Perhaps I was not capable of thinking quite coherently on what had just happened until I was once more fairly outside of the forest shadows — out in that clear open daylight, where things seem what they are, and imagination, like a juggler1 detected and laughed at, hastily takes itself out of the way. As I walked homewards I paused midway on the barren ridge2 to gaze back on the scene I had left, and then the recent adventure began to take a semi-ludicrous aspect in my mind. All that circumstance of preparation, that mysterious prelude3 to something unheard of, unimaginable, surpassing all fables4 ancient and modern, and all tragedies — to end at last in a concert of howling monkeys! Certainly the concert was very grand — indeed, one of the most astounding6 in nature — -but still — I sat down on a stone and laughed freely.
The sun was sinking behind the forest, its broad red disk still showing through the topmost leaves, and the higher part of the foliage7 was of a luminous8 green, like green flame, throwing off flakes9 of quivering, fiery10 light, but lower down the trees were in profound shadow.
I felt very light-hearted while I gazed on this scene, for how pleasant it was just now to think of the strange experience I had passed through — to think that I had come safely out of it, that no human eye had witnessed my weakness, and that the mystery existed still to fascinate me! For, ludicrous as the denouement11 now looked, the cause of all, the voice itself, was a thing to marvel12 at more than ever. That it proceeded from an intelligent being I was firmly convinced; and although too materialistic13 in my way of thinking to admit for a moment that it was a supernatural being, I still felt that there was something more than I had at first imagined in Kua-ko’s speech about a daughter of the Didi. That the Indians knew a great deal about the mysterious voice, and had held it in great fear, seemed evident. But they were savages14, with ways that were not mine; and however friendly they might be towards one of a superior race, there was always in their relations with him a low cunning, prompted partly by suspicion, underlying16 their words and actions. For the white man to put himself mentally on their level is not more impossible than for these aborigines to be perfectly17 open, as children are, towards the white. Whatever subject the stranger within their gates exhibits an interest in, that they will be reticent18 about; and their reticence19, which conceals20 itself under easily invented lies or an affected21 stupidity, invariably increases with his desire for information. It was plain to them that some very unusual interest took me to the wood; consequently I could not expect that they would tell me anything they might know to enlighten me about the matter; and I concluded that Kua-ko’s words about the daughter of the Didi, and what she would do if he blew an arrow at a bird, had accidentally escaped him in a moment of excitement. Nothing, therefore, was to be gained by questioning them, or, at all events, by telling them how much the subject attracted me. And I had nothing to fear; my independent investigations22 had made this much clear to me; the voice might proceed from a very frolicsome23 and tricksy creature, full of wild fantastic humours, but nothing worse. It was friendly to me, I felt sure; at the same time it might not be friendly towards the Indians; for, on that day, it had made itself heard only after my companion had taken flight; and it had then seemed incensed24 against me, possibly because the savage15 had been in my company.
That was the result of my reflections on the day’s events when I returned to my entertainer’s roof and sat down among my friends to refresh myself with stewed25 fowl26 and fish from the household pot, into which a hospitable27 woman invited me with a gesture to dip my fingers.
Kua-ko was lying in his hammock, smoking, I think — certainly not reading. When I entered he lifted his head and stared at me, probably surprised to see me alive, unharmed, and in a placid28 temper. I laughed at the look, and, somewhat disconcerted, he dropped his head down again. After a minute or two I took the metal match-box and tossed it on to his breast. He clutched it and, starting up, stared at me in the utmost astonishment29. He could scarcely believe his good fortune; for he had failed to carry out his part of the compact and had resigned himself to the loss of the coveted30 prize. Jumping down to the floor, he held up the box triumphantly31, his joy overcoming the habitual32 stolid33 look; while all the others gathered about him, each trying to get the box into his own hands to admire it again, notwithstanding that they had all seen it a dozen times before. But it was Kua-ko’s now and not the stranger’s, and therefore more nearly their own than formerly34, and must look different, more beautiful, with a brighter polish on the metal. And that wonderful enamelled cock on the lid — figured in Paris probably, but just like a cock in Guayana, the pet bird which they no more think of killing35 and eating than we do our purring pussies36 and lemon-coloured canaries — must now look more strikingly valiant37 and cock-like than ever, with its crimson38 comb and wattles, burnished39 red hackles, and dark green arching tail-plumes. But Kua-ko, while willing enough to have it admired and praised, would not let it out of his hands, and told them pompously40 that it was not theirs for them to handle, but his — Kua-ko’s — for all time; that he had won it by accompanying me — valorous man that he was! — to that evil wood into which they — timid, inferior creatures that they were! — would never have ventured to set foot. I am not translating his words, but that was what he gave them to understand pretty plainly, to my great amusement.
After the excitement was over, Runi, who had maintained a dignified41 calm, made some roundabout remarks, apparently42 with the object of eliciting43 an account of what I had seen and heard in the forest of evil fame. I replied carelessly that I had seen a great many birds and monkeys — monkeys so tame that I might have procured44 one if I had had a blow-pipe, in spite of my never having practiced shooting with that weapon.
It interested them to hear about the abundance and tameness of the monkeys, although it was scarcely news; but how tame they must have been when I, the stranger not to the manner born — not naked, brown-skinned, lynx-eyed, and noiseless as an owl5 in his movements — had yet been able to look closely at them! Runi only remarked, apropos46 of what I had told him, that they could not go there to hunt; then he asked me if I feared nothing.
“Nothing,” I replied carelessly. “The things you fear hurt not the white man and are no more than this to me,” saying which I took up a little white wood-ash in my hand and blew it away with my breath. “And against other enemies I have this,” I added, touching47 my revolver. A brave speech, just after that araguato episode; but I did not make it without blushing — mentally.
— He shook his head, and said it was a poor weapon against some enemies; also — truly enough — that it would procure45 no birds and monkeys for the stew-pot.
Next morning my friend Kua-ko, taking his zabatana, invited me to go out with him, and I consented with some misgivings48, thinking he had overcome his superstitious49 fears and, inflamed50 by my account of the abundance of game in the forest, intended going there with me. The previous day’s experience had made me think that it would be better in the future to go there alone. But I was giving the poor youth more credit than he deserved: it was far from his intention to face the terrible unknown again. We went in a different direction, and tramped for hours through woods where birds were scarce and only of the smaller kinds. Then my guide surprised me a second time by offering to teach me to use the zabatana. This, then, was to be my reward for giving him the box! I readily consented, and with the long weapon, awkward to carry, in my hand, and imitating the noiseless movements and cautious, watchful51 manner of my companion, I tried to imagine myself a simple Guayana savage, with no knowledge of that artificial social state to which I had been born, dependent on my skill and little roll of poison-darts52 for a livelihood53. By an effort of the will I emptied myself of my life experience and knowledge — or as much of it as possible — and thought only of the generations of my dead imaginary progenitors54, who had ranged these woods back to the dim forgotten years before Columbus; and if the pleasure I had in the fancy was childish, it made the day pass quickly enough. Kua-ko was constantly at my elbow to assist and give advice; and many an arrow I blew from the long tube, and hit no bird. Heaven knows what I hit, for the arrows flew away on their wide and wild career to be seen no more, except a few which my keen-eyed comrade marked to their destination and managed to recover. The result of our day’s hunting was a couple of birds, which Kua-ko, not I, shot, and a small opossum his sharp eyes detected high up a tree lying coiled up on an old nest, over the side of which the animal had incautiously allowed his snaky tail to dangle55. The number of darts I wasted must have been a rather serious loss to him, but he did not seem troubled at it, and made no remark.
Next day, to my surprise, he volunteered to give me a second lesson, and we went out again. On this occasion he had provided himself with a large bundle of darts, but — wise man! — they were not poisoned, and it therefore mattered little whether they were wasted or not. I believe that on this day I made some little progress; at all events, my teacher remarked that before long I would be able to hit a bird. This made me smile and answer that if he could place me within twenty yards of a bird not smaller than a small man I might manage to touch it with an arrow.
This speech had a very unexpected and remarkable56 effect. He stopped short in his walk, stared at me wildly, then grinned, and finally burst into a roar of laughter, which was no bad imitation of the howling monkey’s performance, and smote57 his naked thighs58 with tremendous energy. At length recovering himself, he asked whether a small woman was not the same as a small man, and being answered in the affirmative, went off into a second extravagant59 roar of laughter.
Thinking it was easy to tickle60 him while he continued in this mood, I began making any number of feeble jokes — feeble, but quite as good as the one which had provoked such outrageous61 merriment — for it amused me to see him acting62 in this unusual way. But they all failed of their effect — there was no hitting the bull’s-eye a second time; he would only stare vacantly at me, then grunt63 like a peccary — not appreciatively — and walk on. Still, at intervals64 he would go back to what I had said about hitting a very big bird, and roar again, as if this wonderful joke was not easily exhausted66.
Again on the third day we were out together practicing at the birds — frightening if not killing them; but before noon, finding that it was his intention to go to a distant spot where he expected to meet with larger game, I left him and returned to the village. The blow-pipe practice had lost its novelty, and I did not care to go on all day and every day with it; more than that, I was anxious after so long an interval65 to pay a visit to my wood, as I began to call it, in the hope of hearing that mysterious melody which I had grown to love and to miss when even a single day passed without it.
收听单词发音 |
1
juggler
|
|
| n. 变戏法者, 行骗者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
ridge
|
|
| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
prelude
|
|
| n.序言，前兆，序曲 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
fables
|
|
| n.寓言( fable的名词复数 )；神话，传说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
owl
|
|
| n.猫头鹰，枭 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
astounding
|
|
| adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊，使大吃一惊astound的现在分词) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
foliage
|
|
| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
luminous
|
|
| adj.发光的，发亮的；光明的；明白易懂的；有启发的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
flakes
|
|
| 小薄片( flake的名词复数 )； （尤指）碎片； 雪花； 古怪的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
fiery
|
|
| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
denouement
|
|
| n.结尾，结局 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
marvel
|
|
| vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
materialistic
|
|
| a.唯物主义的，物质享乐主义的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
savages
|
|
| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
savage
|
|
| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
underlying
|
|
| adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
perfectly
|
|
| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
reticent
|
|
| adj.沉默寡言的；言不如意的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
reticence
|
|
| n.沉默，含蓄 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
conceals
|
|
| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
affected
|
|
| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
investigations
|
|
| （正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
frolicsome
|
|
| adj.嬉戏的，闹着玩的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
incensed
|
|
| 盛怒的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
stewed
|
|
| adj.焦虑不安的，烂醉的v.炖( stew的过去式和过去分词 )；煨；思考；担忧 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
fowl
|
|
| n.家禽，鸡，禽肉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
hospitable
|
|
| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
placid
|
|
| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
astonishment
|
|
| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
coveted
|
|
| adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
triumphantly
|
|
| ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
habitual
|
|
| adj.习惯性的；通常的，惯常的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
stolid
|
|
| adj.无动于衷的，感情麻木的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
formerly
|
|
| adv.从前，以前 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
killing
|
|
| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
pussies
|
|
| n.（粗俚） 女阴( pussy的名词复数 )；（总称）（作为性对象的）女人；（主要北美使用，非正式）软弱的；小猫咪 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
valiant
|
|
| adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
crimson
|
|
| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
burnished
|
|
| adj.抛光的，光亮的v.擦亮（金属等），磨光( burnish的过去式和过去分词 )；被擦亮，磨光 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
pompously
|
|
| adv.傲慢地，盛大壮观地；大模大样 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
dignified
|
|
| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
apparently
|
|
| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
eliciting
|
|
| n. 诱发, 引出 动词elicit的现在分词形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
procured
|
|
| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
procure
|
|
| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
apropos
|
|
| adv.恰好地；adj.恰当的；关于 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
touching
|
|
| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
misgivings
|
|
| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕；疑虑，担心，恐惧( misgiving的名词复数 )；疑惧 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
superstitious
|
|
| adj.迷信的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
inflamed
|
|
| adj.发炎的，红肿的v.（使）变红，发怒，过热( inflame的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
watchful
|
|
| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
darts
|
|
| n.掷飞镖游戏；飞镖( dart的名词复数 )；急驰，飞奔v.投掷，投射( dart的第三人称单数 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
livelihood
|
|
| n.生计，谋生之道 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
progenitors
|
|
| n.祖先( progenitor的名词复数 )；先驱；前辈；原本 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
dangle
|
|
| v.(使)悬荡，(使)悬垂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
remarkable
|
|
| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
smote
|
|
| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去式 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
thighs
|
|
| n.股，大腿( thigh的名词复数 )；食用的鸡（等的）腿 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
extravagant
|
|
| adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
tickle
|
|
| v.搔痒，胳肢；使高兴；发痒；n.搔痒，发痒 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
61
outrageous
|
|
| adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
62
acting
|
|
| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
63
grunt
|
|
| v.嘟哝；作呼噜声；n.呼噜声，嘟哝 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
64
intervals
|
|
| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
65
interval
|
|
| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
66
exhausted
|
|
| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |