地下墓穴（14）

 

“I had some very narrow escapes at first, but I have gradually learned to go about. There is a certain system to it, but it is one which a lost man, if he were in the dark, could not possibly find out. Even now I always spin out a ball of string behind me when I am going far into the catacomb. You can see for yourself that it is difficult, but every one of these passages divides and subdivides¹ a dozen times before you go a hundred yards.”

They had descended² some twenty feet from the level of the byre, and they were standing³ now in a square chamber⁴ cut out of the soft tufa. The lantern cast a flickering⁵ light, bright below and dim above, over the cracked brown walls. In every direction were the black openings of passages which radiated from this common centre.

“I want you to follow me closely, my friend,” said Burger. “Do not loiter to look at anything upon the way, for the place to which I will take you contains all that you can see, and more. It will save time for us to go there direct.”

He led the way down one of the corridors, and the Englishman followed closely at his heels. Every now and then the passage bifurcated⁶, but Burger was evidently following some secret marks of his own, for he neither stopped nor hesitated. Everywhere along the walls, packed like the berths⁷ upon an emigrant⁸ ship, lay the Christians⁹ of old Rome. The yellow light flickered¹⁰ over the shrivelled features of the mummies, and gleamed upon rounded skulls¹¹ and long, white armbones crossed over fleshless chests. And everywhere as he passed Kennedy looked with wistful eyes upon inscriptions¹², funeral vessels¹³, pictures, vestments, utensils¹⁴, all lying as pious¹⁵ hands had placed them so many centuries ago. It was apparent to him, even in those hurried, passing glances, that this was the earliest and finest of the catacombs, containing such a storehouse of Roman remains¹⁶ as had never before come at one time under the observation of the student.

“最初我差点没出来，慢慢摸索，才发现有某种规律，但是一个迷路的人如果在黑暗中，是不可能发现的。就是现在，我要到墓穴深处的话，也一定在入口拴一条线，拉着另一头往下走。你知道，这样做很麻烦，可是你往里走不到一百步就会发现，这些通道每一个都有许多岔道，岔道中又有许多小岔道，”

两人从牛棚里的洞口往地下走了大约二十英尺深，来到一个方形房间，这房间显然是在松软的石灰岩中凿出来的。油灯的光亮闪烁不定，照在褐色的墙壁上，下明上暗。

四面八方全是黑的通道入口一—这里就是中心了。

“我的朋友，你可要紧紧跟着我，"伯格说。“一路上不要停住脚步四处张望，因为我将带你去的地方有的是好东西，足够你看的。咱们尽快赶过去，”

他在前面带路，走下一个通道，英国人紧紧跟在后面。

不时地，通道出现分岔，而伯格丝毫没有犹豫和停顿，显然他已经做过某种秘密标记。两边墙壁上到处都放着古罗马基督徒的尸体，一个挨一个，就像轮船上的卧铺。摇曳的淡黄色灯光照在这些木乃伊的干枯的脸上，圆圆的头颅上，如柴的手臂交叉放在枯瘦的胸上。肯尼迪每到一处，都用贪婪的目光扫视着碑铭，随葬的器皿、画图、衣物、用具，许多许多年前，虔诚的手把它们放在那儿，此后再没有被人动过，尽管是在匆匆的行进中，他也能一眼看出这个墓穴属于最早期的、保存最好的一个，如此规模的古罗马遗物就连这位学者也是第一次见识。

1 subdivides   

再分，细分( subdivide的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• This latter subdivides into the split off Exciting Object and Rejecting Object. 后来，又再次分隔成分裂性的兴奋性客体和拒绝性客体。
• Medical Pedal Switch has two models, such as single and duplex, and subdivides into 3 specs. 医用脚踏开关系列有单联和双联两种型号3个规格。

2 descended   

a.为...后裔的，出身于...的

参考例句：

• A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
• The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

3 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

4 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

5 flickering   

adj.闪烁的，摇曳的，一闪一闪的

参考例句：

• The crisp autumn wind is flickering away. 清爽的秋风正在吹拂。
• The lights keep flickering. 灯光忽明忽暗。

6 bifurcated   

a.分为两部分

参考例句：

• Over the past 15 years the marketplace for art books has bifurcated. 过去15年里，卖艺术类书籍的市场逐渐分化。
• This bifurcated view was reflected in how U.S. officials described the trip. 这种一分为二的观点也反映在美国官员自己对访华之行的描述上。

7 berths   

n.（船、列车等的）卧铺( berth的名词复数 )；（船舶的）停泊位或锚位；差事；船台vt.v.停泊( berth的第三人称单数 )；占铺位

参考例句：

• Berths on steamships can be booked a long while in advance. 轮船上的床位可以提前多日预订。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Have you got your berths on the ship yet? 你们在船上有舱位了吗？ 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 emigrant   

adj.移居的，移民的；n.移居外国的人，移民

参考例句：

• He is a British emigrant to Australia.他是个移居澳大利亚的英国人。
• I always think area like this is unsuited for human beings,but it is also unpractical to emigrant in a large scale.我一直觉得，像这样的地方是不适宜人类居住的，可大规模的移民又是不现实的。

9 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

10 flickered   

（通常指灯光）闪烁，摇曳( flicker的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The lights flickered and went out. 灯光闪了闪就熄了。
• These lights flickered continuously like traffic lights which have gone mad. 这些灯象发狂的交通灯一样不停地闪动着。

11 skulls   

颅骨( skull的名词复数 )； 脑袋； 脑子； 脑瓜

参考例句：

• One of the women's skulls found exceeds in capacity that of the average man of today. 现已发现的女性颅骨中，其中有一个的脑容量超过了今天的普通男子。
• We could make a whole plain white with skulls in the moonlight! 我们便能令月光下的平原变白，遍布白色的骷髅！

12 inscriptions   

（作者）题词( inscription的名词复数 )； 献词； 碑文； 证劵持有人的登记

参考例句：

• Centuries of wind and rain had worn away the inscriptions on the gravestones. 几个世纪的风雨已磨损了墓碑上的碑文。
• The inscriptions on the stone tablet have become blurred with the passage of time. 年代久了，石碑上的字迹已经模糊了。

13 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

14 utensils   

器具，用具，器皿( utensil的名词复数 )； 器物

参考例句：

• Formerly most of our household utensils were made of brass. 以前我们家庭用的器皿多数是用黄铜做的。
• Some utensils were in a state of decay when they were unearthed. 有些器皿在出土时已经残破。

15 pious   

adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的

参考例句：

• Alexander is a pious follower of the faith.亚历山大是个虔诚的信徒。
• Her mother was a pious Christian.她母亲是一个虔诚的基督教徒。

16 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。