Chapter IV

 Adam mourns over the changed conditions. Adam and Eve enter the Cave of Treasures.

 

 

1 But Adam and Eve cried for having come out of the garden, their first home.

 

2 And indeed, when Adam looked at his flesh, that was altered, he cried bitterly, he and Eve, over what they had done. And they walked and went gently down into the Cave of Treasures.

 

3 And as they came to it, Adam cried over himself and said to Eve, "Look at this cave that is to be our prison in this world, and a place of punishment!

 

4 What is it compared with the garden? What is its narrowness compared with the space of the other?

 

5 What is this rock, by the side of those groves¹? What is the gloom of this cavern², compared with the light of the garden?

 

6 What is this overhanging ledge³ of rock to shelter us, compared with the mercy of the Lord that overshadowed us?

 

7 What is the soil of this cave compared with the garden land? This earth, strewed⁴ with stones; and that, planted with delicious fruit trees?"

 

8 And Adam said to Eve, "Look at your eyes, and at mine, which before beheld⁵ angels praising in heaven; and they too, without ceasing.

 

9 But now we do not see as we did; our eyes have become of flesh; they cannot see like they used to see before."

 

10 Adam said again to Eve, "What is our body today, compared to what it was in former days, when we lived in the garden?"

 

11 After this, Adam did not want to enter the cave, under the overhanging rock; nor would he ever want to enter it.

 

12 But he bowed to God's orders; and said to himself, "Unless I enter the cave, I shall again be a transgressor⁶."

 

1 groves   

树丛，小树林( grove的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The early sun shone serenely on embrowned groves and still green fields. 朝阳宁静地照耀着已经发黄的树丛和还是一片绿色的田地。
• The trees grew more and more in groves and dotted with old yews. 那里的树木越来越多地长成了一簇簇的小丛林，还点缀着几棵老紫杉树。

2 cavern   

n.洞穴，大山洞

参考例句：

• The cavern walls echoed his cries.大山洞的四壁回响着他的喊声。
• It suddenly began to shower,and we took refuge in the cavern.天突然下起雨来，我们在一个山洞里避雨。

3 ledge   

n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁

参考例句：

• They paid out the line to lower him to the ledge.他们放出绳子使他降到那块岩石的突出部分。
• Suddenly he struck his toe on a rocky ledge and fell.突然他的脚趾绊在一块突出的岩石上，摔倒了。

4 strewed   

v.撒在…上( strew的过去式和过去分词 )；散落于；点缀；撒满

参考例句：

• Papers strewed the floor. 文件扔了一地。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Autumn leaves strewed the lawn. 草地上撒满了秋叶。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 beheld   

v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟

参考例句：

• His eyes had never beheld such opulence. 他从未见过这样的财富。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The soul beheld its features in the mirror of the passing moment. 灵魂在逝去的瞬间的镜子中看到了自己的模样。 来自英汉文学 - 红字

6 transgressor   

n.违背者

参考例句：

• We expect the transgressor to make any atonement possible to him. 我们期待犯了过失的人有可能做到的赎罪行为。 来自辞典例句
• We expect transgressor to make any atonement possible to him. “我深信，”西丝又重说一遍，“这是你能做的唯一的赎罪的办法。” 来自互联网