The little red lark3 is shaking his wings,
Straight from the breast of his love he springs
Larry’s voice soared.
His wings and his feathers are sunrise red,
He hails the sun and his golden head,
Good morning, Doc, you are long abed.
This last was a most irreverent interpolation, I well knew. I opened my door. O’Keefe stood outside laughing. The Suwarna, her engines silent, was making fine headway under all sail, the Brunhilda skipping in her wake cheerfully with half her canvas up.
The sea was crisping and dimpling under the wind. Blue and white was the world as far as the eye could reach. Schools of little silvery green flying fish broke through the water rushing on each side of us; flashed for an instant and were gone. Behind us gulls4 hovered5 and dipped. The shadow of mystery had retreated far over the rim6 of this wide awake and beautiful world and if, subconsciously7, I knew that somewhere it was brooding and waiting, for a little while at least I was consciously free of its oppression.
“How’s the patient?” asked O’Keefe.
He was answered by Huldricksson himself, who must have risen just as I left the cabin. The Norseman had slipped on a pair of pajamas8 and, giant torso naked under the sun, he strode out upon us. We all of us looked at him a trifle anxiously. But Olaf’s madness had left him. In his eyes was much sorrow, but the berserk rage was gone.
He spoke9 straight to me: “You said last night we follow?”
I nodded.
“It is where?” he asked again.
“We go first to Ponape and from there to Metalanim Harbour — to the Nan–Matal. You know the place?”
Huldricksson bowed — a white gleam as of ice showing in his blue eyes.
“It is there?” he asked.
“It is there that we must first search,” I answered.
“Good!” said Olaf Huldricksson. “It is good!”
He looked at Da Costa inquiringly and the little Portuguese10, following his thought, answered his unspoken question.
“We should be at Ponape tomorrow morning early, Olaf.”
“Good!” repeated the Norseman. He looked away, his eyes tear-filled.
A restraint fell upon us; the embarrassment11 all men experience when they feel a great sympathy and a great pity, to neither of which they quite know how to give expression. By silent consent we discussed at breakfast only the most casual topics.
When the meal was over Huldricksson expressed a desire to go aboard the Brunhilda.
The Suwarna hove to and Da Costa and he dropped into the small boat. When they reached the Brunhilda’s deck I saw Olaf take the wheel and the two fall into earnest talk. I beckoned12 to O’Keefe and we stretched ourselves out on the bow hatch under cover of the foresail. He lighted a cigarette, took a couple of leisurely13 puffs14, and looked at me expectantly.
“Well?” I asked.
“Well,” said O’Keefe, “suppose you tell me what you think — and then I’ll proceed to point out your scientific errors.” His eyes twinkled mischievously15.
“Larry,” I replied, somewhat severely16, “you may not know that I have a scientific reputation which, putting aside all modesty17, I may say is an enviable one. You used a word last night to which I must interpose serious objection. You more than hinted that I hid — superstitions18. Let me inform you, Larry O’Keefe, that I am solely19 a seeker, observer, analyst20, and synthesist of facts. I am not”— and I tried to make my tone as pointed21 as my words —“I am not a believer in phantoms22 or spooks, leprechauns, banshees, or ghostly harpers.”
O’Keefe leaned back and shouted with laughter.
“Forgive me, Goodwin,” he gasped23. “But if you could have seen yourself solemnly disclaiming24 the banshee”— another twinkle showed in his eyes —“and then with all this sunshine and this wide-open world”— he shrugged25 his shoulders —“it’s hard to visualize26 anything such as you and Huldricksson have described.”
“I know how hard it is, Larry,” I answered. “And don’t think I have any idea that the phenomenon is supernatural in the sense spiritualists and table turners have given that word. I do think it is supernormal; energized27 by a force unknown to modern science — but that doesn’t mean I think it outside the radius28 of science.”
“Tell me your theory, Goodwin,” he said. I hesitated — for not yet had I been able to put into form to satisfy myself any explanation of the Dweller29.
“I think,” I hazarded finally, “it is possible that some members of that race peopling the ancient continent which we know existed here in the Pacific, have survived. We know that many of these islands are honeycombed with caverns30 and vast subterranean31 spaces, literally32 underground lands running in some cases far out beneath the ocean floor. It is possible that for some reason survivors33 of this race sought refuge in the abysmal34 spaces, one of whose entrances is on the islet where Throckmartin’s party met its end.
“As for their persistence35 in these caverns — we know they possessed36 a high science. They may have gone far in the mastery of certain universal forms of energy — especially that we call light. They may have developed a civilization and a science far more advanced than ours. What I call the Dweller may be one of the results of this science. Larry — it may well be that this lost race is planning to emerge again upon earth’s surface!”
“And is sending out your Dweller as a messenger, a scientific dove from their Ark?” I chose to overlook the banter37 in his question.
“Did you ever hear of the Chamats?” I asked him. He shook his head.
“In Papua,” I explained, “there is a wide-spread and immeasurably old tradition that ‘imprisoned under the hills’ is a race of giants who once ruled this region ‘when it stretched from sun to sun before the moon god drew the waters over it’— I quote from the legend. Not only in Papua but throughout Malaysia you find this story. And, so the tradition runs, these people — the Chamats — will one day break through the hills and rule the world; ‘make over the world’ is the literal translation of the constant phrase in the tale. It was Herbert Spencer who pointed out that there is a basis of fact in every myth and legend of man. It is possible that these survivors I am discussing form Spencer’s fact basis for the Malaysian legend.1
1 William Beebe, the famous American naturalist38 and ornithologist39, recently fighting in France with America’s air force, called attention to this remarkable40 belief in an article printed not long ago in the Atlantic Monthly. Still more significant was it that he noted41 a persistent42 rumour43 that the breaking out of the buried race was close. — W.J. B., Pres. I. A. of S.
“This much is sure — the moon door, which is clearly operated by the action of moon rays upon some unknown element or combination and the crystals through which the moon rays pour down upon the pool their prismatic columns, are humanly made mechanisms44. So long as they are humanly made, and so long as it IS this flood of moonlight from which the Dweller draws its power of materialization, the Dweller itself, if not the product of the human mind, is at least dependent upon the product of the human mind for its appearance.”
“Wait a minute, Goodwin,” interrupted O’Keefe. “Do you mean to say you think that this thing is made of — well — of moonshine?”
“Moonlight,” I replied, “is, of course, reflected sunlight. But the rays which pass back to earth after their impact on the moon’s surface are profoundly changed. The spectroscope shows that they lose practically all the slower vibrations46 we call red and infra-red, while the extremely rapid vibrations we call the violet and ultra-violet are accelerated and altered. Many scientists hold that there is an unknown element in the moon — perhaps that which makes the gigantic luminous47 trails that radiate in all directions from the lunar crater48 Tycho — whose energies are absorbed by and carried on the moon rays.
“At any rate, whether by the loss of the vibrations of the red or by the addition of this mysterious force, the light of the moon becomes something entirely49 different from mere50 modified sunlight — just as the addition or subtraction51 of one other chemical in a compound of several makes the product a substance with entirely different energies and potentialities.
“Now these rays, Larry, are given perhaps still another mysterious activity by the globes through which Throckmartin said they passed in the Chamber52 of the Moon Pool. The result is the necessary factor in the formation of the Dweller. There would be nothing scientifically improbable in such a process. Kubalski, the great Russian physicist53, produced crystalline forms exhibiting every faculty54 that we call vital by subjecting certain combinations of chemicals to the action of highly concentrated rays of various colours. Something in light and nothing else produced their pseudo-vitality. We do not begin to know how to harness the potentialities of that magnetic vibration45 of the ether we call light.”
“Listen, Doc,” said Larry earnestly, “I’ll take everything you say about this lost continent, the people who used to live on it, and their caverns, for granted. But by the sword of Brian Boru, you’ll never get me to fall for the idea that a bunch of moonshine can handle a big woman such as you say Throckmartin’s Thora was, nor a two-fisted man such as you say Throckmartin was, nor Huldricksson’s wife — and I’ll bet she was one of those strapping55 big northern women too — you’ll never get me to believe that any bunch of concentrated moonshine could handle them and take them waltzing off along a moonbeam back to wherever it goes. No, Doc, not on your life, even Tennessee moonshine couldn’t do that — nix!”
“All right, O’Keefe,” I answered, now very much irritated indeed. “What’s your theory?” And I could not resist adding: “Fairies?”
“Professor,” he grinned, “if that Thing’s a fairy it’s Irish and when it sees me it’ll be so glad there’ll be nothing to it. ‘I was lost, strayed, or stolen, Larry avick,’ it’ll say, ‘an’ I was so homesick for the old sod I was desp’rit,’ it’ll say, an’ ‘take me back quick before I do any more har-rm!’ it’ll tell me — an’ that’s the truth.
“Now don’t get me wrong. I believe you all saw something all right. But what I think you saw was some kind of gas. All this region is volcanic56 and islands and things are constantly poking57 up from the sea. It’s probably gas; a volcanic emanation; something new to us and that drives you crazy — lots of kinds of gas do that. It hit the Throckmartin party on that island and they probably were all more or less delirious58 all the time; thought they saw things; talked it over and — collective hallucination — just like the Angels of Mons and other miracles of the war. Somebody sees something that looks like something else. He points it out to the man next him. ‘Do you see it?’ asks he. ‘Sure I see it,’ says the other. And there you are — collective hallucination.
“When your friends got it bad they most likely jumped overboard one by one. Huldricksson sails into a place where it is and it hits his wife. She grabs the child and jumps over. Maybe the moon rays make it luminous! I’ve seen gas on the front under the moon that looked like a thousand whirling dervish devils. Yes, and you could see the devil’s faces in it. And if it got into your lungs nothing could ever make you think you hadn’t seen real devils.”
For a time I was silent.
“Larry,” I said at last, “whether you are right or I am right, I must go to the Nan–Matal. Will you go with me, Larry?”
“Goodwin,” he replied, “I surely will. I’m as interested as you are. If we don’t run across the Dolphin I’ll stick. I’ll leave word at Ponape, to tell them where I am should they come along. If they report me dead for a while there’s nobody to care. So that’s all right. Only old man, be reasonable. You’ve thought over this so long, you’re going bug59, honestly you are.”
And again, the gladness that I might have Larry O’Keefe with me, was so great that I forgot to be angry.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
awakened
|
|
| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
wholesome
|
|
| adj.适合；卫生的；有益健康的；显示身心健康的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
lark
|
|
| n.云雀，百灵鸟；n.嬉戏，玩笑；vi.嬉戏 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
gulls
|
|
| n.鸥( gull的名词复数 )v.欺骗某人( gull的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
hovered
|
|
| 鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
rim
|
|
| n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
subconsciously
|
|
| ad.下意识地，潜意识地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
pajamas
|
|
| n.睡衣裤 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
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： |
|
|
|
|
10
Portuguese
|
|
| n.葡萄牙人；葡萄牙语 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
embarrassment
|
|
| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
beckoned
|
|
| v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
leisurely
|
|
| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
puffs
|
|
| n.吸( puff的名词复数 )；（烟斗或香烟的）一吸；一缕（烟、蒸汽等）；（呼吸或风的）呼v.使喷出( puff的第三人称单数 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
mischievously
|
|
| adv.有害地；淘气地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
severely
|
|
| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
modesty
|
|
| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
superstitions
|
|
| 迷信，迷信行为( superstition的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
solely
|
|
| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
analyst
|
|
| n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
pointed
|
|
| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
phantoms
|
|
| n.鬼怪，幽灵( phantom的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
gasped
|
|
| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
disclaiming
|
|
| v.否认( disclaim的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
shrugged
|
|
| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
visualize
|
|
| vt.使看得见，使具体化，想象，设想 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
energized
|
|
| v.给予…精力，能量( energize的过去式和过去分词 )；使通电 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
radius
|
|
| n.半径，半径范围；有效航程，范围，界限 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
dweller
|
|
| n.居住者，住客 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
caverns
|
|
| 大山洞，大洞穴( cavern的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
subterranean
|
|
| adj.地下的，地表下的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
literally
|
|
| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
survivors
|
|
| 幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
abysmal
|
|
| adj.无底的，深不可测的，极深的；糟透的，极坏的；完全的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
persistence
|
|
| n.坚持，持续，存留 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
possessed
|
|
| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
banter
|
|
| n.嘲弄，戏谑；v.取笑，逗弄，开玩笑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
naturalist
|
|
| n.博物学家(尤指直接观察动植物者) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
ornithologist
|
|
| n.鸟类学家 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
remarkable
|
|
| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
noted
|
|
| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
persistent
|
|
| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
rumour
|
|
| n.谣言，谣传，传闻 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
mechanisms
|
|
| n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
vibration
|
|
| n.颤动，振动；摆动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
vibrations
|
|
| n.摆动( vibration的名词复数 )；震动；感受；（偏离平衡位置的）一次性往复振动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
luminous
|
|
| adj.发光的，发亮的；光明的；明白易懂的；有启发的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
crater
|
|
| n.火山口，弹坑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
entirely
|
|
| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
mere
|
|
| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
subtraction
|
|
| n.减法，减去 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
chamber
|
|
| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
physicist
|
|
| n.物理学家，研究物理学的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
faculty
|
|
| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
strapping
|
|
| adj. 魁伟的, 身材高大健壮的 n. 皮绳或皮带的材料, 裹伤胶带, 皮鞭 动词strap的现在分词形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
volcanic
|
|
| adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
poking
|
|
| n. 刺，戳，袋 vt. 拨开，刺，戳 vi. 戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
delirious
|
|
| adj.不省人事的，神智昏迷的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
bug
|
|
| n.虫子；故障；窃听器；vt.纠缠；装窃听器 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |