CHAPTER XLVII AFTER THE RAIN

“It really was a providential storm,” said John.

 

The clouds had broken; the rain, though still falling, was descending¹ in a silver shower, sparkling in sunlight. The wind had sunk to a cool fresh breeze.

 

“Providential!” Rosamund raised amazed eyebrows².

 

“Providential,” echoed John firmly. “You are thinking of Antony, who is by this time, I trust, safely returned to the bosom³ of his family, or at all events in some shelter as friendly as ours. I am thinking of the courage the storm brought in its wake.”

 

“Oh?” she queried⁴.

 

“You mustn’t,” said John pathetically, “pretend that you don’t understand me. Explanations would be painful. I should stand confessed as a coward of the deepest dye.”

 

[Pg 329]

 

“Nonsense,” she smiled. And then she looked towards the opening of the shed. “Come,” she laughed; “the rain has nearly stopped.”

 

They came out into the open.

 

“The country,” said John, “has had its face washed, and is thankful.” Then he pointed⁵ to the northeast. “Look,” he said, “our benediction⁶!”

 

A double-arched rainbow stretched across the sky, brilliant, luminous⁷, backgrounded by the retreating clouds. They paused, to look. Scientists may find excellent explanations of this wonder; but to some, at least, it will ever stand for what it has stood through age-old centuries—the symbol of hope.

 

John might have remained gazing indefinitely, or, at all events, until the brilliant arc had faded had not Rosamund brought him to a remembrance of things present.

 

“Come,” she said. “Antony.”

 

John turned.

 

“The rogue⁸!” he laughed. “But, all the same, I am enormously in his debt.”

 

They made their way back along the river bank. Eyes were still alert, ears open to any sound. But there was no longer the same anxiety, the same [Pg 330]foreboding. Doubtless the storm had been, in a measure, responsible for both. Physical conditions have a way of intermingling themselves so closely with mental conceptions, that you are really at a loss to separate the two. Indeed, you don’t attempt to separate them; you don’t perceive the physical conditions as existent, you perceive only the mental conceptions. Hence arises depression, that slate-grey state of the soul, in which the mind puts on black spectacles, and through them views the world in general, and its friends in particular.

 

Now, with the fresh breeze fanning their faces, with the world around them emerald green, silver, blue, and gold, with, above all, declared love singing joyously⁹ in their hearts, the two viewed the prospect¹⁰ through the most rose-coloured spectacles imaginable. Tragedy, even the remotest hint of tragedy, seemed unthinkable, impossible.

 

Doubtless you, also, will be of their way of thinking.

 

1 descending   

n. 下行 adj. 下降的

参考例句：

• The results are expressed in descending numerical order . 结果按数字降序列出。
• The climbers stopped to orient themselves before descending the mountain. 登山者先停下来确定所在的位置，然后再下山。

2 eyebrows   

眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
• His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。

3 bosom   

n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的

参考例句：

• She drew a little book from her bosom.她从怀里取出一本小册子。
• A dark jealousy stirred in his bosom.他内心生出一阵恶毒的嫉妒。

4 queried   

v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问

参考例句：

• She queried what he said. 她对他说的话表示怀疑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• \"What does he have to do?\" queried Chin dubiously. “他有什么心事？”琴向觉民问道，她的脸上现出疑惑不解的神情。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

5 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

6 benediction   

n.祝福；恩赐

参考例句：

• The priest pronounced a benediction over the couple at the end of the marriage ceremony.牧师在婚礼结束时为新婚夫妇祈求上帝赐福。
• He went abroad with his parents' benediction.他带着父母的祝福出国去了。

7 luminous   

adj.发光的，发亮的；光明的；明白易懂的；有启发的

参考例句：

• There are luminous knobs on all the doors in my house.我家所有门上都安有夜光把手。
• Most clocks and watches in this shop are in luminous paint.这家商店出售的大多数钟表都涂了发光漆。

8 rogue   

n.流氓；v.游手好闲

参考例句：

• The little rogue had his grandpa's glasses on.这淘气鬼带上了他祖父的眼镜。
• They defined him as a rogue.他们确定他为骗子。

9 joyously   

ad.快乐地, 高兴地

参考例句：

• She opened the door for me and threw herself in my arms, screaming joyously and demanding that we decorate the tree immediately. 她打开门，直扑我的怀抱，欣喜地喊叫着要马上装饰圣诞树。
• They came running, crying out joyously in trilling girlish voices. 她们边跑边喊，那少女的颤音好不欢快。 来自名作英译部分

10 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。