At Strettura (which, as the name indicates, is a very narrow part of the valley) we added two oxen to our horses, and began to ascend24 the Monte Somma, which, according to Murray, is nearly four thousand feet high where we crossed it. When we came to the steepest part of the ascent25, Gaetano, who exercises a pretty decided26 control over his passengers, allowed us to walk; and we all, with one exception, alighted, and began to climb the mountain on foot. I walked on briskly, and soon left the rest of the party behind, reaching the top of the pass in such a short time that I could not believe it, and kept onward27, expecting still another height to climb. But the road began to descend28, winding29 among the depths of the hills as heretofore; now beside the dry, gravelly bed of a departed stream, now crossing it by a bridge, and perhaps passing through some other gorge30, that yet gave no decided promise of an outlet31 into the world beyond. A glimpse might occasionally be caught, through a gap between the hill-tops, of a company of distant mountain-peaks, pyramidal, as these hills are apt to be, and resembling the camp of an army of giants. The landscape was not altogether savage32; sometimes a hillside was covered with a rich field of grain, or an orchard6 of olive-trees, looking not unlike puffs33 of smoke, from the peculiar34 line of their foliage35; but oftener there was a vast mantle36 of trees and shrubbery from top to bottom, the golden tufts of the broom shining out amid the verdure, and gladdening the whole. Nothing was dismal37 except the houses; those were always so, whether the compact, gray lines of village hovels, with a narrow street between, or the lonely farm-house, standing38 far apart from the road, built of stone, with window-gaps high in the wall, empty of glass; or the half-castle, half-dwelling, of which I saw a specimen39 or two, with what looked like a defensive40 rampart, drawn41 around its court. I saw no look of comfort anywhere; and continually, in this wild and solitary42 region, I met beggars, just as if I were still in the streets of Rome. Boys and girls kept beside me, till they delivered me into the hands of others like themselves; hoary43 grandsires and grandmothers caught a glimpse of my approach, and tottered44 as fast as they could to intercept45 me; women came out of the cottages, with rotten cherries on a plate, entreating46 me to buy them for a mezzo baioccho; a man, at work on the road, left his toil47 to beg, and was grateful for the value of a cent; in short, I was never safe from importunity48, as long as there was a house or a human being in sight.
We arrived at Spoleto before noon, and while our dejeuner was being prepared, looked down from the window of the inn into the narrow street beneath, which, from the throng49 of people in it, I judged to be the principal one: priests, papal soldiers, women with no bonnets50 on their heads; peasants in breeches and mushroom hats; maids and matrons, drawing water at a fountain; idlers, smoking on a bench under the window; a talk, a bustle51, but no genuine activity. After lunch we walked out to see the lions of Spoleto, and found our way up a steep and narrow street that led us to the city gate, at which, it is traditionally said, Hannibal sought to force an entrance, after the battle of Thrasymene, and was repulsed52. The gateway has a double arch, on the inner one of which is a tablet, recording53 the above tradition as an unquestioned historical fact. From the gateway we went in search of the Duomo, or cathedral, and were kindly54 directed thither55 by an officer, who was descending56 into the town from the citadel57, which is an old castle, now converted into a prison. The cathedral seemed small, and did not much interest us, either by the Gothic front or its modernized58 interior. We saw nothing else in Spoleto, but went back to the inn and resumed our journey, emerging from the city into the classic valley of the Clitumnus, which we did not view under the best of auspices59, because it was overcast60, and the wind as chill as if it had the cast in it. The valley, though fertile, and smilingly picturesque61, perhaps, is not such as I should wish to celebrate, either in prose or poetry. It is of such breadth and extent, that its frame of mountains and ridgy62 hills hardly serve to shut it in sufficiently63, and the spectator thinks of a boundless64 plain, rather than of a secluded65 vale. After passing Le Vene, we came to the little temple which Byron describes, and which has been supposed to be the one immortalized by Pliny. It is very small, and stands on a declivity66 that falls immediately from the road, right upon which rises the pediment of the temple, while the columns of the other front find sufficient height to develop themselves in the lower ground. A little farther down than the base of the edifice67 we saw the Clitumnus, so recently from its source in the marble rock, that it was still as pure as a child's heart, and as transparent68 as truth itself. It looked airier than nothing, because it had not substance enough to brighten, and it was clearer than the atmosphere. I remember nothing else of the valley of Clitumnus, except that the beggars in this region of proverbial fertility are wellnigh profane69 in the urgency of their petitions; they absolutely fall down on their knees as you approach, in the same attitude as if they were praying to their Maker70, and beseech71 you for alms with a fervency72 which I am afraid they seldom use before an altar or shrine9. Being denied, they ran hastily beside the carriage, but got nothing, and finally gave over.
I am so very tired and sleepy that I mean to mention nothing else to-night, except the city of Trevi, which, on the approach from Spoleto, seems completely to cover a high, peaked hill, from its pyramidal tip to its base. It was the strangest situation in which to build a town, where, I should suppose, no horse can climb, and whence no inhabitant would think of descending into the world, after the approach of age should begin to stiffen73 his joints74. On looking back on this most picturesque of towns (which the road, of course, did not enter, as evidently no road could), I saw that the highest part of the hill was quite covered with a crown of edifices75, terminating in a church-tower; while a part of the northern side was apparently76 too steep for building; and a cataract77 of houses flowed down the western and southern slopes. There seemed to be palaces, churches, everything that a city should have; but my eyes are heavy, and I can write no more about them, only that I suppose the summit of the hill was artificially tenured, so as to prevent its crumbling78 down, and enable it to support the platform of edifices which crowns it.
May 27th.—We reached Foligno in good season yesterday afternoon. Our inn seemed ancient; and, under the same roof, on one side of the entrance, was the stable, and on the other the coach-house. The house is built round a narrow court, with a well of water at bottom, and an opening in the roof at top, whence the staircases are lighted that wind round the sides of the court, up to the highest story. Our dining-room and bedrooms were in the latter region, and were all paved with brick, and without carpets; and the characteristic of the whole was all exceeding plainness and antique clumsiness of fitting up. We found ourselves sufficiently comfortable, however; and, as has been the case throughout our journey, had a very fair and well-cooked dinner. It shows, as perhaps I have already remarked, that it is still possible to live well in Italy, at no great expense, and that the high prices charged to the forestieri at Rome and elsewhere are artificial, and ought to be abated79. . . .
The day had darkened since morning, and was now ominous80 of rain; but as soon as we were established, we sallied out to see whatever was worth looking at. A beggar-boy, with one leg, followed us, without asking for anything, apparently only for the pleasure of our company, though he kept at too great a distance for conversation, and indeed did not attempt to speak.
We went first to the cathedral, which has a Gothic front, and a modernized interior, stuccoed and whitewashed81, looking as neat as a New England meeting-house, and very mean, after our familiarity with the gorgeous churches in other cities. There were some pictures in the chapels82, but, I believe, all modern, and I do not remember a single one of them. Next we went, without any guide, to a church attached to a convent of Dominican monks83, with a Gothic exterior84, and two hideous85 pictures of Death,—the skeleton leaning on his scythe86, one on each side of the door. This church, likewise, was whitewashed, but we understood that it had been originally frescoed87 all over, and by famous hands; but these pictures, having become much injured, they were all obliterated89, as we saw,—all, that is to say, except a few specimens90 of the best preserved, which were spared to show the world what the whole had been. I thanked my stars that the obliteration91 of the rest had taken place before our visit; for if anything is dreary and calculated to make the beholder92 utterly93 miserable94, it is a faded fresco88, with spots of the white plaster dotted over it.
Our one-legged boy had followed us into the church and stood near the door till he saw us ready to come out, when he hurried on before us, and waited a little way off to see whither we should go. We still went on at random95, taking the first turn that offered itself, and soon came to another old church,—that of St. Mary within the Walls,—into which we entered, and found it whitewashed, like the other two. This was especially fortunate, for the doorkeeper informed us that, two years ago, the whole church (except, I suppose, the roof, which is of timber) had been covered with frescos by Pinturicchio, all of which had been ruthlessly obliterated, except a very few fragments. These he proceeded to show us; poor, dim ghosts of what may once have been beautiful,—now so far gone towards nothingness that I was hardly sure whether I saw a glimmering96 of the design or not. By the by, it was not Pinturicchio, as I have written above, but Giotto, assisted, I believe, by Cimabue, who painted these frescos. Our one-legged attendant had followed us also into this church, and again hastened out of it before us; and still we heard the dot of his crutch97 upon the pavement, as we passed from street to street. By and by a sickly looking man met us, and begged for "qualche cosa"; but the boy shouted to him, "Niente!" whether intimating that we would give him nothing, or that he himself had a prior claim to all our charity, I cannot tell. However, the beggar-man turned round, and likewise followed our devious98 course. Once or twice we missed him; but it was only because he could not walk so fast as we; for he appeared again as we emerged from the door of another church. Our one-legged friend we never missed for a moment; he kept pretty near us,—near enough to be amused by our indecision whither to go; and he seemed much delighted when it began to rain, and he saw us at a loss how to find our way back to the hotel. Nevertheless, he did not offer to guide us; but stumped99 on behind with a faster or slower dot of his crutch, according to our pace. I began to think that he must have been engaged as a spy upon our movements by the police who had taken away my passport at the city gate. In this way he attended us to the door of the hotel, where the beggar had already arrived. The latter again put in his doleful petition; the one-legged boy said not a word, nor seemed to expect anything, and both had to go away without so much as a mezzo baioccho out of our pockets. The multitude of beggars in Italy makes the heart as obdurate100 as a paving-stone.
We left Foligno this morning, and, all ready for us at the door of the hotel, as we got into the carriage, were our friends, the beggar-man and the one-legged boy; the latter holding out his ragged101 hat, and smiling with as confident an air as if he had done us some very particular service, and were certain of being paid for it, as from contract. It was so very funny, so impudent102, so utterly absurd, that I could not help giving him a trifle; but the man got nothing,—a fact that gives me a twinge or two, for he looked sickly and miserable. But where everybody begs, everybody, as a general rule, must be denied; and, besides, they act their misery103 so well that you are never sure of the genuine article.
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1
plethora
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| n.过量，过剩 | |
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2
antiquities
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| n.古老( antiquity的名词复数 )；古迹；古人们；古代的风俗习惯 | |
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gateway
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| n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法 | |
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catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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orchards
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| （通常指围起来的）果园( orchard的名词复数 ) | |
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orchard
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| n.果园，果园里的全部果树，(美俚)棒球场 | |
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groves
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| 树丛，小树林( grove的名词复数 ) | |
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shrines
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| 圣地，圣坛，神圣场所( shrine的名词复数 ) | |
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shrine
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| n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣 | |
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niches
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| 壁龛( niche的名词复数 )； 合适的位置[工作等]； （产品的）商机； 生态位（一个生物所占据的生境的最小单位） | |
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masonry
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| n.砖土建筑；砖石 | |
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scanty
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| adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的 | |
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13
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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grudgingly
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15
torrents
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| n.倾注；奔流( torrent的名词复数 )；急流；爆发；连续不断 | |
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promontory
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| n.海角；岬 | |
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formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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infested
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| adj.为患的，大批滋生的（常与with搭配）v.害虫、野兽大批出没于( infest的过去式和过去分词 )；遍布于 | |
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ornament
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| v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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hospitably
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| 亲切地，招待周到地，善于款待地 | |
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dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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gorge
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| n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃 | |
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outlet
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| n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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puffs
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| n.吸( puff的名词复数 )；（烟斗或香烟的）一吸；一缕（烟、蒸汽等）；（呼吸或风的）呼v.使喷出( puff的第三人称单数 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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mantle
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| n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红 | |
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dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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defensive
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| adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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43
hoary
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| adj.古老的；鬓发斑白的 | |
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44
tottered
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| v.走得或动得不稳( totter的过去式和过去分词 )；踉跄；蹒跚；摇摇欲坠 | |
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intercept
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| vt.拦截，截住，截击 | |
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46
entreating
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| 恳求，乞求( entreat的现在分词 ) | |
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47
toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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importunity
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| n.硬要，强求 | |
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throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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50
bonnets
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| n.童帽( bonnet的名词复数 )；（烟囱等的）覆盖物；（苏格兰男子的）无边呢帽；（女子戴的）任何一种帽子 | |
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51
bustle
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| v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹 | |
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repulsed
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| v.击退( repulse的过去式和过去分词 )；驳斥；拒绝 | |
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recording
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| n.录音，记录 | |
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54
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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citadel
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| n.城堡；堡垒；避难所 | |
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58
modernized
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| 使现代化，使适应现代需要( modernize的过去式和过去分词 )； 现代化，使用现代方法 | |
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auspices
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| n.资助，赞助 | |
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overcast
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| adj.阴天的，阴暗的，愁闷的；v.遮盖，（使）变暗，包边缝；n.覆盖，阴天 | |
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picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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ridgy
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| adj.有脊的；有棱纹的；隆起的；有埂的 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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boundless
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| adj.无限的；无边无际的；巨大的 | |
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secluded
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| adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词) | |
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declivity
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| n.下坡，倾斜面 | |
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edifice
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| n.宏伟的建筑物(如宫殿，教室) | |
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transparent
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| adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的 | |
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profane
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| adj.亵神的，亵渎的；vt.亵渎，玷污 | |
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maker
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| n.制造者，制造商 | |
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beseech
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| v.祈求，恳求 | |
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fervency
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| n.热情的；强烈的；热烈 | |
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stiffen
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| v.(使)硬，(使)变挺，(使)变僵硬 | |
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joints
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| 接头( joint的名词复数 )； 关节； 公共场所（尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所） （非正式）； 一块烤肉 （英式英语） | |
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edifices
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| n.大建筑物( edifice的名词复数 ) | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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cataract
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| n.大瀑布，奔流，洪水，白内障 | |
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crumbling
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| adj.摇摇欲坠的 | |
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abated
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| 减少( abate的过去式和过去分词 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼） | |
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ominous
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| adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的 | |
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whitewashed
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| 粉饰，美化，掩饰( whitewash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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chapels
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| n.小教堂， （医院、监狱等的）附属礼拜堂( chapel的名词复数 )；（在小教堂和附属礼拜堂举行的）礼拜仪式 | |
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monks
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| n.修道士，僧侣( monk的名词复数 ) | |
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exterior
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| adj.外部的，外在的；表面的 | |
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hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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scythe
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| n. 长柄的大镰刀，战车镰； v. 以大镰刀割 | |
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frescoed
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| 壁画( fresco的名词复数 )； 温壁画技法，湿壁画 | |
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fresco
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| n.壁画；vt.作壁画于 | |
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89
obliterated
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| v.除去( obliterate的过去式和过去分词 )；涂去；擦掉；彻底破坏或毁灭 | |
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specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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obliteration
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| n.涂去，删除；管腔闭合 | |
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beholder
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| n.观看者，旁观者 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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random
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| adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动 | |
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glimmering
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| n.微光，隐约的一瞥adj.薄弱地发光的v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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crutch
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| n.T字形拐杖；支持，依靠，精神支柱 | |
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devious
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| adj.不坦率的，狡猾的；迂回的，曲折的 | |
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stumped
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| 僵直地行走，跺步行走( stump的过去式和过去分词 )； 把（某人）难住； 使为难； （选举前）在某一地区作政治性巡回演说 | |
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obdurate
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| adj.固执的，顽固的 | |
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ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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impudent
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| adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的 | |
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misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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