英语美文：冷山

 As Anman sat brooding and pining for his lost self, one of Swimmer’s creekside stories rushed into his memory with a great urgency and attractiveness. Swimmer claimed that above the blue vault¹ of heaven there was a forest inhabited by a celestial² race. Men could not go there to stay and live, but in that high land the dead spirit could be reborn. Swimmer described it as far and inaccessible³ region, but he said the highest mountains lifted their dark summits into its lower reaches. Signs and wonders both large and small did sometimes make transit⁴ from that world to our own. Animals, Swimmer said, were its primary messengers. Inman had pointed⁵ out to Swimmer that he had climbed Cold Mountain to its top, and Pisgah and Mount Sterling⁶ as well. Mountains did not get much higher than those, and Inman had seen no upper realm from their summits.

英曼坐在那儿沉思，苦想他迷失的自我，突然斯云麦说过的一个河畔故事迫不及待地闪现在他的记忆里，极具诱惑力。斯云麦曾说过蔚蓝的天穹之上有一座森林，那里是神灵的栖息地。凡人无法涉足、存息，但死去的灵魂可以在那片天上净土上获得重生。他把那说成是个遥不可及的地方，可也提过最高的山峦上高耸黑黝的峰顶可以触及神地的底部边缘。大大小小的奇迹异象有时会从神地反映到尘世间来，而山上的动物是其主要的信使。英曼曾告诉过斯云麦，说他曾爬到冷山的顶端，还有毗斯迦山和斯特灵山。这些几乎是最高的山了，可他从来没在这些山的山顶看到过什么神地。

There’s more to it than just the climbing, Swimmer had said. Though Inman could not recall whether Swimmer had told him what else might be involved in reaching that healing realm, Cold Mountain nevertheless soared in his mind as a place where all his scattered⁷ forces might gather. Inman did not consider himself to be a superstitious⁸ person, but he did believe that there is a world invisible to us. He no longer thought of that world as heaven, nor did he still think that we get to go there when we die. Those teachings had been burned away. But he could not abide⁹ by a universe composed only of what he could see, especially when it was so frequently foul¹⁰. So he held up to the idea of another world, a better place, and he figured he might as well consider Cold Mountain to be the location of it as anywhere.

斯云麦说过登山的意义远远大于登山本身。英曼虽然记不起斯云麦是否说过关于到达那平复伤痛的神地的其他什么意义，但屹立于他心中的冷山的确是可以重新唤起他所有力量的地方。英曼并不认为自己是个迷信的人，但他相信确实存在着人们肉眼无法触及的世界。他不再认为那里是天堂，也不再认为那是我们死后之所归。所有这些说教在他心中已燃烧殆尽。然而他觉得肉眼所见的并不是这个世界的全部，而且肉眼所见的往往是肮脏的。于是他信奉另一个世界，一个更好的世界，而他也大可以把冷山当作这一世界的所在，就像他可以随便想象任何地方一样。

1 vault   

n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室

参考例句：

• The vault of this cathedral is very high.这座天主教堂的拱顶非常高。
• The old patrician was buried in the family vault.这位老贵族埋在家族的墓地里。

2 celestial   

adj.天体的；天上的

参考例句：

• The rosy light yet beamed like a celestial dawn.玫瑰色的红光依然象天上的朝霞一样绚丽。
• Gravity governs the motions of celestial bodies.万有引力控制着天体的运动。

3 inaccessible   

adj.达不到的，难接近的

参考例句：

• This novel seems to me among the most inaccessible.这本书对我来说是最难懂的小说之一。
• The top of Mount Everest is the most inaccessible place in the world.珠穆朗玛峰是世界上最难到达的地方。

4 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。

5 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

6 sterling   

adj.英币的(纯粹的，货真价实的)；n.英国货币(英镑)

参考例句：

• Could you tell me the current rate for sterling, please?能否请您告诉我现行英国货币的兑换率？
• Sterling has recently been strong,which will help to abate inflationary pressures.英国货币最近非常坚挺，这有助于减轻通胀压力。

7 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

8 superstitious   

adj.迷信的

参考例句：

• They aim to deliver the people who are in bondage to superstitious belief.他们的目的在于解脱那些受迷信束缚的人。
• These superstitious practices should be abolished as soon as possible.这些迷信做法应尽早取消。

9 abide   

vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受

参考例句：

• You must abide by the results of your mistakes.你必须承担你的错误所造成的后果。
• If you join the club,you have to abide by its rules.如果你参加俱乐部，你就得遵守它的规章。

10 foul   

adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规

参考例句：

• Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
• What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！