3-8 爱尔兰日记（在线收听）

Diaries in Ireland

Feb. 9, 2003 Sunday

My Stay with Lough Gill

When I woke up, it was broad day, with sunshine. Outside the windows was a row of dense green trees, outside the green trees were a lot of fine foreign roofs, in the distance lied the grass-green Ben Bulben. I was very glad to have in my view such fine landscapes, such a pleasant mountain.

At 10∶ 30 a.m. I attended Professor Patrick Crotty’ s lecture “Yeats’s Men.” It was the last lecture of Yeats Winter School, a lecture of novelty¹, for people usually concerned the women in Yeats’s life. Wearing business suit and shoes, walking up and down in the platform, bearded Patrick spoke eloquently, eyes shining with wit. The lecture was followed by a thanking speech of Patrick and warm applause from the audience. The 2003 Yeats Winter School came to an end.

At 1 p.m. I said farewell to Siné ad and Patrick and left Sligo Park Hotel. I intended to seek for the statue of Yeats and then have a random walk in the city. Soon after my departure, I saw a sign in a diverged² road:

View Isle of Innisfree on

Water Bus

All of a sudden I heard the water of that lake isle lapping³ with low sounds by my ears and the young Yeats singing his dreamy song: “I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree...” I was told that there was no bus going there and it would take me several hours to walk. What shall I do? It doesn’t matter. I can walk, and I can stay for another night. I was persuading myself at my heart. So at the last moment I set foot on the way to Lough Gill. Less than half an hour later, Lough Gill came into sight. I stood long on the lakeshore, which was a small corner of the lake and at the edge of the small city Sligo. In the blue lake were two house-sized, tree-grown isles. They were not Innisfree, which was far away from here and needed a water bus to get there. In the lake water were a lot of grey-feathered seagulls and green-headed mandarin ducks⁴, and two red-beaked, black-eyed, white swans. At the edge of the lake grew slight yellow reeds. Ever and again, the seagulls flew and fell; ever and again, they chased one another and made merry cries; they were obviously the most lively creatures in the lake. Pointing at the lake swans, I asked a local girl by my side: “Are they swans? Why don’t they fly?” “They are and they can,” said she. She took with her two big dogs: one was black; the other was golden. Suddenly the golden dog ran into the lake water and began swimming. I was tickled⁵ by the dog’s show.

Then turning to the left, I walked along the lakeshore that had a small road covered with trodden leaves in the dense trees. I directed my steps towards the Lake Isle of Innisfree in the hope that I would reach there. After a 25-minute walk in the lonely trees, I got to the end of the path and turned back. Then I sat down on the wooden bench, viewing carefully the landscapes near and far. The lake was surrounded by woods; the lake water was blue as if it had been painted; the waves were rippling; the sea-gulls cried merrily now and then. Yeats’s swans and reeds were here still, though today there were only two swans and no wind among the reeds. In the blue sky were grey clouds; in the far distance was the green mountain. Lying calmly in front of me, Ben Bulben didn’t show a height of 525 meters. Shining behind me, the sun warmed my back. I felt a poetic tranquility although from behind sometimes came the noises of cars and sports field.

At 3∶30 p.m. a breeze was gently blowing cold. I rose up and left for the city center. Unknowingly, I came to the Yeats Memorial Building. Beside the building was a 5-arch stone bridge, under which was a dark river flowing loudly. It was called the Garavogue River. On the other side of the bridge was an Ulster bank building that had arch gates and arch windows. In front of the building was the bronze statue of Yeats that I was looking for. The bronze head was slightly upward, the eyes looking up, the body being a round, flat wing and covered with verses. Meditator⁶, dream-seeker, where are you flying? All of a sudden a flutter⁷ was heard from the sky. Two big white swans were flying above the river towards Lough Gill, head long stretched.

At 6∶03 p.m. the wheels of the bus moved for departure. Now it was dark, the bright moon was hanging in the sky that was dark blue. Slowly the bus left the lights of Sligo and drove into darkness. In the moon was reflected the light and color of Lough Gill.

注释：

1. novelty [5nCvElti] n. 新颖；新奇

2. diverge [dai5vE:dV] vi.（道路、线条等）分叉；叉开

3. lap [lAp] vi.（波浪等）拍打；发出拍打声

4. mandarin [5mAndErin] duck [鸟] 鸳鸯

5. tickle [5tikl] vt. 使欢娱；使发笑

6. meditator [mediteitE] n. 沉思者

7. flutter [5flQtE(r)] n.（鸟的）振翼；拍翅而飞