云雀)( lark的第三人称单数 );一大早就起床;鸡鸣即起;(因太费力而不想干时说)算了 | |
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39 jubilees | |
n.周年纪念( jubilee的名词复数 ) | |
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40 mighty | |
adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
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41 wilderness | |
n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等,荒漠 | |
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42 swell | |
vi.膨胀,肿胀;增长,增强 | |
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43 rippled | |
使泛起涟漪(ripple的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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44 animates | |
v.使有生气( animate的第三人称单数 );驱动;使栩栩如生地动作;赋予…以生命 | |
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45 Saturn | |
n.农神,土星 | |
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46 writ | |
n.命令状,书面命令 | |
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47 myriad | |
adj.无数的;n.无数,极大数量 | |
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48 twilight | |
n.暮光,黄昏;暮年,晚期,衰落时期 | |
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49 ruby | |
n.红宝石,红宝石色 | |
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50 minarets | |
n.(清真寺旁由报告祈祷时刻的人使用的)光塔( minaret的名词复数 ) | |
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51 amethyst | |
n.紫水晶 | |
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52 domes | |
n.圆屋顶( dome的名词复数 );像圆屋顶一样的东西;圆顶体育场 | |
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53 transparent | |
adj.明显的,无疑的;透明的 | |
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54 winnow | |
v.把(谷物)的杂质吹掉,扬去 | |
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55 asteroid | |
n.小行星;海盘车(动物) | |
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56 virgin | |
n.处女,未婚女子;adj.未经使用的;未经开发的 | |
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57 lash | |
v.系牢;鞭打;猛烈抨击;n.鞭打;眼睫毛 | |
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58 foam | |
v./n.泡沫,起泡沫 | |
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59 brute | |
n.野兽,兽性 | |
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60 scorched | |
烧焦,烤焦( scorch的过去式和过去分词 ); 使(植物)枯萎,把…晒枯; 高速行驶; 枯焦 | |
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61 fathoms | |
英寻( fathom的名词复数 ) | |
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62 majesty | |
n.雄伟,壮丽,庄严,威严;最高权威,王权 | |
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63 waning | |
adj.(月亮)渐亏的,逐渐减弱或变小的n.月亏v.衰落( wane的现在分词 );(月)亏;变小;变暗淡 | |
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64 sane | |
adj.心智健全的,神志清醒的,明智的,稳健的 | |
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65 woes | |
困境( woe的名词复数 ); 悲伤; 我好苦哇; 某人就要倒霉 | |
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