alittlecloud.docx
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- 上传时间:2023-01-30
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alittlecloud.docx
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alittlecloud
Alittlecloud
EightyearsbeforehehadseenhisfriendoffattheNorthWallandwishedhimGod-speed.Gallaherhadgoton.Youcouldtellthatatoncebyhistravelledair,hiswell-cuttweedsuit,andfearlessaccent.Fewfellowshadtalentslikehis,andfewerstillcouldremainunspoiledbysuchsuccess.Gallaher'sheartwasintherightplaceandhehaddeservedtowin.Itwassomethingtohaveafriendlikethat.
LittleChandler'sthoughtseversincelunch-timehadbeenofhismeetingwithGallaher,ofGallaher'sinvitation,andofthegreatcityLondonwhereGallaherlived.HewascalledLittleChandlerbecause,thoughhewasbutslightlyundertheaveragestature,hegaveonetheideaofbeingalittleman.Hishandswerewhiteandsmall,hisframewasfragile,hisvoicewasquietandhismannerswererefined.Hetookthegreatestcareofhisfairsilkenhairandmoustache,andusedperfumediscreetlyonhishandkerchief.Thehalf-moonsofhisnailswereperfect,andwhenhesmiledyoucaughtaglimpseofarowofchildishwhiteteeth.
AshesatathisdeskintheKing'sInnshethoughtwhatchangesthoseeightyearshadbrought.ThefriendwhomhehadknownunderashabbyandnecessitousguisehadbecomeabrilliantfigureontheLondonPress.Heturnedoftenfromhistiresomewritingtogazeoutoftheofficewindow.Theglowofalateautumnsunsetcoveredthegrassplotsandwalks.Itcastashowerofkindlygoldendustontheuntidynursesanddecrepitoldmenwhodrowsedonthebenches;itflickereduponallthemovingfigures-onthechildrenwhoranscreamingalongthegravelpathsandoneveryonewhopassedthroughthegardens.Hewatchedthesceneandthoughtoflife;and(asalwayshappenedwhenhethoughtoflife)hebecamesad.Agentlemelancholytookpossessionofhim.Hefelthowuselessitwastostruggleagainstfortune,thisbeingtheburdenofwisdomwhichtheageshadbequeathedtohim.
Herememberedthebooksofpoetryuponhisshelvesathome.Hehadboughttheminhisbachelordaysandmanyanevening,ashesatinthelittleroomoffthehall,hehadbeentemptedtotakeonedownfromthebookshelfandreadoutsomethingtohiswife.Butshynesshadalwaysheldhimback;andsothebookshadremainedontheirshelves.Attimesherepeatedlinestohimselfandthisconsoledhim.
Whenhishourhadstruckhestoodupandtookleaveofhisdeskandofhisfellow-clerkspunctiliously.HeemergedfromunderthefeudalarchoftheKing'sInns,aneatmodestfigure,andwalkedswiftlydownHenriettaStreet.Thegoldensunsetwaswaningandtheairhadgrownsharp.Ahordeofgrimychildrenpopulatedthestreet.Theystoodorranintheroadway,orcrawledupthestepsbeforethegapingdoors,orsquattedlikemiceuponthethresholds.LittleChandlergavethemnothought.Hepickedhiswaydeftlythroughallthatminutevermin-likelifeandundertheshadowofthegauntspectralmansionsinwhichtheoldnobilityofDublinhadroistered.Nomemoryofthepasttouchedhim,forhismindwasfullofapresentjoy.
HehadneverbeeninCorless's,butheknewthevalueofthename.Heknewthatpeoplewentthereafterthetheatretoeatoystersanddrinkliqueurs;andhehadheardthatthewaiterstherespokeFrenchandGerman.Walkingswiftlybyatnighthehadseencabsdrawnupbeforethedoorandrichly-dressedladies,escortedbycavaliers,alightandenterquickly.Theyworenoisydressesandmanywraps.Theirfaceswerepowderedandtheycaughtuptheirdresses,whentheytouchedearth,likealarmedAtalantas.Hehadalwayspassedwithoutturninghisheadtolook.Itwashishabittowalkswiftlyinthestreetevenbyday,andwheneverhefoundhimselfinthecitylateatnighthehurriedonhiswayapprehensivelyandexcitedly.Sometimes,however,hecourtedthecausesofhisfear.Hechosethedarkestandnarroweststreetsand,ashewalkedboldlyforward,thesilencethatwasspreadabouthisfootstepstroubledhim;thewandering,silentfigurestroubledhim;andattimesasoundoflowfugitivelaughtermadehimtremblelikealeaf.
HeturnedtotherighttowardsCapelStreet.IgnatiusGallaherontheLondonPress!
Whowouldhavethoughtitpossibleeightyearsbefore?
Still,nowthathereviewedthepast,LittleChandlercouldremembermanysignsoffuturegreatnessinhisfriend.PeopleusedtosaythatIgnatiusGallaherwaswild.Ofcourse,hedidmixwitharakishsetoffellowsatthattime;drankfreelyandborrowedmoneyonallsides.Intheendhehadgotmixedupinsomeshadyaffair,somemoneytransaction:
atleast,thatwasoneversionofhisflight.Butnobodydeniedhimtalent.Therewasalwaysacertain……somethinginIgnatiusGallaherthatimpressedyouinspiteofyourself.Evenwhenhewasoutatelbowsandathiswits'endformoneyhekeptupaboldface.LittleChandlerremembered(andtheremembrancebroughtaslightflushofpridetohischeek)oneofIgnatiusGallaher'ssayingswhenhewasinatightcorner:
`Half-timenow,boys,'heusedtosaylight-heartedly.`Where'smyconsideringcap?
'
ThatwasIgnatiusGallaherallout;and,damnit,youcouldn'tbutadmirehimforit.
LittleChandlerquickenedhispace.Forthefirsttimeinhislifehefelthimselfsuperiortothepeoplehepassed.ForthefirsttimehissoulrevoltedagainstthedullineleganceofCapelStreet.Therewasnodoubtaboutit:
ifyouwantedtosucceedyouhadtogoaway.YoucoulddonothinginDublin.AshecrossedGrattanBridgehelookeddowntherivertowardsthelowerquaysandpitiedthepoorstuntedhouses.Theyseemedtohimabandoftramps,huddledtogetheralongtheriver-banks,theiroldcoatscoveredwithdustandsoot,stupefiedbythepanoramaofsunsetandwaitingforthefirstchillofnighttobidthemarise,shakethemselvesandbegone.Hewonderedwhetherhecouldwriteapoemtoexpresshisidea.PerhapsGallahermightbeabletogetitintosomeLondonpaperforhim.Couldhewritesomethingoriginal?
Hewasnotsurewhatideahewishedtoexpress,butthethoughtthatapoeticmomenthadtouchedhimtooklifewithinhimlikeaninfanthope.Hesteppedonwardbravely.
EverystepbroughthimnearertoLondon,fartherfromhisownsoberinartisticlife.Alightbegantotrembleonthehorizonofhismind.Hewasnotsoold-thirty-two.Histemperamentmightbesaidtobejustatthepointofmaturity.Thereweresomanydifferentmoodsandimpressionsthathewishedtoexpressinverse.Hefeltthemwithinhim.Hetriedtoweighhissoultoseeifitwasapoet'ssoul.Melancholywasthedominantnoteofhistemperament,hethought,butitwasamelancholytemperedbyrecurrencesoffaithandresignationandsimplejoy.Ifhecouldgiveexpressiontoitinabookofpoemsperhapsmenwouldlisten.Hewouldneverbepopular:
hesawthat.Hecouldnotswaythecrowd,buthemightappealtoalittlecircleofkindredminds.TheEnglishcritics,perhaps,wouldrecognizehimasoneoftheCelticschoolbyreasonofthemelancholytoneofhispoems;besidesthat,hewouldputinallusions.Hebegantoinventsentencesandphrasesfromthenoticewhichhisbookwouldget.`MrChandlerhasthegiftofeasyandgracefulverse'……`Awistfulsadnesspervadesthesepoems'……`TheCelticnote'.ItwasapityhisnamewasnotmoreIrish-looking.Perhapsitwouldbebettertoinserthismother'snamebeforethesurname:
ThomasMaloneChandler;orbetterstill:
T.MaloneChandler.HewouldspeaktoGallaheraboutit.
Hepursuedhisreveriesoardentlythathepassedhisstreetandhadtoturnback.AshecamenearCorless'shisformeragitationbegantoovermasterhimandhehaltedbeforethedoorinindecision.Finallyheopenedthedoorandentered.
Thelightandnoiseofthebarheldhimatthedoorwayforafewmoments.Helookedabouthim,buthissightwasconfusedbytheshiningofmanyredandgreenwine-glasses.Thebarseemedtohimtobefullofpeopleandhefeltthatthepeoplewereobservinghimcuriously.Heglancedquicklytorightandleft(frowningslightlytomakehiserrandappearserious),butwhenhissightclearedalittlehesawthatnobodyhadturnedtolookathim:
andthere,Sureenough,wasIgnatiusGallaherleaningwithhisbackagainstthecounterandhisfeetplantedfarapart.
`Hallo,Tommy,oldhero,hereyouare!
Whatisittobe?
Whatwillyouhave?
I'mtakingwhisky:
betterstuffthanwegetacrossthewater.Soda?
Lithia?
Nomineral?
I'mthesame.Spoilstheflavour……Here,gar峯n,bringustwohalvesofmaltwhisky,likeagoodfellow……Well,andhowhaveyoubeenpullingalongsinceIsawyoulast?
DearGod,howoldwe'regetting!
Doyouseeanysignsofageinginme-eh,what?
Alittlegreyandthinonthetop-what?
'
IgnatiusGallahertookoffhishatanddisplayedalargeclosely-croppedhead.Hisfacewasheavy,pale,andclean-shaven.Hiseyes,whichwereofbluishslate-colour,relievedhisunhealthypallorandshoneoutplainlyabovethevividorangetiehewore.Betweentheserivalfeaturesthelipsappearedverylongandshapelessandcolourless.Hebenthisheadandfeltwithtwosympatheticfingersthethinhairatthecrown.LittleChandlershookhisheadasadenial.IgnatiusGallaherputonhishatagain.
`Itpullsyoudown,'hesaid.`Presslife.Alwayshurryandscurry,lookingforcopyandsometimesnotfindingit:
andthen,alwaystohavesomethingnewinyourstuff.Damnproofsandprinters,Isay,forafewdays.I'mdeucedglad,Icantellyou,togetbacktotheoldcountry.Doesafellowgood,abitofaholiday.IfeelatonbettersinceIlandedagainindear,dirtyDublin……Hereyouare,Tommy.Water?
Saywhen.'
LittleChandlerallowedhiswhiskytobeverymuchdiluted.
`Youdon'tknowwhat'sgoodforyou,m
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