Part 5 The Second Wedding Chapter 1

After the spring day they had enjoyed, the falling night brought backthe impression of winter, and they returned to dine before their fire,which was flaming with new branches. It was their last meal together;but they had some hours yet, and were not saddened.

　　After dinner, they recovered the sweet impression of spring again, outon the Pors-Even road; for the air was calm, almost genial¹, and thetwilight still lingered over the land.

　　They went to see the family--for Yann to bid good-bye--and returnedearly, as they wished to rise with break of day.

　　The next morning the quay² of Paimpol was crowded with people. Thedepartures for Iceland had begun the day before, and with each tidethere was a fresh fleet off. On this particular morning, fifteenvessels were to start with the /Leopoldine/, and the wives or mothersof the sailors were all present at the getting under sail.

　　Gaud, who was now the wife of an Icelander, was much surprised to findherself among them all, and brought thither⁴ for the same fatefulpurpose. Her position seemed to have become so intensified⁵ within thelast few days, that she had barely had time to realize things as theywere; gliding⁶ irresistibly⁷ down an incline, she had arrived at thisinexorable conclusion that she must bear up for the present, and do asthe others did, who were accustomed to it.

　　She never before had been present at these farewells; hence all wasnew to her. Among these women was none like her, and she felt herdifference and isolation⁸. Her past life, as a lady, was stillremembered, and caused her to be set aside as one apart.

　　The weather had remained fine on this parting-day; but out at sea aheavy swell⁹ came from the west, foretelling¹⁰ wind, and the sea, lyingin wait for these new adventurers, burst its crests¹¹ afar.

　　Around Gaud stood many good-looking wives like her, and touching¹², withtheir eyes big with tears; others were thoughtless and lively; thesehad no heart or were not in love. Old women, threatened nearly bydeath, wept as they clung to their sons; sweethearts kissed eachother; half-maudlin sailors sang to cheer themselves up, while otherswent on board with gloomy looks as to their execution.

　　Many sad incidents could be marked; there were poor luckless fellowswho had signed their contracts unconsciously, when in liquor in thegrog-shop, and they had to be dragged on board by force; their ownwives helping¹³ the gendarmes¹⁴. Others, noted¹⁵ for their great strength,had been drugged in drink beforehand, and were carried like corpses¹⁶ onstretchers, and flung down in the forecastles.

　　Gaud was frightened by all this; what companions were these for herYann? and what a fearful thing was this Iceland, to inspire men withsuch terror of it?

　　Yet there were sailors who smiled, and were happy; who, doubtless,like Yann, loved the untrammelled life and hard fishing work; thosewere the sound, able seamen¹⁷, who had fine noble countenances¹⁸; if theywere unmarried they went off recklessly, merely casting a last look onthe lasses; and if they were married, they kissed their wives andlittle ones, with fervent²⁰ sadness and deep hopefulness as to returninghome all the richer.

　　Gaud was a little comforted when she saw that all the /Leopoldines/were of the latter class, forming really a picked crew.

　　The vessels³ set off two by two, or four by four, drawn²¹ out by thetugs. As soon as they moved the sailors raised their caps and, full-voiced, struck up the hymn²² to the Virgin²³: "/Salut, Etoile-de-la-Mer/!"(All Hail! Star of the Sea!), while on the quay, the women waved theirhands for a last farewell, and tears fell upon the lace strings²⁴ of thecaps.

　　As soon as the /Leopoldine/ started, Gaud quickly set off towards thehouse of the Gaoses. After an hour and a half's walk along the coast,through the familiar paths of Ploubazlanec, she arrived there, at thevery land's end, within the home of her new family.

　　The /Leopoldine/ was to cast anchor off Pors-Even before startingdefinitely in the evening, so the married pair had made a lastappointment here. Yann came to land in the yawl, and stayed anotherthree hours with her to bid her good-bye on firm land. The weather wasstill beautiful and spring-like, and the sky serene²⁵.

　　They walked out on the high road arm-in-arm, and it reminded them oftheir walk the day before. They strolled on towards Paimpol withoutany apparent object in view, and soon came to their own house, as ifunconsciously drawn there; they entered together for the last time.

　　Grandam Moan was quite amazed at seeing them together again.

　　Yann left many injunctions with Gaud concerning several of his thingsin his wardrobe, especially about his fine wedding clothes; she was totake them out occasionally and air them in the sun, and so on. Onboard ship the sailors learn all these household-like matters; butGaud was amused to hear it. Her husband might have been sure, though,that all his things would be kept and attended to, with loving care.

　　But all these matters were very secondary for them; they spoke²⁶ of themonly to have something to talk about, and to hide their real feelings.

　　They went on speaking in low, soft tones, as if fearing to frightenaway the moments that remained, and so make time flit by more swiftlystill. Their conversation was as a thing that had inexorably to cometo an end; and the most insignificant²⁷ things that they said seemed, onthis day, to become wondrous²⁸, mysterious, and important.

　　At the very last moment Yann caught up his wife in his arms, andwithout saying a word, they were enfolded in a long and silentembrace.

　　He embarked²⁹; the gray sails were unfurled and spread out to the lightwind that rose from the west. He, whom she still could distinguish,waved his cap in a particular way agreed on between them. And with herfigure outlined against the sea, she gazed for a long, long time uponher departing love.

　　That tiny, human-shaped speck³⁰, appearing black against the bluish grayof the waters, was still her husband, even though already it becamevague and indefinable, lost in the distance, where persistent³¹ sightbecomes baffled, and can see no longer.

　　As the /Leopoldine/ faded out of vision, Gaud, as if drawn by amagnet, followed the pathway all along the cliffs till she had tostop, because the land came to an end; she sat down at the foot of atall cross, which rises amidst the gorse and stones. As it was ratheran elevated spot, the sea, as seen from there, appeared to be rimmed,as in a bowl, and the /Leopoldine/, now a mere¹⁹ point, appeared sailingup the incline of that immense circle. The water rose in great slowundulations, like the upheavals³² of a submarine combat going onsomewhere beyond the horizon; but over the great space where Yannstill was, all dwelt calm.

　　Gaud still gazed at the ship, trying to fix its image well in herbrain, so that she might recognise it again from afar, when shereturned to the same place to watch for its home-coming.

　　Great swells³³ now rolled in from the west, one after another, withoutcessation, renewing their useless efforts, and ever breaking over thesame rocks, foaming³⁴ over the same places, to wash the same stones. Thestifled fury of the sea appeared strange, considering the absolutecalmness of the air and sky; it was as if the bed of the sea were toofull and would overflow³⁵ and swallow up the strand³⁶.

　　The /Leopoldine/ had grown smaller and smaller, and was lost in thedistance. Doubtless the under-tow carried her along, for she movedswiftly and yet the evening breezes were very faint. Now she was onlya tiny, gray touch, and would soon reach the extreme horizon of allvisible things, and enter those infinite regions, whence darkness wasbeginning to come.

　　Going on seven o'clock, night closed, and the boat had disappeared.

　　Gaud returned home, feeling withal rather brave, notwithstanding thetears that uncontainably fell. What a difference it would have been,and what still greater pain, if he had gone away, as in the twopreceding years, without even a good-bye! While now everything wassoftened and bettered between them. He was really her own Yann, andshe knew herself to be so truly loved, notwithstanding thisseparation, that, as she returned home alone, she felt at leastconsoled by the thought of the delightful³⁷ waiting for that "soonagain!" to be realized to which they had pledged themselves for theautumn.

1 genial   

adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的

参考例句：

• Orlando is a genial man.奥兰多是一位和蔼可亲的人。
• He was a warm-hearted friend and genial host.他是个热心的朋友，也是友善待客的主人。

2 quay   

n.码头，靠岸处

参考例句：

• There are all kinds of ships in a quay.码头停泊各式各样的船。
• The side of the boat hit the quay with a grinding jar.船舷撞到码头发出刺耳的声音。

3 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 thither   

adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的

参考例句：

• He wandered hither and thither looking for a playmate.他逛来逛去找玩伴。
• He tramped hither and thither.他到处流浪。

5 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 gliding   

v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的

参考例句：

• Swans went gliding past. 天鹅滑行而过。
• The weather forecast has put a question mark against the chance of doing any gliding tomorrow. 天气预报对明天是否能举行滑翔表示怀疑。

7 irresistibly   

adv.无法抵抗地，不能自持地；极为诱惑人地

参考例句：

• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside. 她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He was irresistibly attracted by her charm. 他不能自已地被她的魅力所吸引。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

9 swell   

vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强

参考例句：

• The waves had taken on a deep swell.海浪汹涌。
• His injured wrist began to swell.他那受伤的手腕开始肿了。

10 foretelling   

v.预言，预示( foretell的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Are you calling or foretelling? 你是否在召唤或者预言？ 来自互联网
• If the conclusion is right, there will be an important complement for the novel's foretelling ways. 这一结论如果成立，将是对《红楼梦》预示手法的一个重要补充。 来自互联网

11 crests   

v.到达山顶（或浪峰）( crest的第三人称单数 )；到达洪峰，达到顶点

参考例句：

• The surfers were riding in towards the beach on the crests of the waves. 冲浪者们顺着浪头冲向岸边。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The correspondent aroused, heard the crash of the toppled crests. 记者醒了，他听见了浪头倒塌下来的轰隆轰隆声。 来自辞典例句

12 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

13 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

14 gendarmes   

n.宪兵，警官( gendarme的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Of course, the line of prisoners was guarded at all times by armed gendarmes. 当然，这一切都是在荷枪实弹的卫兵监视下进行的。 来自百科语句
• The three men were gendarmes;the other was Jean Valjean. 那三个人是警察，另一个就是冉阿让。 来自互联网

15 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

16 corpses   

n.死尸，尸体( corpse的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The living soldiers put corpses together and burned them. 活着的战士把尸体放在一起烧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Overhead, grayish-white clouds covered the sky, piling up heavily like decaying corpses. 天上罩满了灰白的薄云，同腐烂的尸体似的沉沉的盖在那里。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

17 seamen   

n.海员

参考例句：

• Experienced seamen will advise you about sailing in this weather. 有经验的海员会告诉你在这种天气下的航行情况。
• In the storm, many seamen wished they were on shore. 在暴风雨中，许多海员想，要是他们在陆地上就好了。

18 countenances   

n.面容( countenance的名词复数 )；表情；镇静；道义支持

参考例句：

• 'stood apart, with countenances of inflexible gravity, beyond what even the Puritan aspect could attain." 站在一旁，他们脸上那种严肃刚毅的神情，比清教徒们还有过之而无不及。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
• The light of a laugh never came to brighten their sombre and wicked countenances. 欢乐的光芒从来未照亮过他们那阴郁邪恶的面孔。 来自辞典例句

19 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

20 fervent   

adj.热的，热烈的，热情的

参考例句：

• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。
• Austria was among the most fervent supporters of adolf hitler.奥地利是阿道夫希特勒最狂热的支持者之一。

21 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

22 hymn   

n.赞美诗，圣歌，颂歌

参考例句：

• They sang a hymn of praise to God.他们唱着圣歌，赞美上帝。
• The choir has sung only two verses of the last hymn.合唱团只唱了最后一首赞美诗的两个段落。

23 virgin   

n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的

参考例句：

• Have you ever been to a virgin forest?你去过原始森林吗？
• There are vast expanses of virgin land in the remote regions.在边远地区有大片大片未开垦的土地。

24 strings   

n.弦

参考例句：

• He sat on the bed,idly plucking the strings of his guitar.他坐在床上，随意地拨着吉他的弦。
• She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。

25 serene   

adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的

参考例句：

• He has entered the serene autumn of his life.他已进入了美好的中年时期。
• He didn't speak much,he just smiled with that serene smile of his.他话不多，只是脸上露出他招牌式的淡定的微笑。

26 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

27 insignificant   

adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的

参考例句：

• In winter the effect was found to be insignificant.在冬季，这种作用是不明显的。
• This problem was insignificant compared to others she faced.这一问题与她面临的其他问题比较起来算不得什么。

28 wondrous   

adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地

参考例句：

• The internal structure of the Department is wondrous to behold.看一下国务院的内部结构是很有意思的。
• We were driven across this wondrous vast land of lakes and forests.我们乘车穿越这片有着湖泊及森林的广袤而神奇的土地。

29 embarked   

乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事

参考例句：

• We stood on the pier and watched as they embarked. 我们站在突码头上目送他们登船。
• She embarked on a discourse about the town's origins. 她开始讲本市的起源。

30 speck   

n.微粒，小污点，小斑点

参考例句：

• I have not a speck of interest in it.我对它没有任何兴趣。
• The sky is clear and bright without a speck of cloud.天空晴朗，一星星云彩也没有。

31 persistent   

adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的

参考例句：

• Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
• She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤，使她很难为情。

32 upheavals   

突然的巨变( upheaval的名词复数 )； 大动荡； 大变动； 胀起

参考例句：

• the latest upheavals in the education system 最近教育制度上的种种变更
• These political upheavals might well destroy the whole framework of society. 这些政治动乱很可能会破坏整个社会结构。

33 swells   

增强( swell的第三人称单数 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情）

参考例句：

• The waters were heaving up in great swells. 河水正在急剧上升。
• A barrel swells in the middle. 水桶中部隆起。

34 foaming   

adj.布满泡沫的；发泡

参考例句：

• He looked like a madman, foaming at the mouth. 他口吐白沫，看上去像个疯子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He is foaming at the mouth about the committee's decision. 他正为委员会的决定大发其火。 来自《简明英汉词典》

35 overflow   

v.(使)外溢，(使)溢出；溢出，流出，漫出

参考例句：

• The overflow from the bath ran on to the floor.浴缸里的水溢到了地板上。
• After a long period of rain,the river may overflow its banks.长时间的下雨天后，河水可能溢出岸来。

36 strand   

vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地）

参考例句：

• She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ears.她把一缕散发夹到了耳后。
• The climbers had been stranded by a storm.登山者被暴风雨困住了。

37 delightful   

adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的

参考例句：

• We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。
• Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。