CAPE1 COD2, you must know, gentle reader, is my bleak3 native home, and the birth-place of all the most celebrated4 critics. The latter fact is not generally known, and for the reason that the gentry5 composing that fraternity acknowledge her only with an excess of reluctance6. Her poets and historians never mention her in their famous works; her blushing maidens7 never sing to her, and her novelists lay the scenes of their romances in other lands. One solitary9 poet was caught and punished for singing a song to her sands; but of her codfish no historian has written, though divers10 malicious11 writers have declared them the medium upon which one of our aristocracies is founded. But I love her none the less for this.
It was a charming evening in early June. I am not disposed to state the year, since it is come fashionable to count only days. With my head supported in my left hand, and my elbow resting on my knee, I sat down upon the beach to listen to the music of the tide. Curious thoughts crowded upon my mind, and my fancy soared away into another world. The sea was bright, the breeze came soft and balmy over the land, and whispered and laughed. My bosom12 heaved with melting emotions; and had I been skilled in the art of love, the mood I was in qualified13 me for making it. The sun in the west was sinking slowly, the horizon was hung with a rich canopy14 of crimson15 clouds, and misty16 shadows played over the broad sea-plain, to the east. Then the arcades17 overhead filled with curtains of amber18 and gold; and the sight moved me to meditation19. My soul seemed drinking in the beauties nature was strewing20 at the feet of her humblest, and, perhaps, most unthankful creatures. Then the scene began to change; and such was its gently-stealing pace that I became moved by emotions my tongue had no power to describe. The more I thought the more I wondered. And I sat wondering until Dame22 Night drew her dusky curtains, and the balconies of heaven filled with fleecy clouds, and ten thousand stars, like liquid pearls, began to pour their soft light over the land and sea. Then the "milky23 way" came out, as if to take the moon's watch, and danced along the serene24 sky, like a coquette in her gayest attire25.
How I longed for a blushing maiden8 to tune26 her harp27, or chant her song, just then! Though I am the son of a fisherman, I confess I thought I heard one tripping lightly behind me, her face all warm with smiles. It was but a fancy, and I sighed while asking myself what had induced it. Not a brook28 murmured; no willows30 distilled31 their night dews; birds did not make the air melodious32 with their songs; and there were no magnolia trees to shake from their locks those showers of liquid pearls which so bedew the books of our lady novelists. True, the sea became as a mirror, reflecting argosies of magic sails, and the star-lights tripped, and danced, and waltzed over the gently undulating swells34. A moment more and I heard the tide rips sing, and the ground swell33 murmur29, as it had done in my childhood, when I had listened and wondered what it meant. The sea gull35, too, was nestling upon the bald sands, where he had sought rest for the night, and there echoed along through the air so sweetly, the music of a fisherman's song; and the mimic36 surf danced and gamboled along the beach, spreading it with a chain of phosphorous light, over which the lanterns mounted on two stately towers close by threw a great glare of light: and this completed the picture.
While contemplating37 the beauties before me, I was suddenly seized with a longing38 for fame. It was true I had little merit of my own, but as it had become fashionable at this day for men without merit to become famous, the chance for me, I thought, was favorable indeed. I contemplated39 my journey in quest of fame, and resolved never to falter40. "Fame," I mused41, "what quality of metal art thou made of, that millions bow down and worship thee?" And all nature, through her beauties, seemed returning an answer, and I arose from my reverie, and wended my way toward the cabin of my aged42 parents. A bright light streamed from one of the windows, serving as my beacon43. I had not gone far before Fame, I thought, replied for herself, and said: "Know, son of a fisherman, that I am a capricious goddess; at least, I am so called by the critics. And they, being adepts44 in deep knowledge, render verdicts the world must not dispute. I have the world for my court: my shrine45 is everywhere, and millions worship at it. Genius, learning, and valor46, are my handmaids. I have great and good men for my vassals47; and upon them it affords me comfort to bestow48 my gifts. I seek out the wise and the virtuous49, and place garlands of immortality50 upon their heads; I toy with my victims, and then hurl51 them into merited obscurity. Little men most beset52 me, most hang about my garments, and sigh most for my smiles. The rich man would have me build monuments to his memory; the ambitious poor man repines when I forget him. Novel-writing damsels, their eyes bedimmed with bodkin shaped tears, and their fingers steeled with envious53 pens it seems their love to dip in gall54, cast longing looks at me. Peter Parley55, and other poets, have laid their offerings low at my feet. I have crowned kings and emperors; and I have cast a favor to a fool. With queens and princes have I coquetted, and laughed when they were laid in common dust. I have dragged the humble21 from his obscurity, and sent him forth56 to overthrow57 kingdoms and guard the destinies of peoples. Millions have gone in search of me; few have found me. Great men are content with small favors; small men would, being the more ambitious of the two, take me all to themselves. Millions have aspired58 to my hand; few have been found worthy60 of it. Editors, critics, chambermaids and priests, (without whom we would have no great wars,) annoy me much. I am generous enough to forgive them, to charge their evil designs to want of discretion61, to think the world would scarce miss them, and certainly could get along well enough without them.
"In my halcyon62 days there appeared before me one ’neas, who was great of piety63, which he laid at my feet, soliciting64 only a smile. After him came Hector, whom I condoled65 for his misfortunes. Upon the head of Achilles, who sought the smallest favor, I placed a garland. Eurylas, a man of large friendship; and Alexander, who was known among the nations for his liberality; and C‘sar, who had some valor; and Trajan, whose probity66 no one doubted; and Topirus, a man of great fidelity67; and Cato, of whom it was said that he had some wisdom-these came, and in humility68 bowed before me and accepted my offering. For the delight and instruction of future generations, I have had their names written on the pages of history, which is the world's gift. And this was an age of the past.
"Then the age of modern poetry and oratory69 came in with one Shakspeare, and a friend of his of the name of Bacon. And it went out with Sheridan, and one Pitt, and a queer man of the name of Byron, whose name I have written in letters of gold, and have placed where envious bishops70 cannot take it down, though they build ladders of lawn. I will watch over it, and it shall be bright when kings and bishops are forgotten.
"Then there came the age of Washington; which was a new age, in a new world, with new glories and new men, whose names I have enshrined for the study of the young, the old, the great, and the good. On Jefferson's brow I laid a laurel that shall be green in all coming time; and the memories of Webster, Clay, and Calhoun shall long wear my mantle71, for they won it worthily72.
"Latterly, I have been much annoyed by one Benton, who, being a man of much light and shade, climbs my ladder only to break it down, and is for ever mounting dragons he cannot ride. If I shake him from my skirts to-day, he will to-morrow meet me upon the highway, and charge me with ingratitude74. Dancing-girls and politicians beset me on all sides, reminding me that, without them, the world would go to ruin. Political parsons and milliners daily make war upon me. And singing women, and critics who herald75 their virtues76 for pennies, threaten to plunder78 me of my glories. And, though I am not a vain dame, many of these think me as cheaply bought as their own praise.
"I would not have you mourn over the age of poetry and oratory, for that also is of the past. You must not forget that it is become fashionable for men to give themselves to the getting of gold, which they pursue with an avidity I fear will end in the devil getting all their souls. You, son of a fisherman, shall be the object of my solicitude79. Go out upon the world; be just to all, nor withhold80 your generosity81 from those who are worthy of it. Be sure, too, that you make the objects of your pursuit in all cases square with justice. Let your purposes be unvarying, nor be presumptuous82 to your equals. Beware lest you fall into the company of boisterous83 talking and strong drinking men, such as aspire59 to the control of the nation at this day; and, though they may not have been many months in the country, kindly84 condescend85 to teach us how to live. Also let those who most busy themselves with making presidents for us keep other company than yours, for their trade is a snare86 many a good man has been caught in to his sorrow."
And Fame, I thought, continued discoursing87 to me in this manner until I reached the cabin of my father, when she bid me good night and departed. I entered the cabin and found my father, who was bent73 with age, sitting by the great fire-place, mending his nets. My mother was at her wheel, spinning flax. She was a tidy little body, of the old school. Her notions of the world in general were somewhat narrow and antiquated88; while the steeple-crown cap she wore on her head so jauntily89, and her apron90 of snow-white muslin, that hung so neatly91 over a black silk dress, and was secured about the neck with a small, crimped collar, gave her an air of cheerfulness the sweet- ness of her oval face did much to enhance. My father, whose face and hands were browned with the suns of some sixty summers, had a touch of the patriarch about him. He often declared the world outside of Cape Cod so wicked as not to be worth living in. He was short of figure, had flowing white hair, a deeply-wrinkled brow, and corrugated92 lips, and blue eyes, over-arched with long, brown eyelashes. My mother ran to me, and my father grasped me firmly by the hand, for he was not a little concerned about my stay on the beach. Indeed, I may as well confess, that he regarded me as a wayward youth, over whom it was just as well to exercise a guardian93 hand. In his younger days he had been what was called extremely good looking, a quality he frequently told me I had inherited, and from which he feared I might suffer grievous harm, unless I exercised great caution when divers damsels he had a jealous eye upon approached me. My mother was less jealous of my exploits among the sex, which she rather encouraged.
Another cause of anxiety with my father was the fact that I had written a "Life and Times" of Captain Seth Brewster; which work, though the hero was a fisherman, reached a sale of forty thousand copies, put money in my pocket, and made me the pet of all the petticoats round about. It was not unnatural94, then, that my father, with his peculiar95 turn of mind, should set me down as being partially96 insane. I had also manufactured several very highly-colored verses in praise of Cape Cod; and these my publisher, who was by no means a tricky97 man, said had made a great stir in the literary world. And his assertion I found confirmed by the critics, who, with one accord, and without being paid, declared these verses proof that the author possessed98 "a rare inventive genius." The meaning of this was all Hebrew to me. My mother suggested that it might be a figure of speech copied from Chaldean mythology99.
Another cause of alarm for my morals, in the eyes of my father, was the fact of my having made two political speeches. And these, according to divers New York politicians, had secured Cape Cod to General Pierce. And, as a reward for this great service, and to the end of illustrating100 in some substantial manner (so it is written at this day) their appreciation101 of a politician so distinguished102, I was waited upon by a delegation103 of the before-named politicians, (two of whom came slightly intoxicated,) who had come, as they said, to tender to me an invitation to visit New York. A public reception by the Mayor and Council; a grand banquet at Tammany Hall; the honor of being made one of its Sachems; free apartments and two charming serenades at the New York Hotel; and divers suppers at very respectable houses, were temptingly suggested as an inducement for me to come out and take a prominent position. Indeed, such were the representations of this distinguished delegation, that I began to think the people of New York singularly rich and liberal, seeing that they trusted their surplus money in the hands of persons who were so loose of morals that they could find no other method of spending it than suppering and serenading men of my obscure stamp.
But if my father was alarmed lest my morals should suffer by these temptations, my mother would have answered to heaven for my virtue77, though a dozen damsels were setting snares104 for me. And this will be shown in the next chapter.
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cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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cod
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| n.鳕鱼；v.愚弄；哄骗 | |
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bleak
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| adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的 | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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gentry
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| n.绅士阶级，上层阶级 | |
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reluctance
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| n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿 | |
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maidens
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| 处女( maiden的名词复数 )； 少女； 未婚女子； （板球运动）未得分的一轮投球 | |
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maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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divers
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| adj.不同的；种种的 | |
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malicious
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| adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的 | |
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bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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qualified
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| adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的 | |
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canopy
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| n.天篷，遮篷 | |
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crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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arcades
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| n.商场( arcade的名词复数 )；拱形走道（两旁有商店或娱乐设施）；连拱廊；拱形建筑物 | |
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amber
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| n.琥珀；琥珀色；adj.琥珀制的 | |
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meditation
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| n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录 | |
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strewing
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| v.撒在…上( strew的现在分词 )；散落于；点缀；撒满 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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dame
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| n.女士 | |
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milky
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| adj.牛奶的，多奶的；乳白色的 | |
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serene
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| adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的 | |
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attire
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| v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装 | |
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tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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harp
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| n.竖琴；天琴座 | |
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brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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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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willows
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| n.柳树( willow的名词复数 )；柳木 | |
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distilled
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| adj.由蒸馏得来的v.蒸馏( distil的过去式和过去分词 )；从…提取精华 | |
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melodious
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| adj.旋律美妙的，调子优美的，音乐性的 | |
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swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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swells
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| 增强( swell的第三人称单数 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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gull
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| n.鸥；受骗的人；v.欺诈 | |
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mimic
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| v.模仿，戏弄；n.模仿他人言行的人 | |
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contemplating
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| 深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想 | |
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longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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contemplated
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| adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
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falter
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| vi.(嗓音)颤抖，结巴地说；犹豫；蹒跚 | |
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mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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beacon
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| n.烽火，（警告用的）闪火灯，灯塔 | |
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adepts
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| n.专家，能手( adept的名词复数 ) | |
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shrine
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| n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣 | |
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valor
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| n.勇气，英勇 | |
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vassals
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| n.奴仆( vassal的名词复数 )；（封建时代）诸侯；从属者；下属 | |
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bestow
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| v.把…赠与，把…授予；花费 | |
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virtuous
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| adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的 | |
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immortality
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| n.不死，不朽 | |
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hurl
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| vt.猛投，力掷，声叫骂 | |
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beset
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| v.镶嵌；困扰，包围 | |
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envious
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| adj.嫉妒的，羡慕的 | |
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gall
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| v.使烦恼，使焦躁，难堪；n.磨难 | |
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parley
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| n.谈判 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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overthrow
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| v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆 | |
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aspired
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| v.渴望，追求( aspire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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aspire
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| vi.(to，after)渴望，追求，有志于 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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halcyon
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| n.平静的，愉快的 | |
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piety
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| n.虔诚，虔敬 | |
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soliciting
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| v.恳求( solicit的现在分词 )；（指娼妇）拉客；索求；征求 | |
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condoled
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| v.表示同情，吊唁( condole的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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probity
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| n.刚直；廉洁，正直 | |
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fidelity
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| n.忠诚，忠实；精确 | |
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humility
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| n.谦逊，谦恭 | |
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oratory
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| n.演讲术；词藻华丽的言辞 | |
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bishops
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| （基督教某些教派管辖大教区的）主教( bishop的名词复数 )； （国际象棋的）象 | |
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mantle
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| n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红 | |
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worthily
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| 重要地，可敬地，正当地 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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ingratitude
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| n.忘恩负义 | |
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herald
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| vt.预示...的来临，预告，宣布，欢迎 | |
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virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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plunder
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| vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠 | |
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79
solicitude
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| n.焦虑 | |
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80
withhold
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| v.拒绝，不给；使停止，阻挡 | |
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generosity
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| n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为 | |
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82
presumptuous
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| adj.胆大妄为的，放肆的，冒昧的，冒失的 | |
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83
boisterous
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| adj.喧闹的，欢闹的 | |
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84
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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85
condescend
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| v.俯就，屈尊；堕落，丢丑 | |
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86
snare
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| n.陷阱，诱惑，圈套；（去除息肉或者肿瘤的）勒除器；响弦，小军鼓；vt.以陷阱捕获，诱惑 | |
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87
discoursing
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| 演说（discourse的现在分词形式） | |
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88
antiquated
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| adj.陈旧的，过时的 | |
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89
jauntily
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| adv.心满意足地；洋洋得意地；高兴地；活泼地 | |
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apron
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| n.围裙；工作裙 | |
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neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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92
corrugated
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| adj.波纹的；缩成皱纹的；波纹面的；波纹状的v.（使某物）起皱褶(corrugate的过去式和过去分词) | |
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93
guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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94
unnatural
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| adj.不自然的；反常的 | |
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95
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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97
tricky
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| adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的 | |
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98
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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99
mythology
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| n.神话，神话学，神话集 | |
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100
illustrating
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| 给…加插图( illustrate的现在分词 )； 说明； 表明； （用示例、图画等）说明 | |
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101
appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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102
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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103
delegation
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| n.代表团；派遣 | |
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104
snares
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| n.陷阱( snare的名词复数 )；圈套；诱人遭受失败（丢脸、损失等）的东西；诱惑物v.用罗网捕捉，诱陷，陷害( snare的第三人称单数 ) | |
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