Miss Tenebrae, perplex'd, puts down her Embroidery1. "This case, Uncle, languish'd in court for eighty years, yet just when Mason and Dixon hap2?pen to find themselves nicely between Transits3 of Venus, suddenly ev'ry-one agrees there shall be the Survey in America. Aren't you at least suspicious?"
"You dark Girl. Must all be Enigmata? The Celestial5 Events were eight years apart,— the Term beyond Human Arrangement. Had the Survey taken longer, they'd have likely observ'd the second Transit4 from somewhere in America. As it was, running the Line would take them four of those years, with an extra year for measuring a Degree of Latitude7 in Delaware...."
The days before their Departure are Humid, splash'd into repeatedly by Rain. Upon their meeting again in London after a year and a Half, to sign their Contract with the Proprietors8, who arrive back'd by Agents, Lawyers, and Bullies9, Dixon, as soon as it is possible to do so,— the Sketch-Artists having dash'd in a few last Details and crept away,— takes off his Hat. "I was sadden'd to hear of Dr. Bradley's Death, Sir."
"Thank you for the Letter you wrote, Jeremiah."
Without agreeing to it, they find themselves, if but for Form's sake, out roistering in what proves to be a sort of sustain'd flow of Strong Drink, in which Mason will obscurely recall being included Gin, and Gin's Hogarthian Society, winding10 up a Fortnight later in the unpromising Streets of Falmouth, a Town dedicated11 to Swift Communication, all Hurry, huge Sums at Stake, Veterinarians in Coaches-and-six, Brokers12 of News to and fro at the Gallop13, last-Minute Couriers' Pouches14, dilatory15 Visitors swimming back to Shore from another precise Departure, even as the next Packet after her makes ready to put to sea.
Mason's Nose approaches the Surface of his Ale, withdraws, approaches again. Presently, "If I only might have spoken with Bradley,— you recall our departure from Plymouth? Aye? He had put himself then to the labor16 of coming down,— between appointments with Pain, for the final Illness, as they said, was from Gravel17. Upon the Landing, he kept apart from the others, even from cheery Mr. Birch, who was ev'rywhere at once...Mr. Mead18 and Mr. White pointing to var?ious Lines and Tackle and correcting one another's Terminology19... whilst betwixt Dr. Bradley and me, silent Conversation pass'd." Mason's Brow clearly unhappy. "I believe he had come to apologize," giving away this solemn confidence snappily as another might the Punch-Line of a Joak (for as I often noted20, no matter what Sentiments might lie 'pon his Phiz, Mr. Mason was in the Habit of delivering even his gravest Speeches, with the Rhythms and Inflections of the Tap?room Comedian). "I was loading an unreasonable21 weight of Hope upon that Mission, upon the Purity of the Event. Look ye at what I intended to escape. Rebekah lost, my Anchor to all I knew of Birth and Death,— I was adrift in Waters unknown, Intrigues23 and Faction24 within the Royal Society, as among Nations and Charter'd Companies. Foolishly seeking in the Alignment25 of Sun, Venus, and Earth, a moment redeem'd from the Impurity26 in which I must ever practice my Life,— instead, even this pitiable Hope is interdicted27 by the deadly l'Grand,— '.. .not at war with the sciences,'— Poh. In Plain Text, that Brass28 Voice announc'd,— 'The Business of the World is Trade and Death, and you must engage with that unpleasantness, as the price of your not-at-all-assur'd Moment of Purity.— Fool.''
"Eeh! Tha were trans-lating all thah' French Jabber29? hardly a bonny Sentiment, Mr. Mason."
"Mr. Dixon, I am cerrtain that you, as the unwaverring Larrk of the Sanguine30, will find us a way past that.”
Dixon's Smile acknowledging the Pronoun, "I imagine," he says care?fully31, "such Moments to lie beyond any Price that might be nam'd...?"
"Oh, I've had 'em for half a Crown sometimes," Mason mutters, "tho' of course your own Experience,—
"Here's The Dodman, Might we go in this one, do tha guess...?"
"Why not? What's it matter? Savages32, Wilderness33. No one even knows what's out there. And we have just, do you appreciate, con6?tracted, to place a Line directly thro' it? Doesn't it strike you as a little unreasonable?"
"Not to mention the Americans...?"
"Excuse me? They are at least all British there,— aren't they? The Place is but a Patch of England, at a three-thousand-Mile Off-set. Isn't it?"
"Eeh! Eeh! Thoo can be so thoughtful, helping34 cheer me up wi' thy Joaks, Mason,— I'm fine, really,—
"Dixon, hold,— are you telling me, now, that Americans are not British?— You've heard this somewhere?"
"No more than the Cape22 Dutch are Dutch...? 'Tis said these people keep Slaves, as did our late Hosts,— that they are likewise inclin'd to kill the People already living where they wish to settle,—
"Another Slave-Colony...so have I heard, as well. Christ."
"This from Quakers of Durham, whose Relations have gone there, and written back. There may be redeeming35 Qualities to the place. Who knows? The Food? The Lasses? Whatever else there is?"
"The Pay,— I suppose."
"Being from Staindrop," Dixon declares, " 'tis seldom at much per?sonal Ease, that I discuss the Unpriceable,— yet, our last time out,— all for an Event that would occupy a few Hours, in some Places, but Min?utes,— even with the late War as Precedent,— Hundreds of Lives for some log Palisado, Thousands in Sterling36 for some handful of Savages' Scalps,— even so, that Transit made no Market sense, whatso-fairly-ever...?"
"You think they paid us too much?" Fear of Enthusiasm immediately entering Mason's Gaze.
"There were moments when they must have thought so...?"
"Such as?”
"Oh, eeh, never mind."
"A certain Exchange of Letters? Correct?"
"I didn't say thah...?"
"The Letter to Bradley? You think that's what put us in the Stuffata? That when we sign'd the letter, we sign'd our careers away? Yet look ye here, we're hir'd again,— aren't we?"
"Out of nowhere...?"
"Surely we are rehabilitated,— all Suspicions wash'd away in the Stream of Time, all Resentments37 by Star-light heal'd.— What did we even do, that has to be absolv'd? We represented our unwillingness38 to proceed upon a fool's errand."
"Aye, and they replied, that we were cowards, and must proceed...?"
"Just so."
"Whereupon we touch'd our Hats, o-bey'd, and sail'd off in the same ship that had nearly been blown out from under us...? We did our Duty."
"And more,— not only getting for them their damn'd Transit Obser?vations, but withal their damn'd Longitude,—
"Their 'cursed local Gravity,—
"Damme, Dixon,— 'twas first-rate work,— surely that has preponder?ated against one Letter to Bradley,— rest his Soul,— yet, I cannot speak easily, even now, of my dismay at how he us'd me,—
"You mean 'huz'...?"
"Very well,— tho' as to who may have felt more piercingly the harsh?ness of the Reply, having presum'd, alas39 so foolishly, some Connection deeper than this hateful unending Royal Society Intrigue,—
"Their infamy's no fresh News to me," Dixon quietly, " - what we must face is the probability that from now on, tho' we fight like Alexan?der and labor like Hercules, we shall always be remember'd as the Star-gazers who turn'd Tail under fire."
"So might I have done," cries Mason, "had there been but room to turn it,— the irony40 how keen!"
"Eeh...? Well.. .1 wasn't as scared as thah', tho 'f course I did feel—
"Hold,— who said I was scared?"
"Who?— Did I...?"
"Were you scared? I wasn't scared. You thought I was scared? I thought you were scared.—
"I do recall a Disinclination, as who would not, to perish beneath the water-line of some, forgive me, miserable41 Sixth-Rate...?"
"Sounds like headlong panic to me," says Mason. "Thank goodness I was calmer about it."
"Calmer than what? An hour and a half of great Hellish Explosions and mortal screaming? Aye, Serenity,— we'll make a Quaker of thee yet."
"They'd decertify me out of Astronomy,— strictly42 C. of E. in this Trade,— I'd never micro in on another Star in that Town again. All the Pubs in Greenwich, shewn my Likeness,— aahhrr!"
"I cannot sound why they've hir'd us again...?"
"Nor I, They believe, however, that we do know why. In London, they credit us with a Depth of Motive43 at least equal to their own. They have to, otherwise they but spin, to no purpose. One may be altogether innocent of Depth,— well take yourself for example, forthright44 son of the Fells or if you like blunt Geordie,—
"Eeh, aye,— yet I'm no stranger to intriguing45, why tha need go no fur?ther than Bishop46 for thah', though there's plenty in Staindrop for fair,— yet are Londoners ever a-scan, ev'ry word tha speak, ev'ry twitch47 o' thy Phiz, for further meanings, present or not,—
"They've but lately discover'd simple Metaphors— Then ye find too late ye've insulted them,— or been quietly classified, or slander'd,— never knowing quite which word or gesture has done the job—"
" 'Tis call'd, I believe, Being from the Country...?"
Mason lets his head abruptly48 drop. "Yet, I thought I had quite got the Thames-side way of talking, the Philosophical49 Parlance50, the fashions of the Day,— that the Bumpkin within had been entirely51 subdued52."
"In Bishop we say, 'Ye may take the Boy out of the Country,—
"Yes yes, 'but never the Country out of the Boy.''
"Naa, that's not it,— 'But tha'll never take the Girl out of the City,' 's how we say it...?"
Mason is staring, shaking his head, "What.. .does that mean?"
"Something about Women?"
"You don't believe that they've forgiven us at the Royal Society."
"Nor ever shall...? Tho' eventually, 'tis they who'll look hasty and childish, whilst we'll be deem'd to've shewn a higher order of Courage than the World at present recognizes.”
" 'Eventually'? Oh dear."
"Why aye, we shan't live to see it...?"
"So I shall die a documented Coward. Splendid. Attainted before the Ages, my Sons as well, oh thank you, Dixon, that's wonderful, that cheers me prodigious53."
"Or," Dixon trying to speak clearly, "Co-adjutor in an honorable act of Defiance54, taken in the full knowledge, that those Bastards55 upon high would slap us down...?"
"Oh, not I, as Chauncey said when the Bums56 came in,— I didn't assume any such thing.— Did you? That we were bound to fail?" He shakes his head vigorously, as if there is something upon it, that he wishes to dislodge. "Why on Earth did you sign the Letter?"
Dixon shrugs57. "Emerson was right about them, they're evil folk, the lot, your Royal Society...? We had to resist them, somehow...?"
"Or, expressing it more hopefully, we tried to make a positive Sugges?tion, as to an alternative Station, reachable in time, taken from a list well known to all."
"Your suggestion of Scanderoon was particularly unfortunate," Maskelyne had rush'd to advise Mason, having led him into a Critique of his Cape Mission which seem'd to consist of ev'ry, to Maskelyne, flaw'd decision Mason had made.
"How?" Mason protested. "It wasn't my idea. Scanderoon was ever listed as one of the Alternates."
The little Muskrat58. His eyes were unable to come to rest. He paced about far too energetickally. "I don't suppose Mr. Peach has ever spoken to you of the Levant Company...of that lively traffick in Muslins and Bombazines, passing thro' Aleppo, to the Sea, and the Warehouses59 of the Factors, at Scanderoon?"
"Mr. Peach does business with Aleppo,— no one who has learn'd Silk, can afford not to," Mason replied. "Yet, alas, unaccountably, it has remain'd absent from our Discourse60."
"Jews," declar'd Maskelyne, regretting it in the Instant.
"Ah. Let me see if I'm following this. The Royal Society send Dixon and me to the Cape, thus incurring61 a Debt ow'd to Dutchmen, rather than to Jews, which any Stationing of Astronomers62 at Scanderoon would imply.”
"Hastily he goes on to explain," now says Mason to Dixon, "that Over?tures must be made by way of the East India Company, whose Western?most Station is at Bagdad. Thence, up the Valley of the Euphrates, by way of Mosul, to Aleppo, which is the Turkey Company's eastern-most Factory, runs a private Communication,— Feluccas, Flights of miracu?lous Doves, Couriers with astonishing Memories, Rolling Eagres of mes?sages63, few upon Paper, up-stream and down,— having long connected, to a great reach of Intimacy64, the two Companies. For Astronomers at St. Helena, or even at Bencoolen, all would be Arrang'd straightforwardly,— a clear Debt of Gratitude65. But for Services of any 'Complexity,'— well, the Fees start going up,— the Company's Duty is not so clear. Particu?larly as the Turkey Company's route to India goes on losing custom to the Fleets that Honorable John keeps a-slinging each Day 'round the Cape into those prodigious Winds,— and whilst Janissaries, Sherifs, and Ottomans struggle to determine who shall rule over the Decline."
"What would Jews have requir'd of them, that Dutchmen would not?"
"Is...is this another Riddle66?"
"Not wishing this to be taken as any but a Twinge of Curiosity," says Dixon, "- - why has ev'ry Observation site propos'd by the Royal Society prov'd to be a Factory, or Consulate67, or other Agency of some royally Charter'd Company?"
"Excuse me? you'd rather be dropp'd blindly, into a Forest on some little-known Continent, perhaps?— no Perimeters,— nor indeed chances of surviving,— in-Tree-guing, as the Monkey said. I think not. Philosophick Work, to proceed at all smartly, wouldn't you agree, requires a controll'd working-space. Charter'd Companies are the ideal Agents to provide that, be the Shore Sumatran or Levantine, or wherever globally, what matter?— Control of the Company Perimeter68 is ever implicit69.
"In any case," says Mason to Dixon, "both Pennsylvania and Mary?land are Charter'd Companies as well, if it comes to that. Charter'd Com?panies may indeed be the form the World has now increasingly begun to take."
"And I thought 'twas a Spheroid...?"
"Play, play,— trouble yourself not with these matters." Mason shiv?ers. "Yet, I never told you how much I admir'd you, for going back to the
Cape,— for me, a Journey impossible. Should some Mischievous70 Power, in this World or Another, sentence me to repeat the Experience,— and knowing what I know now,—
"There's the Catch, of course," Dixon pretending to be calm.
"What.- "
"Knowing what tha know now. Tha won't. That's part of the Price,— to drink from Lethe, and lose all thy Memories. Tha'll be considering the next World brand new,— nawh...? never seen thah' before!— and tha'll go ahead and make the same mistakes, unless tha've brought along a Remembrancer, as some would say a Conscience...? something stash'd in thy Boot-Strap to get thee going upon a cold Day,— and cold shall it be,— a part of thy Soul that doesn't depend on Memories, that lies fur?ther than Memories...?"
Mason regards him carefully. Something has happen'd, back in Durham. He puts on a stuffy71 Manner, that Dixon might rise to. "We don't have that in the Church."
"Why aye, you do...? If there were as much Silence in thy Masses, as in our Meetings, 'twould be evident even to thee."
"You're saying we jabber too much for you? no time to meditate72, not Hindoo enough?— Bad Musick, too, I collect. Well. Any silences in my Church, thank you, are the sort most of us can't wait for to be over. All our worries, usually kept at bay by that protective Murmur73 of Sound, ye see, come rushing in,— Women, Work, Health, the Authorities,— any?thing but what you're talking about,— whatever that be."
"Mason,— shall we argue Religious Matters?"
"Good Christ. Dixon. What are we about?”
收听单词发音 |
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embroidery
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| n.绣花，刺绣；绣制品 | |
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hap
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| n.运气；v.偶然发生 | |
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transits
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| 通过（transit的复数形式） | |
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transit
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| n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过 | |
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celestial
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| adj.天体的；天上的 | |
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con
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| n.反对的观点，反对者，反对票，肺病；vt.精读，学习，默记；adv.反对地，从反面；adj.欺诈的 | |
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latitude
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| n.纬度，行动或言论的自由(范围)，(pl.)地区 | |
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proprietors
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| n.所有人，业主( proprietor的名词复数 ) | |
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bullies
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| n.欺凌弱小者, 开球 vt.恐吓, 威胁, 欺负 | |
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winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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dedicated
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| adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的 | |
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brokers
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| n.（股票、外币等）经纪人( broker的名词复数 )；中间人；代理商；（订合同的）中人v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的第三人称单数 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排… | |
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gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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pouches
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| n.（放在衣袋里或连在腰带上的）小袋( pouch的名词复数 )；（袋鼠等的）育儿袋；邮袋；（某些动物贮存食物的）颊袋 | |
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dilatory
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| adj.迟缓的，不慌不忙的 | |
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labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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gravel
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| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
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mead
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| n.蜂蜜酒 | |
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terminology
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| n.术语；专有名词 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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intrigues
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| n.密谋策划( intrigue的名词复数 )；神秘气氛；引人入胜的复杂情节v.搞阴谋诡计( intrigue的第三人称单数 )；激起…的好奇心 | |
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faction
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alignment
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impurity
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| n.不洁，不纯，杂质 | |
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interdicted
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brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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jabber
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| v.快而不清楚地说；n.吱吱喳喳 | |
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sanguine
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| adj.充满希望的，乐观的，血红色的 | |
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fully
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savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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wilderness
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helping
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redeeming
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sterling
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resentments
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unwillingness
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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irony
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| n.反语，冷嘲；具有讽刺意味的事，嘲弄 | |
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miserable
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strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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motive
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forthright
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| adj.直率的，直截了当的 [同]frank | |
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intriguing
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| adj.有趣的；迷人的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的现在分词)；激起…的好奇心 | |
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bishop
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| n.主教，（国际象棋）象 | |
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twitch
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| v.急拉，抽动，痉挛，抽搐；n.扯，阵痛，痉挛 | |
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abruptly
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philosophical
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parlance
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| n.说法；语调 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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prodigious
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| adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的 | |
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defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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bastards
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| 私生子( bastard的名词复数 )； 坏蛋； 讨厌的事物； 麻烦事 （认为别人走运或不幸时说）家伙 | |
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bums
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| n. 游荡者，流浪汉，懒鬼，闹饮，屁股 adj. 没有价值的，不灵光的，不合理的 vt. 令人失望，乞讨 vi. 混日子，以乞讨为生 | |
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shrugs
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muskrat
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| n.麝香鼠 | |
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warehouses
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| 仓库，货栈( warehouse的名词复数 ) | |
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60
discourse
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| n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述 | |
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61
incurring
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| 遭受，招致，引起( incur的现在分词 ) | |
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astronomers
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| n.天文学者，天文学家( astronomer的名词复数 ) | |
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63
sages
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| n.圣人( sage的名词复数 )；智者；哲人；鼠尾草（可用作调料） | |
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64
intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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66
riddle
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| n.谜，谜语，粗筛；vt.解谜，给…出谜，筛，检查，鉴定，非难，充满于；vi.出谜 | |
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67
consulate
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| n.领事馆 | |
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68
perimeter
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| n.周边，周长，周界 | |
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69
implicit
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| a.暗示的，含蓄的，不明晰的，绝对的 | |
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mischievous
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| adj.调皮的，恶作剧的，有害的，伤人的 | |
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71
stuffy
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| adj.不透气的，闷热的 | |
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72
meditate
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| v.想，考虑，（尤指宗教上的）沉思，冥想 | |
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murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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