rip van winkleWord文档格式.docx

rip van winkleWord文档格式.docx

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snowgrowndaughtertakeshimin.Ripresumeshishabitualidleness,andhistaleissolemnlybelievedbytheoldDutchsettlers,withcertainhen-peckedhusbandswishingtheysharedRip'

sgoodluck.

RipVanWinkle

RipVanWinkle

APosthumousWritingofDiedrichKnickerbocker

ByWashingtonIrving

（THEFOLLOWINGtalewasfoundamongthepapersofthelateDiedrichKnickerbocker,anoldgentlemanofNewYork,whowasverycuriousintheDutchhistoryoftheprovince,andthemannersofthedescendantsfromitsprimitivesettlers.Hishistoricalresearches,however,didnotliesomuchamongbooksasamongmen;

fortheformerarelamentablyscantyonhisfavoritetopics;

whereashefoundtheoldburghers,andstillmoretheirwives,richinthatlegendaryloresoinvaluabletotruehistory.Whenever,therefore,hehappeneduponagenuineDutchfamily,snuglyshutupinitslow-roofedfarmhouse,underaspreadingsycamore,helookeduponitasalittleclaspedvolumeofblack-letter,andstudieditwiththezealofabookworm.

1

TheresultofalltheseresearcheswasahistoryoftheprovinceduringthereignoftheDutchgovernors,whichhepublishedsomeyearssince.Therehavebeenvariousopinionsastotheliterarycharacterofhiswork,and,totellthetruth,itisnotawhitbetterthanitshouldbe.Itschiefmeritisitsscrupulousaccuracy,whichindeedwasalittlequestionedonitsfirstappearance,buthassincebeencompletelyestablished;

anditishowadmittedintoallhistoricalcollectionsasabookofunquestionableauthority.

2

Theoldgentlemandiedshortlyafterthepublicationofhiswork,andnowthatheisdeadandgoneitcannotdomuchharmtohismemorytosaythathistimemighthavebeenmuchbetteremployedinweightierlabors.He,however,wasapttoridehishobbyinhisownway;

andthoughitdidnowandthenkickupthedustalittleintheeyesofhisneighborsandgrievethespiritofsomefriends,forwhomhefeltthetruestdeferenceandaffection,yethiserrorsandfolliesareremembered“moreinsorrowthaninanger”;

anditbeginstobesuspectedthatheneverintendedtoinjureoroffend.Buthoweverhismemorymaybeappreciatedbycritics,itisstillhelddearamongmanyfolkwhosegoodopinioniswellworthhaving;

particularlybycertainbiscuitbakers,whohavegonesofarastoimprinthislikenessontheirNewYearcakes,andhavethusgivenhimachanceforimmortalityalmostequaltothebeingstampedonaWaterloomedaloraQueenAnne’sfarthing.）

3

ByWoden,GodofSaxons,

FromwhencecomesWensday,thatisWodensday,

TruthisathingthateverIwillkeep

UntothylkedayinwhichIcreepinto

Mysepulchre—

CARTWRIGHT.

WhoeverhasmadeavoyageuptheHudsonmustremembertheCatskillMountains.TheyareadismemberedbranchofthegreatAppalachianfamily,andareseenawaytothewestoftheriver,swellinguptoanobleheight,andlordingitoverthesurroundingcountry.Everychangeofseason,everychangeofweather,indeed,everyhouroftheday,producessomechangeinthemagicalhuesandshapesofthesemountains,andtheyareregardedbyallthegoodwives,farandnear,asperfectbarometers.Whentheweatherisfairandsettled,theyareclothedinblueandpurple,andprinttheirboldoutlinesonthecleareveningsky;

butsometimes,whentherestofthelandscapeiscloudless,theywillgatherahoodofgrayvaporsabouttheirsummits,which,inthelastraysofthesettingsun,willglowandlightuplikeacrownofglory.

4

Atthefootofthesefairymountainsthevoyagermayhavedescriedthelightsmokecurlingupfromavillagewhoseshingleroofsgleamamongthetrees,justwherethebluetintsoftheuplandmeltawayintothefreshgreenofthenearerlandscape.Itisalittlevillageofgreatantiquity,havingbeenfoundedbysomeoftheDutchcolonists,intheearlytimesoftheprovince,justaboutthebeginningofthegovernmentofthegoodPeterStuyvesant（mayherestinpeace!

）,andthereweresomeofthehousesoftheoriginalsettlersstandingwithinafewyears,withlatticewindows,gablefrontssurmountedwithweathercocks,andbuiltofsmallyellowbricksbroughtfromHolland.

5

Inthatsamevillage,andinoneoftheseveryhouses（which,totelltheprecisetruth,wassadlytime-wornandweather-beaten）,therelivedmanyyearssince,whilethecountrywasyetaprovinceofGreatBritain,asimple,good-naturedfellow,ofthenameofRipVanWinkle.HewasadescendantoftheVanWinkleswhofiguredsogallantlyinthechivalrousdaysofPeterStuyvesant,andaccompaniedhimtothesiegeofFortChristina.Heinherited,however,butlittleofthemartialcharacterofhisancestors.Ihaveobservedthathewasasimple,good-naturedman;

hewas,moreover,akindneighborandanobedient,henpeckedhusband.Indeed,tothelattercircumstancemightbeowingthatmeeknessofspiritwhichgainedhimsuchuniversalpopularity;

forthosemenaremostapttobeobsequiousandconciliatingabroadwhoareunderthedisciplineofshrewsathome.Theirtempers,doubtless,arerenderedpliantandmalleableinthefieryfurnaceofdomestictribulation,andacurtainlectureisworthallthesermonsintheworldforteachingthevirtuesofpatienceandlong-suffering.Atermagantwifemay,therefore,insomerespects,beconsideredatolerableblessing;

andifso,RipVanWinklewasthriceblessed.

6

Certainitisthathewasagreatfavoriteamongallthegoodwivesofthevillage,who,asusualwiththeamiablesex,tookhispartinallfamilysquabbles,andneverfailed,whenevertheytalkedthosemattersoverintheireveninggossipings,tolayalltheblameonDameVanWinkle.Thechildrenofthevillage,too,wouldshoutwithjoywheneverheapproached.Heassistedattheirsports,madetheirplaythings,taughtthemtoflykitesandshootmarbles,andtoldthemlongstoriesofghosts,witches,andIndians.Wheneverhewentdodgingaboutthevillage,hewassurroundedbyatroopofthem,hangingonhisskirts,clamberingonhisback,andplayingathousandtricksonhimwithimpunity;

andnotadogwouldbarkathimthroughouttheneighborhood.

7

ThegreaterrorinRip’scompositionwasaninsuperableaversiontoallkindsofprofitablelabor.Itcouldnotbefromthewantofassiduityorperseverance;

forhewouldsitonawetrock,witharodaslongandheavyasaTartar’slance,andfishalldaywithoutamurmur,eventhoughheshouldnotbeencouragedbyasinglenibble.Hewouldcarryafowlingpieceonhisshoulder,forhourstogether,trudgingthroughwoodsandswamps,anduphillanddowndale,toshootafewsquirrelsorwildpigeons.Hewouldneverevenrefusetoassistaneighborintheroughesttoil,andwasaforemostmanatallcountryfrolicsforhuskingIndiancorn,orbuildingstonefences.Thewomenofthevillage,too,usedtoemployhimtoruntheirerrands,andtodosuchlittleoddjobsastheirlessobliginghusbandswouldnotdoforthem;

inaword,Ripwasreadytoattendtoanybody’sbusinessbuthisown;

butastodoingfamilyduty,andkeepinghisfarminorder,itwasimpossible.

8

Infact,hedeclareditwasofnousetoworkonhisfarm;

itwasthemostpestilentlittlepieceofgroundinthewholecountry;

everythingaboutitwentwrong,andwouldgowrong,inspiteofhim.Hisfenceswerecontinuallyfallingtopieces;

hiscowwouldeithergoastrayorgetamongthecabbages;

weedsweresuretogrowquickerinhisfieldsthananywhereelse;

therainalwaysmadeapointofsettinginjustashehadsomeoutdoorworktodo;

sothatthoughhispatrimonialestatehaddwindledawayunderhismanagement,acrebyacre,untiltherewaslittlemoreleftthanamerepatchofIndiancornandpotatoes,yetitwastheworst-conditionedfarmintheneighborhood.

9

Hischildren,too,wereasraggedandwildasiftheybelongedtonobody.HissonRip,anurchinbegotteninhisownlikeness,promisedtoinheritthehabits,withtheoldclothesofhisfather.Hewasgenerallyseentroopinglikeacoltathismother’sheels,equippedinapairofhisfather’scast-offgalligaskins,whichhehadmuchadotoholdupwithonehand,asafineladydoeshertraininbadweather.

10

RipVanWinkle,however,wasoneofthosehappymortals,offoolish,well-oileddispositions,whotaketheworldeasy,eatwhitebreadorbrown,whichevercanbegotwithleastthoughtortrouble,andwouldratherstarveonapennythanworkforapound.Iflefttohimself,hewouldhavewhistledlifeaway,inperfectcontentment;

buthiswifekeptcontinuallydinninginhisearsabouthisidleness,hiscarelessness,andtheruinhewasbringingonhisfamily.Morning,noon,andnight,hertonguewasincessantlygoing,andeverythinghesa