Part 4 Yann's First Wedding Chapter 6

It was six days before the sailing for Iceland. Their weddingprocession was returning from Ploubazlanec Church, driven before afurious wind, under a sombre, rain-laden sky.

　　They looked very handsome, nevertheless, as they walked along as in adream, arm-in-arm, like king and queen leading a long cortege. Calm,reserved, and grave, they seemed to see nothing about them; as if theywere above ordinary life and everybody else. The very wind seemed torespect them, while behind them their "train" was a jolly medley¹ oflaughing couples, tumbled and buffeted² by the angry western gale³.

　　Many people were present, overflowing⁴ with young life; others turninggray, but these still smiled as they thought of /their/ wedding-dayand younger years. Granny Yvonne was there and following, too, pantinga little, but something like happy, hanging on the arm of an old uncleof Yann's, who was paying her old-fashioned compliments. She wore agrand new cap, bought for the occasion, and her tiny shawl, which hadbeen dyed a third time, and black, because of Sylvestre.

　　The wind worried everybody; dresses and skirts, bonnets⁵ and /coiffes/,were similarly tossed about mercilessly.

　　At the church door, the newly married couple, pursuant to custom, hadbought two nosegays of artificial flowers, to complete their bridalattire. Yann had fastened his on anyhow upon his broad chest, but hewas one of those men whom anything becomes. As for Gaud, there wasstill something of the lady about the manner in which she had placedthe rude flowers in her bodice, as of old very close fitting to herunrivalled form.

　　The violin player, who led the whole band, bewildered by the wind,played at random⁶; his tunes⁸ were heard by fits and starts betwixt thenoisy gusts⁹, and rose as shrill¹⁰ as the screaming of a sea-gull. AllPloubazlanec had turned out to look at them. This marriage seemed toexcite people's sympathy, and many had come from far around; at eachturn of the road there were groups stationed to see them pass. Nearlyall Yann's mates, the Icelanders of Paimpol, were there. They cheeredthe bride and bridegroom as they passed; Gaud returned their greeting,bowing slightly like a town lady, with serious grace; and all alongthe way she was greatly admired.

　　The darkest and most secluded¹¹ hamlets around, even those in the woods,had been emptied of all their beggars, cripples, wastrels¹², poor, andidiots on crutches¹³; these wretches¹⁴ scattered¹⁵ along the road, withaccordions and hurdy-gurdies; they held out their hands and hats toreceive the alms that Yann threw to them with his own noble look andGaud with her beautiful queenly smile. Some of these poor waifs werevery old and wore gray locks on heads that had never held much;crouching in the hollows of the roadside, they were of the same colouras the earth from which they seemed to have sprung, but so unformed assoon to be returned without ever having had any human thoughts. Theirwandering glances were as indecipherable as the mystery of theirabortive and useless existences. Without comprehending, they looked atthe merrymakers' line pass by. It went on beyond Pors-Even and theGaoses' home. They meant to follow the ancient bridal tradition ofPloubazlanec and go to the chapel¹⁶ of La Trinite, which is situated¹⁷ atthe very end of the Breton country.

　　At the foot of the outermost¹⁸ cliff, it rests on a threshold of low-lying rocks close to the water, and seems almost to belong to the seaalready. A narrow goat's path leads down to it through masses ofgranite.

　　The wedding party spread over the incline of the forsaken¹⁹ cape²⁰ head;and among the rocks and stones, happy words were lost in the roar ofthe wind and the surf.

　　It was useless to try and reach the chapel; in this boisterous²¹ weatherthe path was not safe, the sea came too close with its high rollers.

　　Its white-crested spouts²² sprang up in the air, so as to break overeverything in a ceaseless shower.

　　Yann, who had advanced the farthest with Gaud on his arm, was thefirst to retreat before the spray. Behind, his wedding party hadremained strewn about the rocks, in a semicircle; it seemed as if hehad come to present his wife to the sea, which received her withscowling, ill-boding aspect.

　　Turning round, he caught sight of the violinist perched on a grayrock, trying vainly to play his dance tunes between gusts of wind.

　　"Put up your music, my lad," said Yann; "old Neptune²³ is playing us alivelier tune⁷ than yours."A heavily beating shower, which had threatened since morning, began tofall. There was a mad rush then, accompanied by outcries and laughter,to climb up the bluff²⁴ and take refuge at the Gaoses'.

1 medley   

n.混合

参考例句：

• Today's sports meeting doesn't seem to include medley relay swimming.现在的运动会好象还没有混合接力泳这个比赛项目。
• China won the Men's 200 metres Individual Medley.中国赢得了男子200米个人混合泳比赛。

2 buffeted   

反复敲打( buffet的过去式和过去分词 )； 连续猛击； 打来打去； 推来搡去

参考例句：

• to be buffeted by the wind 被风吹得左右摇摆
• We were buffeted by the wind and the rain. 我们遭到风雨的袭击。

3 gale   

n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等）

参考例句：

• We got our roof blown off in the gale last night.昨夜的大风把我们的房顶给掀掉了。
• According to the weather forecast,there will be a gale tomorrow.据气象台预报，明天有大风。

4 overflowing   

n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The stands were overflowing with farm and sideline products. 集市上农副产品非常丰富。
• The milk is overflowing. 牛奶溢出来了。

5 bonnets   

n.童帽( bonnet的名词复数 )；（烟囱等的）覆盖物；（苏格兰男子的）无边呢帽；（女子戴的）任何一种帽子

参考例句：

• All the best bonnets of the city were there. 城里戴最漂亮的无边女帽的妇女全都到场了。 来自辞典例句
• I am tempting you with bonnets and bangles and leading you into a pit. 我是在用帽子和镯子引诱你，引你上钩。 来自飘（部分）

6 random   

adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动

参考例句：

• The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。

7 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。

8 tunes   

n.曲调，曲子( tune的名词复数 )v.调音( tune的第三人称单数 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调

参考例句：

• a potpourri of tunes 乐曲集锦
• When things get a bit too much, she simply tunes out temporarily. 碰到事情太棘手时，她干脆暂时撒手不管。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 gusts   

一阵强风( gust的名词复数 )； （怒、笑等的）爆发； （感情的）迸发； 发作

参考例句：

• Her profuse skirt bosomed out with the gusts. 她的宽大的裙子被风吹得鼓鼓的。
• Turbulence is defined as a series of irregular gusts. 紊流定义为一组无规则的突风。

10 shrill   

adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫

参考例句：

• Whistles began to shrill outside the barn.哨声开始在谷仓外面尖叫。
• The shrill ringing of a bell broke up the card game on the cutter.刺耳的铃声打散了小汽艇的牌局。

11 secluded   

adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• Some people like to strip themselves naked while they have a swim in a secluded place. 一些人当他们在隐蔽的地方游泳时，喜欢把衣服脱光。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This charming cottage dates back to the 15th century and is as pretty as a picture, with its thatched roof and secluded garden. 这所美丽的村舍是15世纪时的建筑，有茅草房顶和宁静的花园，漂亮极了，简直和画上一样。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 wastrels   

n.无用的人，废物( wastrel的名词复数 )；浪子

参考例句：

13 crutches   

n.拐杖, 支柱 v.支撑

参考例句：

• After the accident I spent six months on crutches . 事故后我用了六个月的腋杖。
• When he broke his leg he had to walk on crutches. 他腿摔断了以后，不得不靠拐杖走路。

14 wretches   

n.不幸的人( wretch的名词复数 )；可怜的人；恶棍；坏蛋

参考例句：

• The little wretches were all bedraggledfrom some roguery. 小淘气们由于恶作剧而弄得脏乎乎的。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The best courage for us poor wretches is to fly from danger. 对我们这些可怜虫说来，最好的出路还是躲避危险。 来自辞典例句

15 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

16 chapel   

n.小教堂，殡仪馆

参考例句：

• The nimble hero,skipped into a chapel that stood near.敏捷的英雄跳进近旁的一座小教堂里。
• She was on the peak that Sunday afternoon when she played in chapel.那个星期天的下午，她在小教堂的演出，可以说是登峰造极。

17 situated   

adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的

参考例句：

• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
• She is awkwardly situated.她的处境困难。

18 outermost   

adj.最外面的，远离中心的

参考例句：

• He fired and hit the outermost ring of the target.他开枪射中了靶子的最外一环。
• The outermost electron is shielded from the nucleus.原子核对最外层电子的作用受到屏蔽。

19 Forsaken   

adj. 被遗忘的, 被抛弃的 动词forsake的过去分词

参考例句：

• He was forsaken by his friends. 他被朋友们背弃了。
• He has forsaken his wife and children. 他遗弃了他的妻子和孩子。

20 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

21 boisterous   

adj.喧闹的，欢闹的

参考例句：

• I don't condescend to boisterous displays of it.我并不屈就于它热热闹闹的外表。
• The children tended to gather together quietly for a while before they broke into boisterous play.孩子们经常是先静静地聚集在一起，不一会就开始吵吵嚷嚷戏耍开了。

22 spouts   

n.管口( spout的名词复数 )；（喷出的）水柱；（容器的）嘴；在困难中v.（指液体）喷出( spout的第三人称单数 )；滔滔不绝地讲；喋喋不休地说；喷水

参考例句：

• A volcano spouts flame and lava. 火山喷出火焰和岩浆。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The oil rushes up the tube and spouts up as a gusher. 石油会沿着钢管上涌，如同自喷井那样喷射出来。 来自辞典例句

23 Neptune   

n.海王星

参考例句：

• Neptune is the furthest planet from the sun.海王星是离太阳最远的行星。
• Neptune turned out to be a dynamic,stormy world.海王星原来是个有生气、多风暴的世界。

24 bluff   

v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗

参考例句：

• His threats are merely bluff.他的威胁仅仅是虚张声势。
• John is a deep card.No one can bluff him easily.约翰是个机灵鬼。谁也不容易欺骗他。