MISERY

   OUT of this oubliette between the mountains

     five valleys go, five passes like gates;

     three of them black in shadow, two of them bright

     with distant sunshine;

     and sunshine fills one high valley bed,

     green grass shining, and little white houses

     like quartz¹ crystals,

     little, but distinct a way off.

 

     Why don't I go?

     Why do I crawl about this pot, this oubliette,

     stupidly?

     Why don't I go?

 

     But where?

     If I come to a pine-wood, I can't say

     Now I am arrived!

     What are so many straight trees to me!

 

      STERZING

SUNDAY AFTERNOON IN

     ITALY

 

     THE man and the maid go side by side

     With an interval² of space between;

     And his hands are awkward and want to hide,

     She braves it out since she must be seen.

 

     When some one passes he drops his head

     Shading his face in his black felt hat,

     While the hard girl hardens; nothing is said,

     There is nothing to wonder or cavil³ at.

 

     Alone on the open road again

     With the mountain snows across the lake

     Flushing the afternoon, they are uncomfortable,

     The loneliness daunts⁴ them, their stiff throats

        ache.

 

     And he sighs with relief when she parts from him;

     Her proud head held in its black silk scarf

     Gone under the archway, home, he can join

     The men that lounge in a group on the wharf⁵.

 

     His evening is a flame of wine

     Among the eager, cordial men.

     And she with her women hot and hard

     Moves at her ease again.

 

      She is marked, she is singled out

           For the fire:

       The brand is upon him, look—you,

           Of desire.

 

       They are chosen, ah, they are fated

           For the fight!

       Champion her, all you women! Men, menfolk

           Hold him your light!

 

       Nourish her, train her, harden her

           Women all!

       Fold him, be good to him, cherish him

           Men, ere he fall.

 

       Women, another champion!

           This, men, is yours!

       Wreathe and enlap and anoint them

           Behind separate doors.

 

      GARGNANO

1 quartz   

n.石英

参考例句：

• There is a great deal quartz in those mountains.那些山里蕴藏着大量石英。
• The quartz watch keeps good time.石英表走时准。

2 interval   

n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息

参考例句：

• The interval between the two trees measures 40 feet.这两棵树的间隔是40英尺。
• There was a long interval before he anwsered the telephone.隔了好久他才回了电话。

3 cavil   

v.挑毛病，吹毛求疵

参考例句：

• A carper will cavil at anything.爱挑剔的人对什么都挑剔。
• Even he could find nothing to cavil about.连他都挑不出什么毛病来。

4 daunts   

使（某人）气馁，威吓( daunt的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The idea of these huge airliners carrying hundreds of people daunts me. 想到这些大型客机要运载好几百个人，我就觉得可怕。

5 wharf   

n.码头，停泊处

参考例句：

• We fetch up at the wharf exactly on time.我们准时到达码头。
• We reached the wharf gasping for breath.我们气喘吁吁地抵达了码头。