Westminster Abbey带译文.docx

Westminster Abbey带译文.docx

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WestminsterAbbey带译文

WestminsterAbbey

肖波译

西敏大寺

ONoneofthosesoberandrathermelancholydaysinthelatterpartofautumnwhentheshadowsofmorningandeveningalmostmingletogether,andthrowagloomoverthedeclineoftheyear,IpassedseveralhoursinramblingaboutWestminsterAbbey.Therewassomethingcongenialtotheseasoninthemournfulmagnificenceoftheoldpile,andasIpasseditsthresholditseemedlikesteppingbackintotheregionsofantiquityandlosingmyselfamongtheshadesofformerages.

IenteredfromtheinnercourtofWestminsterSchool,throughalong,low,vaultedpassagethathadanalmostsubterraneanlook,beingdimlylightedinonepartbycircularperforationsinthemassivewalls.ThroughthisdarkavenueIhadadistantviewofthecloisters,withthefigureofanoldvergerinhisblackgownmovingalongtheirshadowyvaults,andseeminglikeaspectrefromoneoftheneighboringtombs.Theapproachtotheabbeythroughthesegloomymonasticremains

preparesthemindforitssolemncontemplation.Thecloistersstillretainsomethingofthequietandseclusionofformerdays.Thegraywallsarediscoloredbydampsandcrumblingwithage;acoatofhoarymosshasgatheredovertheinscriptionsofthemuralmonuments,andobscuredthedeath'sheadsandotherfuneralemblems.Thesharptouchesofthechiselaregonefromtherichtraceryofthearches;theroseswhichadornedthekeystoneshavelosttheirleafybeauty;everythingbearsmarksofthegradualdilapidationsoftime,whichyethassomethingtouchingandpleasinginitsverydecay.

Thesunwaspouringdownayellowautumnalrayintothesquareofthecloisters,beaminguponascantyplotofgrassinthecentre,andlightingupanangleofthevaultedpassagewithakindofduskysplendor.Frombetweenthearcadestheeyeglanceduptoabitofblueskyorapassingcloud,andbeheldthesun-giltpinnaclesoftheabbeytoweringintotheazureheaven.

AsIpacedthecloisters,sometimescontemplatingthismingledpictureofgloryanddecay,andsometimesendeavoringtodeciphertheinscriptionsonthetombstoneswhichformedthepavementbeneathmyfeet,myeyewasattractedtothreefiguresrudelycarvedinrelief,butnearlywornawaybythefootstepsofmanygenerations.Theyweretheeffigiesofthreeoftheearlyabbots;theepitaphswereentirelyeffaced;thenamesaloneremained,havingnodoubtbeenrenewedinlatertimes（Vitalis.Abbas.1082,andGislebertusCrispinus.Abbas.1114,andLaurentius.Abbas.1176）.Iremainedsomelittlewhile,musingoverthesecasualrelicsofantiquitythusleftlikewrecksuponthisdistantshoreoftime,tellingnotalebutthatsuchbeingshadbeenandhadperished,teachingnomoralbutthefutilityofthatpridewhichhopesstilltoexacthomageinitsashesandtoliveinaninscription.Alittlelonger,andeventhesefaintrecordswillbeobliteratedandthemonumentwillceasetobeamemorial.WhilstIwasyetlookingdownuponthegravestonesIwasrousedbythesoundoftheabbeyclock,reverberatingfrombuttresstobuttressandechoingamongthecloisters.Itisalmoststartlingtohearthiswarningofdepartedtimesoundingamongthetombsandtellingthelapseofthehour,which,likeabillow,hasrolledusonwardtowardsthegrave.Ipursuedmywalktoanarcheddooropeningtotheinterioroftheabbey.Onenteringherethemagnitudeofthebuildingbreaksfullyuponthemind,contrastedwiththevaultsofthecloisters.Theeyesgazewithwonderatclusteredcolumnsofgiganticdimensions,witharchesspringingfromthemtosuchanamazingheight,andmanwanderingabouttheirbases,shrunkintoinsignificanceincomparisonwithhisownhandiwork.Thespaciousnessandgloomofthisvastedificeproduceaprofoundandmysteriousawe.Westepcautiouslyandsoftlyabout,asiffearfulofdisturbingthehallowedsilenceofthetomb,whileeveryfootfallwhispersalongthewallsandchattersamongthesepulchres,makingusmoresensibleofthequietwehaveinterrupted.

Itseemsasiftheawfulnatureoftheplacepressesdownuponthesoulandhushesthebeholderintonoiselessreverence.Wefeelthatwearesurroundedbythecongregatedbonesofthegreatmenofpasttimes,whohavefilledhistorywiththeirdeedsandtheearthwiththeirrenown.

Andyetitalmostprovokesasmileatthevanityofhumanambitiontoseehowtheyarecrowdedtogetherandjostledinthedust;whatparsimonyisobservedindolingoutascantynook,agloomycorner,alittleportionofearth,tothosewhom,whenalive,kingdomscouldnotsatisfy,andhowmanyshapesandformsandartificesaredevisedtocatchthecasualnoticeofthepassenger,andsavefromforgetfulnessforafewshortyearsanamewhichonceaspiredtooccupyagesoftheworld'sthoughtandadmiration.

IpassedsometimeinPoet'sCorner,whichoccupiesanendofoneofthetranseptsorcrossaislesoftheabbey.Themonumentsaregenerallysimple,forthelivesofliterarymenaffordnostrikingthemesforthesculptor.ShakespeareandAddisonhavestatueserectedtotheirmemories,butthegreaterparthavebusts,medallions,andsometimesmereinscriptions.Notwithstandingthesimplicityofthesememorials,Ihavealwaysobservedthatthevisitorstotheabbeyremainedlongestaboutthem.Akinderandfonderfeelingtakesplaceofthatcoldcuriosityorvagueadmirationwithwhichtheygazeonthesplendidmonumentsofthegreatandtheheroic.Theylingerabouttheseasaboutthetombsoffriendsandcompanions,forindeedthereissomethingofcompanionshipbetweentheauthorandthereader.Othermenareknowntoposterityonlythroughthemediumofhistory,whichiscontinuallygrowingfaintandobscure;buttheintercoursebetweentheauthorandhisfellowmenisevernew,active,andimmediate.Hehaslivedforthemmorethanforhimself;hehassacrificedsurroundingenjoyments,andshuthimselfupfromthedelightsofsociallife,thathemightthemoreintimatelycommunewithdistantmindsanddistantages.Wellmaytheworldcherishhisrenown,forithasbeenpurchasednotbydeedsofviolenceandblood,butbythediligentdispensationofpleasure.Wellmayposteritybegratefultohismemory,forhehasleftitaninheritancenotofemptynamesandsoundingactions,butwholetreasuresofwisdom,brightgemsofthought,andgoldenveinsoflanguage.

和珠玑的文字。

FromPoet'sCornerIcontinuedmystrolltowardsthatpartoftheabbeywhichcontainsthesepulchresofthekings.Iwanderedamongwhatoncewerechapels,butwhicharenowoccupiedbythetombsandmonumentsofthegreat.AteveryturnImetwithsomeillustriousnameorthecognizanceofsomepowerfulhouserenownedinhistory.Astheeyedartsintotheseduskychambersofdeathitcatchesglimpsesofquainteffigies--somekneelinginniches,asifindevotion;othersstretcheduponthetombs,withhandspiouslypressedtogether;warriorsinarmor,asifreposingafterbattle;prelates,withcrosiersandmitres;andnoblesinrobesandcoronets,lyingasitwereinstate.Inglancingoverthisscene,sostrangelypopulous,yetwhereeveryformissostillandsilent,itseemsalmostasifweweretreadingamansionofthatfabledcitywhereeverybeinghadbeensuddenlytransmutedintostone.

Ipausedtocontemplateatombonwhichlaytheeffigyofaknightincompletearmor.Alargebucklerwasononearm;thehandswerepressedtogetherinsupplicationuponthebreast;thefacewasalmostcoveredbythemorion;thelegswerecrossed,intokenofthewarrior'shavingbeenengagedintheholywar.Itwasthetombofacrusader,ofoneofthosemilitaryenthusiastswhosostrangelymingledreligionandromance,andwhoseexploitsformtheconnectinglinkbetweenfactandfiction,betweenthehistoryandthefairytale.Thereissomethingextremelypicturesqueinthetombsoftheseadventurers,decoratedastheyarewithrudearmorialbearingsandGothicsculpture.Theycomportwiththeantiquatedchapelsinwhichtheyaregenerallyfound;andinconsideringthemtheimaginationisapttokindlewiththelegendaryassociations,theromanticfiction,thechivalrouspompandpageantrywhichpoetryhasspreadoverthewarsforthesepulchreofChrist.Theyaretherelicsoftimesutterlygoneby,ofbeingspassedfromrecollection,ofcustomsandmannerswithwhichourshavenoaffinity.Theyarelikeobjectsfromsomestrangeanddistantlandofwhichwehavenocertainknowledge,andaboutwhichallourconceptionsarevagueandvisionary.ThereissomethingextremelysolemnandawfulinthoseeffigiesonGothictombs,extendedasifinthesleepofdeathorinthesupplicationofthedyinghour.Theyhaveaneffectinfinitelymoreimpressiveonmyfeelingsthanthefancifulattitudes,theoverwroughtconceits,theallegoricalgroupswhichaboundonmodernmonuments.Ihavebeenstruck,also,withthesuperiorityofmanyoftheoldsepulchralinscriptions.Therewasanoblewayinformertimesofsayingthingssimply,andyetsayingthemproudly;andIdonotknowanepitaphthatbreathesaloftierconsciousnessoffamilyworthandhonorablelineagethanonewhichaffirmsofanoblehousethat"allthebrotherswerebraveandallthesistersvirtuous."

IntheoppositetransepttoPoet'sCornerstandsamonumentwhichisamongthemostrenownedachievementsofmodernart,butwhichtomeappearshorribleratherthansublime.ItisthetombofMrs.Nightingale,byRoubillac.Thebottomofthemonumentisrepresentedasthrowingopenitsmarbledoors,andasheetedskeletonisstartingforth.Theshroudisfallingfromhisfleshlessframeashelauncheshisdartathisvictim.Sheissinkingintoheraffrightedhusband'sarms,whostriveswithvainandfranticefforttoaverttheblow.Thewholeisexecutedwi