THE METAL PIGWord文档下载推荐.docx

THE METAL PIGWord文档下载推荐.docx

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butclear,freshwaterpoursfromthe

snout,whichshinesasifithadbeenpolished,andsoindeedit

has,forhundredsofpoorpeopleandchildrenseizeitintheir

handsastheyplacetheirmouthsclosetothemouthoftheanimal,

todrink.Itisquiteapicturetoseeahalf-nakedboyclaspingthe

well-formedcreaturebythehead,ashepresseshisrosylips

againstitsjaws.EveryonewhovisitsFlorencecanveryquickly

findtheplace;

hehasonlytoaskthefirstbeggarhemeetsforthe

MetalPig,andhewillbetoldwhereitis.

Itwaslateonawinterevening;

themountainswerecoveredwith

snow,butthemoonshonebrightly,andmoonlightinItalyislikea

dullwinter'

sdayinthenorth;

indeeditisbetter,forclearair

seemstoraiseusabovetheearth,whileinthenorthacold,gray,

leadenskyappearstopressusdowntoearth,evenasthecolddamp

earthshallonedaypressonusinthegrave.Inthegardenofthe

grandduke'

spalace,undertheroofofoneofthewings,wherea

thousandrosesbloominwinter,alittleraggedboyhadbeensitting

thewholedaylong;

aboy,whomightserveasatypeofItaly,

lovelyandsmiling,andyetstillsuffering.Hewashungryand

thirsty,yetnoonegavehimanything;

andwhenitbecamedark,and

theywereabouttoclosethegardens,theporterturnedhimout.He

stoodalongtimemusingonthebridgewhichcrossestheArno,and

lookingattheglitteringstars,reflectedinthewaterwhichflowed

betweenhimandtheelegantmarblebridgeDellaTrinita.Hethen

walkedawaytowardstheMetalPig,halfkneltdown,claspeditwith

hisarms,andthenputhismouthtotheshiningsnoutanddrankdeep

draughtsofthefreshwater.Closeby,layafewsalad-leavesand

twochestnuts,whichweretoserveforhissupper.Noonewasinthe

streetbuthimself;

itbelongedonlytohim,soheboldlyseated

himselfonthepig'

sback,leanedforwardsothathiscurlyheadcould

restontheheadoftheanimal,and,beforehewasaware,hefell

asleep.

Itwasmidnight.TheMetalPigraisedhimselfgently,andthe

boyheardhimsayquitedistinctly,"

Holdtight,littleboy,forI

amgoingtorun;

"

andawayhestartedforamostwonderfulride.

First,theyarrivedatthePiazzadelGranduca,andthemetalhorse

whichbearstheduke'

sstatue,neighedaloud.Thepainted

coats-of-armsontheoldcouncil-houseshoneliketransparent

pictures,andMichaelAngelo'

sDavidtossedhissling;

itwasasif

everythinghadlife.Themetallicgroupsoffigures,amongwhich

werePerseusandtheRapeoftheSabines,lookedlikeliving

persons,andcriesofterrorsoundedfromthemallacrossthenoble

square.BythePalazzodegliUffizi,inthearcade,wherethenobility

assembleforthecarnival,theMetalPigstopped."

Holdfast,"

said

theanimal;

"

holdfast,forIamgoingupstairs."

Thelittleboysaidnotaword;

hewashalfpleasedandhalf

afraid.Theyenteredalonggallery,wheretheboyhadbeenbefore.

Thewallswereresplendentwithpaintings;

herestoodstatuesand

busts,allinaclearlightasifitwereday.Butthegrandest

appearedwhenthedoorofasideroomopened;

thelittleboycould

rememberwhatbeautifulthingshehadseenthere,butto-night

everythingshoneinitsbrightestcolors.Herestoodthefigureofa

beautifulwoman,asbeautifullysculpturedaspossiblebyoneofthe

greatmasters.Hergracefullimbsappearedtomove;

dolphinssprangat

herfeet,andimmortalityshonefromhereyes.Theworldcalledher

theVenusde'

Medici.Byhersidewerestatues,inwhichthespiritof

lifebreathedinstone;

figuresofmen,oneofwhomwhettedhissword,

andwasnamedtheGrinder;

wrestlinggladiatorsformedanother

group,theswordhadbeensharpenedforthem,andtheystrovefor

thegoddessofbeauty.Theboywasdazzledbysomuchglitter;

forthe

wallsweregleamingwithbrightcolors,allappearedlivingreality.

Astheypassedfromhalltohall,beautyeverywhereshoweditself;

andastheMetalPigwentstepbystepfromonepicturetothe

other,thelittleboycouldseeitallplainly.Onegloryeclipsed

another;

yettherewasonepicturethatfixeditselfonthelittle

boy'

smemory,moreespeciallybecauseofthehappychildrenit

represented,forthesethelittleboyhadseenindaylight.Many

passthispicturebywithindifference,andyetitcontainsatreasure

ofpoeticfeeling;

itrepresentsChristdescendingintoHades.They

arenotthelostwhomthespectatorsees,buttheheathenof