“This is far more than a war between Britain and America,” said the Lord Paramount1. “Or any war. It is a struggle for the soul of man. All over the world. Let us suppose the President is hypocritical — and he MAY be hypocritical; nevertheless, he is appealing to something which has become very real and powerful in the world. He may be attempting only to take advantage of that something in order to turn the world against me, but that does not make that something to which he appeals less considerable. It is a spirit upon which he calls, a powerful, dangerous spirit. It is the antagonist2 to the spirit that sustains me, whose embodiment I am. It is my real enemy.”
“You say things so wonderfully,” said Mrs. Pinchot.
“You see this man, entrusted3 in wartime with the leadership of a mighty4 sovereign state, spits his venom5 against all sovereign states — against all separate sovereignty. He, the embodiment of a nation, deprecates nationality. He, the constitutional war leader, repudiates6 war. This is Anarchism enthroned — at the White House. Here is a mighty militant7 organization — and it has no face. Here is political blackness and night. This is the black threat at the end of history.”
He paused and resumed with infinite impressiveness:
“Everywhere this poison of intellectual restatement undermines men’s souls. Even honest warfare8, you see, becomes impossible. Propaganda ousts9 the heroic deed. We promise. We camouflage10. We change the face of things. Treason calls to treason.”
She sat tense, gripping her typewriter with both hands, her eyes devouring11 him.
“Not THUS,” said the Lord Paramount his fine voice vibrating. “Not THUS. . . .”
“The jewels of life I say are loyalty12, flag, nation, obedience13, sacrifice. . . . The Lord of Hosts! . . . Embattled millions! . . .
“I will fight to the end,” said the Lord Paramount. “I will fight to the end. . . . Demon14, I defy thee! . . .”
His hands sought symbolic15 action. He crumpled16 the Presidential address into a ball. He pulled it out again into long rags and tore it to shreds17 and flung them over the carpet. He walked up and down, kicking them aside. He chanted the particulars of his position. “The enemy relentless18 — false allies — rebels in the Empire — treachery, evasion19, and cowardice20 at home. God above me! It is no light task that I have in hand. Enemies that change shape, foes21 who are falsehoods! Is crown and culmination22 in the succession of empires ours to close in such a fashion? I fight diabolical23 ideas. If all the hosts of evil rise in one stupendous alliance against me, still will I face them for King and Nation and Empire.”
He was wonderful, that lonely and gigantic soul pacing the room, thinking aloud, hewing24 out his mighty apprehensions25 in fragmentary utterances26. The scraps27 of the torn Presidential address now, in hopeless rout28, showed a disposition29 to get under tables and chairs and into odd corners. It was as if they were ashamed of the monstrous30 suggestions of strange disloyalties that they had brought to him.
“Curious and terrifying to trace the growth of this Adversary31, the Critical Spirit, this destroyer of human values. . . . From the days when Authority ruled. When even to question was fatal. . . . Great days then for the soul. Simple faith and certain action. Right known and Sin defined. Now we are nowhere. Sheep without a shepherd. . . . First came little disloyalties rebellious32 of sense and sloth33. Jests — corrosive34 jests. Impatience35 with duty. One rebel seeking fellowship by corrupting36 his fellow. The simple beliefs, incredible as fact but absolutely true for the soul. That was the beginning. If you question them they go: the ages of faith knew that. But man must question, question, question. Man must innovate37 — stray. So easy to question and so fatal. Then Science arises, a concatenation of questions, at first apologetic and insidious38. Then growing proud and stubborn. Everything shall be investigated, everything shall be made plain, everything shall be certain. Pour your acids on the altar! It dissolves. Clearly it was nothing but marble. Pour them on the crown! It was just a circle of metal — alloyed metal. Pour them on the flag! It turns red and burns. So none of these things matter. . . .
“Why was this not arrested? Why did authority lose confidence and cease to strike? What lethargy crept into the high places? . . .
“And so at last the human story comes to a pause. The spirit of human history halts at her glorious warp39 and weft, turns aside, and asks, ‘Shall I go on?’
“SHALL SHE GO ON? With God’s help I will see that she goes on. One mighty struggle, one supreme40 effort, and then we will take Anarchy41 — which is Science the Destroyer — by the throat. This Science, which pretends to be help and illumination, which illuminates42 nothing but impenetrable darkness, must cease. Cease altogether. We must bring our world back again to tradition, to the classical standards, to the ancient and, for man, the eternal values, the historical forms, which express all that man is or can ever be. . . .
“I thought that Science was always contradicting herself, but that is only because she contradicts all history. Essential to science is the repudiation43 of ALL foundations, her own included. She disdains44 philosophy. The past is a curiosity — or waste paper. Anarchism! Nothing is, but everything is going to be. She redeems45 all her promises with fresh promissory notes. . . .
“Perpetually Science is overthrown46, and perpetually she rises the stronger for her overthrow47. It is the story of Ant?us! Yet Hercules slew48 him!”
“MY Hercules!” whispered Mrs. Pinchot, just audibly.
“Held him and throttled49 him!”
“Yes, yes,” she whispered, “with those strong arms.”
The manner of the Lord Paramount changed.
He stood quite still and looked his little secretary in her deep, dark eyes. For one instant his voice betrayed tenderness. “It is a great thing,” he said, “to have one human being at least in whose presence the armour50 can be laid aside.” She made no answer, but it was as if her whole being dilated51 and glowed through her eyes.
Their souls met in that instant’s silence.
“And now to work,” said the Lord Paramount, and was again the steely master of his destiny.
“Oh, God!” he cried abruptly52 and jumped a foot from the ground.
There was no need for her to ask the reason for this sudden reversal of his dignity.
A whining53 overhead, a long whining sound, had grown louder, and then a loud explosion close at hand proclaimed that another enemy aeroplane had slipped through the London cordon54. She leapt to her feet and handed him his gas mask before she adjusted her own, for one must set a good example and wear what the people have been told to wear.
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![收听单词发音](/template/default/tingnovel/images/play.gif)
1
paramount
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a.最重要的,最高权力的 | |
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2
antagonist
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n.敌人,对抗者,对手 | |
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entrusted
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v.委托,托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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mighty
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adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
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venom
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n.毒液,恶毒,痛恨 | |
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repudiates
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v.(正式地)否认( repudiate的第三人称单数 );拒绝接受;拒绝与…往来;拒不履行(法律义务) | |
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7
militant
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adj.激进的,好斗的;n.激进分子,斗士 | |
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warfare
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n.战争(状态);斗争;冲突 | |
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ousts
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驱逐( oust的第三人称单数 ); 革职; 罢黜; 剥夺 | |
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10
camouflage
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n./v.掩饰,伪装 | |
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11
devouring
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吞没( devour的现在分词 ); 耗尽; 津津有味地看; 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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12
loyalty
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n.忠诚,忠心 | |
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obedience
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n.服从,顺从 | |
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14
demon
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n.魔鬼,恶魔 | |
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15
symbolic
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adj.象征性的,符号的,象征主义的 | |
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crumpled
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adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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17
shreds
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v.撕碎,切碎( shred的第三人称单数 );用撕毁机撕毁(文件) | |
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18
relentless
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adj.残酷的,不留情的,无怜悯心的 | |
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19
evasion
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n.逃避,偷漏(税) | |
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20
cowardice
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n.胆小,怯懦 | |
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21
foes
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敌人,仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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22
culmination
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n.顶点;最高潮 | |
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23
diabolical
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adj.恶魔似的,凶暴的 | |
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24
hewing
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v.(用斧、刀等)砍、劈( hew的现在分词 );砍成;劈出;开辟 | |
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25
apprehensions
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疑惧 | |
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26
utterances
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n.发声( utterance的名词复数 );说话方式;语调;言论 | |
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27
scraps
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油渣 | |
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28
rout
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n.溃退,溃败;v.击溃,打垮 | |
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29
disposition
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n.性情,性格;意向,倾向;排列,部署 | |
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30
monstrous
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adj.巨大的;恐怖的;可耻的,丢脸的 | |
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31
adversary
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adj.敌手,对手 | |
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32
rebellious
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adj.造反的,反抗的,难控制的 | |
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33
sloth
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n.[动]树懒;懒惰,懒散 | |
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34
corrosive
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adj.腐蚀性的;有害的;恶毒的 | |
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35
impatience
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n.不耐烦,急躁 | |
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36
corrupting
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(使)败坏( corrupt的现在分词 ); (使)腐化; 引起(计算机文件等的)错误; 破坏 | |
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37
innovate
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v.革新,变革,创始 | |
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insidious
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adj.阴险的,隐匿的,暗中为害的,(疾病)不知不觉之间加剧 | |
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warp
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vt.弄歪,使翘曲,使不正常,歪曲,使有偏见 | |
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40
supreme
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adj.极度的,最重要的;至高的,最高的 | |
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anarchy
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n.无政府状态;社会秩序混乱,无秩序 | |
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42
illuminates
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v.使明亮( illuminate的第三人称单数 );照亮;装饰;说明 | |
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43
repudiation
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n.拒绝;否认;断绝关系;抛弃 | |
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44
disdains
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鄙视,轻蔑( disdain的名词复数 ) | |
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45
redeems
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补偿( redeem的第三人称单数 ); 实践; 解救; 使…免受责难 | |
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46
overthrown
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adj. 打翻的,推倒的,倾覆的 动词overthrow的过去分词 | |
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47
overthrow
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v.推翻,打倒,颠覆;n.推翻,瓦解,颠覆 | |
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48
slew
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v.(使)旋转;n.大量,许多 | |
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49
throttled
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v.扼杀( throttle的过去式和过去分词 );勒死;使窒息;压制 | |
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50
armour
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(=armor)n.盔甲;装甲部队 | |
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51
dilated
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adj.加宽的,扩大的v.(使某物)扩大,膨胀,张大( dilate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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52
abruptly
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adv.突然地,出其不意地 | |
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53
whining
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n. 抱怨,牢骚 v. 哭诉,发牢骚 | |
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54
cordon
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n.警戒线,哨兵线 | |
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