“FROM THE ABUTMENT, where once had been the windows, through which I had watched that first, fatal dawn, I could see that the sun was hugely greater, than it had been, when first the Star lit the world. So great was it, that its lower edge seemed almost to touch the far horizon. Even as I watched, I imagined that it drew closer. The radiance of green that lit the frozen earth, grew steadily1 brighter.
“Thus, for a long space, things were. Then, on a sudden, I saw that the sun was changing shape, and growing smaller, just as the moon would have done in past time. In a while, only a third of the illuminated2 part was turned towards the earth. The Star bore away on the left.
“Gradually, as the world moved on, the Star shone upon the front of the house, once more; while the sun showed, only as a great bow of green fire. An instant, it seemed, and the sun had vanished. The Star was still fully3 visible. Then the earth moved into the black shadow of the sun, and all was night — Night, black, starless, and intolerable.
“Filled with tumultuous thoughts, I watched across the night — waiting. Years, it may have been, and then, in the dark house behind me, the clotted4 stillness of the world was broken. I seemed to hear a soft padding of many feet, and a faint, inarticulate whisper of sound, grew on my sense. I looked round into the blackness, and saw a multitude of eyes. As I stared, they increased, and appeared to come towards me. For an instant, I stood, unable to move. Then a hideous5 swine-noise 1 rose up into the night; and, at that, I leapt from the window, out on to the frozen world. I have a confused notion of having run awhile; and, after that, I just waited — waited. Several times, I heard shrieks6; but always as though from a distance. Except for these sounds, I had no idea of the whereabouts of the house. Time moved onward7. I was conscious of little, save a sensation of cold and hopelessness and fear.
“An age, it seemed, and there came a glow, that told of the coming light. It grew, tardily8. Then — with a loom9 of unearthly glory — the first ray from the Green Star, struck over the edge of the dark sun, and lit the world. It fell upon a great, ruined structure, some two hundred yards away. It was the house. Staring, I saw a fearsome sight — over its walls crawled a legion of unholy things, almost covering the old building, from tottering10 towers to base. I could see them, plainly; they were the Swine-creatures.
“The world moved out into the light of the Star, and I saw that, now, it seemed to stretch across a quarter of the heavens. The glory of its livid light was so tremendous, that it appeared to fill the sky with quivering flames. Then, I saw the sun. It was so close that half of its diameter lay below the horizon; and, as the world circled across its face, it seemed to tower right up into the sky, a stupendous dome11 of emerald coloured fire. From time to time, I glanced towards the house; but the Swine-things seemed unaware12 of my proximity13.
“Years appeared to pass, slowly. The earth had almost reached the centre of the sun’s disk. The light from the Green Sun — as now it must be called — shone through the interstices, that gapped the mouldered14 walls of the old house, giving them the appearance of being wrapped in green flames. The Swine-creatures still crawled about the walls.
“Suddenly, there rose a loud roar of swine-voices, and, up from the centre of the roofless house, shot a vast column of blood-red flame. I saw the little, twisted towers and turrets15 flash into fire; yet still preserving their twisted crookedness16. The beams of the Green Sun, beat upon the house, and intermingled with its lurid17 glows; so that it appeared a blazing furnace of red and green fire.
“Fascinated, I watched, until an overwhelming sense of coming danger, drew my attention. I glanced up, and, at once, it was borne upon me, that the sun was closer; so close, in fact, that it seemed to overhang the world. Then — I know not how — I was caught up into strange heights — floating like a bubble in the awful effulgence18.
“Far below me, I saw the earth, with the burning house leaping into an ever growing mountain of flame. Round about it, the ground appeared to be glowing; and, in places, heavy wreaths of yellow smoke ascended19 from the earth. It seemed as though the world were becoming ignited from that one plague-spot of fire. Faintly, I could see the Swine-things. They appeared quite unharmed. Then the ground seemed to cave in, suddenly, and the house, with its load of foul20 creatures, disappeared into the depths of the earth, sending a strange, blood coloured cloud into the heights. I remembered the hell Pit under the house.
“In a while, I looked round. The huge bulk of the sun, rose high above me. The distance between it and the earth, grew rapidly less. Suddenly, the earth appeared to shoot forward. In a moment, it had traversed the space between it and the sun. I heard no sound; but, out from the sun’s face, gushed21 an ever growing tongue of dazzling flame. It seemed to leap, almost to the distant Green Sun — shearing22 through the emerald light, a very cataract23 of blinding fire. It reached its limit, and sank; and, on the sun, glowed a vast splash of burning white — the grave of the earth.
“The sun was very close to me, now. Presently, I found that I was rising higher; until, at last, I rode above it, in the emptiness. The Green Sun was now so huge that its breadth seemed to fill up all the sky, ahead. I looked down, and noted24 that the sun was passing directly beneath me.
“A year may have gone by — or a century — and I was left, suspended, alone. The sun showed far in front — a black, circular mass, against the molten splendour of the great, Green Orb25. Near one edge, I observed that a lurid glow had appeared, marking the place where the earth had fallen. By this, I knew that the long-dead sun was still revolving26, though with great slowness.
“Afar to my right, I seemed to catch, at times, a faint glow of whitish light. For a great time, I was uncertain whether to put this down to fancy or not. Thus, for a while, I stared, with fresh wonderings; until, at last, I knew that it was no imaginary thing; but a reality. It grew brighter; and, presently, there slid out of the green, a pale globe of softest white. It came nearer, and I saw that it was apparently27 surrounded by a robe of gently glowing clouds. Time passed . . . .
“I glanced towards the diminishing sun. It showed, only as a dark blot28 on the face of the Green Sun. As I watched, I saw it grow smaller, steadily, as though rushing towards the superior orb, at an immense speed. Intently, I stared. What would happen? I was conscious of extraordinary emotions, as I realised that it would strike the Green Sun. It grew no bigger than a pea, and I looked, with my whole soul, to witness the final end of our System — that system which had borne the world through so many aeons, with its multitudinous sorrows and joys; and now —
“Suddenly, something crossed my vision, cutting from sight all vestige29 of the spectacle I watched with such soul-interest. What happened to the dead sun, I did not see; but I have no reason — in the light of that which I saw afterwards — to disbelieve that it fell into the strange fire of the Green Sun, and so perished.
“And then, suddenly, an extraordinary question rose in my mind, whether this stupendous globe of green fire might not be the vast Central Sun — the great sun, round which our universe and countless30 others revolve31. I felt confused. I thought of the probable end of the dead sun, and another suggestion came, dumbly — Do the dead stars make the Green Sun their grave? The idea appealed to me with no sense of grotesqueness32; but rather as something both possible and probable.
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1
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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illuminated
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| adj.被照明的；受启迪的 | |
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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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clotted
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| adj.凝结的v.凝固( clot的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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shrieks
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| n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 ) | |
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7
onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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tardily
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| adv.缓慢 | |
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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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tottering
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| adj.蹒跚的，动摇的v.走得或动得不稳( totter的现在分词 )；踉跄；蹒跚；摇摇欲坠 | |
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11
dome
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| n.圆屋顶，拱顶 | |
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unaware
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| a.不知道的，未意识到的 | |
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proximity
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| n.接近，邻近 | |
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mouldered
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| v.腐朽( moulder的过去式和过去分词 )；腐烂，崩塌 | |
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15
turrets
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| （六角）转台( turret的名词复数 )； （战舰和坦克等上的）转动炮塔； （摄影机等上的）镜头转台； （旧时攻城用的）塔车 | |
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16
crookedness
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| [医]弯曲 | |
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lurid
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| adj.可怕的；血红的；苍白的 | |
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effulgence
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| n.光辉 | |
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ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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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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gushed
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| v.喷，涌( gush的过去式和过去分词 )；滔滔不绝地说话 | |
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shearing
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| n.剪羊毛，剪取的羊毛v.剪羊毛( shear的现在分词 )；切断；剪切 | |
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cataract
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| n.大瀑布，奔流，洪水，白内障 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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orb
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| n.太阳；星球；v.弄圆；成球形 | |
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revolving
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| adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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blot
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| vt.弄脏（用吸墨纸）吸干；n.污点，污渍 | |
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vestige
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| n.痕迹，遗迹，残余 | |
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countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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31
revolve
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| vi.(使)旋转；循环出现 | |
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32
grotesqueness
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