The Wind is Without There and Howls in the Trees

THE wind is without there and howls in the trees,

And the rain-flurries drum on the glass:

Alone by the fireside with elbows on knees

I can number the hours as they pass.

Yet now, when to cheer me the crickets begin,

And my pipe is just happily lit,

Believe me, my friend, tho’ the evening draws in,

That not all uncontested I sit.

Alone, did I say? O no, nowise alone

With the Past sitting warm on my knee,

To gossip of days that are over and gone,

But still charming to her and to me.

With much to be glad of and much to deplore¹,

Yet, as these days with those we compare,

Believe me, my friend, tho’ the sorrows seem more

They are somehow more easy to bear.

And thou, faded Future, uncertain and frail²,

As I cherish thy light in each draught³,

His lamp is not more to the miner — their sail

Is not more to the crew on the raft.

For Hope can make feeble ones earnest and brave,

And, as forth⁴ thro’ the years I look on,

Believe me, my friend, between this and the grave,

I see wonderful things to be done.

To do or to try; and, believe me, my friend,

If the call should come early for me,

I can leave these foundations uprooted⁵, and tend

For some new city over the sea.

To do or to try; and if failure be mine,

And if Fortune go cross to my plan,

Believe me, my friend, tho’ I mourn the design

I shall never lament⁶ for the man.

1 deplore   

vt.哀叹，对...深感遗憾

参考例句：

• I deplore what has happened.我为所发生的事深感愤慨。
• There are many of us who deplore this lack of responsibility.我们中有许多人谴责这种不负责任的做法。

2 frail   

adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的

参考例句：

• Mrs. Warner is already 96 and too frail to live by herself.华纳太太已经九十六岁了，身体虚弱，不便独居。
• She lay in bed looking particularly frail.她躺在床上，看上去特别虚弱。

3 draught   

n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计

参考例句：

• He emptied his glass at one draught.他将杯中物一饮而尽。
• It's a pity the room has no north window and you don't get a draught.可惜这房间没北窗，没有过堂风。

4 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

5 uprooted   

v.把（某物）连根拔起( uproot的过去式和过去分词 )；根除；赶走；把…赶出家园

参考例句：

• Many people were uprooted from their homes by the flood. 水灾令许多人背井离乡。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The hurricane blew with such force that trees were uprooted. 飓风强烈地刮着，树都被连根拔起了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 lament   

n.悲叹，悔恨，恸哭；v.哀悼，悔恨，悲叹

参考例句：

• Her face showed lament.她的脸上露出悲伤的样子。
• We lament the dead.我们哀悼死者。