我對這事情百思而不得其解.梅普爾神甫已因真誠和圣潔而擁有如此名震遐邇的聲譽(yù),我怎能懷疑他不過是靠任何狡詐手法才博得赫赫名聲呢。不,我心里想,在這方面,一定還有更微妙的道理;而且,它一定標(biāo)志著某些眼不能見的東西。那么,難道他會(huì)靠這種肉體上暫時(shí)跟人們隔離的舉動(dòng)來表示他在精神上也暫時(shí)跟外界一切千絲萬縷的聯(lián)系都割絕了嗎?會(huì)的,因?yàn)榫统錆M極樂之泉源說來,我認(rèn)為,這個(gè)講壇就是這個(gè)上帝的信徒的獨(dú)立要塞...一個(gè)巍峨的艾倫勃萊茨坦,城垣里還有一口萬年不竭的水井。
But the side ladder was not the only strange feature of the place, borrowed from the chaplain'sformer sea-farings. Between the marble cenotaphs on either hand of the pulpit, the wall whichformed its back was adorned with a large painting representing a gallant ship beating againsta terrible storm off a lee coast of black rocks and snowy breakers. But high above the flyingscud and dark-rolling clouds, there floated a little isle of sunlight, from which beamed forth anangel's face; and this bright face shed a distant spot of radiance upon the ship's tossed deck,something like that silver plate now inserted into the Victory's plank where Nelson fell. "Ah,noble ship," the angel seemed to say, "beat on, beat on, thou noble ship, and bear a hardyhelm; for lo! the sun is breaking through; the clouds are rolling off-serenest azure is at hand."
但是,這張根據(jù)這個(gè)牧師以前的海上生活而設(shè)的靠梯還不是這地方的唯一奇特的特點(diǎn).在講壇兩側(cè)的石碑中間,在它后面的墻壁上還飾有一幅大油畫,畫著一只宏壯的船正在冒著狂風(fēng)暴雨奮勇前進(jìn),想擺脫后邊那許多兇險(xiǎn)的巖石和滔天白浪。但是,在泡沫飛濺和滾滾烏云的上面,卻泛著一片小島似的陽光,照射出一個(gè)天使的臉來;這張光輝的臉還遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)地對著那只動(dòng)蕩的船甲板投射出了一束光芒,有點(diǎn)象是那塊現(xiàn)在嵌在"勝利號(hào)"("勝利號(hào)"為英國托馬斯.斯拉特爵士所設(shè)計(jì)的戰(zhàn)艦之一,英國海軍大將納爾遜在受任地中海艦隊(duì)司令時(shí)曾以它作旗艦,他于一八○五年與拿破侖交戰(zhàn)時(shí)被炮彈擊斃于后甲板上。這只船自一九二二年起,即泊在樸茨茅斯的碼頭上以為紀(jì)念,供眾參觀的船板上。紀(jì)念納爾遜陣亡的銀牌."好壯麗的船呵,"那天使似乎在這樣說,"沖呀,沖呀,你這壯麗的船,辛苦地把起舵吧;看哪!太陽正在突圍而出;云朵也在散開了...眼看就是最晴朗的蒼穹啦。"