“THE WORLD was held in a savage1 gloom — cold and intolerable. Outside, all was quiet — quiet! From the dark room behind me, came the occasional, soft thud 1 of falling matter — fragments of rotting stone. So time passed, and night grasped the world, wrapping it in wrappings of impenetrable blackness.
“There was no night-sky, as we know it. Even the few straggling stars had vanished, conclusively3. I might have been in a shuttered room, without a light; for all that I could see. Only, in the impalpableness of gloom, opposite, burnt that vast, encircling hair of dull fire. Beyond this, there was no ray in all the vastitude of night that surrounded me; save that, far in the North, that soft, mist-like glow still shone.
“Silently, years moved on. What period of time passed, I shall never know. It seemed to me, waiting there, that eternities came and went, stealthily; and still I watched. I could see only the glow of the sun’s edge, at times; for now, it had commenced to come and go — lighting4 up a while, and again becoming extinguished.
“All at once, during one of these periods of life, a sudden flame cut across the night — a quick glare that lit up the dead earth, shortly; giving me a glimpse of its flat lonesomeness. The light appeared to come from the sun — shooting out from somewhere near its centre, diagonally. A moment, I gazed, startled. Then the leaping flame sank, and the gloom fell again. But now it was not so dark; and the sun was belted by a thin line of vivid, white light. I stared, intently. Had a volcano broken out on the sun? Yet, I negatived the thought, as soon as formed. I felt that the light had been far too intensely white, and large, for such a cause.
“Another idea there was, that suggested itself to me. It was, that one of the inner planets had fallen into the sun — becoming incandescent5, under that impact. This theory appealed to me, as being more plausible6, and accounting7 more satisfactorily for the extraordinary size and brilliance8 of the blaze, that had lit up the dead world, so unexpectedly.
“Full of interest and emotion, I stared, across the darkness, at that line of white fire, cutting the night. One thing it told to me, unmistakably: the sun was yet rotating at an enormous speed. 2 Thus, I knew that the years were still fleeting9 at an incalculable rate; though so far as the earth was concerned, life, and light, and time, were things belonging to a period lost in the long gone ages.
“After that one burst of flame, the light had shown, only as an encircling band of bright fire. Now, however, as I watched, it began slowly to sink into a ruddy tint10, and, later, to a dark, copper-red colour; much as the sun had done. Presently, it sank to a deeper hue11; and, in a still further space of time, it began to fluctuate; having periods of glowing, and anon, dying. Thus, after a great while, it disappeared.
“Long before this, the smouldering edge of the sun had deadened into blackness. And so, in that supremely12 future time, the world, dark and intensely silent, rode on its gloomy orbit around the ponderous13 mass of the dead sun.
“My thoughts, at this period, can be scarcely described. At first, they were chaotic14 and wanting in coherence15. But, later, as the ages came and went, my soul seemed to imbibe16 the very essence of the oppressive solitude17 and dreariness18, that held the earth.
“With this feeling, there came a wonderful clearness of thought, and I realised, despairingly, that the world might wander for ever, through that enormous night. For awhile, the unwholesome idea filled me, with a sensation of overbearing desolation; so that I could have cried like a child. In time, however, this feeling grew, almost insensibly, less, and an unreasoning hope possessed19 me. Patiently, I waited.
“From time to time, the noise of dropping particles, behind in the room, came dully to my ears. Once, I heard a loud crash, and turned, instinctively20, to look; forgetting, for the moment, the impenetrable night in which every detail was submerged. In a while, my gaze sought the heavens; turning, unconsciously, towards the North. Yes, the nebulous glow still showed. Indeed, I could have almost imagined that it looked somewhat plainer. For a long time, I kept my gaze fixed21 upon it; feeling, in my lonely soul, that its soft haze22 was, in some way, a tie with the past. Strange, the trifles from which one can suck comfort! And yet, had I but known — But I shall come to that in its proper time.
“For a very long space, I watched, without experiencing any of the desire for sleep, that would so soon have visited me in the old-earth days. How I should have welcomed it; if only to have passed the time, away from my perplexities and thoughts.
“Several times, the comfortless sound of some great piece of masonry23 falling, disturbed my meditations24; and, once, it seemed I could hear whispering in the room, behind me. Yet it was utterly25 useless to try to see anything. Such blackness, as existed, scarcely can be conceived. It was palpable, and hideously26 brutal27 to the sense; as though something dead, pressed up against me — something soft, and icily cold.
“Under all this, there grew up within my mind, a great and overwhelming distress28 of uneasiness, that left me, but to drop me into an uncomfortable brooding. I felt that I must fight against it; and, presently, hoping to distract my thoughts, I turned to the window, and looked up towards the North, in search of the nebulous whiteness, which, still, I believed to be the far and misty29 glowing of the universe we had left. Even as I raised my eyes, I was thrilled with a feeling of wonder; for, now, the hazy30 light had resolved into a single, great star, of vivid green.
“As I stared, astonished, the thought flashed into my mind; that the earth must be travelling towards the star; not away, as I had imagined. Next, that it could not be the universe the earth had left; but, possibly, an out-lying star, belonging to some vast star-cluster, hidden in the enormous depths of space. With a sense of commingled31 awe32 and curiosity, I watched it, wondering what new thing was to be revealed to me.
“For a while, vague thoughts and speculations33 occupied me, during which my gaze dwelt insatiably upon that one spot of light, in the otherwise pit-like darkness. Hope grew up within me, banishing34 the oppression of despair, that had seemed to stifle35 me. Wherever the earth was traveling, it was, at least, going once more towards the realms of light. Light! One must spend an eternity36 wrapped in soundless night, to understand the full horror of being without it.
“Slowly, but surely, the star grew upon my vision, until, in time, it shone as brightly as had the planet Jupiter, in the old-earth days. With increased size, its colour became more impressive; reminding me of a huge emerald, scintillating37 rays of fire across the world.
“Years fled away in silence, and the green star grew into a great splash of flame in the sky. A little later, I saw a thing that filled me with amazement38. It was the ghostly outline of a vast crescent, in the night; a gigantic new moon, seeming to be growing out of the surrounding gloom. Utterly bemused, I stared at it. It appeared to be quite close — comparatively; and I puzzled to understand how the earth had come so near to it, without my having seen it before.
“The light, thrown by the star, grew stronger; and, presently, I was aware that it was possible to see the earthscape again; though indistinctly. Awhile, I stared, trying to make out whether I could distinguish any detail of the world’s surface, but I found the light insufficient39. In a little, I gave up the attempt, and glanced once more towards the star. Even in the short space, that my attention had been diverted, it had increased considerably40, and seemed now, to my bewildered sight, about a quarter of the size of the full moon. The light it threw, was extraordinarily41 powerful; yet its colour was so abominably42 unfamiliar43, that such of the world as I could see, showed unreal; more as though I looked out upon a landscape of shadow, than aught else.
“All this time, the great crescent was increasing in brightness, and began, now, to shine with a perceptible shade of green. Steadily44, the star increased in size and brilliancy, until it showed, fully45 as large as half a full moon; and, as it grew greater and brighter, so did the vast crescent throw out more and more light, though of an ever deepening hue of green. Under the combined blaze of their radiances, the wilderness46 that stretched before me, became steadily more visible. Soon, I seemed able to stare across the whole world, which now appeared, beneath the strange light, terrible in its cold and awful, flat dreariness.
“It was a little later, that my attention was drawn47 to the fact, that the great star of green flame, was slowly sinking out of the North, towards the East. At first, I could scarcely believe that I saw aright; but soon there could be no doubt that it was so. Gradually, it sank, and, as it fell, the vast crescent of glowing green, began to dwindle48 and dwindle, until it became a mere49 arc of light, against the livid coloured sky. Later it vanished, disappearing in the self-same spot from which I had seen it slowly emerge.
“By this time, the star had come to within some thirty degrees of the hidden horizon. In size it could now have rivalled the moon at its full; though, even yet, I could not distinguish its disk. This fact led me to conceive that it was, still, an extraordinary distance away; and, this being so, I knew that its size must be huge, beyond the conception of man to understand or imagine.
“Suddenly, as I watched, the lower edge of the star vanished — cut by a straight, dark line. A minute — or a century — passed, and it dipped lower, until the half of it had disappeared from sight. Far away out on the great plain, I saw a monstrous50 shadow blotting51 it out, and advancing swiftly. Only a third of the star was visible now. Then, like a flash, the solution of this extraordinary phenomenon revealed itself to me. The star was sinking behind the enormous mass of the dead sun. Or rather, the sun — obedient to its attraction — was rising towards it, 3 with the earth following in its trail. As these thoughts expanded in my mind, the star vanished; being completely hidden by the tremendous bulk of the sun. Over the earth there fell, once more, the brooding night.
“With the darkness, came an intolerable feeling of loneliness and dread52. For the first time, I thought of the Pit, and its inmates53. After that, there rose in my memory the still more terrible Thing, that had haunted the shores of the Sea of Sleep, and lurked54 in the shadows of this old building. Where were they? I wondered — and shivered with miserable55 thoughts. For a time, fear held me, and I prayed, wildly and incoherently, for some ray of light with which to dispel56 the cold blackness that enveloped57 the world.
“How long I waited, it is impossible to say — certainly for a very great period. Then, all at once, I saw a loom2 of light shine out ahead. Gradually, it became more distinct. Suddenly, a ray of vivid green, flashed across the darkness. At the same moment, I saw a thin line of livid flame, far in the night. An instant, it seemed, and it had grown into a great clot58 of fire; beneath which, the world lay bathed in a blaze of emerald green light. Steadily it grew, until, presently, the whole of the green star had come into sight again. But now, it could be scarcely called a star; for it had increased to vast proportions, being incomparably greater than the sun had been in the olden time.
“Then, as I stared, I became aware that I could see the edge of the lifeless sun, glowing like a great crescent-moon. Slowly, its lighted surface, broadened out to me, until half of its diameter was visible; and the star began to drop away on my right. Time passed, and the earth moved on, slowly traversing the tremendous face of the dead sun.4
“Gradually, as the earth travelled forward, the star fell still more to the right; until, at last, it shone on the back of the house, sending a flood of broken rays, in through the skeleton-like walls. Glancing upwards59, I saw that much of the ceiling had vanished, enabling me to see that the upper storeys were even more decayed. The roof had, evidently, gone entirely60; and I could see the green effulgence61 of the Star-light shining in, slantingly.
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1
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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loom
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| n.织布机，织机；v.隐现，(危险、忧虑等)迫近 | |
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conclusively
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| adv.令人信服地，确凿地 | |
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lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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incandescent
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| adj.遇热发光的， 白炽的，感情强烈的 | |
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plausible
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| adj.似真实的，似乎有理的，似乎可信的 | |
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accounting
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| n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表 | |
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brilliance
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| n.光辉，辉煌，壮丽，（卓越的）才华，才智 | |
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fleeting
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| adj.短暂的，飞逝的 | |
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tint
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| n.淡色，浅色；染发剂；vt.着以淡淡的颜色 | |
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hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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supremely
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| adv.无上地，崇高地 | |
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ponderous
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| adj.沉重的，笨重的，(文章)冗长的 | |
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chaotic
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| adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的 | |
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coherence
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| n.紧凑；连贯；一致性 | |
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16
imbibe
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| v.喝，饮；吸入，吸收 | |
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17
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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dreariness
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| 沉寂，可怕，凄凉 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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23
masonry
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| n.砖土建筑；砖石 | |
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24
meditations
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| 默想( meditation的名词复数 )； 默念； 沉思； 冥想 | |
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25
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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hideously
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| adv.可怕地，非常讨厌地 | |
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brutal
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| adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的 | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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30
hazy
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| adj.有薄雾的，朦胧的；不肯定的，模糊的 | |
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31
commingled
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| v.混合，掺和，合并( commingle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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speculations
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| n.投机买卖( speculation的名词复数 )；思考；投机活动；推断 | |
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34
banishing
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| v.放逐，驱逐( banish的现在分词 ) | |
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35
stifle
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| vt.使窒息；闷死；扼杀；抑止，阻止 | |
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eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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scintillating
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| adj．才气横溢的,闪闪发光的; 闪烁的 | |
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38
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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39
insufficient
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| adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的 | |
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40
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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41
extraordinarily
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| adv.格外地；极端地 | |
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42
abominably
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| adv. 可恶地，可恨地，恶劣地 | |
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43
unfamiliar
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| adj.陌生的，不熟悉的 | |
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44
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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46
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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47
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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48
dwindle
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| v.逐渐变小（或减少） | |
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49
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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50
monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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51
blotting
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| 吸墨水纸 | |
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52
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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53
inmates
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| n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) | |
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54
lurked
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| vi.潜伏，埋伏（lurk的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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55
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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56
dispel
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| vt.驱走，驱散，消除 | |
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57
enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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58
clot
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| n.凝块；v.使凝成块 | |
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59
upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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60
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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61
effulgence
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| n.光辉 | |
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