X. The Godmother
AT Montreux, one of the towns which encircle the northeast part of the lake of Geneva, lived Babette’s godmother, the noble English lady, with her daughters and a young relative. They had only lately arrived, yet the miller1 had paid them a visit, and informed them of Babette’s engagement to Rudy. The whole story of their meeting at Interlachen, and his brave adventure with the eaglet, were related to them, and they were all very much interested, and as pleased about Rudy and Babette as the miller himself. The three were invited to come to Montreux; it was but right for Babette to become acquainted with her godmother, who wished to see her very much. A steam-boat started from the town of Villeneuve, at one end of the lake of Geneva, and arrived at Bernex, a little town beyond Montreux, in about half an hour. And in this boat, the miller, with his daughter and Rudy, set out to visit her godmother. They passed the coast which has been so celebrated2 in song. Here, under the walnut-trees, by the deep blue lake, sat Byron, and wrote his melodious3 verses about the prisoner confined in the gloomy castle of Chillon. Here, where Clarens, with its weeping-willows, is reflected in the clear water, wandered Rousseau, dreaming of Heloise. The river Rhone glides4 gently by beneath the lofty snow-capped hills of Savoy, and not far from its mouth lies a little island in the lake, so small that, seen from the shore, it looks like a ship. The surface of the island is rocky; and about a hundred years ago, a lady caused the ground to be covered with earth, in which three acacia-trees were planted, and the whole enclosed with stone walls. The acacia-trees now overshadow every part of the island. Babette was enchanted5 with the spot; it seemed to her the most beautiful object in the whole voyage, and she thought how much she should like to land there. But the steam-ship passed it by, and did not stop till it reached Bernex. The little party walked slowly from this place to Montreux, passing the sun-lit walls with which the vineyards of the little mountain town of Montreux are surrounded, and peasants’ houses, overshadowed by fig-trees, with gardens in which grow the laurel and the cypress6.
Halfway7 up the hill stood the boarding-house in which Babette’s godmother resided. She was received most cordially; her godmother was a very friendly woman, with a round, smiling countenance8. When a child, her head must have resembled one of Raphael’s cherubs9; it was still an angelic face, with its white locks of silvery hair. The daughters were tall, elegant, slender maidens10.
The young cousin, whom they had brought with them, was dressed in white from head to foot; he had golden hair and golden whiskers, large enough to be divided amongst three gentlemen; and he began immediately to pay the greatest attention to Babette.
Richly bound books, note-paper, and drawings, lay on the large table. The balcony window stood open, and from it could be seen the beautiful wide extended lake, the water so clear and still, that the mountains of Savoy, with their villages, woods, and snow-crowned peaks, were clearly reflected in it.
Rudy, who was usually so lively and brave, did not in the least feel himself at home; he acted as if he were walking on peas, over a slippery floor. How long and wearisome the time appeared; it was like being in a treadmill11. And then they went out for a walk, which was very slow and tedious. Two steps forward and one backwards12 had Rudy to take to keep pace with the others. They walked down to Chillon, and went over the old castle on the rocky island. They saw the implements13 of torture, the deadly dungeons14, the rusty15 fetters16 in the rocky walls, the stone benches for those condemned17 to death, the trap-doors through which the unhappy creatures were hurled18 upon iron spikes19, and impaled20 alive. They called looking at all these a pleasure. It certainly was the right place to visit. Byron’s poetry had made it celebrated in the world. Rudy could only feel that it was a place of execution. He leaned against the stone framework of the window, and gazed down into the deep, blue water, and over to the little island with the three acacias, and wished himself there, away and free from the whole chattering21 party. But Babette was most unusually lively and good-tempered.
“I have been so amused,” she said.
The cousin had found her quite perfect.
“He is a perfect fop,” said Rudy; and this was the first time Rudy had said anything that did not please Babette.
The Englishman had made her a present of a little book, in remembrance of their visit to Chillon. It was Byron’s poem, “The Prisoner of Chillon,” translated into French, so that Babette could read it.
“The book may be very good,” said Rudy; “but that finely combed fellow who gave it to you is not worth much.”
“He looks something like a flour-sack without any flour,” said the miller, laughing at his own wit. Rudy laughed, too, for so had he appeared to him.
1 miller [ˈmɪlə(r)] 第8级 | |
n.磨坊主 | |
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2 celebrated [ˈselɪbreɪtɪd] 第8级 | |
adj.有名的,声誉卓著的 | |
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3 melodious [məˈləʊdiəs] 第10级 | |
adj.旋律美妙的,调子优美的,音乐性的 | |
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4 glides [ɡlaidz] 第7级 | |
n.滑行( glide的名词复数 );滑音;音渡;过渡音v.滑动( glide的第三人称单数 );掠过;(鸟或飞机 ) 滑翔 | |
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5 enchanted [ɪn'tʃɑ:ntɪd] 第9级 | |
adj. 被施魔法的,陶醉的,入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词 | |
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6 cypress [ˈsaɪprəs] 第12级 | |
n.柏树 | |
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7 halfway [ˌhɑ:fˈweɪ] 第8级 | |
adj.中途的,不彻底的,部分的;adv.半路地,在中途,在半途 | |
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8 countenance [ˈkaʊntənəns] 第9级 | |
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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9 cherubs [ˈtʃerəbz] 第11级 | |
小天使,胖娃娃( cherub的名词复数 ) | |
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10 maidens [ˈmeidnz] 第7级 | |
处女( maiden的名词复数 ); 少女; 未婚女子; (板球运动)未得分的一轮投球 | |
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11 treadmill [ˈtredmɪl] 第12级 | |
n.踏车;单调的工作 | |
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12 backwards [ˈbækwədz] 第8级 | |
adv.往回地,向原处,倒,相反,前后倒置地 | |
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13 implements ['ɪmplɪmənts] 第7级 | |
n.工具( implement的名词复数 );家具;手段;[法律]履行(契约等)v.实现( implement的第三人称单数 );执行;贯彻;使生效 | |
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14 dungeons [ˈdʌndʒənz] 第10级 | |
n.地牢( dungeon的名词复数 ) | |
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15 rusty [ˈrʌsti] 第9级 | |
adj.生锈的;锈色的;荒废了的 | |
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16 fetters ['fetəz] 第10级 | |
n.脚镣( fetter的名词复数 );束缚v.给…上脚镣,束缚( fetter的第三人称单数 ) | |
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17 condemned [kən'demd] 第7级 | |
adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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18 hurled [hə:ld] 第8级 | |
v.猛投,用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 );大声叫骂 | |
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19 spikes ['spaɪks] 第10级 | |
n.穗( spike的名词复数 );跑鞋;(防滑)鞋钉;尖状物v.加烈酒于( spike的第三人称单数 );偷偷地给某人的饮料加入(更多)酒精( 或药物);把尖状物钉入;打乱某人的计划 | |
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20 impaled [ɪmˈpeɪld] 第10级 | |
钉在尖桩上( impale的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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21 chattering [t'ʃætərɪŋ] 第7级 | |
n. (机器振动发出的)咔嗒声,(鸟等)鸣,啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的,啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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