英文读物The White Stone.docx

英文读物The White Stone.docx

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英文读物TheWhiteStone

【英文读物】TheWhiteStone

Chapter1

FEWFrenchmen,unitedinfriendship,whowerespendingthespringinRome,werewonttomeetamidtheruinsofthedisinterredForum.TheywereJoséphinLeclerc,anEmbassyAttachéonleave;M.Goubin,licenciéèslettres,anannotator;NicoleLangelier,oftheoldParisianfamilyoftheLangeliers,printersandclassicalscholars;JeanBoilly,acivilengineer,andHippolyteDufresne,amanofleisure,andaloverofthefinearts.

Towardsfiveo’clockoftheafternoonofthefirstdayofMay,theywendedtheirway,aswastheircustom,throughthenortherndoor,closedtothepublic,whereCommendatoreBoni,whosuperintendedtheexcavations,welcomedthemwithquietamenity,andledthemtothethresholdofhishouseofwoodnestlingintheshadowoflaurelbushes,privethedgesandcytisus,andrisingabovethevasttrench,dugdowntothedepthoftheancientForum,inthecattlemarketofpontificalRome.

Here,theypauseawhile,andlookaboutthem.

FacingthemrisethetruncatedshaftsoftheColumn?

Honorari?

andwherestoodtheBasilicaofJulia,theeyerestedonwhatborethesemblanceofahugedraughts-boardanditsdraughts.Furthersouth,thethreecolumnsoftheTempleoftheDioscuricleavetheazureoftheskieswiththeirblue-tintedvolutes.Ontheirright,surmountingthedilapidatedArchofSeptimusSeverus,thetallcolumnsoftheTempleofSaturn,thedwellingsofChristianRome,andtheWomen’sHospitaldisplayintiers,theirfacingsyellowerandmuddierthanthewatersoftheTiber.TotheirleftstandsthePalatineflankedbyhugeredarchesandcrownedwithevergreenoaks.Attheirfeet,fromhilltohill,amongtheflagstonesoftheViaSacra,narrowasavillagestreet,springfromtheearthanagglomerationofbrickwallsandmarblefoundations,theremainsofbuildingswhichdottedtheForuminthedaysofRome’sstrength.Trefoil,oats,andthegrassesofthefieldwhichthewindhassownontheirloweredtops,havecoveredthemwitharusticroofilluminedbythecrimsonpoppies.Amassofdébris,ofcrumblingentablatures,amultitudeofpillarsandaltars,anentanglementofstepsandenclosingwalls:

allthisindeednotstuntedbutofaserriedvastnessandwithinlimits.

NicoleLangelierwasdoubtlessreviewinginhismindthehostofmonumentsconfinedinthisfamedspace:

“Theseedificesofwiseproportionsandmoderatedimensions,”heremarked,“wereseparatedfromoneanotherbynarrowstreetsfullofshade.Hereranthevicolibelovedincountrieswherethesunshines,whilethegenerousdescendantsofRemus,ontheirreturnfromhearingpublicspeakers,found,alongthewallsofthetemples,coolyetfoul-smellingcorners,whencetherindsofwater-melonsandcastawayshellswereneversweptaway,andwheretheycouldeatandenjoytheirsiesta.Theshopsskirtingthesquaremustcertainlyhaveemittedthepungentodourofonions,wine,friedmeats,andcheese.Thebutchers’stallswereladenwithmeats,tothedelectationofthehardycitizens,anditwasfromoneofthosebutchersthatVirginiussnatchedtheknifewithwhichhekilledhisdaughter.Therealsoweredoubtlessjewellersandvendorsoflittledomestictutelarydeities,protectorsofthehearth,theox-stall,andthegarden.Thecitizens’necessariesoflifewereallcentredinthisspot.Themarketandtheshops,thebasilicas,i.e.,thecommercialExchangesandtheciviltribunals;theCuria,thatmunicipalcouncilwhichbecametheadministrativepoweroftheuniverse;theprisons,whosevaultsemittedtheirmuchdreadedandfetideffluvia,andthetemples,thealtars,ofthehighestnecessitytotheItalianswhohaveeversomethingtobegofthecelestialpowers.

“Hereitwas,lastly,thatduringalongrollofcenturieswereaccomplishedthevulgarorstrangedeeds,almosteverflatanddull,oftentimesodiousandridiculous,attimesgenerous,theagglomerationofwhichconstitutestheaugustlifeofapeople.”

“Whatisitthatonesees,inthecentreofthesquare,frontingthecommemorativepedestals?

”inquiredM.Goubin,who,primedwithaneye-glass,hadnoticedanewfeatureintheancientForum,andwasthirstingforinformationconcerningit.

JoséphinLeclercobliginglyansweredhimthattheywerethefoundationsoftherecentlyunearthedcolossalstatueofDomitian.

Thereuponhepointedout,oneaftertheother,themonumentslaidbarebyGiacomoBoniinthecourseofhisfiveyears’fruitfulexcavations:

thefountainandthewellofJuturna,underthePalatineHill;thealtarerectedonthesiteofC?

sar’sfuneralpile,thebaseofwhichspreaditselfattheirfeet,oppositetheRostra;thearchaicsteleandthelegendarytombofRomulusoverwhichliestheblackmarbleslaboftheComitium;andagain,theLacusCurtius.

Thesun,whichhadsetbehindtheCapitol,wasstrikingwithitslastshaftsthetriumphalarchofTitusonthetoweringVelia.Theheavens,wheretotheWestthepearl-whitemoonfloated,remainedasblueasatmidday.Aneven,peaceful,andclearshadowspreaditselfoverthesilentForum.Thebronzednavviesweredelvingthisfieldofstones,while,pursuingtheworkoftheancientKings,theircomradesturnedthecrankofawell,forthepurposeofdrawingthewaterwhichstillformsthebedwhereslumbered,inthedaysofpiousNuma,thereed-fringedVelabrum.

Theywereperformingtheirtaskmethodicallyandwithvigilance.HippolyteDufresne,whohadforseveralmonthsbeenawitnessoftheirassiduouslabour,oftheirintelligenceandoftheirpromptobediencetoorders,inquiredofthedirectoroftheexcavationshowitwasthatheobtainedsuchyeoman’sworkfromhislabourers.

“Byleadingtheirlife,”repliedGiacomoBoni.“TogetherwiththemdoIturnoverthesoil;Iimparttothemwhatwearetogetherseekingfor,andIimpressontheirmindsthebeautyofourcommonwork.Theyfeelaninterestinanenterprisethegrandeurofwhichtheyapprehendbutvaguely.IhaveseentheirfacespalewithenthusiasmwhenunearthingthetombofRomulus.Iamtheireverydaycomrade,andifoneofthemfallsill,Itakeaseatathisbedside.Iplaceasgreatfaithinthemastheydoinme.AndsoitisthatIboastoffaithfulworkmen.”

“Boni,mydearBoni,”exclaimedJoséphinLeclerc,“youknowfullwellthatIadmireyourlabours,andthatyourgranddiscoveriesfillmewithemotion,andyet,allowmetosayso,IregretthedayswhenflocksgrazedovertheentombedForum.Awhiteox,fromwhosemassiveheadbranchedhornswidelyapart,chewedthecudintheunploughedfield;ahinddozedatthefootofatallcolumnwhichsprangfromthesward,andonemused:

Herewasdebatedthefateoftheworld.TheForumhasbeenlosttopoetsandloversfromthedaythatitceasedtobetheCampoFormio.”

JeanBoillydweltonthevalueoftheseexcavations,somethodicallycarriedout,asacontributiontowardsaknowledgeofthepast.Then,theconversationhavingdriftedtowardsthephilosophyofthehistoryofRome:

“TheLatins,”heremarked,“displayedreasoneveninthematteroftheirreligion.Theirgodswerecommonplaceandvulgar,butfullofcommonsenseandoccasionallygenerous.IfacomparisonbedrawnbetweenthisRomanPantheoncomposedofsoldiers,magistrates,virgins,andmatronsandthedeviltriespaintedonthewallsofEtruscantombs,reasonandmadnesswillbefoundinjuxtaposition.TheinfernalscenesdepictedinthemortuarychambersofCornetorepresentthemonstrouscreationsofignoranceandfear.TheyseemtousasgrotesqueasOrcagna’sDayofJudgmentinSantaMariaNovellaatFlorence,andtheDantesqueHelloftheCampoSantoofPisa,whereastheLatinPantheonreflectsforevertheimageofawell-organisedsociety.ThegodsoftheRomanswerelikethemselves,industriousandgoodcitizens.Theywereusefuldeities,eachonehavingitsproperfunction.Theverynymphsheldcivilandpoliticaloffices.

“LookatJuturna,whosealtaratthefootofthePalatinewehavesofrequentlycontemplated.Shedidnotseemfatedbyherbirth,heradventures,andhermisfortunestooccupyapermanentpostinthecityofRomulus.AnincensedRutula,belovedbyJupiter,whorewardedherwithimmortality,whenKingTurnusfellbythehandof?

neas,asdecreedbytheFates,sheflungherselfintotheTiber,toescapethusfromthelightofday,sinceitwasdeniedhertoperishwithherroyalbrother.LongdidtheshepherdsofLatiumtellthestoryofthelivingnymph’slamentationsfromthedepthsoftheriver.Inlateryears,thevillagersofruralRome,whenlookingdownatnight-timeoverthebank,imaginedthattheycouldseeherbythemoon’srays,lurkinginherglaucousgarmentsamongtherushes.TheRomans,however,didnotleavehertotheidlecontemplationofhersorrows.Theypromptlyconceivedtheideaofallottingtoheranimportantduty,andentrustedherwiththecustodyoftheirfountains,convertingherintoamunicipalgoddess.Andsoitiswithalltheirdivinities.TheDioscuri,whosetemplelivesinitsbeautifulruins,theDioscuri,thebrothersofHelen,thesparklingGemini,wereputtogoodusebytheRomans,asmessengersoftheState.TheDioscuriitwas,who,mountedonawhitecharger,broughttoRomethenewsofthevictoryofLakeRegillus.

“TheItaliansaskedoftheirgodsonlytemporalandsubstantialbenefits.Inthisrespect,notwithstandingtheAsiaticfearswhichhaveinvadedEurope,theirreligioussentimenthasnotchanged.Thatwhichtheyformallydemandedfromtheirgodsandtheirgenii,theynowadaysexpectfromtheMadonnaandtheSaints.EveryparishpossessesitsBeatifiedpatron,towhomrequestsarepreferredjustasinthecaseofaDeputy.ThereareSaintsforthevine,forcereals,forca