From Ilsham you come, over the hill, to Meadfoot, a particularly noble bay, where the road is protected from the sea by a wall calculated to make a builder of cheap houses and nine-inch party-walls faint with horror at so prodigal11 a use of material. I do not know exactly how thick the[134] Meadfoot sea-wall is, but a wheeled conveyance12 could be driven along it, if it were not so rough. And the roughness of these rudely quarried13, undressed rocky boulders14 is just the fitting character for the spot; which is, as I have said, a very noble piece of coast-scenery indeed, rough-hewed by nature in the large, and coloured by her in the rich and sober hues15 of the rocks, alternating with the brighter tints16 of sea and grass. Great islanded rocks stand off-shore, glooming over the blue sea like ogreish strongholds: the black monstrous17 forms of the Ore Stone and the Thatcher18 Rock, with the smaller Shag Rock close in, and a scatter19 of reefs just off the sands.
Near by, but hidden from view by its enclosing grounds, is that semicircular group of villa4 residences, Hesketh Crescent, built, some forty years ago, on the model of the classic terraces of Bath and Buxton. Little postern gates lead from the grounds on to the road at Meadfoot, and from them the early riser on summer mornings may observe strange figures, clad in gorgeous dressing-gowns, shuffling20 in bath slippers21 to the sea, the bright sunshine making heliographs of their bald and shining pates22. It all looks like some newer version of Robinson Crusoe, or the Swiss Family Robinson; but these old gentlemen are only the retired23 generals and colonels of Hesketh Crescent, out for their morning dip, and are so little like marooned24 inhabitants of uncivilised isles25 that they will presently enter their postern-gates again, and go home to breakfast and the morning paper, over which they will with fervour and unction damn the War Office and the Army from head to foot—a valued privilege denied to Robinson Crusoe.
The entrance to the awful sanctities of Hesketh Crescent is passed on the ascent26 from Meadfoot into Torquay; but the Crescent is not what it was, and boards, actually proclaiming houses to let, disfigure the proprieties27 of its threshold. As a matter of fact, the taste—or rather, the fashion—which obtained when Hesketh Crescent was built has wholly changed, and residents by the seaside are no longer content to live in a continuous row of houses. It is an unavoidable condition in great towns, but most undesirable28 for a place like Torquay, whose ideal is detachment, and whose chief feature, in the residential29 districts, away from the business centre, is the multitude of discreet30 villas31, each enclosed in its grounds, behind masonry32 walls and shrubberies. If these villas were situated33 near the Regent’s Park district of London, the discretion34 of encompassing35 walls and screening shrubberies would be referred to motives36 not here to be discussed, but Torquay being what it is, these features are but marks of the strictly37 proper seclusion38 that is an essential feature of its existence; an emotionless existence punctuated39 by the visits of gibbering curates and the meetings of Dorcas Societies.
Nothing is more remarkable40 in the later history of Torquay than the number of “literary landmarks42” and associations it has gathered to itself; more particularly associations connected[136] with the spinster lady authors of improving stories. Torquay, of course, is not merely the place for invalid43 visitors in the winter, but a place of residence for many delicate persons to whom its genial44 warmth is the very breath of life. It would seem that when contemplative persons of a certain fragility seek a permanent home, they come to Torquay and write stories like Christy’s Old Organ and Jessica’s First Prayer. At any rate, the remarkable little shilling book, Literary Landmarks of Torquay, by Mr. W. J. Roberts, discovers an amazing number of literary associations, with Charles Kingsley, P. H. Gosse, W. E. Norris, and Eden Phillpotts at their head, and a regiment45 of ladies bringing up the rear.
The seven hills—or more—on which Torquay is built are dotted plentifully46 with the largest and finest of these quiet villas, and the hollows in between are cut up into winding47 roads, where the stranger may speedily lose his bearings. If you consult a plan of Torquay, it will be perceived that the roads of its residential districts are like so many vermiculations, returning upon one another and intertwining almost with the intricacy of whorls in a Celtic design. It must have been far easier to find one’s way about the site of Torquay a century ago than now, and in many respects it was surely a more desirable place. From existing records one may form a very exact picture of it, say in 1815, when the long-dreaded “Boney,” for many years a figure of terror to hundreds of thousands of Englishmen, was brought captive[137] on the Bellerophon into Tor Bay, to be revealed to the gaping48 hundreds who put off in boats to see him, as merely a little fat man, clean-shaven, melancholy49, and obviously unwell, mildly pacing the quarter-deck, and saying unexpectedly complimentary50 things about the scenery and the climate.
Its inhabitants then numbered about fifteen hundred, chiefly fishermen and the wives and families of naval51 officers, who, anchoring from time to time in the safe and roomy anchorage of Tor Bay, had first “discovered” the place. It was then still little more than that Quay3 at the foot of the hills (or “Tors”) it had been when William of Orange landed at Brixham, in 1688; and the fine old residence of Tor Abbey, seat then as now of the Carys, was the only considerable place in the neighbourhood. The hill-tops were yet in a state of nature, except the crest52 of Chapel53 Hill, where the little chapel of St. Michael formed a notable landmark41 for sailors. This was, according to legend, the offering of some ancient mariner54, and displayed a beacon-light at night, to guide shipping55 safely into the bay. The ancient chapel, one of the smallest in England, measuring only thirty-six feet in length, remains56 to this day, two hundred and seventy feet above the sea, at the modern suburb of Torre, and is part of the borough57 meteorological station.
The Carys had so long been seated by the shores of Tor Bay, in the halls of the discredited58 and dispossessed monks, that they had lost all[138] sense of the trend of affairs, and were utterly59 unimaginative; and accordingly when in 1786 Sir Robert Palk, retiring wondrously60 enriched from the governorship of Madras, and with an £80,000 legacy61 into the bargain, purchased Tormoham Manor62, they made no attempt to outbid him. To the changed times and to the[139] Palk family Torquay owes its growth. Tor Bay had in all those bygone centuries been a lovely solitude, for in the warlike ages, when fire and sword swept even sheltered spots like Dartmouth, snugly63 hidden behind a difficult entrance, an open strand64 was too dangerous a place to settle upon; but Sir Robert Palk early perceived changed conditions and made his account with them, and in due time his son, Sir Lawrence Palk, succeeded him and built the first harbour. The inevitable65 consequence of the Palk activities and of the changed condition of affairs was that the town of Torquay sprang into vigorous existence, and the further and equally obvious consequence of the Palks becoming great as ground-landlords was that in the fulness of time they were raised from baronets to be barons67; Sir Lawrence Hesketh Palk, fifth baronet, being in 1880, in his thirty-fourth year, raised to the peerage as Baron66 Haldon. I can quite distinctly hear gnashings of teeth and imprecations at lost opportunities from the direction of Tor Abbey, echoing down the alleys68 of the years.
Torquay was built when the Italian villa fashion prevailed in the land. It was a favourable69 spot for such an experiment. Look back upon those terraced and rock-girt hills from this kindly70 distance of the harbour, and the Italianate character of the scenery, in its brilliant colouring and bold and picturesque71 outline, is obvious, and from this remove quite a number of those villas deceptively resemble in outline the marble palazzos[140] of Florence, of Venice or Bologna. But close at hand they are no more Italian than an Italian warehouse72, which we all know to be a parabolic description of an oil and colour shop.
And now Torquay has acquired a Mayor and Corporation, with town arms and a crest and the advertising73 motto, Salus et Felicitas, and ought to be happy as well as healthful, as per motto: even though that motto does, when spoken, suggest “sailors and solicitors74.” But no! Torquay has since learned that these luxuries are expensive; in the facts that while, when the town was incorporated, in 1892, there were then but twenty-one officials, whose salaries amounted to £2,413, there are now thirty-nine, who draw £5,495.
Presently there will be electric tramways at Torquay! Conceive it, all ye who know the town. Could there be anything more suicidal than to introduce such hustling75 methods into Lotos-land?
I observe that, according to a handbook advertising the attractions of Torquay, while its winters are mild, its summers are cool, and that “the maximum mean annual temperature is 56·7°, and the minimum 45°.” Also it appears that “the thermometer in the shade seldom rises to 70°.” I must, therefore, be mistaken in supposing that in August I have frequently observed it, in the Strand, and on the spot eloquently76 known as “the Gridiron,” to be twenty degrees higher, and the Lord only knows what[141] phenomenal heights in the sun. Under the same extraordinary illusion, yucca, bamboo, palms, eucalyptus77, and other tropical plants flourish in the beautiful rock-walks along the Torbay road, and the fuchsia grows in the likeness78 of trees.
There are many who think Torquay looks its best on moonlit summer nights, when the lights in hill-top villas seem to vie with the stars, and the search-lights of naval leviathans in the bay send inquisitive79 beams along the shore or, adventuring higher, surprise fair maids in their bedrooms and make them blush.
点击收听单词发音
1 cavern | |
n.洞穴,大山洞 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2 octopus | |
n.章鱼 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3 quay | |
n.码头,靠岸处 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4 villa | |
n.别墅,城郊小屋 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5 monks | |
n.修道士,僧侣( monk的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6 solitude | |
n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7 turret | |
n.塔楼,角塔 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
8 grunt | |
v.嘟哝;作呼噜声;n.呼噜声,嘟哝 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
9 contentedly | |
adv.心满意足地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
10 lodged | |
v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 );暂住;埋入;(权利、权威等)归属 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
11 prodigal | |
adj.浪费的,挥霍的,放荡的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
12 conveyance | |
n.(不动产等的)转让,让与;转让证书;传送;运送;表达;(正)运输工具 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
13 quarried | |
v.从采石场采得( quarry的过去式和过去分词 );从(书本等中)努力发掘(资料等);在采石场采石 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
14 boulders | |
n.卵石( boulder的名词复数 );巨砾;(受水或天气侵蚀而成的)巨石;漂砾 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
15 hues | |
色彩( hue的名词复数 ); 色调; 信仰; 观点 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
16 tints | |
色彩( tint的名词复数 ); 带白的颜色; (淡色)染发剂; 痕迹 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
17 monstrous | |
adj.巨大的;恐怖的;可耻的,丢脸的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
18 thatcher | |
n.茅屋匠 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
19 scatter | |
vt.撒,驱散,散开;散布/播;vi.分散,消散 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
20 shuffling | |
adj. 慢慢移动的, 滑移的 动词shuffle的现在分词形式 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
21 slippers | |
n. 拖鞋 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
22 pates | |
n.头顶,(尤指)秃顶,光顶( pate的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
23 retired | |
adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
24 marooned | |
adj.被围困的;孤立无援的;无法脱身的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
25 isles | |
岛( isle的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
26 ascent | |
n.(声望或地位)提高;上升,升高;登高 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
27 proprieties | |
n.礼仪,礼节;礼貌( propriety的名词复数 );规矩;正当;合适 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
28 undesirable | |
adj.不受欢迎的,不良的,不合意的,讨厌的;n.不受欢迎的人,不良分子 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
29 residential | |
adj.提供住宿的;居住的;住宅的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
30 discreet | |
adj.(言行)谨慎的;慎重的;有判断力的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
31 villas | |
别墅,公馆( villa的名词复数 ); (城郊)住宅 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
32 masonry | |
n.砖土建筑;砖石 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
33 situated | |
adj.坐落在...的,处于某种境地的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
34 discretion | |
n.谨慎;随意处理 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
35 encompassing | |
v.围绕( encompass的现在分词 );包围;包含;包括 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
36 motives | |
n.动机,目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
37 strictly | |
adv.严厉地,严格地;严密地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
38 seclusion | |
n.隐遁,隔离 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
39 punctuated | |
v.(在文字中)加标点符号,加标点( punctuate的过去式和过去分词 );不时打断某事物 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
40 remarkable | |
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
41 landmark | |
n.陆标,划时代的事,地界标 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
42 landmarks | |
n.陆标( landmark的名词复数 );目标;(标志重要阶段的)里程碑 ~ (in sth);有历史意义的建筑物(或遗址) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
43 invalid | |
n.病人,伤残人;adj.有病的,伤残的;无效的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
44 genial | |
adj.亲切的,和蔼的,愉快的,脾气好的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
45 regiment | |
n.团,多数,管理;v.组织,编成团,统制 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
46 plentifully | |
adv. 许多地,丰饶地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
47 winding | |
n.绕,缠,绕组,线圈 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
48 gaping | |
adj.口的;张口的;敞口的;多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 );张开,张大 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
49 melancholy | |
n.忧郁,愁思;adj.令人感伤(沮丧)的,忧郁的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
50 complimentary | |
adj.赠送的,免费的,赞美的,恭维的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
51 naval | |
adj.海军的,军舰的,船的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
52 crest | |
n.顶点;饰章;羽冠;vt.达到顶点;vi.形成浪尖 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
53 chapel | |
n.小教堂,殡仪馆 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
54 mariner | |
n.水手号不载人航天探测器,海员,航海者 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
55 shipping | |
n.船运(发货,运输,乘船) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
56 remains | |
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
57 borough | |
n.享有自治权的市镇;(英)自治市镇 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
58 discredited | |
不足信的,不名誉的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
59 utterly | |
adv.完全地,绝对地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
60 wondrously | |
adv.惊奇地,非常,极其 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
61 legacy | |
n.遗产,遗赠;先人(或过去)留下的东西 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
62 manor | |
n.庄园,领地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
63 snugly | |
adv.紧贴地;贴身地;暖和舒适地;安适地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
64 strand | |
vt.使(船)搁浅,使(某人)困于(某地) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
65 inevitable | |
adj.不可避免的,必然发生的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
66 baron | |
n.男爵;(商业界等)巨头,大王 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
67 barons | |
男爵( baron的名词复数 ); 巨头; 大王; 大亨 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
68 alleys | |
胡同,小巷( alley的名词复数 ); 小径 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
69 favourable | |
adj.赞成的,称赞的,有利的,良好的,顺利的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
70 kindly | |
adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
71 picturesque | |
adj.美丽如画的,(语言)生动的,绘声绘色的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
72 warehouse | |
n.仓库;vt.存入仓库 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
73 advertising | |
n.广告业;广告活动 a.广告的;广告业务的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
74 solicitors | |
初级律师( solicitor的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
75 hustling | |
催促(hustle的现在分词形式) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
76 eloquently | |
adv. 雄辩地(有口才地, 富于表情地) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
77 eucalyptus | |
n.桉树,桉属植物 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
78 likeness | |
n.相像,相似(之处) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
79 inquisitive | |
adj.求知欲强的,好奇的,好寻根究底的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
欢迎访问英文小说网 |