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第41章

gulliver of mars(火星上的格列弗)-第41章

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have yonder two…humped mountain in front。                   To the left is the sea; and 

behind the hill runs the canal and road by which all traffic comes or goes 

to Ar…hap。 But above all things pass not to the hills right; for no man goes 

there;   there   away   the   forests   are   thick   as   night;   and   in   their   perpetual 

shadows are the ruins of a Hither city; a haunted fairy town to which some 

travellers have been; but whence none ever returned alive。〃 

     〃By the great Jove; that sounds promising!                I would like to see that 

town if my errand were not so urgent。〃 

     But the old fellow shook his shaggy head and turned a shade yellower。 

〃It is no place for decent folk;〃 he growled。 〃I myself once passed within a 

mile of its outskirts at dusk; and saw the unholy little people's lanterned 

processions   starting   for   the   shrine   of   Queen   Yang;   who;   tradition   says; 

killed herself and a thousand babies with her when we took this land。〃 

     〃My word; that was a holocaust!             Couldn't I drop in there to lunch? It 

would make a fine paper for an anti… quarian society。〃 

     Again   the   woodman   frowned。         〃Do   as   I   bid   you;   son。   You   are   too 

young and green to go on ventures by yourself。 Keep to the straight road: 

shun the swamps and the fairy forest; else will you never see Ar…hap。〃 

     〃And   as   I   have   very   urgent   and   very   important   business   with   him; 

comrade;   no   doubt   your   advice   is   good。      I   will   call   on   Princess   Yang 

some other day。        And now goodbye! Rougher but friendlier shelter than 



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you have given me no man could ask for。                 I am downright sorry to part 

with you in this lonely land。         If ever we meet again〃 but we never did! 

The honest old churl clasped me into his hairy bosom three times; stuffed 

my wallet with dry fruit and bread; and once more repeating his directions; 

sent me on my lonely way。 

     I confess I sighed while turning into the forest; and looked back more 

than    once   at  his  retreating   form。    The     loneliness   of  my    position;   the 

hopelessness       of  my    venture;   welled    up   in  my    heart   after  that   good 

comradeship; and when the hut was out of sight I went forward down the 

green     grass   road;   chin   on   chest;   for  twenty    minutes     in  the   deepest 

dejection。 But; thank Heaven; I was born with a tough spirit; and possess a 

mind which has learned in many fights to give brave counsel to my spirit; 

and thus presently I shook myself together; setting my face boldly to the 

quest and the day's work。 

     It was not so clear a morning as the previous one; and a steamy wind 

on what at sea I should have called the starboard bow; as I pressed forward 

to   the   distant   hill;   had   a   curiously   subduing   effect   on   my   thoughts;   and 

filled the forest glades with a tremulous unreality like to nothing on our 

earth; and distinctly embarrassing to a stranger in a strange land。                  Small 

birds in that quaint atmospheric haze looked like condors; butterflies like 

giant fowl; and the sim… plest objects of the forest like the imaginations of 

a   disordered   dream。     Behind   that   gauzy   hallucination   a   fine   white   mist 

came up; and the sun spread out flat and red in the sky; while the pent…in 

heat became almost unendurable。 

     Still I plodded on; growling to myself that in Christian latitudes all the 

evidences      would    have    been   held   to  be…   token    a  storm   before    night; 

whatever they might do here; but for the most part lost in my own gloomy 

speculations。 That was the more pity since; in thinking the walk over now; 

it seems to me that I passed many  marvels; saw many glorious vistas in 

those nameless forests; many spreads of colour; many incidents that; could 

I but   remember them  more   distinctly; would supply  material   for   making 

my     fortune   as  a  descriptive    traveller。    But    what   would     you?   I  have 

forgotten;     and   am   too   virtuous    to  draw    on  my    imagination;     as  it  is 

sometimes   said   other   travellers   have   done   when   picturesque   facts   were 



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deficient。     Yes; I have forgotten all about that day; save that it was sultry 

hot; that I took off my coat and waistcoat to be cooler; carrying them; like 

the tramp I was; across my arm; and thus dishevelled passed some time in 

the afternoon an encampment of forest folk; wherefrom almost all the men 

were gone; and the women shy and surly。 

     In   no  very   social   humour     myself;    I  walked    round    their  woodland 

village; and on the outskirts; by a brook; just as I was wishing there were 

some   one   to   eat   my   solitary   lunch   with;   chanced   upon   a   fellow   busily 

engaged in hammering stones into weapons upon a flint anvil。 

     He   was   an   ugly…looking   individual   at   best;   yet   I   was   hard   up   for 

company; so I put my coat down; and; seating myself on a log opposite; 

proceeded to open my wallet; and take out the frugal stores the woodman 

had given me that morning。 

     The man   was   seated   upon   the ground holding a  stone  anvil   between 

his   feet;   while   with   his   hands   he   turned   and   chipped   with   great   skill   a 

spear…head he was making out of flint。             It was about the only pastime he 

had;   and   his   little   yellow   eyes   gleamed   with   a   craftsman's   pleasure;   his 

shaggy round shoulders were bent over the task; the chips flew in quick 

particles;   and   the   wood   echoed   musically   as   the   arti…   ficer   watched   the 

thing under his hands take form and fashion。               Presently I spoke; and the 

worker looked up; not too pleased at being thus interrupted。                  But he was 

easy of propitiation; and over a handful of dried raisins communi… cative。 

     How; I asked; knowing a craftsman's craft is often nearest to his heart; 

how was it such things as that he chipped came to be thought of by him 

and   his?   Whereon   the   woodman;   having   spit   out   the   raisin…stones   and 

wiped his fingers on his fur; said in substance that the first weapon was 

fashioned when the earliest ape hurled the first stone in wrath。 

     〃But; chum;〃 I said; taking up his half…finished spear and touching the 

razor…fine edge with admiring caution; 〃from hurling the crude pebble to 

fashioning such as this is a long stride。           Who first edged and pointed the 

primitive malice? What man with the soul of a thousand unborn fighters in 

him notched and sharpened your natural rock?〃 

     Whereon the chipper grinned; and answered that; when the woodmen 

had found stones that would crack skulls; it came upon them presently that 



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they  would   crack   nuts   as   well。    And   cracking   nuts   between   two   stones 

one day a flint shattered; and there on the grass was the golden secret of 

the edgethe thing that has made man what he is。 

     〃Yet   again;   good   fellow;〃   I   queried;   〃even   this   happy   chance   only 

gives   us   a   weapon;   sharp;   no   doubt;   and   cal…   culated   to   do   a   hundred 

services     for   any   ten   the   original   pebble     could    have   done;    but   still 

unhandled; small in force; imperfectnow tell me; which of your amiable 

ancestors first put a handle to the fashioned flint; and how he thought of 

it?〃 

     The workman had

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