On the beach below the parade were a succession of small crowds, surrounding the usual orators4 of the seaside; whether niggers or socialists5, whether clowns or clergymen. Here would stand a man doing something or other with paper boxes; and the holiday makers6 would watch him for hours in the hope of some time knowing what it was that he was doing with them. Next to him would be a man in a top hat with a very big Bible and a very small wife, who stood silently beside him, while he fought with his clenched7 fist against the heresy8 of Milnian Sublapsarianism so wide-spread in fashionable watering-places. It was not easy to follow him, he was so very much excited; but every now and then the words “our Sublapsarian friends” would recur9 with a kind of wailing10 sneer11. Next was a young man talking of nobody knew what (least of all himself), but apparently12 relying for public favour mainly on having a ring of carrots round his hat. He had more money lying in front of him than the others. Next were niggers. Next was a children’s service conducted by a man with a long neck who beat time with a little wooden spade. Farther along there was an atheist13, in a towering rage, who pointed14 every now and then at the children’s service and spoke15 of Nature’s fairest things being corrupted17 with the secrets of the Spanish Inquisition—by the man with the little spade, of course. The atheist (who wore a red rosette) was very withering18 to his own audience as well. “Hypocrites!” he would say; and then they would throw him money. “Dupes and dastards!” and then they would throw him more money. But between the atheist and the children’s service was a little owlish man in a red fez, weakly waving a green gamp umbrella. His face was brown and wrinkled like a walnut20, his nose was of the sort we associate with Judæa, his beard was the sort of black wedge we associate rather with Persia. The young woman had never seen him before; he was a new exhibit in the now familiar museum of cranks and quacks21. The young woman was one of those people in whom a real sense of humour is always at issue with a certain temperamental tendency to boredom22 or melancholia; and she lingered a moment, and leaned on the rail to listen.
It was fully23 four minutes before she could understand a word the man was saying; he spoke English with so extraordinary an accent that she supposed at first that he was talking in his own oriental tongue. All the noises of that articulation24 were odd; the most marked was an extreme prolongation of the short “u” into “oo”; as in “poo-oot” for “put.” Gradually the girl got used to the dialect, and began to understand the words; though some time elapsed even then before she could form any conjecture25 of their subject matter. Eventually it appeared to her that he had some fad26 about English civilisation27 having been founded by the Turks; or, perhaps by the Saracens after their victory in the Crusades. He also seemed to think that Englishmen would soon return to this way of thinking; and seemed to be urging the spread of teetotalism as an evidence of it. The girl was the only person listening to him.
“Loo-ook,” he said, wagging a curled brown finger, “loo-ook at your own inns” (which he pronounced as “ince”). “Your inns of which you write in your boo-ooks! Those inns were not poo-oot up in the beginning to sell ze alcoholic28 Christian29 drink. They were put up to sell ze non-alcoholic Islamic drinks. You can see this in the names of your inns. They are eastern names, Asiatic names. You have a famous public house to which your omnibuses go on the pilgrimage. It is called the Elephant and Castle. That is not an English name. It is an Asiatic name. You will say there are castles in England, and I will agree with you. There is the Windsor Castle. But where,” he cried sternly, shaking his green umbrella at the girl in an angry oratorical30 triumph, “where is the Windsor Elephant? I have searched all Windsor Park. No elephants.”
The girl with the dark hair smiled, and began to think that this man was better than any of the others. In accordance with the strange system of concurrent31 religious endowment which prevails at watering-places, she dropped a two shilling piece into the round copper tray beside him. With honourable32 and disinterested33 eagerness, the old gentleman in the red fez took no notice of this, but went on warmly, if obscurely, with his argument.
“Then you have a place of drink in this town which you call The Bool!”
“You have a place of drink, which you call The Bool,” he reiterated35 in a sort of abstract fury, “and surely you see that this is all vary ridiculous!”
“No, no!” said the girl, softly, and in deprecation.
“Why should there be a Bull?” he cried, prolonging the word in his own way. “Why should there be a Bull in connection with a festive36 locality? Who thinks about a Bull in gardens of delight? What need is there of a Bull when we watch the tulip-tinted maidens37 dance or pour the sparkling sherbert? You yourselves, my friends?” And he looked around radiantly, as if addressing an enormous mob. “You yourselves have a proverb, ‘It is not calculated to promote prosperity to have a Bull in a china shop.’ Equally, my friends, it would not be calculated to promote prosperity to have a Bull in a wine shop. All this is clear.”
He stuck his umbrella upright in the sand and struck one finger against another, like a man getting to business at last.
“It iss as clear as the sun at noon,” he said solemnly. “It iss as clear as the sun at noon that this word Bull, which is devoid38 of restful and pleasurable associations, is but the corruption39 of another word, which possesses restful and pleasurable associations. The word is not Bull; it is the Bul-Bul!” His voice rose suddenly like a trumpet40 and he spread abroad his hands like the fans of a tropic palm-tree.
After this great effect he was a little more subdued41 and leaned gravely on his umbrella. “You will find the same trace of Asiatic nomenclature in the names of all your English inns,” he went on. “Nay42, you will find it, I am almost certain, in all your terms in any way connected with your revelries and your reposes43. Why, my good friends, the very name of that insidious44 spirit by which you make strong your drinks is an Arabic word: alcohol. It is obvious, is it not, that this is the Arabic article ‘Al,’ as in Alhambra, as in Algebra45; and we need not pause here to pursue its many appearances in connection with your festive institutions, as in your Alsop’s beer, your Ally Sloper, and your partly joyous46 institution of the Albert Memorial. Above all, in your greatest feasting day—your Christmas day—which you so erroneously suppose to be connected with your religion, what do you say then? Do you say the names of the Christian Nations? Do you say, ‘I will have a little France. I will have a little Ireland. I will have a little Scotland. I will have a little Spain?’ No—o.” And the noise of the negative seemed to waggle as does the bleating47 of a sheep. “You say, ‘I will have a little Turkey,’ which is your name for the Country of the Servant of the Prophet!”
And once more he stretched out his arms sublimely48 to the east and west and appealed to earth and heaven. The young lady, looking at the sea-green horizon with a smile, clapped her grey gloved hands softly together as if at a peroration49. But the little old man with the fez was far from exhausted50 yet.
“In reply to this you will object—” he began.
“O no, no,” breathed the young lady in a sort of dreamy rapture51. “I don’t object. I don’t object the littlest bit!”
“In reply to this you will object—” proceeded her preceptor, “that some inns are actually named after the symbols of your national superstitions52. You will hasten to point out to me that the Golden Cross is situated54 opposite Charing55 Cross, and you will expatiate56 at length on King’s Cross, Gerrard’s Cross and the many crosses that are to be found in or near London. But you must not forget,” and here he wagged his green umbrella roguishly at the girl, as if he was going to poke16 her with it, “none of you, my friends, must forget what a large number of Crescents there are in London! Denmark Crescent; Mornington Crescent! St. Mark’s Crescent! St. George’s Crescent! Grosvenor Crescent! Regent’s Park Crescent! Nay, Royal Crescent! And why should we forget Pelham Crescent? Why, indeed? Everywhere, I say, homage57 paid to the holy symbol of the religion of the Prophet! Compare with this network and pattern of crescents, this city almost consisting of crescents, the meagre array of crosses, which remain to attest58 the ephemeral superstition53 to which you were, for one weak moment, inclined.”
The crowds on the beach were rapidly thinning as tea-time drew nearer. The west grew clearer and clearer with the evening, till the sunshine seemed to have got behind the pale green sea and be shining through, as through a wall of thin green glass. The very transparency of sky and sea might have to this girl, for whom the sea was the romance and the tragedy, the hint of a sort of radiant hopelessness. The flood made of a million emeralds was ebbing59 as slowly as the sun was sinking: but the river of human nonsense flowed on for ever.
“I will not for one moment maintain,” said the old gentleman, “that there are no difficulties in my case; or that all the examples are as obviously true as those that I have just demonstrated. No-o. It is obvious, let us say, that the ‘Saracen’s Head’ is a corruption of the historic truth ‘The Saracen is Ahead’—I am far from saying it is equally obvious that the ‘Green Dragon’ was originally ‘the Agreeing Dragoman’; though I hope to prove in my book that it is so. I will only say here that it is su-urely more probable that one poo-ooting himself forward to attract the wayfarer60 in the desert, would compare himself to a friendly and persuadable guide or courier, rather than to a voracious61 monster. Sometimes the true origin is very hard to trace; as in the inn that commemorates62 our great Moslem63 Warrior64, Amir Ali Ben Bhoze, whom you have so quaintly65 abbreviated66 into Admiral Benbow. Sometimes it is even more difficult for the seeker after truth. There is a place of drink near to here called ‘The Old Ship’—”
The eyes of the girl remained on the ring of the horizon as rigid67 as the ring itself; but her whole face had coloured and altered. The sands were almost emptied by now: the atheist was as non-existent as his God; and those who had hoped to know what was being done to the paper boxes had gone away to their tea without knowing it. But the young woman still leaned on the railing. Her face was suddenly alive; and it looked as if her body could not move.
“It shood be admitted—” bleated68 the old man with the green umbrella, “that there is no literally69 self-evident trace of the Asiatic nomenclature in the words ‘the old ship.’ But even here the see-eeker after Truth can poot himself in touch with facts. I questioned the proprietor70 of ‘The Old Ship’ who is, according to such notes as I have kept, a Mr. Pumph.”
The girl’s lip trembled.
“Poor old Hump!” she said. “Why, I’d forgotten about him. He must be very nearly as worried as I am! I hope this man won’t be too silly about this! I’d rather it weren’t about this!”
“And Mr. Pumph to-old me the inn was named by a vary intimate friend of his, an Irishman who had been a Captain in the Britannic Royal Navy, but had resigned his po-ost in anger at the treatment of Ireland. Though quitting the service, he retained joost enough of the superstition of your western sailors, to wish his friend’s inn to be named after his old ship. But as the name of the ship was ‘The United Kingdom—’”
His female pupil, if she could not exactly be said to be sitting at his feet, was undoubtedly71 leaning out very eagerly above his head. Amid the solitude72 of the sands she called out in a loud and clear voice, “Can you tell me the Captain’s name?”
The old gentleman jumped, blinked and stared like a startled owl19. Having been talking for hours as if he had an audience of thousands, he seemed suddenly very much embarrassed to find that he had even an audience of one. By this time they seemed to be almost the only human creatures along the shore; almost the only living creatures, except the seagulls. The sun, in dropping finally, seemed to have broken as a blood orange might break; and lines of blood-red light were spilt along the split, low, level skies. This abrupt73 and belated brilliance74 took all the colour out of the man’s red cap and green umbrella; but his dark figure, distinct against the sea and the sunset, remained the same, save that it was more agitated75 than before.
“The name,” he said, “the Captain’s name. I—I understood it was Dalroy. But what I wish to indicate, what I wish to expound76, is that here again the seeker after truth can find the connection of his ideas. It was explained to me by Mr. Pumph that he was rearranging the place of festivity, in no inconsiderable proportion because of the anticipated return of the Captain in question, who had, as it appeared, taken service in some not very large Navy, but had left it and was coming home. Now, mark all of you, my friends,” he said to the seagulls “that even here the chain of logic77 holds.”
He said it to the seagulls because the young lady, after staring at him with starry78 eyes for a moment and leaning heavily on the railing, had turned her back and disappeared rapidly into the twilight79. After her hasty steps had fallen silent there was no other noise than the faint but powerful purring of the now distant sea, the occasional shriek80 of a sea-bird, and the continuous sound of a soliloquy.
“Mark, all of you,” continued the man flourishing his green umbrella so furiously that it almost flew open like a green flag unfurled, and then striking it deep in the sand, in the sand in which his fighting fathers had so often struck their tents, “mark all of you this marvellous fact! That when, being for a time, for a time, astonished—embarrassed—brought up as you would say short—by the absence of any absolute evidence of Eastern influence in the phrase ‘the old ship,’ I inquired from what country the Captain was returning, Mr. Pumph said to me in solemnity, ‘From Turkey.’ From Turkey! From the nearest country of the Religion! I know men say it is not our country; that no man knows where we come from, of what is our country. What does it matter where we come from if we carry a message from Paradise? With a great galloping81 of horses we carry it, and have no time to stop in places. But what we bring is the only creed82 that has regarded what you will call in your great words the virginity of a man’s reason, that has put no man higher than a prophet, and has respected the solitude of God.”
And again he spread his arms out, as if addressing a mass meeting of millions, all alone on the dark seashore.
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收听单词发音
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1
copper
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| n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的 | |
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artistic
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| adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的 | |
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3
instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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orators
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| n.演说者，演讲家( orator的名词复数 ) | |
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socialists
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| 社会主义者( socialist的名词复数 ) | |
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makers
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| n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式） | |
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clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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8
heresy
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| n.异端邪说；异教 | |
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recur
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| vi.复发，重现，再发生 | |
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10
wailing
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
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11
sneer
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| v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语 | |
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12
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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atheist
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| n.无神论者 | |
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14
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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15
spoke
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| 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 | |
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16
poke
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| n.刺，戳，袋；vt.拨开，刺，戳；vi.戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢 | |
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17
corrupted
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| （使）败坏( corrupt的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）腐化； 引起（计算机文件等的）错误； 破坏 | |
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18
withering
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| 使人畏缩的，使人害羞的，使人难堪的 | |
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owl
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| n.猫头鹰，枭 | |
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walnut
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| n.胡桃，胡桃木，胡桃色，茶色 | |
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21
quacks
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| abbr.quacksalvers 庸医，骗子(16世纪习惯用水银或汞治疗梅毒的人)n.江湖医生( quack的名词复数 )；江湖郎中；（鸭子的）呱呱声v.（鸭子）发出嘎嘎声( quack的第三人称单数 ) | |
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22
boredom
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| n.厌烦，厌倦，乏味，无聊 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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articulation
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| n.（清楚的）发音；清晰度，咬合 | |
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conjecture
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| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
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26
fad
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| n.时尚；一时流行的狂热；一时的爱好 | |
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civilisation
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| n.文明，文化，开化，教化 | |
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alcoholic
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| adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者 | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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oratorical
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| adj.演说的，雄辩的 | |
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concurrent
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| adj.同时发生的，一致的 | |
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honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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disinterested
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| adj.不关心的，不感兴趣的 | |
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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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reiterated
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| 反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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festive
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| adj.欢宴的，节日的 | |
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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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38
devoid
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| adj.全无的，缺乏的 | |
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corruption
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| n.腐败，堕落，贪污 | |
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40
trumpet
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| n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘 | |
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41
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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42
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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43
reposes
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| v.将（手臂等）靠在某人（某物）上( repose的第三人称单数 ) | |
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44
insidious
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| adj.阴险的，隐匿的，暗中为害的，（疾病）不知不觉之间加剧 | |
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45
algebra
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| n.代数学 | |
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46
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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47
bleating
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| v.（羊，小牛）叫( bleat的现在分词 )；哭诉；发出羊叫似的声音；轻声诉说 | |
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48
sublimely
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| 高尚地，卓越地 | |
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49
peroration
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| n.（演说等之）结论 | |
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50
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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51
rapture
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| n.狂喜；全神贯注；着迷；v.使狂喜 | |
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52
superstitions
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| 迷信，迷信行为( superstition的名词复数 ) | |
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53
superstition
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| n.迷信，迷信行为 | |
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54
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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55
charing
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| n.炭化v.把…烧成炭，把…烧焦( char的现在分词 )；烧成炭，烧焦；做杂役女佣 | |
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56
expatiate
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| v.细说，详述 | |
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57
homage
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| n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬 | |
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58
attest
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| vt.证明，证实；表明 | |
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59
ebbing
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| （指潮水）退( ebb的现在分词 )； 落； 减少； 衰落 | |
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60
wayfarer
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| n.旅人 | |
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61
voracious
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| adj.狼吞虎咽的，贪婪的 | |
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62
commemorates
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| n.纪念，庆祝( commemorate的名词复数 )v.纪念，庆祝( commemorate的第三人称单数 ) | |
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63
Moslem
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| n.回教徒，穆罕默德信徒；adj.回教徒的，回教的 | |
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64
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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65
quaintly
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| adv.古怪离奇地 | |
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66
abbreviated
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| adj. 简短的，省略的 动词abbreviate的过去式和过去分词 | |
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67
rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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68
bleated
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| v.（羊，小牛）叫( bleat的过去式和过去分词 )；哭诉；发出羊叫似的声音；轻声诉说 | |
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69
literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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70
proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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72
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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74
brilliance
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| n.光辉，辉煌，壮丽，（卓越的）才华，才智 | |
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agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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expound
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| v.详述；解释；阐述 | |
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logic
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| n.逻辑(学)；逻辑性 | |
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78
starry
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| adj.星光照耀的, 闪亮的 | |
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twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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80
shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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81
galloping
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| adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式 | |
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creed
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| n.信条；信念，纲领 | |
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