Another—and another—and another shower of ashes, far more profuse11 than before, scattered12 fresh desolation along the streets. Darkness once more wrapped them as a veil; and Glaucus, his bold heart at last quelled13 and despairing, sank beneath the cover of an arch, and, clasping Ione to his heart—a bride on that couch of ruin—resigned himself to die.
Meanwhile Nydia, when separated by the throng14 from Glaucus and Ione, had in vain endeavored to regain15 them. In vain she raised that plaintive16 cry so peculiar17 to the blind; it was lost amidst a thousand shrieks19 of more selfish terror. Again and again she returned to the spot where they had been divided—to find her companions gone, to seize every fugitive—to inquire of Glaucus—to be dashed aside in the impatience20 of distraction21. Who in that hour spared one thought to his neighbor? Perhaps in scenes of universal horror, nothing is more horrid22 than the unnatural23 selfishness they engender24. At length it occurred to Nydia, that as it had been resolved to seek the sea-shore for escape, her most probable chance of rejoining her companions would be to persevere25 in that direction. Guiding her steps, then, by the staff which she always carried, she continued, with incredible dexterity26, to avoid the masses of ruin that encumbered27 the path—to thread the streets—and unerringly (so blessed now was that accustomed darkness, so afflicting28 in ordinary life!) to take the nearest direction to the sea-side.
Poor girl!—her courage was beautiful to behold29!—and Fate seemed to favor one so helpless! The boiling torrents30 touched her not, save by the general rain which accompanied them; the huge fragments of scoria shivered the pavement before and beside her, but spared that frail31 form: and when the lesser32 ashes fell over her, she shook them away with a slight tremor,' and dauntlessly resumed her course.
Weak, exposed, yet fearless, supported but by one wish, she was a very emblem33 of Psyche34 in her wanderings; of Hope, walking through the Valley of the Shadow; of the Soul itself—lone but undaunted, amidst the dangers and the snares35 of life!
Her path was, however, constantly impeded36 by the crowds that now groped amidst the gloom, now fled in the temporary glare of the lightnings across the scene; and, at length, a group of torch-bearers rushing full against her, she was thrown down with some violence.
'What!' said the voice of one of the party, 'is this the brave blind girl! By Bacchus, she must not be left here to die! Up, my Thessalian! So—so. Are you hurt? That's well! Come along with us! we are for the shore!'
'O Sallust! it is thy voice! The gods be thanked! Glaucus! Glaucus! Glaucus! have ye seen him?'
'Not I. He is doubtless out of the city by this time. The gods who saved him from the lion will save him from the burning mountain.'
As the kindly37 epicure38 thus encouraged Nydia, he drew her along with him towards the sea, heeding39 not her passionate40 entreaties41 that he would linger yet awhile to search for Glaucus; and still, in the accent of despair, she continued to shriek18 out that beloved name, which, amidst all the roar of the convulsed elements, kept alive a music at her heart.
The sudden illumination, the bursts of the floods of lava42, and the earthquake, which we have already described, chanced when Sallust and his party had just gained the direct path leading from the city to the port; and here they were arrested by an immense crowd, more than half the population of the city. They spread along the field without the walls, thousands upon thousands, uncertain whither to fly. The sea had retired43 far from the shore; and they who had fled to it had been so terrified by the agitation44 and preternatural shrinking of the element, the gasping45 forms of the uncouth46 sea things which the waves had left upon the sand, and by the sound of the huge stones cast from the mountain into the deep, that they had returned again to the land, as presenting the less frightful47 aspect of the two. Thus the two streams of human beings, the one seaward, the other from the sea, had met together, feeling a sad comfort in numbers; arrested in despair and doubt.
'The world is to be destroyed by fire,' said an old man in long loose robes, a philosopher of the Stoic48 school: 'Stoic and Epicurean wisdom have alike agreed in this prediction: and the hour is come!'
'Yea; the hour is come!' cried a loud voice, solemn, but not fearful.
Those around turned in dismay. The voice came from above them. It was the voice of Olinthus, who, surrounded by his Christian49 friends, stood upon an abrupt50 eminence51 on which the old Greek colonists52 had raised a temple to Apollo, now timeworn and half in ruin.
As he spoke53 there came that sudden illumination which had heralded54 the death of Arbaces, and glowing over that mighty55 multitude, awed56, crouching57, breathless—never on earth had the faces of men seemed so haggard!—never had meeting of mortal beings been so stamped with the horror and sublimity58 of dread59!—never till the last trumpet60 sounds, shall such meeting be seen again! And above those the form of Olinthus, with outstretched arm and prophet brow, girt with the living fires. And the crowd knew the face of him they had doomed61 to the fangs62 of the beast—then their victim—now their warner! and through the stillness again came his ominous63 voice:
'The hour is come!'
The Christians64 repeated the cry. It was caught up—it was echoed from side to side—woman and man, childhood and old age, repeated, not aloud, but in a smothered65 and dreary66 murmur67:
'THE HOUR IS COME!'
At that moment, a wild yell burst through the air—and, thinking only of escape, whither it knew not, the terrible tiger of the desert leaped amongst the throng, and hurried through its parted streams. And so came the earthquake—and so darkness once more fell over the earth!
And now new fugitives68 arrived. Grasping the treasures no longer destined69 for their lord, the slaves of Arbaces joined the throng. One only of all their torches yet flickered70 on. It was borne by Sosia; and its light falling on the face of Nydia, he recognized the Thessalian.
'What avails thy liberty now, blind girl?' said the slave.
'Who art thou? canst thou tell me of Glaucus?'
'Ay; I saw him but a few minutes since.'
'Blessed be thy head! where?'
Nydia uttered not a word, she slid from the side of Sallust; silently she glided72 through those behind her, and retraced73 her steps to the city. She gained the forum—the arch; she stooped down—she felt around—she called on the name of Glaucus.
A weak voice answered—'Who calls on me? Is it the voice of the Shades? Lo! I am prepared!'
'Arise! follow me! Take my hand! Glaucus, thou shalt be saved!'
In wonder and sudden hope, Glaucus arose—'Nydia still? Ah! thou, then, art safe!'
The tender joy of his voice pierced the heart of the poor Thessalian, and she blessed him for his thought of her.
Half leading, half carrying Ione, Glaucus followed his guide. With admirable discretion74, she avoided the path which led to the crowd she had just quitted, and, by another route, sought the shore.
After many pauses and incredible perseverance75, they gained the sea, and joined a group, who, bolder than the rest, resolved to hazard any peril76 rather than continue in such a scene. In darkness they put forth to sea; but, as they cleared the land and caught new aspects of the mountain, its channels of molten fire threw a partial redness over the waves.
Utterly77 exhausted78 and worn out, Ione slept on the breast of Glaucus, and Nydia lay at his feet. Meanwhile the showers of dust and ashes, still borne aloft, fell into the wave, and scattered their snows over the deck. Far and wide, borne by the winds, those showers descended79 upon the remotest climes, startling even the swarthy African; and whirled along the antique soil of Syria and of Egypt (Dion Cassius).
点击收听单词发音
1 gratitude | |
adj.感激,感谢 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2 awe | |
n.敬畏,惊惧;vt.使敬畏,使惊惧 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3 luminous | |
adj.发光的,发亮的;光明的;明白易懂的;有启发的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4 instinctively | |
adv.本能地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5 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 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6 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: |
|
|
7 mightiness | |
n.强大 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
8 avalanche | |
n.雪崩,大量涌来 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
9 gushed | |
v.喷,涌( gush的过去式和过去分词 );滔滔不绝地说话 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
10 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
11 profuse | |
adj.很多的,大量的,极其丰富的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
12 scattered | |
adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
13 quelled | |
v.(用武力)制止,结束,镇压( quell的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
14 throng | |
n.人群,群众;v.拥挤,群集 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
15 regain | |
vt.重新获得,收复,恢复 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
16 plaintive | |
adj.可怜的,伤心的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
17 peculiar | |
adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
18 shriek | |
v./n.尖叫,叫喊 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
19 shrieks | |
n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
20 impatience | |
n.不耐烦,急躁 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
21 distraction | |
n.精神涣散,精神不集中,消遣,娱乐 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
22 horrid | |
adj.可怕的;令人惊恐的;恐怖的;极讨厌的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
23 unnatural | |
adj.不自然的;反常的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
24 engender | |
v.产生,引起 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
25 persevere | |
v.坚持,坚忍,不屈不挠 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
26 dexterity | |
n.(手的)灵巧,灵活 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
27 encumbered | |
v.妨碍,阻碍,拖累( encumber的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
28 afflicting | |
痛苦的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
29 behold | |
v.看,注视,看到 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
30 torrents | |
n.倾注;奔流( torrent的名词复数 );急流;爆发;连续不断 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
31 frail | |
adj.身体虚弱的;易损坏的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
32 lesser | |
adj.次要的,较小的;adv.较小地,较少地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
33 emblem | |
n.象征,标志;徽章 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
34 psyche | |
n.精神;灵魂 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
35 snares | |
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 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
36 impeded | |
阻碍,妨碍,阻止( impede的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
37 kindly | |
adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
38 epicure | |
n.行家,美食家 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
39 heeding | |
v.听某人的劝告,听从( heed的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
40 passionate | |
adj.热情的,热烈的,激昂的,易动情的,易怒的,性情暴躁的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
41 entreaties | |
n.恳求,乞求( entreaty的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
42 lava | |
n.熔岩,火山岩 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
43 retired | |
adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
44 agitation | |
n.搅动;搅拌;鼓动,煽动 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
45 gasping | |
adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
46 uncouth | |
adj.无教养的,粗鲁的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
47 frightful | |
adj.可怕的;讨厌的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
48 stoic | |
n.坚忍克己之人,禁欲主义者 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
49 Christian | |
adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
50 abrupt | |
adj.突然的,意外的;唐突的,鲁莽的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
51 eminence | |
n.卓越,显赫;高地,高处;名家 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
52 colonists | |
n.殖民地开拓者,移民,殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
53 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: |
|
|
54 heralded | |
v.预示( herald的过去式和过去分词 );宣布(好或重要) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
55 mighty | |
adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
56 awed | |
adj.充满敬畏的,表示敬畏的v.使敬畏,使惊惧( awe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
57 crouching | |
v.屈膝,蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
58 sublimity | |
崇高,庄严,气质高尚 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
59 dread | |
vt.担忧,忧虑;惧怕,不敢;n.担忧,畏惧 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
60 trumpet | |
n.喇叭,喇叭声;v.吹喇叭,吹嘘 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
61 doomed | |
命定的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
62 fangs | |
n.(尤指狗和狼的)长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 );(蛇的)毒牙;罐座 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
63 ominous | |
adj.不祥的,不吉的,预兆的,预示的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
64 Christians | |
n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
65 smothered | |
(使)窒息, (使)透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 ); 覆盖; 忍住; 抑制 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
66 dreary | |
adj.令人沮丧的,沉闷的,单调乏味的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
67 murmur | |
n.低语,低声的怨言;v.低语,低声而言 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
68 fugitives | |
n.亡命者,逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
69 destined | |
adj.命中注定的;(for)以…为目的地的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
70 flickered | |
(通常指灯光)闪烁,摇曳( flicker的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
71 crouched | |
v.屈膝,蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
72 glided | |
v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 );掠过;(鸟或飞机 ) 滑翔 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
73 retraced | |
v.折回( retrace的过去式和过去分词 );回忆;回顾;追溯 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
74 discretion | |
n.谨慎;随意处理 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
75 perseverance | |
n.坚持不懈,不屈不挠 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
76 peril | |
n.(严重的)危险;危险的事物 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
77 utterly | |
adv.完全地,绝对地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
78 exhausted | |
adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
79 descended | |
a.为...后裔的,出身于...的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
欢迎访问英文小说网 |