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lavengro-第47部分
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for the other condition; it requires consideration。'
'No consideration at all;' said the old man; with something like a
sigh; 'she thinks you like her son; our only child; that was lost
twenty years ago in the waves of the North Sea。'
'Oh; that alters the case altogether;' said I; 'and of course I can
have no objection。'
And now at once I shook off my listlessness; to enable me to do
which nothing could have happened more opportune than the above
event。 The Danes; the Danes! And was I at last to become
acquainted; and in so singular a manner; with the speech of a
people which had as far back as I could remember exercised the
strongest influence over my imagination; as how should they not! …
in infancy there was the summer…eve adventure; to which I often
looked back; and always with a kind of strange interest with
respect to those to whom such gigantic and wondrous bones could
belong as I had seen on that occasion; and; more than this; I had
been in Ireland; and there; under peculiar circumstances; this same
interest was increased tenfold。 I had mingled much whilst there
with the genuine Irish … a wild but kind…hearted race; whose
conversation was deeply imbued with traditionary lore; connected
with the early history of their own romantic land; and from them I
heard enough of the Danes; but nothing commonplace; for they never
mentioned them but in terms which tallied well with my own
preconceived ideas。 For at an early period the Danes had invaded
Ireland; and had subdued it; and; though eventually driven out; had
left behind them an enduring remembrance in the minds of the
people; who loved to speak of their strength and their stature; in
evidence of which they would point to the ancient raths or mounds
where the old Danes were buried; and where bones of extraordinary
size were occasionally exhumed。 And as the Danes surpassed other
people in strength; so; according to my narrators; they also
excelled all others in wisdom; or rather in Draoitheac; or magic;
for they were powerful sorcerers; they said; compared with whom the
fairy men of the present day knew nothing at all; at all; and;
amongst other wonderful things; they knew how to make strong beer
from the heather that grows upon the bogs。 Little wonder if the
interest; the mysterious interest; which I had early felt about the
Danes; was increased tenfold by my sojourn in Ireland。
And now I had in my possession a Danish book; which; from its
appearance; might be supposed to have belonged to the very old
Danes indeed; but how was I to turn it to any account? I had the
book; it is true; but I did not understand the language; and how
was I to overcome that difficulty? hardly by poring over the book;
yet I did pore over the book; daily and nightly; till my eyes were
dim; and it appeared to me that every now and then I encountered
words which I understood … English words; though strangely
disguised; and I said to myself; Courage! English and Danish are
cognate dialects; a time will come when I shall understand this
Danish; and then I pored over the book again; but with all my
poring I could not understand it; and then I became angry; and I
bit my lips till the blood came; and I occasionally tore a handful
from my hair; and flung it upon the floor; but that did not mend
the matter; for still I did not understand the book; which;
however; I began to see was written in rhyme … a circumstance
rather difficult to discover at first; the arrangement of the lines
not differing from that which is employed in prose; and its being
written in rhyme made me only the more eager to understand it。
But I toiled in vain; for I had neither grammar nor dictionary of
the language; and when I sought for them could procure neither; and
I was much dispirited; till suddenly a bright thought came into my
head; and I said; although I cannot obtain a dictionary or grammar;
I can perhaps obtain a Bible in this language; and if I can procure
a Bible; I can learn the language; for the Bible in every tongue
contains the same thing; and I have only to compare the words of
the Danish Bible with those of the English; and; if I persevere; I
shall in time acquire the language of the Danes; and I was pleased
with the thought; which I considered to be a bright one; and I no
longer bit my lips; or tore my hair; but I took my hat; and; going
forth; I flung my hat into the air。
And when my hat came down; I put it on my head and commenced
running; directing my course to the house of the Antinomian
preacher; who sold books; and whom I knew to have Bibles in various
tongues amongst the number; and I arrived out of breath; and I
found the Antinomian in his little library; dusting his books; and
the Antinomian clergyman was a tall man of about seventy; who wore
a hat with a broad brim and a shallow crown; and whose manner of
speaking was exceedingly nasal; and when I saw him; I cried; out of
breath; 'Have you a Danish Bible?' and he replied; 'What do you
want it for; friend?' and I answered; 'To learn Danish by'; 'And
maybe to learn thy duty;' replied the Antinomian preacher。 'Truly;
I have it not; but; as you are a customer of mine; I will endeavour
to procure you one; and I will write to that laudable society which
men call the Bible Society; an unworthy member of which I am; and I
hope by next week to procure what you desire。'
And when I heard these words of the old man; I was very glad; and
my heart yearned towards him; and I would fain enter into
conversation with him; and I said; 'Why are you an Antinomian? For
my part I would rather be a dog than belong to such a religion。'
'Nay; friend;' said the Antinomian; 'thou forejudgest us; know that
those who call us Antinomians call us so despitefully; we do not
acknowledge the designation。' 'Then you do not set all law at
nought?' said I。 'Far be it from us;' said the old man; 'we only
hope that; being sanctified by the Spirit from above; we have no
need of the law to keep us in order。 Did you ever hear tell of
Lodowick Muggleton?' 'Not I。' 'That is strange; know then that he
was the founder of our poor society; and after him we are
frequently; though opprobriously; termed Muggletonians; for we are
Christians。 Here is his book; which; perhaps; you can do no better
than purchase; you are fond of rare books; and this is both curious
and rare; I will sell it cheap。 Thank you; and now be gone; I will
do all I can to procure the Bible。'
And in this manner I procured the Danish Bible; and I commenced my
task; first of all; however; I locked up in a closet the volume
which had excited my curiosity; saying; 'Out of this closet thou
comest not till I deem myself competent to read thee;' and then I
sat down in right earnest; comparing every line in the one version
with the corresponding one in the other; and I passed entire nights
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