Des Erdenlebens
Schweres Traumbild sinkt, und sinkt, und sinkt.
“Das Ideal und das Lebens.”
(The Dream Shape of the heavy earthly life sinks, and sinks, and sinks.)
She stood within the chamber1, and gazed around her; no signs by which an inquisitor of old could have detected the scholar of the Black Art were visible. No crucibles2 and caldrons, no brass-bound volumes and ciphered girdles, no skulls3 and cross-bones. Quietly streamed the broad moonlight through the desolate4 chamber with its bare, white walls. A few bunches of withered5 herbs, a few antique vessels6 of bronze, placed carelessly on a wooden form, were all which that curious gaze could identify with the pursuits of the absent owner. The magic, if it existed, dwelt in the artificer, and the materials, to other hands, were but herbs and bronze. So is it ever with thy works and wonders, O Genius,— Seeker of the Stars! Words themselves are the common property of all men; yet, from words themselves, Thou Architect of Immortalities, pilest up temples that shall outlive the Pyramids, and the very leaf of the Papyrus7 becomes a Shinar, stately with towers, round which the Deluge8 of Ages, shall roar in vain!
But in that solitude9 has the Presence that there had invoked10 its wonders left no enchantment11 of its own? It seemed so; for as Viola stood in the chamber, she became sensible that some mysterious change was at work within herself. Her blood coursed rapidly, and with a sensation of delight, through her veins,— she felt as if chains were falling from her limbs, as if cloud after cloud was rolling from her gaze. All the confused thoughts which had moved through her trance settled and centred themselves in one intense desire to see the Absent One,— to be with him. The monads that make up space and air seemed charged with a spiritual attraction,— to become a medium through which her spirit could pass from its clay, and confer with the spirit to which the unutterable desire compelled it. A faintness seized her; she tottered12 to the seat on which the vessels and herbs were placed, and, as she bent13 down, she saw in one of the vessels a small vase of crystal. By a mechanical and involuntary impulse, her hand seized the vase; she opened it, and the volatile14 essence it contained sparkled up, and spread through the room a powerful and delicious fragrance15. She inhaled16 the odour, she laved her temples with the liquid, and suddenly her life seemed to spring up from the previous faintness,— to spring, to soar, to float, to dilate17 upon the wings of a bird. The room vanished from her eyes. Away, away, over lands and seas and space on the rushing desire flies the disprisoned mind!
Upon a stratum18, not of this world, stood the world-born shapes of the sons of Science, upon an embryo19 world, upon a crude, wan20, attenuated21 mass of matter, one of the Nebulae, which the suns of the myriad22 systems throw off as they roll round the Creator’s throne*, to become themselves new worlds of symmetry and glory,— planets and suns that forever and forever shall in their turn multiply their shining race, and be the fathers of suns and planets yet to come.
* “Astronomy instructs us that, in the original condition of the solar system, the sun was the nucleus23 of a nebulosity or luminous24 mass which revolved25 on its axis26, and extended far beyond the orbits of all the planets,— the planets as yet having no existence. Its temperature gradually diminished, and, becoming contracted by cooling, the rotation27 increased in rapidity, and zones of nebulosity were successively thrown off, in consequence of the centrifugal force overpowering the central attraction. The condensation28 of these separate masses constituted the planets and satellites. But this view of the conversion29 of gaseous30 matter into planetary bodies is not limited to our own system; it extends to the formation of the innumerable suns and worlds which are distributed throughout the universe. The sublime31 discoveries of modern astronomers32 have shown that every part of the realms of space abounds33 in large expansions of attenuated matter termed nebulae, which are irregularly reflective of light, of various figures, and in different states of condensation, from that of a diffused34, luminous mass to suns and planets like our own.”— From Mantell’s eloquent35 and delightful36 work, entitled “The Wonders of Geology,” volume i. page 22.
There, in that enormous solitude of an infant world, which thousands and thousands of years can alone ripen37 into form, the spirit of Viola beheld38 the shape of Zanoni, or rather the likeness39, the simulacrun, the LEMUR of his shape, not its human and corporeal40 substance,— as if, like hers, the Intelligence was parted from the Clay,— and as the sun, while it revolves41 and glows, had cast off into remotest space that nebular image of itself, so the thing of earth, in the action of its more luminous and enduring being, had thrown its likeness into that new-born stranger of the heavens. There stood the phantom42,— a phantom Mejnour, by its side. In the gigantic chaos43 around raved44 and struggled the kindling45 elements; water and fire, darkness and light, at war,— vapour and cloud hardening into mountains, and the Breath of Life moving like a steadfast46 splendour over all.
As the dreamer looked, and shivered, she beheld that even there the two phantoms47 of humanity were not alone. Dim monster-forms that that disordered chaos alone could engender48, the first reptile49 Colossal50 race that wreathe and crawl through the earliest stratum of a world labouring into life, coiled in the oozing51 matter or hovered52 through the meteorous vapours. But these the two seekers seemed not to heed53; their gaze was fixed54 intent upon an object in the farthest space. With the eyes of the spirit, Viola followed theirs; with a terror far greater than the chaos and its hideous55 inhabitants produced, she beheld a shadowy likeness of the very room in which her form yet dwelt, its white walls, the moonshine sleeping on its floor, its open casement56, with the quiet roofs and domes57 of Venice looming58 over the sea that sighed below,— and in that room the ghost-like image of herself! This double phantom — here herself a phantom, gazing there upon a phantomself — had in it a horror which no words can tell, no length of life forego.
But presently she saw this image of herself rise slowly, leave the room with its noiseless feet: it passes the corridor, it kneels by a cradle! Heaven of Heaven! She beholds59 her child!— still with its wondrous60, child-like beauty and its silent, wakeful eyes. But beside that cradle there sits cowering61 a mantled62, shadowy form,— the more fearful and ghastly from its indistinct and unsubstantial gloom. The walls of that chamber seem to open as the scene of a theatre. A grim dungeon63; streets through which pour shadowy crowds; wrath64 and hatred65, and the aspect of demons66 in their ghastly visages; a place of death; a murderous instrument; a shamble-house of human flesh; herself; her child;— all, all, rapid phantasmagoria, chased each other. Suddenly the phantom-Zanoni turned, it seemed to perceive herself,— her second self. It sprang towards her; her spirit could bear no more. She shrieked67, she woke. She found that in truth she had left that dismal68 chamber; the cradle was before her, the child! all — all as that trance had seen it; and, vanishing into air, even that dark, formless Thing!
“My child! my child! thy mother shall save thee yet!”
1 chamber | |
n.房间,寝室;会议厅;议院;会所 | |
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2 crucibles | |
n.坩埚,严酷的考验( crucible的名词复数 ) | |
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3 skulls | |
颅骨( skull的名词复数 ); 脑袋; 脑子; 脑瓜 | |
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4 desolate | |
adj.荒凉的,荒芜的;孤独的,凄凉的;v.使荒芜,使孤寂 | |
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5 withered | |
adj. 枯萎的,干瘪的,(人身体的部分器官)因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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6 vessels | |
n.血管( vessel的名词复数 );船;容器;(具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的)人 | |
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7 papyrus | |
n.古以纸草制成之纸 | |
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8 deluge | |
n./vt.洪水,暴雨,使泛滥 | |
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9 solitude | |
n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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10 invoked | |
v.援引( invoke的过去式和过去分词 );行使(权利等);祈求救助;恳求 | |
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11 enchantment | |
n.迷惑,妖术,魅力 | |
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12 tottered | |
v.走得或动得不稳( totter的过去式和过去分词 );踉跄;蹒跚;摇摇欲坠 | |
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13 bent | |
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 | |
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14 volatile | |
adj.反复无常的,挥发性的,稍纵即逝的,脾气火爆的;n.挥发性物质 | |
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15 fragrance | |
n.芬芳,香味,香气 | |
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16 inhaled | |
v.吸入( inhale的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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17 dilate | |
vt.使膨胀,使扩大 | |
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18 stratum | |
n.地层,社会阶层 | |
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19 embryo | |
n.胚胎,萌芽的事物 | |
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20 wan | |
(wide area network)广域网 | |
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21 attenuated | |
v.(使)变细( attenuate的过去式和过去分词 );(使)变薄;(使)变小;减弱 | |
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22 myriad | |
adj.无数的;n.无数,极大数量 | |
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23 nucleus | |
n.核,核心,原子核 | |
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24 luminous | |
adj.发光的,发亮的;光明的;明白易懂的;有启发的 | |
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25 revolved | |
v.(使)旋转( revolve的过去式和过去分词 );细想 | |
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26 axis | |
n.轴,轴线,中心线;坐标轴,基准线 | |
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27 rotation | |
n.旋转;循环,轮流 | |
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28 condensation | |
n.压缩,浓缩;凝结的水珠 | |
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29 conversion | |
n.转化,转换,转变 | |
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30 gaseous | |
adj.气体的,气态的 | |
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31 sublime | |
adj.崇高的,伟大的;极度的,不顾后果的 | |
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32 astronomers | |
n.天文学者,天文学家( astronomer的名词复数 ) | |
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33 abounds | |
v.大量存在,充满,富于( abound的第三人称单数 ) | |
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34 diffused | |
散布的,普及的,扩散的 | |
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35 eloquent | |
adj.雄辩的,口才流利的;明白显示出的 | |
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36 delightful | |
adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的 | |
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37 ripen | |
vt.使成熟;vi.成熟 | |
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38 beheld | |
v.看,注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 );瞧;看呀;(叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现)哎哟 | |
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39 likeness | |
n.相像,相似(之处) | |
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40 corporeal | |
adj.肉体的,身体的;物质的 | |
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41 revolves | |
v.(使)旋转( revolve的第三人称单数 );细想 | |
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42 phantom | |
n.幻影,虚位,幽灵;adj.错觉的,幻影的,幽灵的 | |
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43 chaos | |
n.混乱,无秩序 | |
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44 raved | |
v.胡言乱语( rave的过去式和过去分词 );愤怒地说;咆哮;痴心地说 | |
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45 kindling | |
n. 点火, 可燃物 动词kindle的现在分词形式 | |
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46 steadfast | |
adj.固定的,不变的,不动摇的;忠实的;坚贞不移的 | |
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47 phantoms | |
n.鬼怪,幽灵( phantom的名词复数 ) | |
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48 engender | |
v.产生,引起 | |
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49 reptile | |
n.爬行动物;两栖动物 | |
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50 colossal | |
adj.异常的,庞大的 | |
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51 oozing | |
v.(浓液等)慢慢地冒出,渗出( ooze的现在分词 );使(液体)缓缓流出;(浓液)渗出,慢慢流出 | |
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52 hovered | |
鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 ); 靠近(某事物); (人)徘徊; 犹豫 | |
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53 heed | |
v.注意,留意;n.注意,留心 | |
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54 fixed | |
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的 | |
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55 hideous | |
adj.丑陋的,可憎的,可怕的,恐怖的 | |
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56 casement | |
n.竖铰链窗;窗扉 | |
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57 domes | |
n.圆屋顶( dome的名词复数 );像圆屋顶一样的东西;圆顶体育场 | |
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58 looming | |
n.上现蜃景(光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼)v.隐约出现,阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 );隐约出现,阴森地逼近 | |
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59 beholds | |
v.看,注视( behold的第三人称单数 );瞧;看呀;(叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现)哎哟 | |
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60 wondrous | |
adj.令人惊奇的,奇妙的;adv.惊人地;异乎寻常地;令人惊叹地 | |
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61 cowering | |
v.畏缩,抖缩( cower的现在分词 ) | |
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62 mantled | |
披着斗篷的,覆盖着的 | |
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63 dungeon | |
n.地牢,土牢 | |
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64 wrath | |
n.愤怒,愤慨,暴怒 | |
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65 hatred | |
n.憎恶,憎恨,仇恨 | |
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66 demons | |
n.恶人( demon的名词复数 );恶魔;精力过人的人;邪念 | |
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67 shrieked | |
v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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68 dismal | |
adj.阴沉的,凄凉的,令人忧郁的,差劲的 | |
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