But one among the courtiers with Antonio was true to his rightful master, Prospero. To save the duke from his enemies was impossible, but much could be done to remind him of a subject's love. So this worthy2 lord, whose name was Gonzalo, secretly placed in the boat some fresh water, provisions, and clothes, and what Prospero valued most of all, some of his precious books.
The boat was cast on an island, and Prospero and his little one landed in safety. Now this island was enchanted3, and for years had lain under the spell of a fell witch, Sycorax, who had imprisoned4 in the trunks of trees all the good spirits she found there. She died shortly before Prospero was cast on those shores, but the spirits, of whom Ariel was the chief, still remained in their prisons.
Prospero was a great magician, for he had devoted5 himself almost entirely6 to the study of magic during the years in which he allowed his brother to manage the affairs of Milan. By his art he set free the imprisoned spirits, yet kept them obedient to his will, and they were more truly his subjects than his people in Milan had been. For he treated them kindly7 as long as they did his bidding, and he exercised his power over them wisely and well. One creature alone he found it necessary to treat with harshness: this was Caliban, the son of the wicked old witch, a hideous8, deformed9 monster, horrible to look on, and vicious and brutal10 in all his habits.
When Miranda was grown up into a maiden11, sweet and fair to see, it chanced that Antonio and Alonso, with Sebastian, his brother, and Ferdinand, his son, were at sea together with old Gonzalo, and their ship came near Prospero's island. Prospero, knowing they were there, raised by his art a great storm, so that even the sailors on board gave themselves up for lost; and first among them all Prince Ferdinand leaped into the sea, and, as his father thought in his grief, was drowned. But Ariel brought him safe ashore12; and all the rest of the crew, although they were washed overboard, were landed unhurt in different parts of the island, and the good ship herself, which they all thought had been wrecked13, lay at anchor in the harbor whither Ariel had brought her. Such wonders could Prospero and his spirits perform.
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While yet the tempest was raging, Prospero showed his daughter the brave ship laboring14 in the trough of the sea, and told her that it was filled with living human beings like themselves. She, in pity of their lives, prayed him who had raised this storm to quell15 it. Then her father bade her to have no fear, for he intended to save every one of them.
Then, for the first time, he told her the story of his life and hers, and that he had caused this storm to rise in order that his enemies, Antonio and Alonso, who were on board, might be delivered into his hands.
When he had made an end of his story he charmed her into sleep, for Ariel was at hand, and he had work for him to do. Ariel, who longed for his complete freedom, grumbled16 to be kept in drudgery17, but on being threateningly reminded of all the sufferings he had undergone when Sycorax ruled in the land, and of the debt of gratitude18 he owed to the master who had made those sufferings to end, he ceased to complain, and promised faithfully to do whatever Prospero might command.
“Do so,” said Prospero, “and in two days I will discharge thee.”
Then he bade Ariel take the form of a water nymph and sent him in search of the young prince. And Ariel, invisible to Ferdinand, hovered19 near him, singing the while--
“Come unto these yellow sands
And then take hands:
Court'sied when you have, and kiss'd
(The wild waves whist),
Foot it featly here and there;
And, sweet sprites, the burden bear!”
And Ferdinand followed the magic singing, as the song changed to a solemn air, and the words brought grief to his heart, and tears to his eyes, for thus they ran--
Of his bones are coral made.
Those are pearls that were his eyes,
Nothing of him that doth fade,
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange.
Hark! now I hear them,-- ding dong bell!”
And so singing, Ariel led the spell-bound prince into the presence of Prospero and Miranda. Then, behold22! all happened as Prospero desired. For Miranda, who had never, since she could first remember, seen any human being save her father, looked on the youthful prince with reverence23 in her eyes, and love in her secret heart.
“I might call him,” she said, “a thing divine, for nothing natural I ever saw so noble!”
“Most sure the goddess on whom these airs attend!”
Nor did he attempt to hide the passion which she inspired in him, for scarcely had they exchanged half a dozen sentences, before he vowed25 to make her his queen if she were willing. But Prospero, though secretly delighted, pretended wrath26.
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“You come here as a spy,” he said to Ferdinand. “I will manacle your neck and feet together, and you shall feed on fresh water mussels, withered27 roots and husk, and have sea-water to drink. Follow.”
“No,” said Ferdinand, and drew his sword. But on the instant Prospero charmed him so that he stood there like a statue, still as stone; and Miranda in terror prayed her father to have mercy on her lover. But he harshly refused her, and made Ferdinand follow him to his cell. There he set the Prince to work, making him remove thousands of heavy logs of timber and pile them up; and Ferdinand patiently obeyed, and thought his toil28 all too well repaid by the sympathy of the sweet Miranda.
She in very pity would have helped him in his hard work, but he would not let her, yet he could not keep from her the secret of his love, and she, hearing it, rejoiced and promised to be his wife.
Then Prospero released him from his servitude, and glad at heart, he gave his consent to their marriage.
“Take her,” he said, “she is thine own.”
In the meantime, Antonio and Sebastian in another part of the island were plotting the murder of Alonso, the King of Naples, for Ferdinand being dead, as they thought, Sebastian would succeed to the throne on Alonso's death. And they would have carried out their wicked purpose while their victim was asleep, but that Ariel woke him in good time.
Many tricks did Ariel play them. Once he set a banquet before them, and just as they were going to fall to, he appeared to them amid thunder and lightning in the form of a harpy, and immediately the banquet disappeared. Then Ariel upbraided29 them with their sins and vanished too.
Prospero by his enchantments30 drew them all to the grove31 without his cell, where they waited, trembling and afraid, and now at last bitterly repenting32 them of their sins.
Prospero determined33 to make one last use of his magic power, “And then,” said he, “I'll break my staff and deeper than did ever plummet34 sound I'll drown my book.”
So he made heavenly music to sound in the air, and appeared to them in his proper shape as the Duke of Milan. Because they repented35, he forgave them and told them the story of his life since they had cruelly committed him and his baby daughter to the mercy of wind and waves. Alonso, who seemed sorriest of them all for his past crimes, lamented36 the loss of his heir. But Prospero drew back a curtain and showed them Ferdinand and Miranda playing at chess. Great was Alonso's joy to greet his loved son again, and when he heard that the fair maid with whom Ferdinand was playing was Prospero's daughter, and that the young folks had plighted37 their troth, he said--
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“Give me your hands, let grief and sorrow still embrace his heart that doth not wish you joy.”
So all ended happily. The ship was safe in the harbor, and next day they all set sail for Naples, where Ferdinand and Miranda were to be married. Ariel gave them calm seas and auspicious38 gales39; and many were the rejoicings at the wedding.
Then Prospero, after many years of absence, went back to his own dukedom, where he was welcomed with great joy by his faithful subjects. He practiced the arts of magic no more, but his life was happy, and not only because he had found his own again, but chiefly because, when his bitterest foes40 who had done him deadly wrong lay at his mercy, he took no vengeance41 on them, but nobly forgave them.
As for Ariel, Prospero made him free as air, so that he could wander where he would, and sing with a light heart his sweet song--
“Where the bee sucks, there suck I:
In a cowslip's bell I lie;
On the bat's back I do fly
After summer, merrily:
Merrily, merrily, shall I live now,
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收听单词发音
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1
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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2
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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enchanted
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| adj. 被施魔法的，陶醉的，入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词 | |
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4
imprisoned
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| 下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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7
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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8
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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deformed
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| adj.畸形的；变形的；丑的，破相了的 | |
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10
brutal
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| adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的 | |
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maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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12
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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13
wrecked
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| adj.失事的，遇难的 | |
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14
laboring
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| n.劳动，操劳v.努力争取(for)( labor的现在分词 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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15
quell
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| v.压制，平息，减轻 | |
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16
grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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17
drudgery
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| n.苦工，重活，单调乏味的工作 | |
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18
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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19
hovered
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| 鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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fathom
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| v.领悟，彻底了解 | |
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21
knell
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| n.丧钟声；v.敲丧钟 | |
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22
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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reverence
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| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
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24
beholding
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| v.看，注视( behold的现在分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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25
vowed
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| 起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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26
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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27
withered
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| 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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28
toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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29
upbraided
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| v.责备，申斥，谴责( upbraid的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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30
enchantments
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| n.魅力( enchantment的名词复数 )；迷人之处；施魔法；着魔 | |
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31
grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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32
repenting
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| 对（自己的所为）感到懊悔或忏悔( repent的现在分词 ) | |
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33
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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plummet
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| vi.(价格、水平等)骤然下跌；n.铅坠；重压物 | |
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35
repented
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| 对（自己的所为）感到懊悔或忏悔( repent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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36
lamented
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| adj.被哀悼的，令人遗憾的v.（为…）哀悼，痛哭，悲伤( lament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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37
plighted
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| vt.保证，约定（plight的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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38
auspicious
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| adj.吉利的；幸运的，吉兆的 | |
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39
gales
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| 龙猫 | |
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40
foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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41
vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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42
owls
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| n.猫头鹰( owl的名词复数 ) | |
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43
bough
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| n.大树枝，主枝 | |
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