The bay of Bahrein indents1 the western shore of the Persian Gulf2. Hard by the point on the north at which it begins its inland bend rise the whitewashed3, one-story mud-houses of the town El Katif. Belonging to the Arabs, the most unchangeable of peoples, both the town and the bay were known in the period of our story by their present names.
The old town in the old time derived4 importance chiefly from the road which, leading thence westwardly5 through Hejr Yemameh, brought up, after many devious6 stretches across waterless wastes of sand, at El Derayeh, a tented capital of the Bedouins, and there forked, one branch going to Medina, the other to Mecca. In other words, El Katif was to Mecca on the east the gate Jeddo was to it on the west.
When, in annual recurrence7, the time for the indispensable Hajj, or Pilgrimage, came, the name of the town was on the lips of men and women beyond the Green Sea, and southwardly along the coast of Oman, and in the villages and dowars back of the coast under the peaks of Akdar, only a little less often than those of the holy cities. Then about the first of July the same peoples as pilgrims from Irak, Afghanistan, India, and beyond those countries even, there being an East and a Far East, and pilgrims from Arabia, crowded together, noisy, quarrelsome, squalid, accordant in but one thing--a determination to make the Hajj lest they might die as Jews or Christians8.
The law required the pilgrim to be at Mecca in the month of Ramazan, the time the Prophet himself had become a pilgrim. From El Katif the direct journey might be made in sixty days, allowing an average march of twelve miles. By way of Medina, it could be made to permit the votary9 to be present and participate in the observances usual on the day of the Mysterious Night of Destiny.
The journey moreover was attended with dangers. Winds, drouth, sand storms beset10 the way; and there were beasts always hungry, and robbers always watchful11. The sun beat upon the hills, curtained the levels with mirage12, and in the fiumuras kindled13 invisible fires; so in what the unacclimated breathed and in what they drank of the waters of the land there were diseases and death.
The Prophet having fixed14 the month of Ramazan for the Hajj, pilgrims accustomed themselves to assemblage at Constantinople, Damascus, Cairo and Bagdad. If they could not avoid the trials of the road, they could lessen15 them. Borrowing the term caravan16 as descriptive of the march, they established markets at all convenient places.
This is the accounting17 for one of the notable features of El Katif from the incoming of June till the caravan extended itself on the road, and finally disappeared in the yellow farness of the Desert. One could not go amiss for purveyors in general. Dealers18 in horses, donkeys, camels, and dromedaries abounded19. The country for miles around appeared like a great stock farm. Herds20 overran the lean earth. Makers21 of harness, saddles, box-houdahs, and swinging litters of every variety and price, and contractors22 of camels, horses, and trains complete did not wait to be solicited24; the competition between them was too lively for dignity. Hither and thither25 shepherds drove fatted sheep in flocks, selling them on the hoof26. In shady places sandal merchants and clothiers were established; while sample tents spotted27 the whole landscape. Hucksters went about with figs28, dates, dried meats and bread. In short, pilgrims could be accommodated with every conceivable necessary. They had only to cry out, and the commodity was at hand.
Amongst the thousands who arrived at El Katif in the last of June, 1448, was a man whose presence made him instantly an object of general interest. He came from the south in a galley29 of eight oars30 manned by Indian seamen31, and lay at anchor three days before landing. His ship bore nothing indicative of nationality except the sailors. She was trim-looking and freshly painted; otherwise there was nothing uncommon32 in her appearance. She was not for war--that was plain. She floated too lightly to be laden33; wherefore those who came to look at her said she could not be in commercial service.
Almost before furling sail, an awning34 was stretched over her from bow to stern--an awning which from the shore appeared one great shawl of variegated35 colors. Thereupon the wise in such matters decided36 the owner was an Indian Prince vastly rich, come, like a good Mohammedan, to approve his faith by pilgrimage.
This opinion the stranger's conduct confirmed. While he did not himself appear ashore37, he kept up a busy communication by means of his small boat. For three days, it carried contractors of camels and supplies aboard, and brought them back.
They described him of uncertain age; he might be sixty, he might be seventy-five. While rather under medium height, he was active and perfectly38 his own master. He sat in the shade of the awning cross-legged. His rug was a marvel39 of sheeny silk. He talked Arabic, but with an Indian accent. His dress was Indian--a silken shirt, a short jacket, large trousers, and a tremendous white turban on a red tarbousche, held by an aigrette in front that was a dazzle of precious stones such as only a Rajah could own. His attendants were few, but they were gorgeously attired40, wore shintyan swung in rich belts from their shoulders, and waited before him speechless and in servile posture41. One at his back upheld an umbrella of immense spread. He indulged few words, and they were strictly42 business. He wanted a full outfit43 for the Hajj; could the contractor23 furnish him twenty camels of burden, and four swift dromedaries? Two of the latter were to carry a litter for himself; the other two were for his personal attendants, whom he desired furnished with well-shaded shugdufs. The camels he would load with provisions. While speaking, he would keep his eyes upon the person addressed with an expression uncomfortably searching. Most extraordinary, however, he did not once ask about prices.
One of the Shaykhs ventured an inquiry44.
"How great will his Highness' suite45 be?"
"Four."
The Shaykh threw up his hands.
"O Allah! Four dromedaries and twenty camels for four men!"
"Abuser of the salt," said the stranger calmly, "hast thou not heard of the paschal charity, and of the fine to the poor? Shall I go empty handed to the most sacred of cities?"
Finally an agent was found who, in concert with associates, undertook to furnish the high votary with all he asked complete.
The morning of the fourth day after his arrival the Indian was pulled ashore, and conducted out of town a short distance to where, on a rising ground, a camp had been set up provisionally for his inspection46. There were tents, one for storage of goods and provisions; one for the suite; one for the chief Shaykh, the armed guards, the tent pitchers47, and the camel drivers; and a fourth one, larger than the others, for the Prince himself. With the dromedaries, camels, and horses, the camp was accepted; then, as was the custom, the earnest money was paid. By set of sun the baggage was removed from the ship, and its partition into cargoes48 begun. The Prince of India had no difficulty in hiring all the help he required.
Of the thirty persons who constituted the train ten were armed horsemen, whose appearance was such that, if it were answered by a commensurate performance, the Prince might at his leisure march irrespective of the caravan. Nor was he unmindful in the selection of stores for the journey. Long before the sharp bargainers with whom he dealt were through with him, he had won their best opinion, not less by his liberality than for his sound judgment49. They ceased speaking of him sneeringly50 as the miyan. [Footnote: Barbarous Indian]
Soon as the bargain was bound, the stranger's attendants set about the furnishment of the master's tent. Outside they painted it green. The interior they divided into two equal compartments51; one for reception, the other for a maglis or drawing-room; and besides giving the latter divans52 and carpets, they draped the ceiling in the most tasteful manner with the shawls which on the ship had served for awning.
At length, everything in the catalogue of preparation having been attended to, it remained only to wait the day of general departure; and for that, as became his greatness, the Prince kept his own quarters, paying no attention to what went on around him. He appeared a man who loved solitude53, and was averse54 to thinking in public.
收听单词发音 |
1
indents
|
|
| v.切割…使呈锯齿状( indent的第三人称单数 )；缩进排版 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
gulf
|
|
| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
whitewashed
|
|
| 粉饰，美化，掩饰( whitewash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
derived
|
|
| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
westwardly
|
|
| 向西，自西 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
6
devious
|
|
| adj.不坦率的，狡猾的；迂回的，曲折的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
recurrence
|
|
| n.复发，反复，重现 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
Christians
|
|
| n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
votary
|
|
| n.崇拜者；爱好者；adj.誓约的，立誓任圣职的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
beset
|
|
| v.镶嵌；困扰，包围 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
watchful
|
|
| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
mirage
|
|
| n.海市蜃楼，幻景 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
kindled
|
|
| （使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
fixed
|
|
| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
lessen
|
|
| vt.减少，减轻；缩小 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
caravan
|
|
| n.大蓬车；活动房屋 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
accounting
|
|
| n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
dealers
|
|
| n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
abounded
|
|
| v.大量存在，充满，富于( abound的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
herds
|
|
| 兽群( herd的名词复数 )； 牧群； 人群； 群众 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
makers
|
|
| n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
contractors
|
|
| n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
contractor
|
|
| n.订约人，承包人，收缩肌 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
solicited
|
|
| v.恳求( solicit的过去式和过去分词 )；（指娼妇）拉客；索求；征求 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
thither
|
|
| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
hoof
|
|
| n.(马，牛等的)蹄 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
spotted
|
|
| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
figs
|
|
| figures 数字，图形，外形 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
galley
|
|
| n.（飞机或船上的）厨房单层甲板大帆船；军舰舰长用的大划艇； | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
oars
|
|
| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
seamen
|
|
| n.海员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
uncommon
|
|
| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
laden
|
|
| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
awning
|
|
| n.遮阳篷；雨篷 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
variegated
|
|
| adj.斑驳的，杂色的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
decided
|
|
| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
ashore
|
|
| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
perfectly
|
|
| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
marvel
|
|
| vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
attired
|
|
| adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服，使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
posture
|
|
| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
strictly
|
|
| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
outfit
|
|
| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
inquiry
|
|
| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
suite
|
|
| n.一套(家具)；套房；随从人员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
inspection
|
|
| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
pitchers
|
|
| 大水罐( pitcher的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
cargoes
|
|
| n.（船或飞机装载的）货物( cargo的名词复数 )；大量，重负 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
judgment
|
|
| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
sneeringly
|
|
| 嘲笑地，轻蔑地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
compartments
|
|
| n.间隔( compartment的名词复数 )；（列车车厢的）隔间；（家具或设备等的）分隔间；隔层 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
divans
|
|
| n.（可作床用的）矮沙发( divan的名词复数 )；（波斯或其他东方诗人的）诗集 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
53
solitude
|
|
| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
averse
|
|
| adj.厌恶的；反对的，不乐意的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |