“AND SO, after a time, I came to the mountains. Then, the course of my journey was altered, and I began to move along their bases, until, all at once, I saw that I had come opposite to a vast rift1, opening into the mountains. Through this, I was borne, moving at no great speed. On either side of me, huge, scarped walls of rock-like substance rose sheer. Far overhead, I discerned a thin ribbon of red, where the mouth of the chasm2 opened, among inaccessible3 peaks. Within, was gloom, deep and sombre, and chilly4 silence. For awhile, I went onward5 steadily6, and then, at last, I saw, ahead, a deep, red glow, that told me I was near upon the further opening of the gorge7.
“A minute came and went, and I was at the exit of the chasm, staring out upon an enormous amphitheatre of mountains. Yet, of the mountains, and the terrible grandeur8 of the place, I recked nothing; for I was confounded with amazement9, to behold10, at a distance of several miles, and occupying the centre of the arena11, a stupendous structure, built apparently12 of green jade13. Yet, in itself, it was not the discovery of the building that had so astonished me; but the fact, which became every moment more apparent, that in no particular, save in colour and its enormous size, did the lonely structure vary from this house in which I live.
“For awhile, I continued to stare, fixedly14. Even then, I could scarcely believe that I saw aright. In my mind, a question formed, reiterating15 incessantly16: ‘What does it mean?’ ‘What does it mean?’ and I was unable to make answer, even out of the depths of my imagination. I seemed capable only of wonder and fear. For a time longer, I gazed, noting, continually, some fresh point of resemblance that attracted me. At last, wearied and sorely puzzled, I turned from it, to view the rest of the strange place on to which I had intruded17.
“Hitherto, I had been so engrossed18 in my scrutiny19 of the House, that I had given only a cursory20 glance round. Now, as I looked, I began to realise upon what sort of a place I had come. The arena, for so I have termed it, appeared a perfect circle of about ten to twelve miles in diameter, the House, as I have mentioned before, standing21 in the centre. The surface of the place, like to that of the Plain, had a peculiar22, misty23 appearance, that was yet not mist.
“From a rapid survey, my glance passed quickly upwards24, along the slopes of the circling mountains. How silent they were. I think that this same abominable25 stillness was more trying to me, than anything that I had, so far, seen or imagined. I was looking up, now, at the great crags, towering so loftily. Up there, the impalpable redness gave a blurred26 appearance to everything.
“And then, as I peered, curiously28, a new terror came to me; for, away up among the dim peaks to my right, I had descried29 a vast shape of blackness, giant-like. It grew upon my sight. It had an enormous equine head, with gigantic ears, and seemed to peer stead-fastly down into the arena. There was that about the pose, that gave me the impression of an eternal watchfulness30 — of having warded31 that dismal32 place, through unknown eternities. Slowly, the monster became plainer to me; and then, suddenly, my gaze sprang from it to something further off and higher among the crags. For a long minute, I gazed, fearfully. I was strangely conscious of something not altogether unfamiliar33 — as though something stirred in the back of my mind. The thing was black, and had four grotesque34 arms. The features showed, indistinctly. Round the neck, I made out several light-coloured objects. Slowly, the details came to me, and I realised, coldly, that they were skulls35. Further down the body was another circling belt, showing less dark against the black trunk. Then, even as I puzzled to know what the thing was, a memory slid into my mind, and straightway, I knew that I was looking at a monstrous36 representation of Kali, the Hindu goddess of death.
“Other remembrances of my old student days drifted into my thoughts. My glance fell back upon the huge beast-headed Thing. Simultaneously37, I recognised it for the ancient Egyptian god Set, or Seth, the Destroyer of Souls. With the knowledge, there came a great sweep of questioning — ‘Two of the —!’ I stopped, and endeavoured to think. Things beyond my imagination, peered into my frightened mind. I saw, obscurely. ‘The old gods of mythology39!’ I tried to comprehend to what it was all pointing. My gaze dwelt, flickeringly, between the two. ‘If — ’
“An idea came swiftly, and I turned, and glanced rapidly upwards, searching the gloomy crags, away to my left. Something loomed40 out under a great peak, a shape of greyness. I wondered I had not seen it earlier, and then remembered I had not yet viewed that portion. I saw it more plainly now. It was, as I have said, grey. It had a tremendous head; but no eyes. That part of its face was blank.
“Now, I saw that there were other things up among the mountains. Further off, reclining on a lofty ledge38, I made out a livid mass, irregular and ghoulish. It seemed without form, save for an unclean, half-animal face, that looked out, vilely41, from somewhere about its middle. And then, I saw others — there were hundreds of them. They seemed to grow out of the shadows. Several, I recognised, almost immediately, as mythological42 deities43; others were strange to me, utterly44 strange, beyond the power of a human mind to conceive.
“On each side, I looked, and saw more, continually. The mountains were full of strange things — Beast-gods, and Horrors, so atrocious and bestial45 that possibility and decency46 deny any further attempt to describe them. And I— I was filled with a terrible sense of overwhelming horror and fear and repugnance47; yet, spite of these, I wondered exceedingly. Was there then, after all, something in the old heathen worship, something more than the mere48 deifying of men, animals and elements? The thought gripped me — was there?
“Later, a question repeated itself. What were they, those Beast-gods, and the others? At first, they had appeared to me, just sculptured Monsters, placed indiscriminately among the inaccessible peaks and precipices49 of the surrounding mountains. Now, as I scrutinised them with greater intentness, my mind began to reach out to fresh conclusions. There was something about them, an indescribable sort of silent vitality50, that suggested, to my broadening consciousness, a state of life-indeath — a something that was by no means life, as we understand it; but rather an inhuman51 form of existence, that well might be likened to a deathless trance — a condition in which it was possible to imagine their continuing, eternally. ‘Immortal!’ the word rose in my thoughts unbidden; and, straightway, I grew to wondering whether this might be the immortality52 of the gods.
“And then, in the midst of my wondering and musing53, something happened. Until then, I had been staying, just within the shadow of the exit of the great rift. Now, without volition54 on my part, I drifted out of the semi-darkness, and began to move slowly across the arena — towards the House. At this, I gave up all thoughts of those prodigious55 Shapes above me — and could only stare, frightenedly, at the tremendous structure, towards which I was being conveyed so remorselessly. Yet, though I searched earnestly, I could discover nothing that I had not already seen, and so became gradually calmer.
“Presently, I had reached a point more than half-way between the House and the gorge. All around, was spread the stark56 loneliness of the place, and the unbroken silence. Steadily, I neared the great building. Then, all at once, something caught my vision, something that came round one of the huge buttresses57 of the House, and so into full view. It was a gigantic thing, and moved with a curious lope, going almost upright, after the manner of a man. It was quite unclothed, and had a remarkable58 luminous59 appearance. Yet it was the face that attracted and frightened me the most. It was the face of a swine.
“Silently, intently, I watched this horrible creature, and forgot my fear, momentarily, in my interest in its movements. It was making its way, cumbrously, round the building, stopping, as it came to each window, to peer in, and shake at the bars, with which — as in this house — they were protected; and whenever it came to a door, it would push at it, fingering the fastening stealthily. Evidently, it was searching for an ingress into the House.
“I had come now to within less than a quarter of a mile of the great structure, and still I was compelled forward. Abruptly60, the Thing turned, and gazed, hideously61, in my direction. It opened its mouth, and, for the first time, the stillness of that abominable place was broken, by a deep, booming note, that sent an added thrill of apprehension62 through me. Then, immediately, I became aware that it was coming towards me, swiftly and silently. In an instant, it had covered half the distance that lay between. And still, I was borne helplessly to meet it. Only a hundred yards, and the brutish ferocity of the giant face numbed63 me with a feeling of unmitigated horror. I could have screamed, in the supremeness of my fear; and then, in the very moment of my extremity64 and despair, I became conscious that I was looking down upon the arena, from a rapidly-increasing height. I was rising, rising. In an inconceivably short while, I had reached an altitude of many hundred feet. Beneath me, the spot that I had just left, was occupied by the foul65 Swine-creature. It had gone down on all fours, and was snuffing and rooting, like a veritable hog66, at the surface of the arena. A moment, and it rose to its feet, clutching upwards, with an expression of desire upon its face, such as I have never seen in this world.
“Continually, I mounted higher. A few minutes, it seemed, and I had risen above the great mountains — floating, alone, afar in the redness. At a tremendous distance below, the arena showed, dimly; with the mighty67 House looking no larger than a tiny spot of green. The Swine-thing was no longer visible.
“Presently, I passed over the mountains, out above the huge breadth of the plain. Far away, on its surface, in the direction of the ring-shaped sun, there showed a confused blur27. I looked towards it, indifferently. It reminded me, somewhat, of the first glimpse I had caught of the mountain-amphitheatre.
“With a sense of weariness, I glanced upwards at the immense ring of fire. What a strange thing it was! Then, as I stared, out from the dark centre, there spurted68 a sudden flare69 of extraordinary vivid fire. Compared with the size of the black centre, it was as naught70; yet, in itself, stupendous. With awakened71 interest, I watched it carefully, noting its strange boiling and glowing. Then, in a moment, the whole thing grew dim and unreal, and so passed out of sight. Much amazed, I glanced down to the Plain from which I was still rising. Thus, I received a fresh surprise. The Plain — everything, had vanished, and only a sea of red mist was spread, far below me. Gradually, as I stared, this grew remote, and died away into a dim, far mystery of red, against an unfathomable night. Awhile, and even this had gone, and I was wrapped in an impalpable, lightless gloom.
收听单词发音 |
1
rift
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| n.裂口，隙缝，切口；v.裂开，割开，渗入 | |
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chasm
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| n.深坑，断层，裂口，大分岐，利害冲突 | |
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inaccessible
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| adj.达不到的，难接近的 | |
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chilly
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| adj.凉快的，寒冷的 | |
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onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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gorge
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| n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃 | |
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grandeur
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| n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华 | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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arena
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| n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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jade
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| n.玉石；碧玉；翡翠 | |
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fixedly
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| adv.固定地；不屈地，坚定不移地 | |
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reiterating
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| 反复地说，重申( reiterate的现在分词 ) | |
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incessantly
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| ad.不停地 | |
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intruded
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| n.侵入的，推进的v.侵入，侵扰，打扰( intrude的过去式和过去分词 )；把…强加于 | |
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engrossed
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| adj.全神贯注的 | |
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scrutiny
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| n.详细检查，仔细观察 | |
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cursory
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| adj.粗略的；草率的；匆促的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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abominable
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| adj.可厌的，令人憎恶的 | |
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blurred
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| v.（使）变模糊( blur的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）难以区分；模模糊糊；迷离 | |
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blur
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| n.模糊不清的事物；vt.使模糊，使看不清楚 | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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descried
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| adj.被注意到的，被发现的，被看到的 | |
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watchfulness
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| 警惕，留心； 警觉（性） | |
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warded
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| 有锁孔的，有钥匙榫槽的 | |
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dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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unfamiliar
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| adj.陌生的，不熟悉的 | |
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grotesque
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| adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物） | |
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skulls
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| 颅骨( skull的名词复数 )； 脑袋； 脑子； 脑瓜 | |
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monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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mythology
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| n.神话，神话学，神话集 | |
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40
loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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vilely
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| adv.讨厌地，卑劣地 | |
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mythological
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| adj.神话的 | |
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43
deities
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| n.神，女神( deity的名词复数 )；神祗；神灵；神明 | |
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44
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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45
bestial
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| adj.残忍的；野蛮的 | |
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46
decency
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| n.体面，得体，合宜，正派，庄重 | |
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47
repugnance
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| n.嫌恶 | |
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48
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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49
precipices
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| n.悬崖，峭壁( precipice的名词复数 ) | |
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50
vitality
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| n.活力，生命力，效力 | |
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51
inhuman
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| adj.残忍的，不人道的，无人性的 | |
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52
immortality
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| n.不死，不朽 | |
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53
musing
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| n. 沉思，冥想 adj. 沉思的, 冥想的 动词muse的现在分词形式 | |
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54
volition
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| n.意志；决意 | |
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55
prodigious
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| adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的 | |
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56
stark
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| adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地 | |
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57
buttresses
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| n.扶壁，扶垛( buttress的名词复数 )v.用扶壁支撑，加固( buttress的第三人称单数 ) | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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luminous
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| adj.发光的，发亮的；光明的；明白易懂的；有启发的 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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hideously
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| adv.可怕地，非常讨厌地 | |
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apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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numbed
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| v.使麻木，使麻痹( numb的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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64
extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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65
foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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66
hog
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| n.猪；馋嘴贪吃的人；vt.把…占为己有，独占 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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68
spurted
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| （液体，火焰等）喷出，（使）涌出( spurt的过去式和过去分词 )； （短暂地）加速前进，冲刺 | |
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69
flare
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| v.闪耀，闪烁；n.潮红；突发 | |
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naught
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| n.无，零 [=nought] | |
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awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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