CHAPTER XXXVII

 Upagupta, the disciple¹ of Buddha², lay asleep on the dust by the city wall of Mathura.

 

Lamps were all out, doors were all shut, and stars were all hidden by the murky³ sky of August.

 

Whose feet were those tinkling⁴ with anklets, touching⁵ his breast of a sudden?

 

He woke up startled, and the light from a woman’s lamp struck his forgiving eyes.

 

It was the dancing girl, starred with jewels, clouded with a pale-blue mantle⁶, drunk with the wine of her youth.

 

She lowered her lamp and saw the young face, austerely⁷ beautiful.

 

“Forgive me, young ascetic⁸,” said the woman; “graciously come to my house. The dusty earth is not a fit bed for you.”

 

The ascetic answered, “Woman, go on your way; when the time is ripe I will come to you.”

 

Suddenly the black night showed its teeth in a flash of lightning.

 

The storm growled⁹ from the corner of the sky, and the woman trembled in fear.

 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

The branches of the wayside trees were aching with blossom.

 

Gay notes of the flute¹⁰ came floating in the warm spring air from afar.

 

The citizens had gone to the woods, to the festival of flowers.

 

From the mid-sky gazed the full moon on the shadows of the silent town.

 

The young ascetic was walking in the lonely street, while overhead the lovesick koels urged from the mango branches their sleepless¹¹ plaint.

 

Upagupta passed through the city gates, and stood at the base of the rampart.

 

What woman lay in the shadow of the wall at his feet, struck with the black pestilence¹², her body spotted¹³ with sores, hurriedly driven away from the town?

 

The ascetic sat by her side, taking her head on his knees, and moistened her lips with water and smeared¹⁴ her body with balm.

 

“Who are you, merciful one?” asked the woman.

 

“The time, at last, has come to visit you, and I am here,” replied the young ascetic.

1 disciple   

n.信徒，门徒，追随者

参考例句：

• Your disciple failed to welcome you.你的徒弟没能迎接你。
• He was an ardent disciple of Gandhi.他是甘地的忠实信徒。

2 Buddha   

n.佛；佛像；佛陀

参考例句：

• Several women knelt down before the statue of Buddha and prayed.几个妇女跪在佛像前祈祷。
• He has kept the figure of Buddha for luck.为了图吉利他一直保存着这尊佛像。

3 murky   

adj.黑暗的，朦胧的；adv.阴暗地，混浊地；n.阴暗；昏暗

参考例句：

• She threw it into the river's murky depths.她把它扔进了混浊的河水深处。
• She had a decidedly murky past.她的历史背景令人捉摸不透。

4 tinkling   

n.丁当作响声

参考例句：

• I could hear bells tinkling in the distance. 我能听到远处叮当铃响。
• To talk to him was like listening to the tinkling of a worn-out musical-box. 跟他说话，犹如听一架老掉牙的八音盒子丁冬响。 来自英汉文学

5 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

6 mantle   

n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红

参考例句：

• The earth had donned her mantle of brightest green.大地披上了苍翠欲滴的绿色斗篷。
• The mountain was covered with a mantle of snow.山上覆盖着一层雪。

7 austerely   

adv.严格地，朴质地

参考例句：

• The austerely lighted garage was quiet. 灯光黯淡的车库静悄悄的。 来自辞典例句
• Door of Ministry of Agriculture and produce will be challenged austerely. 农业部门及农产品将受到严重的挑战。 来自互联网

8 ascetic   

adj.禁欲的；严肃的

参考例句：

• The hermit followed an ascetic life-style.这个隐士过的是苦行生活。
• This is achieved by strict celibacy and ascetic practices.这要通过严厉的独身生活和禁欲修行而达到。

9 growled   

v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说

参考例句：

• \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道：“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 flute   

n.长笛；v.吹笛

参考例句：

• He took out his flute, and blew at it.他拿出笛子吹了起来。
• There is an extensive repertoire of music written for the flute.有很多供长笛演奏的曲目。

11 sleepless   

adj.不睡眠的，睡不著的，不休息的

参考例句：

• The situation gave her many sleepless nights.这种情况害她一连好多天睡不好觉。
• One evening I heard a tale that rendered me sleepless for nights.一天晚上，我听说了一个传闻，把我搞得一连几夜都不能入睡。

12 pestilence   

n.瘟疫

参考例句：

• They were crazed by the famine and pestilence of that bitter winter.他们因那年严冬的饥饿与瘟疫而折磨得发狂。
• A pestilence was raging in that area. 瘟疫正在那一地区流行。

13 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。

14 smeared   

弄脏； 玷污； 涂抹； 擦上

参考例句：

• The children had smeared mud on the walls. 那几个孩子往墙上抹了泥巴。
• A few words were smeared. 有写字被涂模糊了。