而那只掛在大樹(shù)枝上的、在一切皈依者頭頂顫動(dòng)著的可怕的下顎,就象是把達(dá)摩克利茲嚇昏了的一發(fā)懸劍(達(dá)摩克利茲——古代敘拉古(在西西里東部)暴君代俄尼喜阿斯的佞臣,代俄尼喜阿斯不喜歡他老是說(shuō)王者多福,于是用一發(fā)懸劍,命其坐下,使明帝王憂(yōu)患。)。
It was a wondrous sight. The wood was green as mosses of the Icy Glen; the trees stood high and haughty, feeling their living sap; the industrious earth beneath was as a weaver's loom, with a gorgeous carpet on it, whereof the ground-vine tendrils formed the warp and woof, and the living flowers the figures. All the trees, with all their laden branches; all the shrubs, and ferns, and grasses; the message-carrying air; all these unceasingly were active. Through the lacings of the leaves, the great sun seemed a flying shuttle weaving the unwearied verdure. Oh, busy weaver! unseen weaver!—pause!—one word!— whither flows the fabric? what palace may it deck? wherefore all these ceaseless toilings? Speak, weaver!—stay thy hand!— but one single word with thee! Nay—the shuttle flies— the figures float from forth the loom; the fresher-rushing carpet for ever slides away.
這真是個(gè)奇景。樹(shù)林綠得象冰谷(冰谷——馬薩諸塞州斯托克必立奇附近的山洞。)里的苔蘚;樹(shù)木傲然屹立,使人感到它們生機(jī)勃勃;下面勤勉的大地好象是架織布機(jī),機(jī)上蓋了一條漂亮的地氈,地上的葡萄藤蔓就是經(jīng)緯線,而那些生氣蓬勃的花朵就是圖樣。所有的樹(shù)木,連同它們所有的累累的枝椏;還有那些灌木,羊齒植物,青草;那傳遞信息的微風(fēng);所有這一切都十分活躍。那只大太陽(yáng),透過(guò)葉邊看去,宛如一只飛梭,在織著那張織個(gè)不完的碧綠毯子。忙碌的織工呵!眼不能見(jiàn)的織工呵!——停一停——只說(shuō)一句話(huà)!——織物跑到哪里去啦?它去裝飾什么宮殿了?所有這些不停不息的勞作都是為的什么呀?說(shuō)呀,織工!——把手歇一歇!只要跟你說(shuō)一句話(huà)就夠了!不——梭子在飛——圖樣不住地浮現(xiàn)在織機(jī)上;大水奔流似的地氈始終在悄悄地閃開(kāi)去。
The weaver-god, he weaves; and by that weaving is he deafened, that he hears no mortal voice; and by that humming, we, too, who look on the loom are deafened; and only when we escape it shall we hear the thousand voices that speak through it. For even so it is in all material factories.
那個(gè)紡織之神,他織呀織的,織得他耳朵都聾了,聽(tīng)不到人聲。那紡機(jī)的嗡嗡聲,弄得我們這些想著織機(jī)的人,耳朵也聾了;我們只有離開(kāi)那織機(jī),才聽(tīng)得到織機(jī)里傳出來(lái)的無(wú)數(shù)的聲響。在一切制造物質(zhì)的工廠里也正是這般情況。