NOTHING can be more uniform and undiversified than the life of the Typees; one tranquil1 day of ease and happiness follows another in quiet succession; and with these unsophisicated savages2 the history of a day is the history of a life. I will, therefore, as briefly3 as I can, describe one of our days in the valley.
To begin with the morning. We were not very early risers—the sun would be shooting his golden spikes4 above the Happar mountain, ere I threw aside my tappa robe, and girding my long tunic5 about my waist, sallied out with Fayaway and Kory-Kory, and the rest of the household, and bent6 my steps towards the stream. Here we found congregated7 all those who dwelt in our section of the valley; and here we bathed with them. The fresh morning air and the cool flowing waters put both soul and body in a glow, and after a half-hour employed in this recreation, we sauntered back to the house—Tinor and Marheyo gathering8 dry sticks by the way for fire-wood; some of the young men laying the cocoanut trees under contribution as they passed beneath them; while Kory-Kory played his outlandish pranks9 for my particular diversion, and Fayaway and I, not arm in arm to be sure, but sometimes hand in hand, strolled along, with feelings of perfect charity for all the world, and especial good-will towards each other.
Our morning meal was soon prepared. The islanders are somewhat abstemious10 at this repast; reserving the more powerful efforts of their appetite to a later period of the day. For my own part, with the assistance of my valet, who, as I have before stated, always officiated as spoon on these occasions, I ate sparingly from one of Tinor’s trenchers, of poee-poee; which was devoted11 exclusively for my own use, being mixed with the milky12 meat of ripe cocoanut. A section of a roasted bread-fruit, a small cake of ‘Amar’, or a mess of ‘Cokoo,’ two or three bananas, or a mammee-apple; an annuee, or some other agreeable and nutritious13 fruit served from day to day to diversify14 the meal, which was finished by tossing off the liquid contents of a young cocoanut or two.
While partaking of this simple repast, the inmates15 of Marheyo’s house, after the style of the ancient Romans, reclined in sociable16 groups upon the divan17 of mats, and digestion18 was promoted by cheerful conversation.
After the morning meal was concluded, pipes were lighted; and among them my own especial pipe, a present from the noble Mehevi.
The islanders, who only smoke a whiff or two at a time, and at long intervals19, and who keep their pipes going from hand to hand continually, regarded my systematic20 smoking of four or five pipefuls of tobacco in succession, as something quite wonderful. When two or three pipes had circulated freely, the company gradually broke up. Marheyo went to the little hut he was forever building. Tinor began to inspect her rolls of tappa, or employed her busy fingers in plaiting grass-mats. The girls anointed themselves with their fragrant21 oils, dressed their hair, or looked over their curious finery, and compared together their ivory trinkets, fashioned out of boar’s tusks22 or whale’s teeth. The young men and warriors23 produced their spears, paddles, canoe-gear, battle-clubs, and war-conchs, and occupied themselves in carving24, all sorts of figures upon them with pointed25 bits of shell or flint, and adorning26 them, especially the war-conchs, with tassels27 of braided bark and tufts of human hair. Some, immediately after eating, threw themselves once more upon the inviting28 mats, and resumed the employment of the previous night, sleeping as soundly as if they had not closed their eyes for a week. Others sallied out into the groves29, for the purpose of gathering fruit or fibres of bark and leaves; the last two being in constant requisition, and applied31 to a hundred uses. A few, perhaps, among the girls, would slip into the woods after flowers, or repair to the stream will; small calabashes and cocoanut shells, in order to polish them by friction32 with a smooth stone in the water. In truth these innocent people seemed to be at no loss for something to occupy their time; and it would be no light task to enumerate33 all their employments, or rather pleasures.
My own mornings I spent in a variety of ways. Sometimes I rambled34 about from house to house, sure of receiving a cordial welcome wherever I went; or from grove30 to grove, and from one shady place to another, in company with Kory-Kory and Fayaway, and a rabble35 rout36 of merry young idlers. Sometimes I was too indolent for exercise, and accepting one of the many invitations I was continually receiving, stretched myself out on the mats of some hospitable37 dwelling38, and occupied myself pleasantly either in watching the proceedings39 of those around me or taking part in them myself. Whenever I chose to do the latter, the delight of the islanders was boundless40; and there was always a throng41 of competitors for the honour of instructing me in any particular craft. I soon became quite an accomplished42 hand at making tappa—could braid a grass sling43 as well as the best of them—and once, with my knife, carved the handle of a javelin44 so exquisitely45, that I have no doubt, to this day, Karnoonoo, its owner, preserves it as a surprising specimen46 of my skill. As noon approached, all those who had wandered forth47 from our habitation, began to return; and when midday was fairly come scarcely a sound was to be heard in the valley: a deep sleep fell upon all. The luxurious48 siesta49 was hardly ever omitted, except by old Marheyo, who was so eccentric a character, that he seemed to be governed by no fixed50 principles whatever; but acting51 just according to the humour of the moment, slept, ate, or tinkered away at his little hut, without regard to the proprieties52 of time or place. Frequently he might have been seen taking a nap in the sun at noon-day, or a bath in the stream of mid-night. Once I beheld53 him perched eighty feet from the ground, in the tuft of a cocoanut tree, smoking; and often I saw him standing54 up to the waist in water, engaged in plucking out the stray hairs of his beard, using a piece of muscle-shell for tweezers55.
The noon-tide slumber56 lasted generally an hour and a half: very often longer; and after the sleepers57 had arisen from their mats they again had recourse to their pipes, and then made preparations for the most important meal of the day.
I, however, like those gentlemen of leisure who breakfast at home and dine at their club, almost invariably, during my intervals of health, enjoyed the afternoon repast with the bachelor chiefs of the Ti, who were always rejoiced to see me, and lavishly58 spread before me all the good things which their larder59 afforded. Mehevi generally introduced among other dainties a baked pig, an article which I have every reason to suppose was provided for my sole gratification.
The Ti was a right jovial60 place. It did my heart, as well as my body, good to visit it. Secure from female intrusion, there was no restraint upon the hilarity61 of the warriors, who, like the gentlemen of Europe after the cloth is drawn62 and the ladies retire, freely indulged their mirth.
After spending a considerable portion of the afternoon at the Ti, I usually found myself, as the cool of the evening came on, either sailing on the little lake with Fayaway, or bathing in the waters of the stream with a number of the savages, who, at this hour, always repaired thither63. As the shadows of night approached Marheyo’s household were once more assembled under his roof: tapers64 were lit, long curious chants were raised, interminable stories were told (for which one present was little the wiser), and all sorts of social festivities served to while away the time.
The young girls very often danced by moonlight in front of their dwellings65. There are a great variety of these dances, in which, however, I never saw the men take part. They all consist of active, romping66, mischievous67 evolutions, in which every limb is brought into requisition. Indeed, the Marquesan girls dance all over, as it were; not only do their feet dance, but their arms, hands, fingers, ay, their very eyes, seem to dance in their heads.
The damsels wear nothing but flowers and their compendious68 gala tunics69; and when they plume70 themselves for the dance, they look like a band of olive-coloured Sylphides on the point of taking wing. In good sooth, they so sway their floating forms, arch their necks, toss aloft their naked arms, and glide71, and swim, and whirl, that it was almost too much for a quiet, sober-minded, modest young man like myself.
Unless some particular festivity was going forward, the inmates of Marheyo’s house retired72 to their mats rather early in the evening; but not for the night, since, after slumbering73 lightly for a while, they rose again, relit their tapers, partook of the third and last meal of the day, at which poee-poee alone was eaten, and then, after inhaling74 a narcotic75 whiff from a pipe of tobacco, disposed themselves for the great business of night, sleep. With the Marquesans it might almost most be styled the great business of life, for they pass a large portion of their time in the arms of Somnus. The native strength of their constitution is no way shown more emphatically than in the quantity of sleep they can endure. To many of them, indeed, life is little else than an often interrupted and luxurious nap.
点击收听单词发音
1 tranquil | |
adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的 | |
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2 savages | |
未开化的人,野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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3 briefly | |
adv.简单地,简短地 | |
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4 spikes | |
n.穗( spike的名词复数 );跑鞋;(防滑)鞋钉;尖状物v.加烈酒于( spike的第三人称单数 );偷偷地给某人的饮料加入(更多)酒精( 或药物);把尖状物钉入;打乱某人的计划 | |
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5 tunic | |
n.束腰外衣 | |
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6 bent | |
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 | |
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7 congregated | |
(使)集合,聚集( congregate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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8 gathering | |
n.集会,聚会,聚集 | |
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9 pranks | |
n.玩笑,恶作剧( prank的名词复数 ) | |
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10 abstemious | |
adj.有节制的,节俭的 | |
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11 devoted | |
adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的 | |
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12 milky | |
adj.牛奶的,多奶的;乳白色的 | |
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13 nutritious | |
adj.有营养的,营养价值高的 | |
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14 diversify | |
v.(使)不同,(使)变得多样化 | |
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15 inmates | |
n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) | |
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16 sociable | |
adj.好交际的,友好的,合群的 | |
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17 divan | |
n.长沙发;(波斯或其他东方诗人的)诗集 | |
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18 digestion | |
n.消化,吸收 | |
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19 intervals | |
n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 );间隔时间;[数学]区间;(戏剧、电影或音乐会的)幕间休息 | |
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20 systematic | |
adj.有系统的,有计划的,有方法的 | |
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21 fragrant | |
adj.芬香的,馥郁的,愉快的 | |
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22 tusks | |
n.(象等动物的)长牙( tusk的名词复数 );獠牙;尖形物;尖头 | |
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23 warriors | |
武士,勇士,战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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24 carving | |
n.雕刻品,雕花 | |
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25 pointed | |
adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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26 adorning | |
修饰,装饰物 | |
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27 tassels | |
n.穗( tassel的名词复数 );流苏状物;(植物的)穗;玉蜀黍的穗状雄花v.抽穗, (玉米)长穗须( tassel的第三人称单数 );使抽穗, (为了使作物茁壮生长)摘去穗状雄花;用流苏装饰 | |
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28 inviting | |
adj.诱人的,引人注目的 | |
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29 groves | |
树丛,小树林( grove的名词复数 ) | |
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30 grove | |
n.林子,小树林,园林 | |
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31 applied | |
adj.应用的;v.应用,适用 | |
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32 friction | |
n.摩擦,摩擦力 | |
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33 enumerate | |
v.列举,计算,枚举,数 | |
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34 rambled | |
(无目的地)漫游( ramble的过去式和过去分词 ); (喻)漫谈; 扯淡; 长篇大论 | |
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35 rabble | |
n.乌合之众,暴民;下等人 | |
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36 rout | |
n.溃退,溃败;v.击溃,打垮 | |
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37 hospitable | |
adj.好客的;宽容的;有利的,适宜的 | |
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38 dwelling | |
n.住宅,住所,寓所 | |
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39 proceedings | |
n.进程,过程,议程;诉讼(程序);公报 | |
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40 boundless | |
adj.无限的;无边无际的;巨大的 | |
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41 throng | |
n.人群,群众;v.拥挤,群集 | |
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42 accomplished | |
adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的 | |
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43 sling | |
vt.扔;悬挂;n.挂带;吊索,吊兜;弹弓 | |
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44 javelin | |
n.标枪,投枪 | |
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45 exquisitely | |
adv.精致地;强烈地;剧烈地;异常地 | |
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46 specimen | |
n.样本,标本 | |
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47 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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48 luxurious | |
adj.精美而昂贵的;豪华的 | |
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49 siesta | |
n.午睡 | |
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50 fixed | |
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的 | |
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51 acting | |
n.演戏,行为,假装;adj.代理的,临时的,演出用的 | |
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52 proprieties | |
n.礼仪,礼节;礼貌( propriety的名词复数 );规矩;正当;合适 | |
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53 beheld | |
v.看,注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 );瞧;看呀;(叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现)哎哟 | |
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54 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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55 tweezers | |
n.镊子 | |
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56 slumber | |
n.睡眠,沉睡状态 | |
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57 sleepers | |
n.卧铺(通常以复数形式出现);卧车( sleeper的名词复数 );轨枕;睡觉(呈某种状态)的人;小耳环 | |
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58 lavishly | |
adv.慷慨地,大方地 | |
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59 larder | |
n.食物贮藏室,食品橱 | |
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60 jovial | |
adj.快乐的,好交际的 | |
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61 hilarity | |
n.欢乐;热闹 | |
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62 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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63 thither | |
adv.向那里;adj.在那边的,对岸的 | |
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64 tapers | |
(长形物体的)逐渐变窄( taper的名词复数 ); 微弱的光; 极细的蜡烛 | |
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65 dwellings | |
n.住处,处所( dwelling的名词复数 ) | |
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66 romping | |
adj.嬉戏喧闹的,乱蹦乱闹的v.嬉笑玩闹( romp的现在分词 );(尤指在赛跑或竞选等中)轻易获胜 | |
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67 mischievous | |
adj.调皮的,恶作剧的,有害的,伤人的 | |
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68 compendious | |
adj.简要的,精简的 | |
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69 tunics | |
n.(动植物的)膜皮( tunic的名词复数 );束腰宽松外衣;一套制服的短上衣;(天主教主教等穿的)短祭袍 | |
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70 plume | |
n.羽毛;v.整理羽毛,骚首弄姿,用羽毛装饰 | |
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71 glide | |
n./v.溜,滑行;(时间)消逝 | |
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72 retired | |
adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的 | |
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73 slumbering | |
微睡,睡眠(slumber的现在分词形式) | |
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74 inhaling | |
v.吸入( inhale的现在分词 ) | |
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75 narcotic | |
n.麻醉药,镇静剂;adj.麻醉的,催眠的 | |
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