羊皮卷的故事（28）

Hafid, with his animal,

海菲骑着驴子，

entered the walled city of Damascus through the East gate.

由东门进了大马士革城。

He rode along the street called Straight

他沿着一条叫做斯特奇的大街骑着，

with doubts and trepidations

心中充满了疑虑和惶恐。

ami the noise and shoutings from hundreds of bazaars¹ did little to ease his fear.

赶集者的喧哗吵嚷声，都无法驱除他心中的恐惧。

It was one thing to arrive in a large city with a powerful trade caravan² such as that of Pathros;

以前跟着主人的商队，浩浩荡荡地来到这里时多风光呀，

it was another to be unprotected and alone.

如今自己孓然一人，无依无靠，前途未卜。

Street merchants rushed at him from all sides holding up merchandise,

街上兜售生意的小贩，

each screaming louder than the next

声音一个比一个大。

He passed cell-like shops and bazaars displaying

他骑着驴，看着鸽子笼般的店面。他经过满地摆着的摊位时，

craftsmanship³ of coppersmiths, silversmiths,

琳琅满目的铜器、银器、

saddlers, weavers⁴, carpenters;

马具、织品、木工制品，

and each step of his mule⁵ brought him face to face with another vender⁶,

让他看不过来，每走一步，都会有小贩上前伸出手兜售生意，

hands outstretched, wailing⁷ words of self-pity.

发生自怜的哀泣。

Directly ahead of him,

在他的正前方，

beyond the western wall of the city, rose Mt Harmon.

西墙外，矗立着海蒙山。

Although the season was summer,

虽然时已入夏，

its top was still capped with white

山顶依旧白雪皑皑，

and it seemed to look down on the cacophony⁸ of the market place with tolerance⁹ and forbearance.

远远地俯视着熙熙攘攘的市集，似乎已能容忍它的喧哗。

Eventually Hafid turned off the famous street

海菲离开了这条颇负盛名的大街，

and inquired about lodging¹⁰ which he had no difficulty finding in an inn called Moscha.

开始打听可以过夜的地方，没多久就找到一家叫做莫沙的客栈。

His room was clean and he paid his rent for a month in advance

房间很干净，他预付了一个月的房租，

which immediately established his standing¹¹ with Antonine, the owner.

房东立刻对他殷勤起来。

Then he stabled his animal behind the inn,

他把牲口牵到后面拴好，

bathed himself in the waters of the Barada

自己去布达河洗了澡，

and returned to his room.

重新回到客房。

He placed the small cedar¹² chest at the foot of his cot

海菲把那只香杉木箱放在床脚边，

and proceeded to unroll the leather strappings.

掀开裹在外面的皮革。

The cover opened easily and he gazed down at the leather scrolls¹³.

盖子很容易打开。他凝视了一会儿里面的羊皮卷，伸手摸了摸。

Finally he reached inside and touched the leather.

一触到那些羊皮卷，

It gave under his fingers as if it were alive

他突然觉得它们好像有了生命，

and he hurriedly withdrew his hand.

在底下蠢蠢欲动，就又赶紧把手缩了回来。

He arose and stepped toward the latticed window

他起身来到花格窗前，

through which sounds poured from the noisy market place nearly half a mile distant

窗外市集上乱轰轰的声音像洪水一样灌了进来，听上去似乎只有半步之遥。

Fear and doubt returned again

他循声望去，

as he looked in the direction of the muffled¹⁴ voices

恐惧与惶惑再度袭上心头，

and he felt his confidence waning¹⁵.

临行前的信心消失殆尽。

He closed his eyes,

他闭上眼睛，

leaned his head against the wall, and cried aloud,

头靠在墙上，哭了起来。

"How foolish I am to dream that I, a mere¹⁶ camel boy,

“我真傻，一个喂骆驼的僮仆

will one day be acclaimed¹⁷ as the greatest salesman in the world

竟然梦想有一天成为世界上最伟大的推销员。

when I have not even the courage to ride through the stalls of the hawkers in the street

现在我连到街上去的勇气都没有。

Today mine eyes have witnessed hundreds of salesmen,

今天总算亲眼看到这么多的推销员。

all far better equipped for their profession than I.

他们看上去都比我条件好得多，

All had boldness, enthusiasm, and persistence¹⁸.

有胆量，有热情，有毅力，

All seemed equipped to survive in the jungle of the market.

都比我更能应付险恶的市场，立于不败之地。

How stupid and presumptuous¹⁹ to think I can compete with and surpass them.

我真是自不量力，居然以为能够超过他们。

Pathros, my Pathros, I fear that I will fail you again."

柏萨罗老爷，我又要让您失望了。”

He threw himself on his cot and weary from his travels

他一头栽到床上，带着旅途的劳累，

he sobbed²⁰ until he slept

在泪水中睡着了。

When he awoke it was morning.

醒来已是次日清晨，

Even before he opened his eyes he heard the chirp²¹.

还没睁眼，就听见鸟儿啁瞅地唱着。

Then he sat up and stared in disbelief at the sparrow

他坐起身来，睁开双眼，

perched on the open cover of the chest containing the scrolls.

不敢相信地看着一只麻雀停在敞开的箱盖上。

He ran to the window.

他奔到窗前，

Outside, thou- sands of sparrows clustered in the fig²² trees and sycamores,

见外面成群的麻雀聚集在无花果树上，唱着歌，

each welcoming the day with song.

迎接新的一天的来临。

1 bazaars   

（东方国家的）市场( bazaar的名词复数 )； 义卖； 义卖市场； （出售花哨商品等的）小商品市场

参考例句：

• When the sky chooses, glory can rain into the Chandrapore bazaars. 如果天公有意，昌德拉卜的集市也会大放光彩。
• He visited the shops and bazaars. 他视察起各色铺子和市场来。

2 caravan   

n.大蓬车；活动房屋

参考例句：

• The community adviser gave us a caravan to live in.社区顾问给了我们一间活动住房栖身。
• Geoff connected the caravan to the car.杰弗把旅行用的住屋拖车挂在汽车上。

3 craftsmanship   

n.手艺

参考例句：

• The whole house is a monument to her craftsmanship. 那整座房子是她技艺的一座丰碑。
• We admired the superb craftsmanship of the furniture. 我们很欣赏这个家具的一流工艺。

4 weavers   

织工，编织者( weaver的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Navajo are noted as stockbreeders and skilled weavers, potters, and silversmiths. 纳瓦霍人以豢养家禽，技术熟练的纺织者，制陶者和银匠而著名。
• They made out they were weavers. 他们假装是织布工人。

5 mule   

n.骡子，杂种，执拗的人

参考例句：

• A mule is a cross between a mare and a donkey.骡子是母马和公驴的杂交后代。
• He is an old mule.他是个老顽固。

6 vender   

n.小贩

参考例句：

• The news vender hasn't open yet,lets buy it later.卖报纸的还没出摊儿，待会儿再去买吧。
• The vender sells candies,fiuits,toys,cigarettes,and all that.这位小贩既卖糖果、水果又卖玩具香烟等等。

7 wailing   

v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱

参考例句：

• A police car raced past with its siren wailing. 一辆警车鸣着警报器飞驰而过。
• The little girl was wailing miserably. 那小女孩难过得号啕大哭。

8 cacophony   

n.刺耳的声音

参考例句：

• All around was bubbling a cacophony of voices.周围人声嘈杂。
• The drivers behind him honked,and the cacophony grew louder.后面的司机还在按喇叭，且那刺耳的声音越来越大。

9 tolerance   

n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差

参考例句：

• Tolerance is one of his strengths.宽容是他的一个优点。
• Human beings have limited tolerance of noise.人类对噪音的忍耐力有限。

10 lodging   

n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍

参考例句：

• The bill is inclusive of the food and lodging. 账单包括吃、住费用。
• Where can you find lodging for the night? 你今晚在哪里借宿?

11 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

12 cedar   

n.雪松，香柏(木)

参考例句：

• The cedar was about five feet high and very shapely.那棵雪松约有五尺高,风姿优美。
• She struck the snow from the branches of an old cedar with gray lichen.她把长有灰色地衣的老雪松树枝上的雪打了下来。

13 scrolls   

n.（常用于录写正式文件的）纸卷( scroll的名词复数 )；卷轴；涡卷形（装饰）；卷形花纹v.（电脑屏幕上）从上到下移动（资料等），卷页( scroll的第三人称单数 )；（似卷轴般）卷起；（像展开卷轴般地）将文字显示于屏幕

参考例句：

• Either turn it off or only pick up selected stuff like wands, rings and scrolls. 把他关掉然后只捡你需要的物品，像是魔杖(wand)，戒指(rings)和滚动条(scrolls)。 来自互联网
• Ancient scrolls were found in caves by the Dead Sea. 死海旁边的山洞里发现了古代的卷轴。 来自辞典例句

14 muffled   

adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己）

参考例句：

• muffled voices from the next room 从隔壁房间里传来的沉闷声音
• There was a muffled explosion somewhere on their right. 在他们的右面什么地方有一声沉闷的爆炸声。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 waning   

adj.（月亮）渐亏的，逐渐减弱或变小的n.月亏v.衰落( wane的现在分词 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡

参考例句：

• Her enthusiasm for the whole idea was waning rapidly. 她对整个想法的热情迅速冷淡了下来。
• The day is waning and the road is ending. 日暮途穷。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

16 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

17 acclaimed   

adj.受人欢迎的

参考例句：

• They acclaimed him as the best writer of the year. 他们称赞他为当年的最佳作者。
• Confuscius is acclaimed as a great thinker. 孔子被赞誉为伟大的思想家。

18 persistence   

n.坚持，持续，存留

参考例句：

• The persistence of a cough in his daughter puzzled him.他女儿持续的咳嗽把他难住了。
• He achieved success through dogged persistence.他靠着坚持不懈取得了成功。

19 presumptuous   

adj.胆大妄为的，放肆的，冒昧的，冒失的

参考例句：

• It would be presumptuous for anybody to offer such a view.任何人提出这种观点都是太放肆了。
• It was presumptuous of him to take charge.他自拿主张，太放肆了。

20 sobbed   

哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说

参考例句：

• She sobbed out the story of her son's death. 她哭诉着她儿子的死。
• She sobbed out the sad story of her son's death. 她哽咽着诉说她儿子死去的悲惨经过。

21 chirp   

v.(尤指鸟)唧唧喳喳的叫

参考例句：

• The birds chirp merrily at the top of tree.鸟儿在枝头欢快地啾啾鸣唱。
• The sparrows chirp outside the window every morning.麻雀每天清晨在窗外嘁嘁喳喳地叫。

22 fig   

n.无花果(树)

参考例句：

• The doctor finished the fig he had been eating and selected another.这位医生吃完了嘴里的无花果，又挑了一个。
• You can't find a person who doesn't know fig in the United States.你找不到任何一个在美国的人不知道无花果的。