SADLY discursive8 as I have already been, I must still further entreat9 the reader’s patience, as I am about to string together, without any attempt at order, a few odds10 and ends of things not hitherto mentioned, but which are either curious in themselves or peculiar2 to the Typees.
There was one singular custom observed in old Marheyo’s domestic establishment, which often excited my surprise. Every night, before retiring, the inmates11 of the house gathered together on the mats, and so squatting12 upon their haunches, after the universal practice of these islanders, would commence a low, dismal13 and monotonous14 chant, accompanying the voice with the instrumental melody produced by two small half-rotten sticks tapped slowly together, a pair of which were held in the hands of each person present. Thus would they employ themselves for an hour or two, sometimes longer. Lying in the gloom which wrapped the further end of the house, I could not avoid looking at them, although the spectacle suggested nothing but unpleasant reflection. The flickering15 rays of the ‘armor’ nut just served to reveal their savage4 lineaments, without dispelling16 the darkness that hovered17 about them.
Sometimes when, after falling into a kind of doze18, and awaking suddenly in the midst of these doleful chantings, my eye would fall upon the wild-looking group engaged in their strange occupation, with their naked tattooed19 limbs, and shaven heads disposed in a circle, I was almost tempted20 to believe that I gazed upon a set of evil beings in the act of working at a frightful21 incantation.
What was the meaning or purpose of this custom, whether it was practiced merely as a diversion, or whether it was a religious exercise, a sort of family prayers, I never could discover.
The sounds produced by the natives on these occasions were of a most singular description; and had I not actually been present, I never would have believed that such curious noises could have been produced by human beings.
To savages generally is imputed22 a guttural articulation23. This however, is not always the case, especially among the inhabitants of the Polynesian Archipelago. The labial24 melody with which the Typee girls carry on an ordinary conversation, giving a musical prolongation to the final syllable25 of every sentence, and chirping26 out some of the words with a liquid, bird-like accent, was singularly pleasing.
The men however, are not quite so harmonious27 in their utterance28, and when excited upon any subject, would work themselves up into a sort of wordy paroxysm, during which all descriptions of rough-sided sounds were projected from their mouths, with a force and rapidity which was absolutely astonishing.
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Although these savages are remarkably29 fond of chanting, still they appear to have no idea whatever of singing, at least as the art is practised in other nations.
I shall never forget the first time I happened to roar out a stave in the presence of noble Mehevi. It was a stanza30 from the ‘Bavarian broom-seller’. His Typeean majesty31, with all his court, gazed upon me in amazement32, as if I had displayed some preternatural faculty33 which Heaven had denied to them. The King was delighted with the verse; but the chorus fairly transported him. At his solicitation34 I sang it again and again, and nothing could be more ludicrous than his vain attempts to catch the air and the words. The royal savage seemed to think that by screwing all the features of his face into the end of his nose he might possibly succeed in the undertaking35, but it failed to answer the purpose; and in the end he gave it up, and consoled himself by listening to my repetition of the sounds fifty times over.
Previous to Mehevi’s making the discovery, I had never been aware that there was anything of the nightingale about me; but I was now promoted to the place of court-minstrel, in which capacity I was afterwards perpetually called upon to officiate.
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Besides the sticks and the drums, there are no other musical instruments among the Typees, except one which might appropriately be denominated a nasal flute36. It is somewhat longer than an ordinary fife; is made of a beautiful scarlet-coloured reed; and has four or five stops, with a large hole near one end, which latter is held just beneath the left nostril37. The other nostril being closed by a peculiar movement of the muscles about the nose, the breath is forced into the tube, and produces a soft dulcet38 sound which is varied39 by the fingers running at random40 over the stops. This is a favourite recreation with the females and one in which Fayaway greatly excelled. Awkward as such an instrument may appear, it was, in Fayaway’s delicate little hands, one of the most graceful41 I have ever seen. A young lady, in the act of tormenting42 a guitar strung about her neck by a couple of yards of blue ribbon, is not half so engaging.
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Singing was not the only means I possessed43 of diverting the royal Mehevi and his easy-going subject. Nothing afforded them more pleasure than to see me go through the attitude of pugilistic encounter. As not one of the natives had soul enough in him to stand up like a man, and allow me to hammer away at him, for my own personal gratification and that of the king, I was necessitated44 to fight with an imaginary enemy, whom I invariably made to knock under to my superior prowess. Sometimes when this sorely battered45 shadow retreated precipitately46 towards a group of the savages, and, following him up, I rushed among them dealing47 my blows right and left, they would disperse48 in all directions much to the enjoyment49 of Mehevi, the chiefs, and themselves.
The noble art of self-defence appeared to be regarded by them as the peculiar gift of the white man; and I make little doubt that they supposed armies of Europeans were drawn50 up provided with nothing else but bony fists and stout51 hearts, with which they set to in column, and pummelled one another at the word of command.
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One day, in company with Kory-Kory, I had repaired to the stream for the purpose of bathing, when I observed a woman sitting upon a rock in the midst of the current, and watching with the liveliest interest the gambols52 of something, which at first I took to be an uncommonly53 large species of frog that was sporting in the water near her. Attracted by the novelty of the sight, I waded54 towards the spot where she sat, and could hardly credit the evidence of my senses when I beheld55 a little infant, the period of whose birth could not have extended back many days, paddling about as if it had just risen to the surface, after being hatched into existence at the bottom. Occasionally, the delighted parent reached out her hand towards it, when the little thing, uttering a faint cry, and striking out its tiny limbs, would sidle for the rock, and the next moment be clasped to its mother’s bosom56. This was repeated again and again, the baby remaining in the stream about a minute at a time. Once or twice it made wry57 faces at swallowing a mouthful of water, and choked a spluttered as if on the point of strangling. At such times however, the mother snatched it up and by a process scarcely to be mentioned obliged it to eject the fluid. For several weeks afterwards I observed this woman bringing her child down to the stream regularly every day, in the cool of the morning and evening and treating it to a bath. No wonder that the South Sea Islanders are so amphibious a race, when they are thus launched into the water as soon as they see the light. I am convinced that it is as natural for a human being to swim as it is for a duck. And yet in civilized58 communities how many able-bodied individuals die, like so many drowning kittens, from the occurrence of the most trivial accidents!
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The long luxuriant and glossy60 tresses of the Typee damsels often attracted my admiration. A fine head of hair is the pride and joy of every woman’s heart. Whether against the express will of Providence61, it is twisted upon the crown of the head and there coiled away like a rope on a ship’s deck; whether it be stuck behind the ears and hangs down like the swag of a small window-curtain; or whether it be permitted to flow over the shoulders in natural ringlets, it is always the pride of the owner, and the glory of the toilette.
The Typee girls devote much of their time to the dressing62 of their fair and redundant63 locks. After bathing, as they sometimes do five or six times every day, the hair is carefully dried, and if they have been in the sea, invariably washed in fresh water, and anointed with a highly scented64 oil extracted from the meat of the cocoanut. This oil is obtained in great abundance by the following very simple process:
A large vessel65 of wood, with holes perforated in the bottom, is filled with the pounded meat, and exposed to the rays of the sun. As the oleaginous matter exudes66, it falls in drops through the apertures67 into a wide-mouthed calabash placed underneath68. After a sufficient quantity has thus been collected, the oil undergoes a purifying process, and is then poured into the small spherical69 shells of the nuts of the moo-tree, which are hollowed out to receive it. These nuts are then hermetically sealed with a resinous70 gum, and the vegetable fragrance71 of their green rind soon imparts to the oil a delightful72 odour. After the lapse73 of a few weeks the exterior74 shell of the nuts becomes quite dry and hard, and assumes a beautiful carnation75 tint76; and when opened they are found to be about two-thirds full of an ointment of a light yellow colour and diffusing77 the sweetest perfume. This elegant little odorous globe would not be out of place even upon the toilette of a queen. Its merits as a preparation for the hair are undeniable—it imparts to it a superb gloss59 and a silky fineness.
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1 peculiarity | |
n.独特性,特色;特殊的东西;怪癖 | |
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2 peculiar | |
adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的 | |
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3 admiration | |
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
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4 savage | |
adj.野蛮的;凶恶的,残暴的;n.未开化的人 | |
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5 savages | |
未开化的人,野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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6 beholding | |
v.看,注视( behold的现在分词 );瞧;看呀;(叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现)哎哟 | |
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7 ointment | |
n.药膏,油膏,软膏 | |
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8 discursive | |
adj.离题的,无层次的 | |
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9 entreat | |
v.恳求,恳请 | |
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10 odds | |
n.让步,机率,可能性,比率;胜败优劣之别 | |
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11 inmates | |
n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) | |
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12 squatting | |
v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的现在分词 );非法擅自占用(土地或房屋);为获得其所有权;而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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13 dismal | |
adj.阴沉的,凄凉的,令人忧郁的,差劲的 | |
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14 monotonous | |
adj.单调的,一成不变的,使人厌倦的 | |
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15 flickering | |
adj.闪烁的,摇曳的,一闪一闪的 | |
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16 dispelling | |
v.驱散,赶跑( dispel的现在分词 ) | |
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17 hovered | |
鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 ); 靠近(某事物); (人)徘徊; 犹豫 | |
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18 doze | |
v.打瞌睡;n.打盹,假寐 | |
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19 tattooed | |
v.刺青,文身( tattoo的过去式和过去分词 );连续有节奏地敲击;作连续有节奏的敲击 | |
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20 tempted | |
v.怂恿(某人)干不正当的事;冒…的险(tempt的过去分词) | |
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21 frightful | |
adj.可怕的;讨厌的 | |
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22 imputed | |
v.把(错误等)归咎于( impute的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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23 articulation | |
n.(清楚的)发音;清晰度,咬合 | |
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24 labial | |
adj.唇的;唇音的;n.唇音,风琴管 | |
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25 syllable | |
n.音节;vt.分音节 | |
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26 chirping | |
鸟叫,虫鸣( chirp的现在分词 ) | |
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27 harmonious | |
adj.和睦的,调和的,和谐的,协调的 | |
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28 utterance | |
n.用言语表达,话语,言语 | |
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29 remarkably | |
ad.不同寻常地,相当地 | |
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30 stanza | |
n.(诗)节,段 | |
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31 majesty | |
n.雄伟,壮丽,庄严,威严;最高权威,王权 | |
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32 amazement | |
n.惊奇,惊讶 | |
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33 faculty | |
n.才能;学院,系;(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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34 solicitation | |
n.诱惑;揽货;恳切地要求;游说 | |
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35 undertaking | |
n.保证,许诺,事业 | |
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36 flute | |
n.长笛;v.吹笛 | |
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37 nostril | |
n.鼻孔 | |
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38 dulcet | |
adj.悦耳的 | |
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39 varied | |
adj.多样的,多变化的 | |
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40 random | |
adj.随机的;任意的;n.偶然的(或随便的)行动 | |
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41 graceful | |
adj.优美的,优雅的;得体的 | |
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42 tormenting | |
使痛苦的,使苦恼的 | |
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43 possessed | |
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 | |
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44 necessitated | |
使…成为必要,需要( necessitate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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45 battered | |
adj.磨损的;v.连续猛击;磨损 | |
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46 precipitately | |
adv.猛进地 | |
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47 dealing | |
n.经商方法,待人态度 | |
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48 disperse | |
vi.使分散;使消失;vt.分散;驱散 | |
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49 enjoyment | |
n.乐趣;享有;享用 | |
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50 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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52 gambols | |
v.蹦跳,跳跃,嬉戏( gambol的第三人称单数 ) | |
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53 uncommonly | |
adv. 稀罕(极,非常) | |
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54 waded | |
(从水、泥等)蹚,走过,跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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55 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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56 bosom | |
n.胸,胸部;胸怀;内心;adj.亲密的 | |
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57 wry | |
adj.讽刺的;扭曲的 | |
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58 civilized | |
a.有教养的,文雅的 | |
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59 gloss | |
n.光泽,光滑;虚饰;注释;vt.加光泽于;掩饰 | |
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60 glossy | |
adj.平滑的;有光泽的 | |
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61 providence | |
n.深谋远虑,天道,天意;远见;节约;上帝 | |
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62 dressing | |
n.(食物)调料;包扎伤口的用品,敷料 | |
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63 redundant | |
adj.多余的,过剩的;(食物)丰富的;被解雇的 | |
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64 scented | |
adj.有香味的;洒香水的;有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词) | |
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65 vessel | |
n.船舶;容器,器皿;管,导管,血管 | |
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66 exudes | |
v.缓慢流出,渗出,分泌出( exude的第三人称单数 );流露出对(某物)的神态或感情 | |
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67 apertures | |
n.孔( aperture的名词复数 );隙缝;(照相机的)光圈;孔径 | |
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68 underneath | |
adj.在...下面,在...底下;adv.在下面 | |
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69 spherical | |
adj.球形的;球面的 | |
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70 resinous | |
adj.树脂的,树脂质的,树脂制的 | |
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71 fragrance | |
n.芬芳,香味,香气 | |
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72 delightful | |
adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的 | |
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73 lapse | |
n.过失,流逝,失效,抛弃信仰,间隔;vi.堕落,停止,失效,流逝;vt.使失效 | |
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74 exterior | |
adj.外部的,外在的;表面的 | |
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75 carnation | |
n.康乃馨(一种花) | |
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76 tint | |
n.淡色,浅色;染发剂;vt.着以淡淡的颜色 | |
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77 diffusing | |
(使光)模糊,漫射,漫散( diffuse的现在分词 ); (使)扩散; (使)弥漫; (使)传播 | |
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