Iwas dreaming that I met Lord Evelyn, at sunrise, in the Gap of Dunloe; that he put into my hand, with a graceful1 bow and striking amenity2, the largest horse-pistol I ever saw, constructed, as he said, upon novel principles, by which it loaded itself, and would continue to go off until three o'clock, with appropriate airs from a musical box in the handle; that, leaving me with a kind of Pas de Basque, which I thought very inappropriate at such a crisis, and taking up a position twelve paces from me, he produced a weapon, similar to mine, and requested me to “blaze away;” that I was making frantic3, but futile4 efforts to get my deadly instrument on full cock, and that my Lord, disdaining5 to take any advantage, was pinking the eagles, as they flew overhead; when the loud ringing of a contiguous bell recalled me to the realities of life. There is ever in these large hotels some unhappy inmate6, who is unable to put himself into communication with Boots, who rings his bell with an ever-increasing energy, until he performs, at last, in his wild fury, such a continuous peal7, as must bring up somebody, or bring down the rope. It is interesting to listen to these bells. First they suggest, then they entreat8, then they remonstrate9, then they insist, and then they curse and swear! Like the music of the Overture10 to Guillaume Tell, they begin pleasantly and peacefully, then they grow grand and warlike, crescendo-ing, from andante pianissimo, until they arrive at allegro11 fortissimo; and reminding me of a village dame12, whom I heard calling from her cottage door to a child, playing in the distance, and hearing but not heeding13 its mother:
“Lizzie, luv!”
“Liz—a—buth!”
“E—LIZ—ER—BUTH!”
“BESS, YOU YOUNG ———!”
Of course we went to see the old Cove16 of Cork17, who, in a spirit of loyalty18, but to the great disappointment of facetious19 visitors, has changed his name to Queenstown. We travelled by rail to Passage, and thence by steamer. What shall I say of this glorious haven20, “Statio bene fida carinis,” twelve miles from city to sea? What a refreshment21 and gladness must it be to the weary sailor, to come from his lone22 voyage on “the sad sea waves,” to this safe home and refuge, to listen to the summer breeze, softly sighing in those upland groves23, instead of to the tempest, as it bends the creaking mast, and to look down upon those calm and glittering waters, with the gay craft of Peace and Pleasure gliding24 gracefully25 to and fro.
Should it ever be my happy lot to revisit the city and haven of Cork, I shall most certainly decline to land at Queenstown. The gentleman who took a Census26 of the smells at Cologne, and said,
I counted four-and-seventy stenches,
might, perhaps, be interested in this locality, and would find an ample field for his nasal arithmetic. The heat was intense, the tide low; and, though I have no doubt that, further from the sea, the place is sweet and healthy enough, I never remember to have inhaled31 so offensive an atmosphere as that which prevailed, upon St. Bartholomew's Day, in the year 1858, and in the front street of the Queenstown. As an Irishman, Chief Baron32 Woulfe, once wrote of Paris, “the air is so loaded with stenches of every kind, as to be quite irrespirable;” and turning to my friend, I said, “O Francis, it is written, in this 'Handbook to the Harbour and City of Cora,' that 'Queenstown is celebrated33, and justly so, for the equality, mildness, and salubrity of its temperature,' and that 'many medical men prefer it to the climate of Madeira;' but take thy kerchief from thy nose brief while, and answer me, my Francis, terse34 and true, doth not this statement seem to thee, in boyhood's phrase, 'a Corker!'”
He replied, that “as the stinks were not quite sufficiently35 defined to sketch36, he should hire a boat and bathe;” and, having purchased a couple of oyster-cloths, the nearest approximation he could find to towels, so indeed he did, leaving me (incapable of natation), to contemplate37 the Garrison38, an extensive pile with a very military and practical look, Spike39 Island, once the residence of Mr. Mitchell, and now occupied by some 2000 malefactors of less illustrious name, and Rocky and Hawlbowline Islands, which are used as ammunition40 stores.
The heat and the incense41 (how I envied the white gulls42, flying lazily over the waters, and ever and anon dipping, as one thought, to cool themselves!) were so oppressive and irritating, that when a small boy, buying apples, would keep dropping them on the ground, in a vain attempt to thrust more into his pocket than the cavity could possibly accommodate, I almost thirsted for his blood, and like the stern old Governor in Don Juan, I could have seen him
“thrown
Yea, should have esteemed44 it to be Hari-kari, which is Japanese, you know, for “happy dispatch.” 1
1 “The Hari-kari, or 'Happy Dispatch,' is still practised
by the Japanese. This consists in ripping open their own
and the high classes, receive permission to rip themselves
up, as a special favour, when under sentence of death.”—
Japan, and her People, by A Steinmitz.
In expiation46 of these sanguinary thoughts, I subsequently presented a fourpenny piece, as conscience money, to a miserable-looking beggar, who “had not tasted food,” &c. &c. &c. &c., and who only asked for “a halfpenny, to buy a piece of bread.” But he had scarcely left me (having previously47 requested all the saints to pay me particular attention), when I heard one of two men, who were leaning against the wall, on which I sat smell-bound, say to his neighbour that “the jintleman must have more brass48 than brains, to go and give his money to a drunken shoemaker, who'd been out three days on the spree.” Yes, my groat was gone to buy alcohol for this impostor, this Cork Leg; and I felt as though I very closely resembled that bird which the French call “Le Bruant Fou,” and we “The Foolish Bunting,” because it is so easily ensnared.
It was, indeed, a joyous49 departure from humbug50, dead fish, and sewers51, to the waves, that were dancing in a pleasant breeze (which prudently52 declined to venture ashore); and we were as glad to make an escape as our great sailor, Sir Francis, when, outnumbered by the Spaniards, he came, crowding all sail, into Cork Harbour, and hid himself securely in “Drakes Pool.”
Lovely as the scene around her, there sat upon the deck, as we returned to Passage, a winsome53 Irish bride, fondly gazed upon by her happy husband, and less ostensibly by ourselves, and about a dozen officers, who were bound for Cork, from the Garrison and Club house at Queenstown. Was it that mysterious talent of beauty, which without words can say, “I recognise your homage54, and it does not displease55 me;” or was it only our own enormous vanity which caused each of us to imagine, as I feel convinced we did, that, could she only have foreknown our peculiar56 fascinations57, she would have laughed to scorn the inferior animal, who was now grinning by her side?
We returned to the Imperial for luncheon58 (and I am unacquainted with any midday refreshment more interesting than prawns59, fresh and full-grown, with bread and butter à discrétion, and the golden ales of Burton), and then took car for Blarney. Our horse was evidently as fond of his home as that enthusiastic citizen who, with a charming indifference60 to anachronisms, declared that Athens was called “the Cork of Greece,” and would keep perpetually turning round to gaze upon the beautiful city. In vain the driver inquired satirically whether he had dropped his umbrella, or forgotten to order dinner, or whether there was anything on his mind; in vain he addressed him vituperatively, called him an old clothes-horse, and threatened to take him to the asylum61; in vain, trying the persuasive62, he assured him that we had come all the way from England to see him, having heard so much of his speed and beauty, and that, if he would keep up his character, and be a gentleman, he should have such a feed of old beans that day, as would cause him to neigh for joy. All in vain! from time to time round went this uncomfortable horse, until at last, as some fond lover takes one more look at his beloved, and then rushes wildly away, where duty calls or glory waits him, our eccentric quadruped suddenly started off at full trot63, and during the remainder of our journey comported64 himself with great propriety65.
点击收听单词发音
1 graceful | |
adj.优美的,优雅的;得体的 | |
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2 amenity | |
n.pl.生活福利设施,文娱康乐场所;(不可数)愉快,适意 | |
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3 frantic | |
adj.狂乱的,错乱的,激昂的 | |
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4 futile | |
adj.无效的,无用的,无希望的 | |
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5 disdaining | |
鄙视( disdain的现在分词 ); 不屑于做,不愿意做 | |
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6 inmate | |
n.被收容者;(房屋等的)居住人;住院人 | |
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7 peal | |
n.钟声;v.鸣响 | |
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8 entreat | |
v.恳求,恳请 | |
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9 remonstrate | |
v.抗议,规劝 | |
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10 overture | |
n.前奏曲、序曲,提议,提案,初步交涉 | |
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11 allegro | |
adj. 快速而活泼的;n.快板;adv.活泼地 | |
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12 dame | |
n.女士 | |
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13 heeding | |
v.听某人的劝告,听从( heed的现在分词 ) | |
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14 epithet | |
n.(用于褒贬人物等的)表述形容词,修饰语 | |
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15 kennel | |
n.狗舍,狗窝 | |
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16 cove | |
n.小海湾,小峡谷 | |
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17 cork | |
n.软木,软木塞 | |
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18 loyalty | |
n.忠诚,忠心 | |
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19 facetious | |
adj.轻浮的,好开玩笑的 | |
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20 haven | |
n.安全的地方,避难所,庇护所 | |
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21 refreshment | |
n.恢复,精神爽快,提神之事物;(复数)refreshments:点心,茶点 | |
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22 lone | |
adj.孤寂的,单独的;唯一的 | |
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23 groves | |
树丛,小树林( grove的名词复数 ) | |
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24 gliding | |
v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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25 gracefully | |
ad.大大方方地;优美地 | |
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26 census | |
n.(官方的)人口调查,人口普查 | |
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27 monks | |
n.修道士,僧侣( monk的名词复数 ) | |
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28 fanged | |
adj.有尖牙的,有牙根的,有毒牙的 | |
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29 hideous | |
adj.丑陋的,可憎的,可怕的,恐怖的 | |
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30 stinks | |
v.散发出恶臭( stink的第三人称单数 );发臭味;名声臭;糟透 | |
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31 inhaled | |
v.吸入( inhale的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32 baron | |
n.男爵;(商业界等)巨头,大王 | |
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33 celebrated | |
adj.有名的,声誉卓著的 | |
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34 terse | |
adj.(说话,文笔)精炼的,简明的 | |
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35 sufficiently | |
adv.足够地,充分地 | |
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36 sketch | |
n.草图;梗概;素描;v.素描;概述 | |
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37 contemplate | |
vt.盘算,计议;周密考虑;注视,凝视 | |
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38 garrison | |
n.卫戍部队;驻地,卫戍区;vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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39 spike | |
n.长钉,钉鞋;v.以大钉钉牢,使...失效 | |
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40 ammunition | |
n.军火,弹药 | |
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41 incense | |
v.激怒;n.香,焚香时的烟,香气 | |
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42 gulls | |
n.鸥( gull的名词复数 )v.欺骗某人( gull的第三人称单数 ) | |
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43 groan | |
vi./n.呻吟,抱怨;(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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44 esteemed | |
adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 );敬重;认为;以为 | |
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45 bowels | |
n.肠,内脏,内部;肠( bowel的名词复数 );内部,最深处 | |
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46 expiation | |
n.赎罪,补偿 | |
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47 previously | |
adv.以前,先前(地) | |
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48 brass | |
n.黄铜;黄铜器,铜管乐器 | |
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49 joyous | |
adj.充满快乐的;令人高兴的 | |
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50 humbug | |
n.花招,谎话,欺骗 | |
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51 sewers | |
n.阴沟,污水管,下水道( sewer的名词复数 ) | |
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52 prudently | |
adv. 谨慎地,慎重地 | |
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53 winsome | |
n.迷人的,漂亮的 | |
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54 homage | |
n.尊敬,敬意,崇敬 | |
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55 displease | |
vt.使不高兴,惹怒;n.不悦,不满,生气 | |
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56 peculiar | |
adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的 | |
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57 fascinations | |
n.魅力( fascination的名词复数 );有魅力的东西;迷恋;陶醉 | |
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58 luncheon | |
n.午宴,午餐,便宴 | |
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59 prawns | |
n.对虾,明虾( prawn的名词复数 ) | |
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60 indifference | |
n.不感兴趣,不关心,冷淡,不在乎 | |
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61 asylum | |
n.避难所,庇护所,避难 | |
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62 persuasive | |
adj.有说服力的,能说得使人相信的 | |
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63 trot | |
n.疾走,慢跑;n.老太婆;现成译本;(复数)trots:腹泻(与the 连用);v.小跑,快步走,赶紧 | |
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64 comported | |
v.表现( comport的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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65 propriety | |
n.正当行为;正当;适当 | |
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