雙語(yǔ)·王子與貧兒第九章　河上的盛況

所屬教程:譯林版·王子與貧兒

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2022年05月24日

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Chapter IX.The River Pageant

At nine in the evening the whole vast river-front of the palace was blazing with light.The river itself, as far as the eye could reach citywards, was so thickly covered with watermen's boats and with pleasure-barges, all fringed with coloured lanterns, and gently agitated by the waves, that it resembled a glowing and limitless garden of flowers stirred to soft motion by summer winds.The grand terrace of stone steps leading down to the water, spacious enough to mass the army of a German principality upon, was a picture to see, with its ranks of royal halberdiers in polished armour, and its troops of brilliantly costumed servitors flitting up and down, and to and fro, in the hurry of preparation.

Presently a command was given, and immediately all living creatures vanished from the steps.Now the air was heavy with the hush of suspense and expectancy.As far as one's vision could carry, he might see the myriads of people in the boats rise up, and shade their eyes from the glare of lanterns and torches, and gaze toward the palace.

A file of forty or fifty state barges drew up to the steps.They were richly gilt, and their lofty prows and sterns were elaborately carved.Some of them were decorated with banners and streamers；some with cloth-of-gold and arras embroidered with coats of arms；others with silken flags that had numberless little silver bells fastened to them, which shook out tiny showers of joyous music whenever the breezes fluttered them；others of yet higher pretensions, since they belonged to nobles in the prince’s immediate service, had their sides picturesquely fenced with shields gorgeously emblazoned with armorial bearings.Each state barge was towed by a tender.Besides the rowers, these tenders carried each a number of men-at-arms in glossy helmet and breastplate, and a company of musicians.

The advance-guard of the expected procession now appeared in the great gateway, a troop of halberdiers.They were dressed in striped hose of black and tawny, velvet caps graced at the sides with silver roses, and doublets of murrey and blue cloth, embroidered on the front and back with the three feathers, the prince's blazon, woven in gold.Their halberd staves were covered with crimson velvet, fastened with gilt nails, and ornamented with gold tassels.Filing off on the right and left, they formed two long lines, extending from the gateway of the palace to the water's edge.A thick, rayed cloth or carpet was then unfolded, and laid down between them by attendants in the gold-and-crimson liveries of the prince.This done, a flourish of trumpets resounded from within.A lively prelude arose from the musicians on the water；and two ushers with white wands marched with a slow and stately pace from the portal.They were followed by an officer bearing the civic mace, after whom came another carrying the city’s sword；then several sergeants of the city guard, in their full accoutrements, and with badges on their sleeves；then the Garter king-at-arms, in his tabard；then several knights of the bath, each with a white lace on his sleeve；then their esquires；then the judges, in their robes of scarlet and coifs；then the Lord High Chancellor of England, in a robe of scarlet, open before, and purfled with minever；then a deputation of aldermen, in their scarlet cloaks；and then the heads of the different civic companies, in their robes of state.Now came twelve French gentlemen, in splendid habiliments, consisting of pourpoints of white damask barred with gold, short mantles of crimson velvet lined with violet taffeta, and carnation-coloured hauts-de-chausses, and took their way down the steps.They were of the suite of the French ambassador, and were followed by twelve cavaliers of the suite of the Spanish ambassador, clothed in black velvet, unrelieved by any ornament.Following these came several great English nobles with their attendants.

There was a flourish of trumpets within；and the prince’s uncle, the future great Duke of Somerset, emerged from the gateway, arrayed in a doublet of black cloth-of-gold, and a cloak of crimson satin flowered with gold, and ribanded with nets of silver.He turned, doffed his plumed cap, bent his body in low reverence, and began to step backward, bowing at each step.A prolonged trumpet-blast followed, and a proclamation，“Way for the high and mighty the Lord Edward, Prince of Wales！”High aloft on the palace walls a long line of red tongues of flame leapt forth with a thunder crash：the massed world on the river burst into a mighty roar of welcome；and Tom Canty, the cause and hero of it all, stepped into view and slightly bowed his princely head.

He was magnificently habited in a doublet of white satin, with a front-piece of purple cloth-of-tissue, powdered with diamonds, and edged with ermine.Over this he wore a mantle of white cloth-of-gold, pounced with the triple-feathered crest, lined with blue satin, set with pearls and precious stones, and fastened with a clasp of brilliants.About his neck hung the Order of the Garter, and several princely foreign orders；and wherever light fell upon him jewels responded with a blinding flash.O Tom Canty, born in a hovel, bred in the gutters of London, familiar with rags and dirt and misery, what a spectacle is this！

第九章　河上的盛況

晚上九點(diǎn)鐘，王宮前面整個(gè)河濱大馬路上都是一片燈火輝煌的景象。河里向城內(nèi)那一面，凡目力所及的地方，水面上都擠滿了船夫們的船和游玩的彩船，船邊上都掛著彩色燈籠，被波浪輕柔地?fù)u蕩著，看去就好像是一片無(wú)邊無(wú)際的百花怒放的花園，被夏天的微風(fēng)吹得微微動(dòng)蕩一般。那一直通到河邊的雄偉的石階，寬大得足以容納一個(gè)日耳曼公國(guó)的軍隊(duì)在上面排隊(duì)；這時(shí)候那上面站著一排一排的穿著亮晃晃的盔甲的皇家戟兵，還有一隊(duì)一隊(duì)打扮得非常漂亮的仆人上下跑動(dòng)，來(lái)來(lái)往往，忙著準(zhǔn)備這樁大事。這真是一個(gè)熱鬧場(chǎng)面。

隨后有一道命令傳達(dá)下來(lái)，馬上一切的生物都從石階上走開，無(wú)影無(wú)蹤了。于是空氣中就充滿了焦急和期盼的靜默氣氛。要是有人一眼望去，就可以看見那些船上成千上萬(wàn)的人都站起來(lái)了，大家把手搭到眼睛上面遮住燈籠和火炬的強(qiáng)烈光線，向王宮那邊注視著。

四五十只華麗的御船排成一行，向石階靠攏。這些豪華的大游船都漆著富麗的金色，它們那高起的船頭和船尾都雕刻著精致的花紋。有幾只船上還裝飾著飄揚(yáng)的旗幡；另有幾只掛著金絲錦和繡著紋章的花??；還有些船上飄著綢子的旗幟，旗上系著無(wú)數(shù)小銀鈴，每逢微風(fēng)一吹，這些銀鈴就發(fā)出一陣一陣的悅耳聲音；另外還有一些排場(chǎng)更大的船，因?yàn)槭菍儆谀切┦谭钤谕踝由磉叺馁F族的，所以兩旁都用盾牌衛(wèi)護(hù)著，盾牌上還雕刻著華麗的紋章。每只御船都用一只差船拖著，這些差船上除了劃船的水手而外，每一只上面都載著一些頭戴亮晃晃的鋼盔、身披胸甲的兵士，還有一隊(duì)樂(lè)師。

期待中的游行隊(duì)伍的前衛(wèi)這時(shí)候在大門口出現(xiàn)了，那是一隊(duì)戟兵。他們下半身穿著黑色和茶色相間的條紋緊身褲，頭戴兩邊鑲著銀色玫瑰花的天鵝絨帽子，上身穿著暗紅和藍(lán)色料子的緊身衣，前后都繡著三根用金線編織的羽毛，代表王子的紋章。戟柄都裹著深紅色的天鵝絨，用鍍金的釘子釘住，還有金色的穗子裝飾著。他們向左右兩邊分成兩隊(duì)前進(jìn)，排成了兩個(gè)很長(zhǎng)的單行，一直從宮殿的大門口排到河邊。然后有王子的仆人，身穿金紅兩色相間的號(hào)衣，把一幅帶條紋的厚氈子或是地毯攤開，鋪在這兩排戟兵之間。這一著完畢之后宮殿里面就奏起了一陣響亮的號(hào)聲，河上的樂(lè)師們又奏了一首生氣勃勃的前奏曲。于是有兩個(gè)拿著白色指揮棒的前導(dǎo)官?gòu)拈T口邁著緩慢而莊嚴(yán)的步子前進(jìn)。他們后面跟著一個(gè)手執(zhí)權(quán)杖的官員，他背后又來(lái)了一個(gè)捧著城市之劍的官員；再后面是城市護(hù)衛(wèi)隊(duì)中的幾位軍士，他們都是全副武裝，袖子上都佩戴著徽章；隨后是身穿制服的嘉德紋章局長(zhǎng)；再后面是幾個(gè)巴斯級(jí)的騎士，每人袖子上都纏著一條白絲帶；然后是他們的扈從；然后是身穿紅袍、頭戴白帽的法官；然后是英國(guó)大法官，他穿著深紅色禮服，前面敞開，鑲著白毛皮的邊；然后是穿紅袍的京都市參議會(huì)代表團(tuán)；然后是穿著禮服的各市民團(tuán)體的領(lǐng)袖。跟在他們后面的是十二個(gè)法國(guó)貴族的侍從，他們穿的華貴禮服包括白色錦緞上用金線配著線條的夾衣、鑲著藍(lán)紫色線緞里子的艷紅色天鵝絨短斗篷和淡紅色的燈籠褲；他們順著石階往下走。這十二個(gè)人是法國(guó)大使的隨從，他們后面跟著十二個(gè)穿著毫無(wú)裝飾的黑天鵝絨禮服的西班牙大使的隨從騎士。跟在這些人后面的是幾位英國(guó)大貴族，還帶著他們的隨從人員。

宮里又傳出一陣號(hào)聲，王子的舅父、未來(lái)的桑莫賽大公爵從大門里出來(lái)了。他穿著一件黑底子金絲緞的緊身衣，一件深紅色緞子的長(zhǎng)袍，上面繡著金花，還用銀色的網(wǎng)紋鑲著邊。他轉(zhuǎn)過(guò)身去，脫下那插著羽毛的帽子，非常恭敬地彎下身去，開始往后退，每走一步就行一個(gè)鞠躬禮。隨后有一陣很長(zhǎng)的號(hào)聲和一聲呼喝：“趕快回避，太子愛德華殿下駕到！”宮殿的墻頭高處有一長(zhǎng)排通紅的火舌向前跳動(dòng)，伴隨著雷鳴般的一聲炮響，河面上聚集的人群轟轟地發(fā)出一陣歡迎的吼聲；這一宏大場(chǎng)面的主人公湯姆·康第出場(chǎng)了，他只微微地把他那高貴的頭點(diǎn)了一下。

他穿著一件華麗的白緞子緊身衣，胸前配著一塊紫色的金絲緞，那上面嵌著許多寶石，鑲著貂皮的邊。他在這上面披著一件白底金絲緞的斗篷，斗篷頂上是一個(gè)三根翎毛的頂飾，里子用的是藍(lán)色緞子，斗篷上嵌著珍珠和寶石，前面用一個(gè)鉆石別針扣著。他頸上掛著嘉德勛章和幾個(gè)外國(guó)的王子勛章，凡是有光線射到他身上的地方，都有寶石反射出耀眼的光芒。啊，湯姆·康第，他不過(guò)是個(gè)小破房子里出世的窮孩子，在倫敦的貧民窟里長(zhǎng)大的，一向與破爛、骯臟和苦難結(jié)下了不解之緣，現(xiàn)在這番景象卻是多么煊赫??！

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