Now Manuel, driven out of Poictesme, went with his wife to Novogath, which had been for some seven years the capital of Philistia. Queen Stultitia, the sixtieth of that name to rule, received them friendlily. She talked alone with Manuel for a lengthy1 while, in a room that was walled with glazed2 tiles of faience and had its ceiling incrusted with moral axioms, everywhere affixed3 thereto in a light lettering of tin, so as to permit of these axioms being readily changed. Stultitia sat at a bronze reading-desk: she wore rose-colored spectacles, and at her feet dozed4, for the while, her favorite plaything, a blind, small, very fat white bitch called Luck.
The Queen still thought that an alliance could be arranged against Duke Asmund as soon as public sentiment could be fomented5 in Philistia, but this would take time. "Have patience, my friend!" she said, and that was easy saying for a prosperous great lady sitting comfortably crowned and spectacled in her own palace, under her own chimneys and skylights and campaniles and domes6 and towers and battlements.
But in the mean while Manuel and Niafer had not so much as a cowshed wherein to exercise this recommended virtue7. So Manuel made inquiries8, and learned that Queen Freydis had taken up her abode9 on Sargyll, most remote of the Red Islands.
"We will go to Freydis," he told Niafer.
"But, surely, not after the way that minx probably believes you treated her?" said Niafer.
Manuel smiled the sleepy smile that was Manuel. "I know Freydis better than you know her, my dear."
"Yes, but can you depend upon her?"
"I can depend upon myself, and that is more important."
"But, Manuel, you have another dear friend in England; and in England, although the Lord knows I never want to lay eyes on her, we might at least be comfortable—"
Manuel shook his head: "I am very fond of Alianora, because she resembles me as closely as it is possible for a woman to resemble a man. That makes two excellent reasons—one for each of us, snip10,—why we had better not go into England."
So, in their homeless condition, they resolved to set out for Sargyll,—"to visit that other dear friend of yours," as Niafer put it, in tones more eloquent11 than Manuel seemed quite to relish12.
Dame13 Niafer, though, now began to complain that Manuel was neglecting her for all this statecraft and fighting and speech-making and private conference with fine ladies; and she began to talk again about what a pity it was that she and Manuel would probably never have any children to be company for Niafer. Niafer complained rather often nowadays, about details which are here irrelevant14: and she was used to lament15 with every appearance of sincerity16 that, in making the clay figure for Niafer to live in, Manuel should have been so largely guided by the elsewhere estimable qualities of innocence17 and imagination. It frequently put her, she said, to great inconvenience.
Now Manuel had been inquiring about this and that and the other since his arrival in Novogath, and so Manuel to-day replied with lordly assurance. "Yes, yes, a baby or two!" says Manuel. "I think myself that would be an excellent idea, while we are waiting for Queen Stultitia to make up her subjects' minds, and have nothing else in particular to do—"
"—And I am sufficiently19 versed20 in the magic of the Apsarasas to be able to summon the stork21, who by rare good luck is already indebted to me—"
"What has the stork to do with this?"
"Why, it is he who must bring the babies to be company for you."
"But, Manuel," said Niafer, dubiously22, "I do not believe that the people of Rathgor, or of Poictesme either, get their babies from the stork."
"Doubtless, like every country, they have their quaint23 local customs. We have no concern, however with these provincialities just now, for we are in Philistia. Besides, as you cannot well have forgotten, our main dependence24 is upon the half-promised alliance with Queen Stultitia, who is, as far as I can foresee, my darling, the only monarch25 anywhere likely to support us."
"But what has Queen Stultitia to do with my having a baby?"
"Everything, dear snip. You must surely understand it is most important for one in my position to avoid in any way offending the sensibilities of the Philistines26."
"Still, Manuel, the Philistines themselves have babies, and I do not see how they could have conceivably objected to my having at any rate a very small one if only you had made me right—"
"Not at all! nobody objects to the baby in itself, now that you are a married woman. The point is that the babies of the Philistines are brought to them by the stork; and that even an allusion27 to the possibility of misguided persons obtaining a baby in any other way these Philistines consider to be offensive and lewd28 and lascivious29 and obscene."
"All their best-thought-of and most popular writers, my dear, are unanimous upon the point; and their Seranim have passed any number of laws, their oil-merchants have founded a guild31, especially to prosecute32 such references. No, there is, to be sure, a dwindling33 sect34 which favors putting up with what babies you may find in the cabbage patch, but all really self-respecting people when in need of offspring arrange to be visited by the stork."
"It is certainly a remarkable35 custom, but it sounds convenient if you can manage it," said Niafer. "What I want is the baby, though, and of course we must try to get the baby in the manner of the Philistines, if you know that manner, for I am sure I have no wish to offend anybody."
So Manuel prepared to get a baby in the manner preferred by the Philistines. He performed the suitable incantation, putting this and that together in the manner formerly36 employed by the Thessalian witches and sorcerers, and he cried aloud a very ancient if indecent charm from the old Latin, saying, as Queen Stultitia had told him to say, without any mock-modest mincing37 of words:
Dictum est antiqua sandalio mulier habitavit,
Quae multos pueros habuit tum ut potuit nullum
Quod faciundum erat cognoscere. Sic Domina Anser.
Then Manuel took from his breast-pocket a piece of blue chalk and five curious objects something like small black stars. With the chalk he drew upon the floor two parallel straight lines. Manuel walked on one of these chalk lines very carefully, then beckoned38 Niafer to him. Standing39 there, he put his arms about her and kissed her. Then he placed the five black stars in a row,—
* * * * *
—and went over to the next line.
The stork having been thus properly summoned, Manuel recalled to the bird the three wishes which had been promised when Manuel saved the stork's life: and Manuel said that for each wish he would take a son fetched to him by the stork in the manner of the Philistines.
The stork thought it could be arranged. "Not this morning, though, as you suggest, for, indebted as I am to you, Dom Manuel, I am also a very busy bird. No, I have any number of orders that were put in months before yours, and I must follow system in my business, for you have no notion what elaborate and exact accounts are frequently required by the married men that receive invoices40 from me."
"Come now," says Manuel, "do you be accommodating, remembering how I once saved your life from the eagle, and my wife and I will order all our babies now, and spare you the trouble of keeping any accounts whatever, so far as we are concerned."
"Oh, if you care to deal with such wholesale41 irregularity, and have no more consideration than to keep casting old debts in my bill, I might stretch a point in order to be rid of you," the stork said, sighing.
"Now, but surely," Manuel considered, "you might be a little more cheerful about this matter."
"And why should I, of all the birds that go about the heavens, be cheerful?"
"Well, somehow one expects a reasonable gaiety in you who bring hilarity42 and teething-rings into so many households—"
The stork answered:
"I bring the children, stainless43 and dear and helpless, and therewith I, they say, bring joy. Now of the joy I bring to the mother let none speak, for miracles are not neatly44 to be caged in sentences, nor is truth always expedient46. To the father I bring the sight of his own life, by him so insecurely held, renewed and strengthened in a tenement47 not yet impaired48 by time and folly49: he is no more disposed to belittle50 himself here than elsewhere; and it is himself that he cuddles in this small, soft, incomprehensible and unsoiled incarnation. For, as I bring the children, they have no evil in them and no cowardice51 and no guile52.
"I bring the children, stainless and dear and helpless, when later I return, to those that yesterday were children. And in all ways time has marred53, and living has defaced, and prudence54 has maimed, until I grieve to entrust55 that which I bring to what remains56 of that which yesterday I brought. In the old days children were sacrificed to a brazen57 burning god, but time affects more subtile hecatombs: for Moloch slew58 outright59. Yes, Moloch, being divine, killed as the dog kills, furiously, but time is that transfigured cat, an ironist. So living mars and defaces and maims, and living appears wantonly to soil and to degrade its prey60 before destroying it.
"I bring the children, stainless and dear and helpless, and I leave them to endure that which is fated. Daily I bring into this world the beauty and innocence and high-heartedness and faith of children: but life has no employment, or else life has no sustenance61, for these fine things which I bring daily, for always I, returning, find the human usages of living have extinguished these excellences62 in those who yesterday were children, and that these virtues63 exist in no aged45 person. And I would that Jahveh had created me an eagle or a vulture or some other hateful bird of prey that furthers a less grievous slaying64 and a more intelligible65 wasting than I further."
SUMMONS THE STORK
To this, Dom Manuel replied, in that grave and matter-of-fact way of his: "Now certainly I can see how your vocation66 may seem, in a manner of speaking, a poor investment; but, after all, your business is none of my business, so I shall not presume to criticize it. Instead, let us avoid these lofty generalities, and to you tell me when I may look for those three sons of mine."
Then they talked over this matter of getting babies, Manuel walking on the chalk line all the while, and Manuel found he could have, if he preferred it so, three girls in place of one of the boys, since the demand for sons was thrice that for daughters. To Niafer it was at once apparent that to obtain five babies in place of three was a clear bargain. Manuel said he did not want any daughters, they were too much of a responsibility, and he did not intend to be bothered with them. He was very firm and lordly about it. Then Niafer spoke67 again, and when she had ended, Manuel wished for two boys and three girls. Thereafter the stork subscribed68 five promissory notes, and they executed all the other requisite69 formalities.
The stork said that by a little management he could let them have one of the children within a day or so. "But how long have you two been married?" he asked.
"Oh, ever so long," said Manuel, with a faint sigh.
"Why, no, my dearest," said Niafer, "we have been married only seven months."
"In that event," declared the stork, "you had better wait until month after next, for it is not the fashion among my patrons to have me visiting them quite so early."
"Well," said Manuel, "we wish to do everything in conformance to the preferences of Philistia, even to the extent of following such incomprehensible fashions." So he arranged to have the promised baby delivered at Sargyll, which, he told the stork, would be their address for the remainder of the summer.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
lengthy
|
|
| adj.漫长的，冗长的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
glazed
|
|
| adj.光滑的，像玻璃的；上过釉的；呆滞无神的v.装玻璃( glaze的过去式)；上釉于，上光；（目光）变得呆滞无神 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
affixed
|
|
| adj.[医]附着的，附着的v.附加( affix的过去式和过去分词 )；粘贴；加以；盖（印章） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
dozed
|
|
| v.打盹儿，打瞌睡( doze的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
fomented
|
|
| v.激起，煽动（麻烦等）( foment的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
virtue
|
|
| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
inquiries
|
|
| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
abode
|
|
| n.住处，住所 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
snip
|
|
| n.便宜货，廉价货，剪，剪断 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
eloquent
|
|
| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
relish
|
|
| n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
dame
|
|
| n.女士 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
irrelevant
|
|
| adj.不恰当的，无关系的，不相干的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
lament
|
|
| n.悲叹，悔恨，恸哭；v.哀悼，悔恨，悲叹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
sincerity
|
|
| n.真诚，诚意；真实 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
innocence
|
|
| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
perfectly
|
|
| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
sufficiently
|
|
| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
versed
|
|
| adj. 精通，熟练 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
stork
|
|
| n.鹳 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
dubiously
|
|
| adv.可疑地，怀疑地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
quaint
|
|
| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
dependence
|
|
| n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
monarch
|
|
| n.帝王，君主，最高统治者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
philistines
|
|
| n.市侩，庸人( philistine的名词复数 )；庸夫俗子 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
allusion
|
|
| n.暗示，间接提示 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
lewd
|
|
| adj.淫荡的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
lascivious
|
|
| adj.淫荡的，好色的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
droll
|
|
| adj.古怪的，好笑的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
guild
|
|
| n.行会，同业公会，协会 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
prosecute
|
|
| vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
dwindling
|
|
| adj.逐渐减少的v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
sect
|
|
| n.派别，宗教，学派，派系 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
remarkable
|
|
| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
formerly
|
|
| adv.从前，以前 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
mincing
|
|
| adj.矫饰的；v.切碎；切碎 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
beckoned
|
|
| v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
invoices
|
|
| 发票( invoice的名词复数 )； （发货或服务）费用清单； 清单上货物的装运； 货物的托运 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
wholesale
|
|
| n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
hilarity
|
|
| n.欢乐；热闹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
stainless
|
|
| adj.无瑕疵的，不锈的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
neatly
|
|
| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
aged
|
|
| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
expedient
|
|
| adj.有用的，有利的；n.紧急的办法，权宜之计 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
tenement
|
|
| n.公寓；房屋 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
impaired
|
|
| adj.受损的；出毛病的；有（身体或智力）缺陷的v.损害，削弱( impair的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
folly
|
|
| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
belittle
|
|
| v.轻视，小看，贬低 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
cowardice
|
|
| n.胆小，怯懦 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
guile
|
|
| n.诈术 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
marred
|
|
| adj. 被损毁, 污损的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
prudence
|
|
| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
entrust
|
|
| v.信赖，信托，交托 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
remains
|
|
| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
brazen
|
|
| adj.厚脸皮的，无耻的，坚硬的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
slew
|
|
| v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
outright
|
|
| adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
prey
|
|
| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
61
sustenance
|
|
| n.食物，粮食；生活资料；生计 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
62
excellences
|
|
| n.卓越( excellence的名词复数 )；（只用于所修饰的名词后）杰出的；卓越的；出类拔萃的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
63
virtues
|
|
| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
64
slaying
|
|
| 杀戮。 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
65
intelligible
|
|
| adj.可理解的，明白易懂的，清楚的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
66
vocation
|
|
| n.职业，行业 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
67
spoke
|
|
| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
68
subscribed
|
|
| v.捐助( subscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；签署，题词；订阅；同意 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
69
requisite
|
|
| adj.需要的，必不可少的；n.必需品 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |