The first air fairly startled me; it was the brave tune2 of Old Hundred, adapted to a Tahitian psalm3. After the graceless scenes I had recently passed through, this circumstance, with all its accessories, moved me forcibly.
Many voices around were of great sweetness and compass. The singers, also, seemed to enjoy themselves mightily4; some of them pausing, now and then, and looking round, as if to realize the scene more fully5. In truth, they sang right joyously6, despite the solemnity of the tune.
The Tahitians have much natural talent for singing; and, on all occasions, are exceedingly fond of it. I have often heard a stave or two of psalmody, hummed over by rakish young fellows, like a snatch from an opera.
With respect to singing, as in most other matters, the Tahitians widely differ from the people of the Sandwich Islands; where the parochial flocks may be said rather to Heat than sing.
The psalm concluded, a prayer followed. Very considerately, the good old missionary7 made it short; for the congregation became fidgety and inattentive as soon as it commenced.
A chapter of the Tahitian Bible was now read; a text selected; and the sermon began. It was listened to with more attention than I had anticipated.
Having been informed, from various sources, that the discourses8 of the missionaries10, being calculated to engage the attention of their simple auditors11, were, naturally enough, of a rather amusing description to strangers; in short, that they had much to say about steamboats, lord mayor's coaches, and the way fires are put out in London, I had taken care to provide myself with a good interpreter, in the person of an intelligent Hawaiian sailor, whose acquaintance I had made.
"Now, Jack," said I, before entering, "hear every word, and tell me what you can as the missionary goes on."
Jack's was not, perhaps, a critical version of the discourse9; and at the time, I took no notes of what he said. Nevertheless, I will here venture to give what I remember of it; and, as far as possible, in Jack's phraseology, so as to lose nothing by a double translation.
"Good friends, I glad to see you; and I very well like to have some talk with you to-day. Good friends, very bad times in Tahiti; it make me weep. Pomaree is gone—the island no more yours, but the Wee-wees' (French). Wicked priests here, too; and wicked idols13 in woman's clothes, and brass14 chains.
"Good friends, no you speak, or look at them—but I know you won't—they belong to a set of robbers—the wicked Wee-wees. Soon these bad men be made to go very quick. Beretanee ships of thunder come and away they go. But no more 'bout12 this now. I speak more by by.
"Good friends, many whale-ships here now; and many bad men come in 'em. No good sailors living—that you know very well. They come here, 'cause so bad they no keep 'em home.
"My good little girls, no run after sailors—no go where they go; they harm you. Where they come from, no good people talk to 'em—just like dogs. Here, they talk to Pomaree, and drink arva with great Poofai.
"Good friends, this very small island, but very wicked, and very poor; these two go together. Why Beretanee so great? Because that island good island, and send mickonaree to poor kannaka In Beretanee, every man rich: plenty things to buy; and plenty things to sell. Houses bigger than Pomaree's, and more grand. Everybody, too, ride about in coaches, bigger than hers; and wear fine tappa every day. (Several luxurious15 appliances of civilization were here enumerated16, and described.)
"Good friends, little to eat left at my house. Schooner17 from Sydney no bring bag of flour: and kannaka no bring pig and fruit enough. Mickonaree do great deal for kannaka; kannaka do little for mickonaree. So, good friends, weave plenty of cocoa-nut baskets, fill 'em, and bring 'em to-morrow."
Such was the substance of great part of this discourse; and, whatever may be thought of it, it was specially18 adapted to the minds of the islanders: who are susceptible19 to no impressions, except from things palpable, or novel and striking. To them, a dry sermon would be dry indeed.
The Tahitians can hardly ever be said to reflect: they are all impulse; and so, instead of expounding20 dogmas, the missionaries give them the large type, pleasing cuts, and short and easy lessons of the primer. Hence, anything like a permanent religious impression is seldom or never produced.
In fact, there is, perhaps, no race upon earth, less disposed, by nature, to the monitions of Christianity, than the people of the South Seas. And this assertion is made with full knowledge of what is called the "Great Revival22 at the Sandwich Islands," about the year 1836; when several thousands were, in the course of a few weeks, admitted into the bosom23 of the Church. But this result was brought about by no sober moral convictions; as an almost instantaneous relapse into every kind of licentiousness24 soon after testified. It was the legitimate25 effect of a morbid26 feeling, engendered27 by the sense of severe physical wants, preying28 upon minds excessively prone29 to superstition30; and, by fanatical preaching, inflamed31 into the belief that the gods of the missionaries were taking vengeance33 upon the wickedness of the land.
It is a noteworthy fact that those very traits in the Tahitians, which induced the London Missionary Society to regard them as the most promising34 subjects for conversion35, and which led, moreover, to the selection of their island as the very first field for missionary labour, eventually proved the most serious obstruction36. An air of softness in their manners, great apparent ingenuousness37 and docility38, at first misled; but these were the mere39 accompaniments of an indolence, bodily and mental; a constitutional voluptuousness40; and an aversion to the least restraint; which, however fitted for the luxurious state of nature, in the tropics, are the greatest possible hindrances41 to the strict moralities of Christianity.
Added to all this is a quality inherent in Polynesians; and more akin32 to hypocrisy42 than anything else. It leads them to assume the most passionate43 interest in matters for which they really feel little or none whatever; but in which, those whose power they dread44, or whose favour they court, they believe to be at all affected45. Thus, in their heathen state, the Sandwich Islanders actually knocked out their teeth, tore their hair, and mangled46 their bodies with shells, to testify their inconsolable grief at the demise47 of a high chief, or member of the royal family. And yet, Vancouver relates that, on such an occasion, upon which he happened to be present, those apparently48 the most abandoned to their feelings, immediately assumed the utmost light-heartedness on receiving the present of a penny whistle, or a Dutch looking-glass. Similar instances, also, have come under my own observation.
The following is an illustration of the trait alluded49 to, as occasionally manifested among the converted Polynesians.
At one of the Society Islands—Baiatair, I believe—the natives, for special reasons, desired to commend themselves particularly to the favour of the missionaries. Accordingly, during divine service, many of them behaved in a manner, otherwise unaccountable, and precisely50 similar to their behaviour as heathens. They pretended to be wrought51 up to madness by the preaching which they heard. They rolled their eyes; foamed52 at the mouth; fell down in fits; and so were carried home. Yet, strange to relate, all this was deemed the evidence of the power of the Most High; and, as such, was heralded53 abroad.
But, to return to the Church of the Cocoa-nuts. The blessing54 pronounced, the congregation disperse55; enlivening the Broom Road with their waving mantles56. On either hand, they disappear down the shaded pathways, which lead off from the main route, conducting to hamlets in the groves57, or to the little marine58 villas59 upon the beach. There is considerable hilarity60; and you would suppose them just from an old-fashioned "hevar," or jolly heathen dance. Those who carry Bibles swing them carelessly from their arms by cords of sinnate.
The Sabbath is no ordinary day with the Tahitians. So far as doing any work is concerned, it is scrupulously61 observed. The canoes are hauled up on the beach; the nets are spread to dry. Passing by the hen-coop huts on the roadside, you find their occupants idle, as usual; but less disposed to gossip. After service, repose62 broods over the whole island; the valleys reaching inland look stiller than ever.
In short, it is Sunday—their "Taboo63 Day"; the very word formerly64 expressing the sacredness of their pagan observances now proclaiming the sanctity of the Christian21 Sabbath.
点击收听单词发音
1 choir | |
n.唱诗班,唱诗班的席位,合唱团,舞蹈团;v.合唱 | |
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2 tune | |
n.调子;和谐,协调;v.调音,调节,调整 | |
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3 psalm | |
n.赞美诗,圣诗 | |
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4 mightily | |
ad.强烈地;非常地 | |
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5 fully | |
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地 | |
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6 joyously | |
ad.快乐地, 高兴地 | |
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7 missionary | |
adj.教会的,传教(士)的;n.传教士 | |
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8 discourses | |
论文( discourse的名词复数 ); 演说; 讲道; 话语 | |
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9 discourse | |
n.论文,演说;谈话;话语;vi.讲述,著述 | |
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10 missionaries | |
n.传教士( missionary的名词复数 ) | |
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11 auditors | |
n.审计员,稽核员( auditor的名词复数 );(大学课程的)旁听生 | |
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12 bout | |
n.侵袭,发作;一次(阵,回);拳击等比赛 | |
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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 brass | |
n.黄铜;黄铜器,铜管乐器 | |
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15 luxurious | |
adj.精美而昂贵的;豪华的 | |
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16 enumerated | |
v.列举,枚举,数( enumerate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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17 schooner | |
n.纵帆船 | |
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18 specially | |
adv.特定地;特殊地;明确地 | |
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19 susceptible | |
adj.过敏的,敏感的;易动感情的,易受感动的 | |
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20 expounding | |
论述,详细讲解( expound的现在分词 ) | |
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21 Christian | |
adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒 | |
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22 revival | |
n.复兴,复苏,(精力、活力等的)重振 | |
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23 bosom | |
n.胸,胸部;胸怀;内心;adj.亲密的 | |
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24 licentiousness | |
n.放肆,无法无天 | |
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25 legitimate | |
adj.合法的,合理的,合乎逻辑的;v.使合法 | |
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26 morbid | |
adj.病的;致病的;病态的;可怕的 | |
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27 engendered | |
v.产生(某形势或状况),造成,引起( engender的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28 preying | |
v.掠食( prey的现在分词 );掠食;折磨;(人)靠欺诈为生 | |
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29 prone | |
adj.(to)易于…的,很可能…的;俯卧的 | |
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30 superstition | |
n.迷信,迷信行为 | |
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31 inflamed | |
adj.发炎的,红肿的v.(使)变红,发怒,过热( inflame的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32 akin | |
adj.同族的,类似的 | |
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33 vengeance | |
n.报复,报仇,复仇 | |
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34 promising | |
adj.有希望的,有前途的 | |
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35 conversion | |
n.转化,转换,转变 | |
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36 obstruction | |
n.阻塞,堵塞;障碍物 | |
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37 ingenuousness | |
n.率直;正直;老实 | |
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38 docility | |
n.容易教,易驾驶,驯服 | |
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39 mere | |
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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40 voluptuousness | |
n.风骚,体态丰满 | |
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41 hindrances | |
阻碍者( hindrance的名词复数 ); 障碍物; 受到妨碍的状态 | |
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42 hypocrisy | |
n.伪善,虚伪 | |
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43 passionate | |
adj.热情的,热烈的,激昂的,易动情的,易怒的,性情暴躁的 | |
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44 dread | |
vt.担忧,忧虑;惧怕,不敢;n.担忧,畏惧 | |
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45 affected | |
adj.不自然的,假装的 | |
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46 mangled | |
vt.乱砍(mangle的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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47 demise | |
n.死亡;v.让渡,遗赠,转让 | |
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48 apparently | |
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎 | |
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49 alluded | |
提及,暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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50 precisely | |
adv.恰好,正好,精确地,细致地 | |
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51 wrought | |
v.引起;以…原料制作;运转;adj.制造的 | |
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52 foamed | |
泡沫的 | |
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53 heralded | |
v.预示( herald的过去式和过去分词 );宣布(好或重要) | |
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54 blessing | |
n.祈神赐福;祷告;祝福,祝愿 | |
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55 disperse | |
vi.使分散;使消失;vt.分散;驱散 | |
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56 mantles | |
vt.&vi.覆盖(mantle的第三人称单数形式) | |
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57 groves | |
树丛,小树林( grove的名词复数 ) | |
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58 marine | |
adj.海的;海生的;航海的;海事的;n.水兵 | |
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59 villas | |
别墅,公馆( villa的名词复数 ); (城郊)住宅 | |
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60 hilarity | |
n.欢乐;热闹 | |
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61 scrupulously | |
adv.一丝不苟地;小心翼翼地,多顾虑地 | |
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62 repose | |
v.(使)休息;n.安息 | |
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63 taboo | |
n.禁忌,禁止接近,禁止使用;adj.禁忌的;v.禁忌,禁制,禁止 | |
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64 formerly | |
adv.从前,以前 | |
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