The writer of this romance has been encouraged to his task by a purpose somewhat beyond that of setting out a wild tale of
savage2 life. When he was yet a lad,—now some seventeen years ago,—fortune took him to South Africa. There he was thrown in with men who, for thirty or forty years, had been intimately acquainted with the Zulu people, with their history, their heroes, and their customs. From these he heard many tales and traditions, some of which, perhaps, are rarely told nowadays, and in time to come may cease to be told altogether. Then the Zulus were still a nation; now that nation has been destroyed, and the chief aim of its white rulers is to root out the warlike spirit for which it was
remarkable3, and to replace it by a spirit of peaceful progress. The Zulu military
organisation4, perhaps the most wonderful that the world has seen, is already a thing of the past; it perished at Ulundi. It was Chaka who invented that organisation, building it up from the smallest beginnings. When he appeared at the commencement of this century, it was as the ruler of a single small tribe; when he fell, in the year 1828, beneath the assegais of his brothers, Umhlangana and Dingaan, and of his servant, Mopo or Umbopo, as he is called also, all south-eastern Africa was at his feet, and in his march to power he had
slaughtered5 more than a million human beings. An attempt has been made in these pages to set out the true character of this
colossal6 genius and most evil man,—a Napoleon and a Tiberius in one,—and also that of his brother and successor, Dingaan, so no more need be said of them here. The author’s aim, moreover, has been to convey, in a
narrative7 form, some idea of the remarkable spirit which
animated8 these kings and their subjects, and to make accessible, in a popular shape, incidents of history which are now, for the most part, only to be found in a few scarce works of reference, rarely consulted, except by students. It will be obvious that such a task has presented difficulties, since he who undertakes it must for a time forget his
civilisation9, and think with the mind and speak with the voice of a Zulu of the old regime. All the horrors perpetrated by the Zulu
tyrants10 cannot be published in this polite age of melanite and
torpedoes11; their details have, therefore, been suppressed. Still much
remains12, and those who think it wrong that
massacre13 and fighting should be written of,—except by special correspondents,—or that the sufferings of mankind beneath one of the world’s most cruel tyrannies should form the groundwork of romance, may be invited to leave this book unread. Most, indeed nearly all, of the historical incidents here recorded are substantially true. Thus, it is said that Chaka did actually kill his mother, Unandi, for the reason given, and destroy an entire tribe in the Tatiyana
cleft14, and that he
prophesied15 of the coming of the white man after receiving his death wounds. Of the incident of the
Missionary16 and the furnace of logs, it is impossible to speak so certainly. It came to the writer from the lips of an old traveller in “the Zulu”; but he cannot discover any
confirmation17 of it. Still, these kings
undoubtedly18 put their soldiers to many tests of equal severity. Umbopo, or Mopo, as he is named in this tale, actually lived. After he had stabbed Chaka, he rose to great
eminence19. Then he disappears from the scene, but it is not
accurately20 known whether he also went “the way of the assegai,” or perhaps, as is here suggested, came to live near Stanger under the name of Zweete. The fate of the two lovers at the mouth of the cave is a true Zulu tale, which has been
considerably21 varied22 to suit the purposes of this romance. The late Mr. Leslie, who died in 1874, tells it in his book “Among the Zulus and Amatongas.” “I heard a story the other day,” he says, “which, if the power of writing fiction were
possessed23 by me, I might have worked up into a first-class
sensational24 novel.” It is the story that has been woven into the plot of this book. To him also the writer is indebted for the
artifice25 by which Umslopogaas obtained admission to the Swazi stronghold; it was told to Mr. Leslie by the Zulu who performed the
feat26 and
thereby27 won a wife. Also the writer’s thanks are due to his friends, Mr. F. B. Fynney,late Zulu border agent, for much information given to him in bygone years by word of mouth, and more recently through his pamphlet “Zululand and the Zulus,” and to Mr. John Bird,
formerly28 treasurer29 to the Government of
Natal30, whose
compilation31, “The Annals of Natal,” is
invaluable32 to all who would study the early history of that colony and of Zululand.
I grieve to state that I must now say the late Mr. F. B. Fynney.
As for the wilder and more romantic incidents of this story, such as the hunting of Umslopogaas and Galazi with the wolves, or rather with the hyaenas,—for there are no true wolves in Zululand,—the author can only say that they seem to him of a sort that might well have been
mythically33 connected with the names of those heroes. Similar beliefs and traditions are common in the records of
primitive34 peoples. The club “Watcher of the Fords,” or, to give its Zulu name, U-nothlola-mazibuko, is an historical weapon, chronicled by
Bishop35 Callaway. It was once owned by a certain Undhlebekazizwa. He was an arbitrary person, for “no matter what was discussed in our village, he would bring it to a conclusion with a stick.” But he made a good end; for when the Zulu soldiers attacked him, he killed no less than twenty of them with the Watcher, and the spears stuck in him “as thick as reeds in a
morass36.” This man’s strength was so great that he could kill a
leopard37 “like a fly,” with his hands only, much as Umslopogaas
slew38 the
traitor39 in this story.
Perhaps it may be allowable to add a few words about the Zulu mysticism, magic, and
superstition40, to which there is some
allusion41 in this romance. It has been little if at all exaggerated. Thus the writer well remembers hearing a legend how the
Guardian42 Spirit of the Ama-Zulu was seen riding down the storm. Here is what Mr. Fynney says of her in the pamphlet to which reference has been made: “The natives have a spirit which they call Nomkubulwana, or the Inkosazana-ye-Zulu (the Princess of Heaven). She is said to be robed in white, and to take the form of a young
maiden43, in fact an angel. She is said to appear to some chosen person, to whom she imparts some revelation; but, whatever that revelation may be, it is kept a profound secret from outsiders. I remember that, just before the Zulu war, Nomkubulwana appeared, revealing something or other which had a great effect throughout the land, and I know that the Zulus were quite impressed that some
calamity44 was about to befall them. One of the
ominous45 signs was that fire is said to have
descended46 from heaven, and ignited the grass over the graves of the former kings of Zululand. ... On another occasion Nomkubulwana appeared to some one in Zululand, the result of that visit being, that the native women buried their young children up to their heads in sand, deserting them for the time being, going away weeping, but returning at nightfall to
unearth47 the little ones again.”
For this divine personage there is, therefore, authority, and the same may be said of most of the supernatural matters spoken of in these pages. The exact spiritual position held in the Zulu mind by the Umkulunkulu,—the Old—Old,—the Great—Great,—the Lord of Heavens,—is a more
vexed48 question, and for its proper consideration the reader must be referred to Bishop Callaway’s work, the “Religious System of the Amazulu.”
Briefly49, Umkulunkulu’s character seems to vary from the idea of an ancestral spirit, or the spirit of an ancestor, to that of a god. In the case of an able and highly intelligent person like the Mopo of this story, the ideal would probably not be a low one; therefore he is made to speak of Umkulunkulu as the Great Spirit, or God.
It only remains to the writer to express his regret that this story is not more varied in its
hue50. It would have been desirable to introduce some gayer and more happy incidents. But it has not been possible. It is believed that the picture given of the times is a faithful one, though it may be open to correction in some of its details. At the least, the
aged1 man who tells the tale of his wrongs and
vengeance51 could not be expected to treat his subject in an optimistic or even in a cheerful
vein52.
点击
收听单词发音
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1
aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 |
参考例句： |
- He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
- He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。
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2
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 |
参考例句： |
- The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs.那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。
- He has a savage temper.他脾气粗暴。
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3
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 |
参考例句： |
- She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
- These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。
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4
organisation
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| n.组织，安排，团体，有机休 |
参考例句： |
- The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
- His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。
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5
slaughtered
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| v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句： |
- The invading army slaughtered a lot of people. 侵略军杀了许多人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Hundreds of innocent civilians were cruelly slaughtered. 数百名无辜平民遭残杀。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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6
colossal
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| adj.异常的，庞大的 |
参考例句： |
- There has been a colossal waste of public money.一直存在巨大的公款浪费。
- Some of the tall buildings in that city are colossal.那座城市里的一些高层建筑很庞大。
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7
narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 |
参考例句： |
- He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
- Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。
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8
animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 |
参考例句： |
- His observations gave rise to an animated and lively discussion.他的言论引起了一场气氛热烈而活跃的讨论。
- We had an animated discussion over current events last evening.昨天晚上我们热烈地讨论时事。
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9
civilisation
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| n.文明，文化，开化，教化 |
参考例句： |
- Energy and ideas are the twin bases of our civilisation.能源和思想是我们文明的两大基石。
- This opera is one of the cultural totems of Western civilisation.这部歌剧是西方文明的文化标志物之一。
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10
tyrants
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| 专制统治者( tyrant的名词复数 )； 暴君似的人； （古希腊的）僭主； 严酷的事物 |
参考例句： |
- The country was ruled by a succession of tyrants. 这个国家接连遭受暴君的统治。
- The people suffered under foreign tyrants. 人民在异族暴君的统治下受苦受难。
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11
torpedoes
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| 鱼雷( torpedo的名词复数 )； 油井爆破筒； 刺客； 掼炮 |
参考例句： |
- We top off, take on provisions and torpedoes, and go. 我们维修完，装上给养和鱼雷就出发。
- The torpedoes hit amidship, and there followed a series of crashing explosions. 鱼雷击中了船腹，引起了一阵隆隆的爆炸声。
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12
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 |
参考例句： |
- He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
- The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。
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13
massacre
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| n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀 |
参考例句： |
- There was a terrible massacre of villagers here during the war.在战争中，这里的村民惨遭屠杀。
- If we forget the massacre,the massacre will happen again!忘记了大屠杀，大屠杀就有可能再次发生！
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14
cleft
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| n.裂缝；adj.裂开的 |
参考例句： |
- I hid the message in a cleft in the rock.我把情报藏在石块的裂缝里。
- He was cleft from his brother during the war.在战争期间，他与他的哥哥分离。
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15
prophesied
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| v.预告，预言( prophesy的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句： |
- She prophesied that she would win a gold medal. 她预言自己将赢得金牌。
- She prophesied the tragic outcome. 她预言有悲惨的结果。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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16
missionary
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| adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士 |
参考例句： |
- She taught in a missionary school for a couple of years.她在一所教会学校教了两年书。
- I hope every member understands the value of missionary work. 我希望教友都了解传教工作的价值。
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17
confirmation
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| n.证实，确认，批准 |
参考例句： |
- We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
- We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。
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18
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 |
参考例句： |
- It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
- He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。
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19
eminence
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| n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家 |
参考例句： |
- He is a statesman of great eminence.他是个声名显赫的政治家。
- Many of the pilots were to achieve eminence in the aeronautical world.这些飞行员中很多人将会在航空界声名显赫。
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20
accurately
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| adv.准确地，精确地 |
参考例句： |
- It is hard to hit the ball accurately.准确地击中球很难。
- Now scientists can forecast the weather accurately.现在科学家们能准确地预报天气。
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21
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 |
参考例句： |
- The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
- The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。
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22
varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 |
参考例句： |
- The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
- The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。
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23
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 |
参考例句： |
- He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
- He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。
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24
sensational
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| adj.使人感动的，非常好的，轰动的，耸人听闻的 |
参考例句： |
- Papers of this kind are full of sensational news reports.这类报纸满是耸人听闻的新闻报道。
- Their performance was sensational.他们的演出妙极了。
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25
artifice
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| n.妙计，高明的手段；狡诈，诡计 |
参考例句： |
- The use of mirrors in a room is an artifice to make the room look larger.利用镜子装饰房间是使房间显得大一点的巧妙办法。
- He displayed a great deal of artifice in decorating his new house.他在布置新房子中表现出富有的技巧。
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26
feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 |
参考例句： |
- Man's first landing on the moon was a feat of great daring.人类首次登月是一个勇敢的壮举。
- He received a medal for his heroic feat.他因其英雄业绩而获得一枚勋章。
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27
thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 |
参考例句： |
- I have never been to that city,,ereby I don't know much about it.我从未去过那座城市，因此对它不怎么熟悉。
- He became a British citizen,thereby gaining the right to vote.他成了英国公民，因而得到了投票权。
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28
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 |
参考例句： |
- We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
- This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。
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29
treasurer
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| n.司库，财务主管 |
参考例句： |
- Mr. Smith was succeeded by Mrs.Jones as treasurer.琼斯夫人继史密斯先生任会计。
- The treasurer was arrested for trying to manipulate the company's financial records.财务主管由于试图窜改公司财政帐目而被拘留。
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30
natal
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| adj.出生的，先天的 |
参考例句： |
- Many music-lovers make pilgrimages to Mozart's natal place.很多爱好音乐的人去访问莫扎特的出生地。
- Since natal day,characters possess the visual elements such as dots and strokes.文字从诞生开始便具有了点画这样的视觉元素。
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31
compilation
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| n.编译，编辑 |
参考例句： |
- One of the first steps taken was the compilation of a report.首先采取的步骤之一是写一份报告。
- The compilation of such diagrams,is of lasting value for astronomy.绘制这样的图对天文学有永恒的价值。
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32
invaluable
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| adj.无价的，非常宝贵的，极为贵重的 |
参考例句： |
- A computer would have been invaluable for this job.一台计算机对这个工作的作用会是无法估计的。
- This information was invaluable to him.这个消息对他来说是非常宝贵的。
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34
primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 |
参考例句： |
- It is a primitive instinct to flee a place of danger.逃离危险的地方是一种原始本能。
- His book describes the march of the civilization of a primitive society.他的著作描述了一个原始社会的开化过程。
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35
bishop
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| n.主教，（国际象棋）象 |
参考例句： |
- He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
- Two years after his death the bishop was canonised.主教逝世两年后被正式封为圣者。
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36
morass
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| n.沼泽，困境 |
参考例句： |
- I tried to drag myself out of the morass of despair.我试图从绝望的困境中走出来。
- Mathematical knowledge was certain and offered a secure foothold in a morass.数学知识是确定无疑的,它给人们在沼泽地上提供了一个稳妥的立足点。
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37
leopard
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| n.豹 |
参考例句： |
- I saw a man in a leopard skin yesterday.我昨天看见一个穿着豹皮的男人。
- The leopard's skin is marked with black spots.豹皮上有黑色斑点。
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38
slew
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| v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多 |
参考例句： |
- He slewed the car against the side of the building.他的车滑到了大楼的一侧，抵住了。
- They dealt with a slew of other issues.他们处理了大量的其他问题。
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39
traitor
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| n.叛徒，卖国贼 |
参考例句： |
- The traitor was finally found out and put in prison.那个卖国贼终于被人发现并被监禁了起来。
- He was sold out by a traitor and arrested.他被叛徒出卖而被捕了。
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40
superstition
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| n.迷信，迷信行为 |
参考例句： |
- It's a common superstition that black cats are unlucky.认为黑猫不吉祥是一种很普遍的迷信。
- Superstition results from ignorance.迷信产生于无知。
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41
allusion
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| n.暗示，间接提示 |
参考例句： |
- He made an allusion to a secret plan in his speech.在讲话中他暗示有一项秘密计划。
- She made no allusion to the incident.她没有提及那个事件。
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42
guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 |
参考例句： |
- The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
- The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。
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43
maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 |
参考例句： |
- The prince fell in love with a fair young maiden.王子爱上了一位年轻美丽的少女。
- The aircraft makes its maiden flight tomorrow.这架飞机明天首航。
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44
calamity
|
|
| n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件 |
参考例句： |
- Even a greater natural calamity cannot daunt us. 再大的自然灾害也压不垮我们。
- The attack on Pearl Harbor was a crushing calamity.偷袭珍珠港(对美军来说)是一场毁灭性的灾难。
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45
ominous
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| adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的 |
参考例句： |
- Those black clouds look ominous for our picnic.那些乌云对我们的野餐来说是个不祥之兆。
- There was an ominous silence at the other end of the phone.电话那头出现了不祥的沉默。
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46
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 |
参考例句： |
- A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
- The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。
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47
unearth
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| v.发掘，掘出，从洞中赶出 |
参考例句： |
- Most of the unearth relics remain intact.大多数出土文物仍保持完整无损。
- More human remains have been unearthed in the north.北部又挖掘出了更多的人体遗骸。
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48
vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 |
参考例句： |
- The conference spent days discussing the vexed question of border controls. 会议花了几天的时间讨论边境关卡这个难题。
- He was vexed at his failure. 他因失败而懊恼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
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49
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 |
参考例句： |
- I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
- He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。
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50
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 |
参考例句： |
- The diamond shone with every hue under the sun.金刚石在阳光下放出五颜六色的光芒。
- The same hue will look different in different light.同一颜色在不同的光线下看起来会有所不同。
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51
vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 |
参考例句： |
- He swore vengeance against the men who murdered his father.他发誓要向那些杀害他父亲的人报仇。
- For years he brooded vengeance.多年来他一直在盘算报仇。
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52
vein
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| n.血管，静脉；叶脉，纹理；情绪；vt.使成脉络 |
参考例句： |
- The girl is not in the vein for singing today.那女孩今天没有心情唱歌。
- The doctor injects glucose into the patient's vein.医生把葡萄糖注射入病人的静脉。
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