How, by Pantagruel’s order, the Muses1 were saluted3 near the isle4 of Ganabim.
This fair wind and as fine talk brought us in sight of a high land, which Pantagruel discovering afar off, showed it Xenomanes, and asked him, Do you see yonder to the leeward5 a high rock with two tops, much like Mount Parnassus in Phocis? I do plainly, answered Xenomanes; ’tis the isle of Ganabim. Have you a mind to go ashore6 there? No, returned Pantagruel. You do well, indeed, said Xenomanes; for there is nothing worth seeing in the place. The people are all thieves; yet there is the finest fountain in the world, and a very large forest towards the right top of the mountain. Your fleet may take in wood and water there.
He that spoke7 last, spoke well, quoth Panurge; let us not by any means be so mad as to go among a parcel of thieves and sharpers. You may take my word for’t, this place is just such another as, to my knowledge, formerly8 were the islands of Sark and Herm, between the smaller and the greater Britain; such as was the Poneropolis of Philip in Thrace; islands of thieves, banditti, picaroons, robbers, ruffians, and murderers, worse than raw-head and bloody-bones, and full as honest as the senior fellows of the college of iniquity9, the very outcasts of the county gaol’s common-side. As you love yourself, do not go among ‘em. If you go you’ll come off but bluely, if you come off at all. If you will not believe me, at least believe what the good and wise Xenomanes tells you; for may I never stir if they are not worse than the very cannibals; they would certainly eat us alive. Do not go among ‘em, I pray you; it were safer to take a journey to hell. Hark! by Cod’s body, I hear ‘em ringing the alarm-bell most dreadfully, as the Gascons about Bordeaux used formerly to do against the commissaries and officers for the tax on salt, or my ears tingle10. Let’s sheer off.
Believe me, sir, said Friar John, let’s rather land; we will rid the world of that vermin, and inn there for nothing. Old Nick go with thee for me, quoth Panurge. This rash hairbrained devil of a friar fears nothing, but ventures and runs on like a mad devil as he is, and cares not a rush what becomes of others; as if everyone was a monk11, like his friarship. A pox on grinning honour, say I. Go to, returned the friar, thou mangy noddy-peak! thou forlorn druggle-headed sneaksby! and may a million of black devils anatomize thy cockle brain. The hen-hearted rascal12 is so cowardly that he berays himself for fear every day. If thou art so afraid, dunghill, do not go; stay here and be hanged; or go and hide thy loggerhead under Madam Proserpine’s petticoat.
Panurge hearing this, his breech began to make buttons; so he slunk in in an instant, and went to hide his head down in the bread-room among the musty biscuits and the orts and scraps13 of broken bread.
Pantagruel in the meantime said to the rest: I feel a pressing retraction14 in my soul, which like a voice admonishes15 me not to land there. Whenever I have felt such a motion within me I have found myself happy in avoiding what it directed me to shun16, or in undertaking17 what it prompted me to do; and I never had occasion to repent18 following its dictates19.
As much, said Epistemon, is related of the daemon of Socrates, so celebrated20 among the Academics. Well then, sir, said Friar John, while the ship’s crew water have you a mind to have good sport? Panurge is got down somewhere in the hold, where he is crept into some corner, and lurks21 like a mouse in a cranny. Let ‘em give the word for the gunner to fire yon gun over the round-house on the poop; this will serve to salute2 the Muses of this Anti-parnassus; besides, the powder does but decay in it. You are in the right, said Pantagruel; here, give the word for the gunner.
The gunner immediately came, and was ordered by Pantagruel to fire that gun, and then charge it with fresh powder, which was soon done. The gunners of the other ships, frigates22, galleons23, and galleys24 of the fleet, hearing us fire, gave every one a gun to the island; which made such a horrid25 noise that you would have sworn heaven had been tumbling about out ears.
1 muses | |
v.沉思,冥想( muse的第三人称单数 );沉思自语说(某事) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2 salute | |
vi.行礼,致意,问候,放礼炮;vt.向…致意,迎接,赞扬;n.招呼,敬礼,礼炮 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3 saluted | |
v.欢迎,致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 );赞扬,赞颂 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4 isle | |
n.小岛,岛 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5 leeward | |
adj.背风的;下风的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6 ashore | |
adv.在(向)岸上,上岸 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7 spoke | |
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
8 formerly | |
adv.从前,以前 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
9 iniquity | |
n.邪恶;不公正 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
10 tingle | |
vi.感到刺痛,感到激动;n.刺痛,激动 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
11 monk | |
n.和尚,僧侣,修道士 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
12 rascal | |
n.流氓;不诚实的人 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
13 scraps | |
油渣 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
14 retraction | |
n.撤消;收回 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
15 admonishes | |
n.劝告( admonish的名词复数 );训诫;(温和地)责备;轻责v.劝告( admonish的第三人称单数 );训诫;(温和地)责备;轻责 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
16 shun | |
vt.避开,回避,避免 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
17 undertaking | |
n.保证,许诺,事业 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
18 repent | |
v.悔悟,悔改,忏悔,后悔 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
19 dictates | |
n.命令,规定,要求( dictate的名词复数 )v.大声讲或读( dictate的第三人称单数 );口授;支配;摆布 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
20 celebrated | |
adj.有名的,声誉卓著的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
21 lurks | |
n.潜在,潜伏;(lurk的复数形式)vi.潜伏,埋伏(lurk的第三人称单数形式) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
22 frigates | |
n.快速军舰( frigate的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
23 galleons | |
n.大型帆船( galleon的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
24 galleys | |
n.平底大船,战舰( galley的名词复数 );(船上或航空器上的)厨房 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
25 horrid | |
adj.可怕的;令人惊恐的;恐怖的;极讨厌的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
欢迎访问英文小说网 |