“Some time elapsed before I learned the history of my friends. It was one which could not fail to impress itself deeply on my mind, unfolding as it did a number of circumstances, each interesting and wonderful to one so utterly1 inexperienced as I was.
“The name of the old man was De Lacey. He was descended2 from a good family in France, where he had lived for many years in affluence3, respected by his superiors and beloved by his equals. His son was bred in the service of his country, and Agatha had ranked with ladies of the highest distinction. A few months before my arrival they had lived in a large and luxurious4 city called Paris, surrounded by friends and possessed5 of every enjoyment6 which virtue7, refinement8 of intellect, or taste, accompanied by a moderate fortune, could afford.
“The father of Safie had been the cause of their ruin. He was a Turkish merchant and had inhabited Paris for many years, when, for some reason which I could not learn, he became obnoxious9 to the government. He was seized and cast into prison the very day that Safie arrived from Constantinople to join him. He was tried and condemned10 to death. The injustice11 of his sentence was very flagrant; all Paris was indignant; and it was judged that his religion and wealth rather than the crime alleged12 against him had been the cause of his condemnation13.
“Felix had accidentally been present at the trial; his horror and indignation were uncontrollable when he heard the decision of the court. He made, at that moment, a solemn vow14 to deliver him and then looked around for the means. After many fruitless attempts to gain admittance to the prison, he found a strongly grated window in an unguarded part of the building, which lighted the dungeon15 of the unfortunate Muhammadan, who, loaded with chains, waited in despair the execution of the barbarous sentence. Felix visited the grate at night and made known to the prisoner his intentions in his favour. The Turk, amazed and delighted, endeavoured to kindle16 the zeal17 of his deliverer by promises of reward and wealth. Felix rejected his offers with contempt, yet when he saw the lovely Safie, who was allowed to visit her father and who by her gestures expressed her lively gratitude18, the youth could not help owning to his own mind that the captive possessed a treasure which would fully19 reward his toil20 and hazard.
“The Turk quickly perceived the impression that his daughter had made on the heart of Felix and endeavoured to secure him more entirely21 in his interests by the promise of her hand in marriage so soon as he should be conveyed to a place of safety. Felix was too delicate to accept this offer, yet he looked forward to the probability of the event as to the consummation of his happiness.
“During the ensuing days, while the preparations were going forward for the escape of the merchant, the zeal of Felix was warmed by several letters that he received from this lovely girl, who found means to express her thoughts in the language of her lover by the aid of an old man, a servant of her father who understood French. She thanked him in the most ardent22 terms for his intended services towards her parent, and at the same time she gently deplored23 her own fate.
“I have copies of these letters, for I found means, during my residence in the hovel, to procure24 the implements25 of writing; and the letters were often in the hands of Felix or Agatha. Before I depart I will give them to you; they will prove the truth of my tale; but at present, as the sun is already far declined, I shall only have time to repeat the substance of them to you.
“Safie related that her mother was a Christian26 Arab, seized and made a slave by the Turks; recommended by her beauty, she had won the heart of the father of Safie, who married her. The young girl spoke27 in high and enthusiastic terms of her mother, who, born in freedom, spurned28 the bondage29 to which she was now reduced. She instructed her daughter in the tenets of her religion and taught her to aspire30 to higher powers of intellect and an independence of spirit forbidden to the female followers31 of Muhammad. This lady died, but her lessons were indelibly impressed on the mind of Safie, who sickened at the prospect32 of again returning to Asia and being immured33 within the walls of a harem, allowed only to occupy herself with infantile amusements, ill-suited to the temper of her soul, now accustomed to grand ideas and a noble emulation34 for virtue. The prospect of marrying a Christian and remaining in a country where women were allowed to take a rank in society was enchanting35 to her.
“The day for the execution of the Turk was fixed36, but on the night previous to it he quitted his prison and before morning was distant many leagues from Paris. Felix had procured37 passports in the name of his father, sister, and himself. He had previously38 communicated his plan to the former, who aided the deceit by quitting his house, under the pretence39 of a journey and concealed40 himself, with his daughter, in an obscure part of Paris.
“Felix conducted the fugitives41 through France to Lyons and across Mont Cenis to Leghorn, where the merchant had decided42 to wait a favourable43 opportunity of passing into some part of the Turkish dominions44.
“Safie resolved to remain with her father until the moment of his departure, before which time the Turk renewed his promise that she should be united to his deliverer; and Felix remained with them in expectation of that event; and in the meantime he enjoyed the society of the Arabian, who exhibited towards him the simplest and tenderest affection. They conversed45 with one another through the means of an interpreter, and sometimes with the interpretation46 of looks; and Safie sang to him the divine airs of her native country.
“The Turk allowed this intimacy47 to take place and encouraged the hopes of the youthful lovers, while in his heart he had formed far other plans. He loathed49 the idea that his daughter should be united to a Christian, but he feared the resentment50 of Felix if he should appear lukewarm, for he knew that he was still in the power of his deliverer if he should choose to betray him to the Italian state which they inhabited. He revolved51 a thousand plans by which he should be enabled to prolong the deceit until it might be no longer necessary, and secretly to take his daughter with him when he departed. His plans were facilitated by the news which arrived from Paris.
“The government of France were greatly enraged52 at the escape of their victim and spared no pains to detect and punish his deliverer. The plot of Felix was quickly discovered, and De Lacey and Agatha were thrown into prison. The news reached Felix and roused him from his dream of pleasure. His blind and aged48 father and his gentle sister lay in a noisome53 dungeon while he enjoyed the free air and the society of her whom he loved. This idea was torture to him. He quickly arranged with the Turk that if the latter should find a favourable opportunity for escape before Felix could return to Italy, Safie should remain as a boarder at a convent at Leghorn; and then, quitting the lovely Arabian, he hastened to Paris and delivered himself up to the vengeance54 of the law, hoping to free De Lacey and Agatha by this proceeding55. “He did not succeed. They remained confined for five months before the trial took place, the result of which deprived them of their fortune and condemned them to a perpetual exile from their native country.
“They found a miserable56 asylum57 in the cottage in Germany, where I discovered them. Felix soon learned that the treacherous58 Turk, for whom he and his family endured such unheard-of oppression, on discovering that his deliverer was thus reduced to poverty and ruin, became a traitor59 to good feeling and honour and had quitted Italy with his daughter, insultingly sending Felix a pittance60 of money to aid him, as he said, in some plan of future maintenance.
“Such were the events that preyed61 on the heart of Felix and rendered him, when I first saw him, the most miserable of his family. He could have endured poverty, and while this distress62 had been the meed of his virtue, he gloried in it; but the ingratitude63 of the Turk and the loss of his beloved Safie were misfortunes more bitter and irreparable. The arrival of the Arabian now infused new life into his soul.
“When the news reached Leghorn that Felix was deprived of his wealth and rank, the merchant commanded his daughter to think no more of her lover, but to prepare to return to her native country. The generous nature of Safie was outraged64 by this command; she attempted to expostulate with her father, but he left her angrily, reiterating65 his tyrannical mandate66.
“A few days after, the Turk entered his daughter’s apartment and told her hastily that he had reason to believe that his residence at Leghorn had been divulged67 and that he should speedily be delivered up to the French government; he had consequently hired a vessel68 to convey him to Constantinople, for which city he should sail in a few hours. He intended to leave his daughter under the care of a confidential69 servant, to follow at her leisure with the greater part of his property, which had not yet arrived at Leghorn.
“When alone, Safie resolved in her own mind the plan of conduct that it would become her to pursue in this emergency. A residence in Turkey was abhorrent70 to her; her religion and her feelings were alike averse71 to it. By some papers of her father which fell into her hands she heard of the exile of her lover and learnt the name of the spot where he then resided. She hesitated some time, but at length she formed her determination. Taking with her some jewels that belonged to her and a sum of money, she quitted Italy with an attendant, a native of Leghorn, but who understood the common language of Turkey, and departed for Germany.
“She arrived in safety at a town about twenty leagues from the cottage of De Lacey, when her attendant fell dangerously ill. Safie nursed her with the most devoted72 affection, but the poor girl died, and the Arabian was left alone, unacquainted with the language of the country and utterly ignorant of the customs of the world. She fell, however, into good hands. The Italian had mentioned the name of the spot for which they were bound, and after her death the woman of the house in which they had lived took care that Safie should arrive in safety at the cottage of her lover.”
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1
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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affluence
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| n.充裕，富足 | |
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luxurious
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| adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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refinement
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| n.文雅；高尚；精美；精制；精炼 | |
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obnoxious
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| adj.极恼人的，讨人厌的，可憎的 | |
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condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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injustice
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| n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利 | |
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alleged
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| a.被指控的，嫌疑的 | |
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condemnation
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| n.谴责; 定罪 | |
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vow
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| n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓 | |
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dungeon
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| n.地牢，土牢 | |
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kindle
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| v.点燃，着火 | |
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zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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ardent
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的 | |
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deplored
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| v.悲叹，痛惜，强烈反对( deplore的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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24
procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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implements
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| n.工具( implement的名词复数 )；家具；手段；[法律]履行（契约等）v.实现( implement的第三人称单数 )；执行；贯彻；使生效 | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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spoke
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| 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 | |
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spurned
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| v.一脚踢开，拒绝接受( spurn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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bondage
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| n.奴役，束缚 | |
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aspire
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| vi.(to，after)渴望，追求，有志于 | |
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followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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immured
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| v.禁闭，监禁( immure的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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emulation
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| n.竞争；仿效 | |
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enchanting
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| a.讨人喜欢的 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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pretence
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| n.假装，作假；借口，口实；虚伪；虚饰 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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fugitives
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| n.亡命者，逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 ) | |
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42
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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favourable
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| adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的 | |
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dominions
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| 统治权( dominion的名词复数 )； 领土； 疆土； 版图 | |
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conversed
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| v.交谈，谈话( converse的过去式 ) | |
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interpretation
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| n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理 | |
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intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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loathed
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| v.憎恨，厌恶( loathe的过去式和过去分词 )；极不喜欢 | |
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resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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51
revolved
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| v.（使）旋转( revolve的过去式和过去分词 )；细想 | |
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52
enraged
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| 使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 )； 歜； 激愤 | |
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noisome
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| adj.有害的，可厌的 | |
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54
vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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55
proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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asylum
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| n.避难所，庇护所，避难 | |
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58
treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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traitor
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| n.叛徒，卖国贼 | |
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60
pittance
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| n.微薄的薪水，少量 | |
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61
preyed
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| v.掠食( prey的过去式和过去分词 )；掠食；折磨；（人）靠欺诈为生 | |
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62
distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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ingratitude
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| n.忘恩负义 | |
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outraged
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| a.震惊的，义愤填膺的 | |
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reiterating
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| 反复地说，重申( reiterate的现在分词 ) | |
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66
mandate
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| n.托管地；命令，指示 | |
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67
divulged
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| v.吐露，泄露( divulge的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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confidential
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| adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的 | |
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70
abhorrent
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| adj.可恶的，可恨的，讨厌的 | |
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71
averse
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| adj.厌恶的；反对的，不乐意的 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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