They dressed him in gorgeous garments as though it had been ordained1 that he was to remain a bridegroom to an unknown bride until the very day of his death. It was as if an old coffin2, rotten and falling apart, were regilded over and over, and gay tassels3 were hung on it. And solemnly they conducted him in gala attire4, as though in truth it were a bridal procession, the runners loudly sounding the trumpet5 that the way be made for the ambassadors of the Emperor. But the roads along which he passed were deserted6. His entire native land cursed the execrable name of Lazarus, the man miraculously7 brought to life, and the people scattered8 at the mere9 report of his horrible approach. The trumpeters blew lonely blasts, and only the desert answered with a dying echo.
Then they carried him across the sea on the saddest and most gorgeous ship that was ever mirrored in the azure10 waves of the Mediterranean11. There were many people aboard, but the ship was silent and still as a coffin, and the water seemed to moan as it parted before the short curved prow12. Lazarus sat lonely, baring his head to the sun, and listening in silence to the splashing of the waters. Further away the seamen13 and the ambassadors gathered like a crowd of distressed15 shadows. If a thunderstorm had happened to burst upon them at that time or the wind had overwhelmed the red sails, the ship would probably have perished, for none of those who were on her had strength or desire enough to fight for life. With supreme16 effort some went to the side of the ship and eagerly gazed at the blue, transparent17 abyss. Perhaps they imagined they saw a naiad flashing a pink shoulder through the waves, or an insanely joyous18 and drunken centaur19 galloping20 by, splashing up the water with his hoofs21. But the sea was deserted and mute, and so was the watery22 abyss.
Listlessly Lazarus set foot on the streets of the Eternal City, as though all its riches, all the majesty23 of its gigantic edifices24, all the lustre25 and beauty and music of refined life, were simply the echo of the wind in the desert, or the misty26 images of hot running sand. Chariots whirled by; the crowd of strong, beautiful, haughty27 men passed on, builders of the Eternal City and proud partakers of its life; songs rang out; fountains laughed; pearly laughter of women filled the air, while the drunkard philosophised and the sober ones smilingly listened; horseshoes rattled28 on the pavement. And surrounded on all sides by glad sounds, a fat, heavy man moved through the centre of the city like a cold spot of silence, sowing in his path grief, anger and vague, carking distress14. Who dared to be sad in Rome? indignantly demanded frowning citizens; and in two days the swift-tongued Rome knew of Lazarus, the man miraculously raised from the grave, and timidly evaded29 him.
There were many brave men ready to try their strength, and at their senseless call Lazarus came obediently. The Emperor was so engrossed30 with state affairs that he delayed receiving the visitor, and for seven days Lazarus moved among the people.
A jovial31 drunkard met him with a smile on his red lips. “Drink, Lazarus, drink!” he cried, “Would not Augustus laugh to see you drink!” And naked, besotted women laughed, and decked the blue hands of Lazarus with rose-leaves. But the drunkard looked into the eyes of Lazarus—and his joy ended forever. Thereafter he was always drunk. He drank no more, but was drunk all the time, shadowed by fearful dreams, instead of the joyous reveries that wine gives. Fearful dreams became the food of his broken spirit. Fearful dreams held him day and night in the mists of monstrous32 fantasy, and death itself was no more fearful than the apparition33 of its fierce precursor34.
Lazarus came to a youth and his lass who loved each other and were beautiful in their love. Proudly and strongly holding in his arms his beloved one, the youth said, with gentle pity: “Look at us, Lazarus, and rejoice with us. Is there anything stronger than love?”
And Lazarus looked at them. And their whole life they continued to love one another, but their love became mournful and gloomy, even as those cypress35 trees over the tombs that feed their roots on the putrescence of the grave, and strive in vain in the quiet evening hour to touch the sky with their pointed36 tops. Hurled37 by fathomless38 life-forces into each other’s arms, they mingled39 their kisses with tears, their joy with pain, and only succeeded in realising the more vividly40 a sense of their slavery to the silent Nothing. Forever united, forever parted, they flashed like sparks, and like sparks went out in boundless41 darkness.
Lazarus came to a proud sage42, and the sage said to him: “I already know all the horrors that you may tell me, Lazarus. With what else can you terrify me?”
Only a few moments passed before the sage realised that the knowledge of the horrible is not the horrible, and that the sight of death is not death. And he felt that in the eyes of the Infinite wisdom and folly43 are the same, for the Infinite knows them not. And the boundaries between knowledge and ignorance, between truth and falsehood, between top and bottom, faded and his shapeless thought was suspended in emptiness. Then he grasped his grey head in his hands and cried out insanely: “I cannot think! I cannot think!”
Thus it was that under the cool gaze of Lazarus, the man miraculously raised from the dead, all that serves to affirm life, its sense and its joys, perished. And people began to say it was dangerous to allow him to see the Emperor; that it were better to kill him and bury him secretly, and swear he had disappeared. Swords were sharpened and youths devoted44 to the welfare of the people announced their readiness to become assassins, when Augustus upset the cruel plans by demanding that Lazarus appear before him.
Even though Lazarus could not be kept away, it was felt that the heavy impression conveyed by his face might be somewhat softened45. With that end in view expert painters, barbers and artists were secured who worked the whole night on Lazarus’ head. His beard was trimmed and curled. The disagreeable and deadly bluishness of his hands and face was covered up with paint; his hands were whitened, his cheeks rouged46. The disgusting wrinkles of suffering that ridged his old face were patched up and painted, and on the smooth surface, wrinkles of good-nature and laughter, and of pleasant, good-humoured cheeriness, were laid on artistically47 with fine brushes.
Lazarus submitted indifferently to all they did with him, and soon was transformed into a stout48, nice-looking old man, for all the world a quiet and good-humoured grandfather of numerous grandchildren. He looked as though the smile with which he told funny stories had not left his lips, as though a quiet tenderness still lay hidden in the corner of his eyes. But the wedding-dress they did not dare to take off; and they could not change his eyes—the dark, terrible eyes from out of which stared the incomprehensible There.
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1
ordained
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| v.任命（某人）为牧师( ordain的过去式和过去分词 )；授予（某人）圣职；（上帝、法律等）命令；判定 | |
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2
coffin
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| n.棺材，灵柩 | |
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3
tassels
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| n.穗( tassel的名词复数 )；流苏状物；（植物的）穗；玉蜀黍的穗状雄花v.抽穗， （玉米）长穗须( tassel的第三人称单数 )；使抽穗， （为了使作物茁壮生长）摘去穗状雄花；用流苏装饰 | |
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4
attire
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| v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装 | |
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5
trumpet
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| n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘 | |
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6
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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7
miraculously
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| ad.奇迹般地 | |
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8
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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9
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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azure
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| adj.天蓝色的，蔚蓝色的 | |
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Mediterranean
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| adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的 | |
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12
prow
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| n.(飞机)机头，船头 | |
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13
seamen
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| n.海员 | |
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14
distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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distressed
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| 痛苦的 | |
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supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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17
transparent
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| adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的 | |
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joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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centaur
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| n.人首马身的怪物 | |
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galloping
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| adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式 | |
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21
hoofs
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| n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 ) | |
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22
watery
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| adj.有水的，水汪汪的；湿的，湿润的 | |
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majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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edifices
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| n.大建筑物( edifice的名词复数 ) | |
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lustre
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| n.光亮，光泽；荣誉 | |
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26
misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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rattled
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| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
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29
evaded
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| 逃避( evade的过去式和过去分词 )； 避开； 回避； 想不出 | |
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engrossed
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| adj.全神贯注的 | |
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jovial
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| adj.快乐的，好交际的 | |
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32
monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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33
apparition
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| n.幽灵，神奇的现象 | |
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precursor
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| n.先驱者；前辈；前任；预兆；先兆 | |
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35
cypress
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| n.柏树 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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37
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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38
fathomless
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| a.深不可测的 | |
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39
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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40
vividly
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| adv.清楚地，鲜明地，生动地 | |
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41
boundless
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| adj.无限的；无边无际的；巨大的 | |
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42
sage
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| n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的 | |
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43
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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44
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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45
softened
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| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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46
rouged
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| 胭脂，口红( rouge的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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47
artistically
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| adv.艺术性地 | |
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