In the evening Launcelot was magnificently entertained as a stranger knight at the neighboring castle of Shalott. The lord of this castle had a daughter of exquisite9 beauty, and two sons lately received into the order of knighthood, one of whom was at that time ill in bed, and thereby10 prevented from attending the tournament, for which both brothers had long made preparation. Launcelot offered to attend the other, if he were permitted to borrow the armor of the invalid11, and the lord of Shalott, without knowing the name of his guest, being satisfied from his appearance that his son could not have a better assistant in arms, most thankfully accepted the offer. In the meantime the young lady, who had been much struck by the first appearance of the stranger knight, continued to survey him with increased attention, and, before the conclusion of supper, became so deeply enamoured of him, that after frequent changes of color, and other symptoms which Sir Launcelot could not possibly mistake, she was obliged to retire to her chamber12, and seek relief in tears. Sir Launcelot hastened to convey to her, by means of her brother, the information that his heart was already disposed of, but that it would be his pride and pleasure to act as her knight at the approaching tournament. The lady, obliged to be satisfied with that courtesy, presented him her scarf to be worn at the tournament.
Launcelot set off in the morning with the young knight, who, on their approaching Winchester, carried him to the castle of a lady, sister to the lord of Shalott, by whom they were hospitably13 entertained. The next day they put on their armor, which was perfectly14 plain and without any device, as was usual to youths during the first year of knighthood, their shields being only painted red, as some color was necessary to enable them to be recognized by their attendants. Launcelot wore on his crest15 the scarf of the maid of Shalott, and, thus equipped, proceeded to the tournament, where the knights were divided into two companies, the one commanded by Sir Galehaut, the other by King Arthur. Having surveyed the combat for a short time from without the lists, and observed that Sir Galehaut’s party began to give way, they joined the press and attacked the royal knights, the young man choosing such adversaries16 as were suited to his strength, while his companion selected the principal champions of the Round Table, and successively overthrew17 Gawain, Bohort, and Lionel. The astonishment18 of the spectators was extreme, for it was thought that no one but Launcelot could possess such invincible19 force; yet the favor on his crest seemed to preclude20 the possibility of his being thus disguised, for Launcelot had never been known to wear the badge of any but his sovereign lady. At length Sir Hector, Launcelot’s brother, engaged him, and, after a dreadful combat, wounded him dangerously in the head, but was himself completely stunned21 by a blow on the helmet, and felled to the ground; after which the conqueror22 rode off at full speed, attended by his companion.
They returned to the castle of Shalott, where Launcelot was attended with the greatest care by the good earl, by his two sons, and, above all, by his fair daughter, whose medical skill probably much hastened the period of his recovery. His health was almost completely restored, when Sir Hector, Sir Bohort, and Sir Lionel, who, after the return of the court to Camelot, had undertaken the quest of their relation, discovered him walking on the walls of the castle. Their meeting was very joyful23; they passed three days in the castle amidst constant festivities, and bantered24 each other on the events of the tournament. Launcelot, though he began by vowing25 vengeance26 against the author of his wound, yet ended by declaring that he felt rewarded for the pain by the pride he took in witnessing his brother’s extraordinary prowess. He then dismissed them with a message to the queen, promising28 to follow immediately, it being necessary that he should first take a formal leave of his kind hosts, as well as of the fair maid of Shalott.
The young lady, after vainly attempting to detain him by her tears and solicitations, saw him depart without leaving her any ground for hope.
It was early summer when the tournament took place; but some months had passed since Launcelot’s departure, and winter was now near at hand. The health and strength of the Lady of Shalott had gradually sunk, and she felt that she could not live apart from the object of her affections. She left the castle, and descending29 to the river’s brink30 placed herself in a boat, which she loosed from its moorings, and suffered to bear her down the current toward Camelot.
One morning, as Arthur and Sir Lionel looked from the window of the tower, the walls of which were washed by a river, they descried31 a boat richly ornamented32, and covered with an awning33 of cloth of gold, which appeared to be floating down the stream without any human guidance. It struck the shore while they watched it, and they hastened down to examine it. Beneath the awning they discovered the dead body of a beautiful woman, in whose features Sir Lionel easily recognized the lovely maid of Shalott. Pursuing their search, they discovered a purse richly embroidered34 with gold and jewels, and within the purse a letter, which Arthur opened, and found addressed to himself and all the knights of the Round Table, stating that Launcelot of the Lake, the most accomplished35 of knights and most beautiful of men, but at the same time the most cruel and inflexible36, had by his rigor37 produced the death of the wretched maiden38, whose love was no less invincible than his cruelty. The king immediately gave orders for the interment of the lady with all the honors suited to her rank, at the same time explaining to the knights the history of her affection for Launcelot, which moved the compassion39 and regret of all.
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Tennyson has chosen the story of the “Lady of Shalott” for the subject of a poem. The catastrophe40 is told thus:
“Under tower and balcony,
By garden-wall and gallery,
A gleaming shape she floated by,
A corse between the houses high,
Silent into Camelot.
Out upon the wharfs41 they came,
Knight and burgher, lord and dame42,
And round the prow27 they read her name,
‘The Lady of Shalott.’
“Who is this? and what is here?
And in the lighted palace near
Died the sound of royal cheer;
And they crossed themselves for fear,
All the knights at Camelot.
But Launcelot mused43 a little space;
He said, ‘She has a lovely face;
God in his mercy lend her grace,
The Lady of Shalott.’?”
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1
knights
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| 骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马 | |
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2
knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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3
pretence
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| n.假装，作假；借口，口实；虚伪；虚饰 | |
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counterfeiting
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| n.伪造v.仿制，造假( counterfeit的现在分词 ) | |
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5
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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agility
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| n.敏捷，活泼 | |
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7
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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8
feats
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| 功绩，伟业，技艺( feat的名词复数 ) | |
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exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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10
thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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invalid
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| n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的 | |
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12
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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13
hospitably
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| 亲切地，招待周到地，善于款待地 | |
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14
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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15
crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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16
adversaries
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| n.对手，敌手( adversary的名词复数 ) | |
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17
overthrew
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| overthrow的过去式 | |
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18
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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19
invincible
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| adj.不可征服的，难以制服的 | |
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20
preclude
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| vt.阻止，排除，防止；妨碍 | |
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21
stunned
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| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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22
conqueror
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| n.征服者，胜利者 | |
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23
joyful
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| adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的 | |
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24
bantered
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| v.开玩笑，说笑，逗乐( banter的过去式和过去分词 )；（善意地）取笑，逗弄 | |
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25
vowing
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| 起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式） | |
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26
vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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27
prow
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| n.(飞机)机头，船头 | |
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28
promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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29
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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30
brink
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| n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿 | |
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31
descried
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| adj.被注意到的，被发现的，被看到的 | |
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32
ornamented
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| adj.花式字体的v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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33
awning
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| n.遮阳篷；雨篷 | |
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34
embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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35
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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36
inflexible
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| adj.不可改变的，不受影响的，不屈服的 | |
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37
rigor
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| n.严酷，严格，严厉 | |
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38
maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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39
compassion
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| n.同情，怜悯 | |
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40
catastrophe
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| n.大灾难，大祸 | |
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41
wharfs
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| 码头，停泊处 | |
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42
dame
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| n.女士 | |
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43
mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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