CRAVING FOR SPRING

 

 

     Enough of the virgins¹ and lilies, of passionate²,

        suffocating³ perfume of corruption⁴,

     no more narcissus perfume, lily harlots, the blades

        of sensation

     piercing the flesh to blossom of death.

     Have done, have done with this shuddering⁵,

        delicious business

     of thrilling ruin in the flesh, of pungent⁶ passion,

        of rare, death-edged ecstasy⁷.

     Give us our turn, give us a chance, let our hour

        strike,

     O soon, soon!

 

     Let the darkness turn violet with rich dawn.

     Let the darkness be warmed, warmed through to a

        ruddy violet,

     incipient purpling towards summer in the world

        of the heart of man.

 

     Are the violets already here!

     Show me! I tremble so much to hear it, that even

        now

     on the threshold of spring, I fear I shall die.

     Show me the violets that are out.

 

     Oh, if it be true, and the living darkness of the

        blood of man is purpling with violets,

     if the violets are coming out from under the rack

        of men, winter-rotten and fallen

     we shall have spring.

     Pray not to die on this Pisgah blossoming with

        violets.

     Pray to live through.

 

     If you catch a whiff of violets from the darkness of

        the shadow of man

     it will be spring in the world,

     it will be spring in the world of the living;

     wonderment organising itself, heralding⁸ itself with

        the violets,

     stirring of new seasons.

 

     Ah, do not let me die on the brink⁹ of such

        anticipation¹⁰!

     Worse, let me not deceive myself.

 

      ZENNOR

     Look!

     We

     Have

     Come

     Through!

 该作者的其它作品
《恋爱中的女人 Women in Love》

《儿子与情人 Sons and Lovers》
《The White Peacock白孔雀》

1 virgins   

处女，童男( virgin的名词复数 )； 童贞玛利亚（耶稣之母）

参考例句：

• They were both virgins when they met and married. 他们从相识到结婚前都未曾经历男女之事。
• Men want virgins as concubines. 人家买姨太太的要整货。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子

2 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

3 suffocating   

a.使人窒息的

参考例句：

• After a few weeks with her parents, she felt she was suffocating.和父母呆了几个星期后，她感到自己毫无自由。
• That's better. I was suffocating in that cell of a room.这样好些了，我刚才在那个小房间里快闷死了。

4 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

5 shuddering   

v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动

参考例句：

• 'I am afraid of it,'she answered, shuddering. “我害怕，”她发着抖，说。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
• She drew a deep shuddering breath. 她不由得打了个寒噤，深深吸了口气。 来自飘（部分）

6 pungent   

adj.（气味、味道）刺激性的，辛辣的；尖锐的

参考例句：

• The article is written in a pungent style.文章写得泼辣。
• Its pungent smell can choke terrorists and force them out of their hideouts.它的刺激性气味会令恐怖分子窒息，迫使他们从藏身地点逃脱出来。

7 ecstasy   

n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷

参考例句：

• He listened to the music with ecstasy.他听音乐听得入了神。
• Speechless with ecstasy,the little boys gazed at the toys.小孩注视着那些玩具，高兴得说不出话来。

8 heralding   

v.预示( herald的现在分词 )；宣布（好或重要）

参考例句：

• It is the heralding of a new age of responsibilities. 那预示着一个充满责任的新时期的开始。 来自互联网
• Streaks of faint light were rising, heralding a new day. 几道淡淡的晨曦正在升起，预示新的一天的来临。 来自互联网

9 brink   

n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿

参考例句：

• The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
• The two countries were poised on the brink of war.这两个国家处于交战的边缘。

10 anticipation   

n.预期，预料，期望

参考例句：

• We waited at the station in anticipation of her arrival.我们在车站等着，期待她的到来。
• The animals grew restless as if in anticipation of an earthquake.各种动物都变得焦躁不安，像是感到了地震即将发生。