“In our great hall there stood a vacant chair,
Fashion’d by Merlin ere he past away,
And carven with strange figures; and in and out
The figures, like a serpent, ran a scroll6
Of letters in a tongue no man could read.
And Merlin call’d it ‘The Siege perilous,’
Perilous for good and ill; ‘for there,’ he said,
‘No man could sit but he should lose himself.’?”
—The Holy Grail.
A magic power wrote upon each seat the name of the knight who was entitled to sit in it. No one could succeed to a vacant seat unless he surpassed in valor7 and glorious deeds the knight who had occupied it before him; without this qualification he would be violently repelled8 by a hidden force. Thus proof was made of all those who presented themselves to replace any companions of the order who had fallen.
One of the principal seats, that of Moraunt of Ireland, had been vacant ten years, and his name still remained over it ever since the time when that distinguished9 champion fell beneath the sword of Sir Tristram. Arthur now took Tristram by the hand and led him to that seat. Immediately the most melodious10 sounds were heard, and exquisite11 perfumes filled the place; the name of Moraunt disappeared, and that of Tristram blazed forth12 in light. The rare modesty13 of Tristram had now to be subjected to a severe task; for the clerks charged with the duty of preserving the annals of the Round Table attended, and he was required by the law of his order to declare what feats14 of arms he had accomplished15 to entitle him to take that seat. This ceremony being ended, Tristram received the congratulations of all his companions. Sir Launcelot and Guenever took the occasion to speak to him of the fair Isoude, and to express their wish that some happy chance might bring her to the kingdom of Loegria.
While Tristram was thus honored and caressed16 at the court of King Arthur, the most gloomy and malignant17 jealousy18 harassed19 the soul of Mark. He could not look upon Isoude without remembering that she loved Tristram, and the good fortune of his nephew goaded20 him to thoughts of vengeance21. He at last resolved to go disguised into the kingdom of Loegria, attack Tristram by stealth, and put him to death. He took with him two knights, brought up in his court, who he thought were devoted22 to him; and, not willing to leave Isoude behind, named two of her maidens23 to attend her, together with her faithful Brengwain, and made them accompany him.
Having arrived in the neighborhood of Camelot, Mark imparted his plan to his two knights, but they rejected it with horror; nay24, more, they declared that they would no longer remain in his service; and left him, giving him reason to suppose that they should repair to the court to accuse him before Arthur. It was necessary for Mark to meet and rebut25 their accusation26; so, leaving Isoude in an abbey, he pursued his way alone to Camelot.
Mark had not ridden far when he encountered a party of knights of Arthur’s court, and would have avoided them, for he knew their habit of challenging to a just every stranger knight whom they met. But it was too late. They had seen his armor, and recognized him as a Cornish knight, and at once resolved to have some sport with him. It happened they had with them Daguenet, King Arthur’s fool, who, though deformed27 and weak of body, was not wanting in courage. The knights as Mark approached laid their plan that Daguenet should personate Sir Launcelot of the Lake, and challenge the Cornish knight. They equipped him in armor belonging to one of their number who was ill, and sent him forward to the cross-road to defy the strange knight. Mark, who saw that his antagonist28 was by no means formidable in appearance, was not disinclined to the combat; but when the dwarf29 rode towards him, calling out that he was Sir Launcelot of the Lake, his fears prevailed, he put spurs to his horse, and rode away at full speed, pursued by the shouts and laughter of the party.
Meanwhile Isoude, remaining at the abbey with her faithful Brengwain, found her only amusement in walking occasionally in a forest adjoining the abbey. There, on the brink30 of a fountain girdled with trees, she thought of her love, and sometimes joined her voice and her harp31 in lays reviving the memory of its pains or pleasures. One day the caitiff knight, Breuse the Pitiless, heard her voice, concealed32 himself, and drew near. She sang:
“Sweet silence, shadowy bower33, and verdant34 lair35,
Ye court my troubled spirit to repose36,
Whilst I, such dear remembrance rises there,
Awaken37 every echo with my woes38.
“Within these woods, by nature’s hand arrayed,
A fountain springs, and feeds a thousand flowers;
Ah! how my groans39 do all its murmurs40 aid!
How my sad eyes do swell41 it with their showers!
“What doth my knight the while? to him is given
A double meed; in love and arms’ emprise,
Him the Round Table elevates to heaven!
Tristram! ah me! he hears not Isoude’s cries.”
Breuse the Pitiless, who like most other caitiffs had felt the weight of Tristram’s arm, and hated him accordingly, at hearing his name breathed forth by the beautiful songstress, impelled42 by a double impulse, rushed forth from his concealment43 and laid hands on his victim. Isoude fainted, and Brengwain filled the air with her shrieks44. Breuse carried Isoude to the place where he had left his horse; but the animal had got away from his bridle45, and was at some distance. He was obliged to lay down his fair burden, and go in pursuit of his horse. Just then a knight came up, drawn46 by the cries of Brengwain, and demanded the cause of her distress47. She could not speak, but pointed48 to her mistress lying insensible on the ground.
Breuse had by this time returned, and the cries of Brengwain, renewed at seeing him, sufficiently49 showed the stranger the cause of the distress. Tristram spurred his horse towards Breuse, who, not unprepared, ran to the encounter. Breuse was unhorsed, and lay motionless, pretending to be dead; but when the stranger knight left him to attend to the distressed50 damsels, he mounted his horse, and made his escape.
The knight now approached Isoude, gently raised her head, drew aside the golden hair which covered her countenance51, gazed thereon for an instant, uttered a cry, and fell back insensible. Brengwain came; her cares soon restored her mistress to life, and they then turned their attention to the fallen warrior52. They raised his visor, and discovered the countenance of Sir Tristram. Isoude threw herself on the body of her lover, and bedewed his face with her tears. Their warmth revived the knight, and Tristram on awaking found himself in the arms of his dear Isoude.
It was the law of the Round Table that each knight after his admission should pass the next ten days in quest of adventures, during which time his companions might meet him in disguised armor and try their strength with him. Tristram had now been out seven days, and in that time had encountered many of the best knights of the Round Table, and acquitted53 himself with honor. During the remaining three days, Isoude remained at the abbey, under his protection, and then set out with her maidens, escorted by Sir Tristram, to rejoin King Mark at the court of Camelot.
This happy journey was one of the brightest epochs in the lives of Tristram and Isoude. He celebrated54 it by a lay upon the harp in a peculiar55 measure, to which the French give the name of Triolet.
“With fair Isoude, and with love,
Ah! how sweet the life I lead!
How blest for ever thus to rove,
With fair Isoude, and with love!
As she wills, I live and move,
And cloudless days to days succeed:
With fair Isoude, and with love,
Ah! how sweet the life I lead!
“Journeying on from break of day,
Feel you not fatigued56, my fair?
Yon green turf invites to play;
Journeying on from day to day,
Ah! let us to that shade away,
Were it but to slumber57 there!
Journeying on from break of day,
Feel you not fatigued, my fair?”
They arrived at Camelot, where Sir Launcelot received them most cordially. Isoude was introduced to King Arthur and Queen Guenever, who welcomed her as a sister. As King Mark was held in arrest under the accusation of the two Cornish knights, Queen Isoude could not rejoin her husband, and Sir Launcelot placed his castle of La Joyeuse Garde at the disposal of his friends, who there took up their abode58.
King Mark, who found himself obliged to confess the truth of the charge against him, or to clear himself by combat with his accusers, preferred the former, and King Arthur, as his crime had not been perpetrated, remitted59 the penalty, only enjoining60 upon him, under pain of his signal displeasure, to lay aside all thoughts of vengeance against his nephew. In the presence of the king and his court all parties were formally reconciled; Mark and his queen departed for their home, and Tristram remained at Arthur’s court.
点击收听单词发音
1 knights | |
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 | |
n.骑士,武士;爵士 | |
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3 traitor | |
n.叛徒,卖国贼 | |
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4 perilous | |
adj.危险的,冒险的 | |
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5 haughty | |
adj.傲慢的,高傲的 | |
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6 scroll | |
n.卷轴,纸卷;(石刻上的)漩涡 | |
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7 valor | |
n.勇气,英勇 | |
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8 repelled | |
v.击退( repel的过去式和过去分词 );使厌恶;排斥;推开 | |
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9 distinguished | |
adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的 | |
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10 melodious | |
adj.旋律美妙的,调子优美的,音乐性的 | |
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11 exquisite | |
adj.精美的;敏锐的;剧烈的,感觉强烈的 | |
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12 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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13 modesty | |
n.谦逊,虚心,端庄,稳重,羞怯,朴素 | |
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14 feats | |
功绩,伟业,技艺( feat的名词复数 ) | |
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15 accomplished | |
adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的 | |
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16 caressed | |
爱抚或抚摸…( caress的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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17 malignant | |
adj.恶性的,致命的;恶意的,恶毒的 | |
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18 jealousy | |
n.妒忌,嫉妒,猜忌 | |
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19 harassed | |
adj. 疲倦的,厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词 | |
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20 goaded | |
v.刺激( goad的过去式和过去分词 );激励;(用尖棒)驱赶;驱使(或怂恿、刺激)某人 | |
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21 vengeance | |
n.报复,报仇,复仇 | |
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22 devoted | |
adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的 | |
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23 maidens | |
处女( maiden的名词复数 ); 少女; 未婚女子; (板球运动)未得分的一轮投球 | |
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24 nay | |
adv.不;n.反对票,投反对票者 | |
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25 rebut | |
v.辩驳,驳回 | |
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26 accusation | |
n.控告,指责,谴责 | |
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27 deformed | |
adj.畸形的;变形的;丑的,破相了的 | |
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28 antagonist | |
n.敌人,对抗者,对手 | |
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29 dwarf | |
n.矮子,侏儒,矮小的动植物;vt.使…矮小 | |
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30 brink | |
n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘,边沿 | |
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31 harp | |
n.竖琴;天琴座 | |
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32 concealed | |
a.隐藏的,隐蔽的 | |
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33 bower | |
n.凉亭,树荫下凉快之处;闺房;v.荫蔽 | |
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34 verdant | |
adj.翠绿的,青翠的,生疏的,不老练的 | |
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35 lair | |
n.野兽的巢穴;躲藏处 | |
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36 repose | |
v.(使)休息;n.安息 | |
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37 awaken | |
vi.醒,觉醒;vt.唤醒,使觉醒,唤起,激起 | |
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38 woes | |
困境( woe的名词复数 ); 悲伤; 我好苦哇; 某人就要倒霉 | |
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39 groans | |
n.呻吟,叹息( groan的名词复数 );呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 );发牢骚;抱怨;受苦 | |
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40 murmurs | |
n.低沉、连续而不清的声音( murmur的名词复数 );低语声;怨言;嘀咕 | |
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41 swell | |
vi.膨胀,肿胀;增长,增强 | |
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42 impelled | |
v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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43 concealment | |
n.隐藏, 掩盖,隐瞒 | |
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44 shrieks | |
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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45 bridle | |
n.笼头,束缚;vt.抑制,约束;动怒 | |
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46 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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47 distress | |
n.苦恼,痛苦,不舒适;不幸;vt.使悲痛 | |
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48 pointed | |
adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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49 sufficiently | |
adv.足够地,充分地 | |
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50 distressed | |
痛苦的 | |
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51 countenance | |
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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52 warrior | |
n.勇士,武士,斗士 | |
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53 acquitted | |
宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 ); 使(自己)作出某种表现 | |
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54 celebrated | |
adj.有名的,声誉卓著的 | |
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55 peculiar | |
adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的 | |
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56 fatigued | |
adj. 疲乏的 | |
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57 slumber | |
n.睡眠,沉睡状态 | |
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58 abode | |
n.住处,住所 | |
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59 remitted | |
v.免除(债务),宽恕( remit的过去式和过去分词 );使某事缓和;寄回,传送 | |
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60 enjoining | |
v.命令( enjoin的现在分词 ) | |
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