They had taken their places in the post-carriage at three o’clock in the morning, and had driven up the beautiful road over the lower slopes of Etna, circling round the mountain. But it had been quite dark. They had not seen anything of the surrounding country.
The young signorina by no means lamented1 over that. She sat with closed eyes and buried herself in her sorrow. Even when it began to grow light, she would not lift her eyes to look out. It was not until they were quite near Diamante that Giannita could persuade her to look at the landscape.
“Look! Here is Diamante; this is to be your home,” she said.
Then Micaela Palmeri, to the right of the road, saw mighty2 Etna, that cut off a great piece of the sky. Behind the mountain the sun was rising, and when the upper edge of the sun’s disc appeared above the line of the mountain, it looked as if the white summit began to burn and send out sparks and rays.
Giannita entreated3 her to look at the other side.
And on the other side she saw the whole jagged mountain chain, which surrounds Etna like a towered wall, glowing red in the sunrise.
[63]
But Giannita pointed4 in another direction. It was not that she was to look at, not that.
Then she lowered her eyes and looked down into the black valley. There the ground shone like velvet5, and the white Simeto foamed6 along in the depths of the valley.
But still she did not turn her eyes in the right direction.
At last she saw the steep Monte Chiaro rising out of the black, velvet-lined valley, red in the morning light and encircled by a crown of shady palms. On its summit she saw a town flanked with towers, and encompassed7 by a wall, and with all its windows and weather-vanes glittering in the light.
At that sight she seized Giannita’s arm and asked her if it was a real town, and if people lived there.
She believed that it was one of heaven’s cities, and that it would disappear like a vision. She was certain that no mortal had ever passed up the path that from the edge of the valley went in great curves over to Monte Chiaro and then zigzagged8 up the mountain, disappearing through the dark gates of the town.
But when she came nearer to Diamante, and saw that it was of the earth, and real, tears rose to her eyes. It moved her that the earth still held all this beauty for her. She had believed that, since it had been the scene of all her misfortunes, she would always find it gray and withered9 and covered with thistles and poisonous growths.
She entered poor Diamante with clasped hands, as if it were a sanctuary10. And it seemed to her as if this town could offer her as much happiness as beauty.
点击收听单词发音
1 lamented | |
adj.被哀悼的,令人遗憾的v.(为…)哀悼,痛哭,悲伤( lament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2 mighty | |
adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3 entreated | |
恳求,乞求( entreat的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4 pointed | |
adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5 velvet | |
n.丝绒,天鹅绒;adj.丝绒制的,柔软的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6 foamed | |
泡沫的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7 encompassed | |
v.围绕( encompass的过去式和过去分词 );包围;包含;包括 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
8 zigzagged | |
adj.呈之字形移动的v.弯弯曲曲地走路,曲折地前进( zigzag的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
9 withered | |
adj. 枯萎的,干瘪的,(人身体的部分器官)因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
10 sanctuary | |
n.圣所,圣堂,寺庙;禁猎区,保护区 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
欢迎访问英文小说网 |