egypt-第1节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！







Egypt　（La　Mort　De　Philae）

by　Pierre　Loti

Translated　from　the　French　by　W。　P。　BAINES









CHAPTER　I



A　WINTER　MIDNIGHT　BEFORE　THE　GREAT　SPHINX



A　night　wondrously　clear　and　of　a　colour　unknown　to　our　climate；　a

place　of　dreamlike　aspect；　fraught　with　mystery。　The　moon　of　a　bright

silver；　which　dazzles　by　its　shining；　illumines　a　world　which　surely

is　no　longer　ours；　for　it　resembles　in　nothing　what　may　be　seen　in

other　lands。　A　world　in　which　everything　is　suffused　with　rosy　color

beneath　the　stars　of　midnight；　and　where　granite　symbols　rise　up；

ghostlike　and　motionless。



Is　that　a　hill　of　sand　that　rises　yonder？　One　can　scarcely　tell；　for

it　has　as　it　were　no　shape；　no　outline；　rather　it　seems　like　a　great

rosy　cloud；　or　some　huge；　trembling　billow；　which　once　perhaps　raised

itself　there；　forthwith　to　become　motionless　for　ever。　。　。　。　And　from

out　this　kind　of　mummified　wave　a　colossal　human　effigy　emerges；　rose…

coloured　too；　a　nameless；　elusive　rose；　emerges；　and　stares　with　fixed

eyes　and　smiles。　It　is　so　huge　it　seems　unreal；　as　if　it　were　a

reflection　cast　by　some　mirror　hidden　in　the　moon。　。　。　。　And　behind

this　monster　face；　far　away　in　the　rear；　on　the　top　of　those　undefined

and　gently　undulating　sandhills；　three　apocalyptic　signs　rise　up

against　the　sky；　those　rose…coloured　triangles；　regular　as　the　figures

of　geometry；　but　so　vast　in　the　distance　that　they　inspire　you　with

fear。　They　seem　to　be　luminous　of　themselves；　so　vividly　do　they　stand

out　in　their　clear　rose　against　the　deep　blue　of　the　star…spangled

vault。　And　this　apparent　radiation　from　within；　by　its　lack　of

likelihood；　makes　them　seem　more　awful。



And　all　around　is　the　desert；　a　corner　of　the　mournful　kingdom　of

sand。　Nothing　else　is　to　be　seen　anywhere　save　those　three　awful

things　that　stand　there　upright　and　stillthe　human　likeness

magnified　beyond　all　measurement；　and　the　three　geometric　mountains；

things　at　first　sight　like　exhalations；　visionary　things；　with

nevertheless　here　and　there；　and　most　of　all　in　the　features　of　the

vast　mute　face；　subtleties　of　shadow　which　show　that　/it/　at　least

exists；　rigid　and　immovable；　fashioned　out　of　imperishable　stone。



Even　had　we　not　known；　we　must　soon　have　guessed；　for　these　things　are

unique　in　the　world；　and　pictures　of　every　age　have　made　the　knowledge

of　them　commonplace：　the　Sphinx　and　the　Pyramids！　But　what　is　strange

is　that　they　should　be　so　disquieting。　。　。　。　And　this　pervading　colour

of　rose；　whence　comes　it；　seeing　that　usually　the　moon　tints　with　blue

the　things　it　illumines？　One　would　not　expect　this　colour　either；

which；　nevertheless；　is　that　of　all　the　sands　and　all　the　granites　of

Egypt　and　Arabia。　And　then　too；　the　eyes　of　the　statue；　how　often　have

we　not　seen　them？　And　did　we　not　know　that　they　were　capable　only　of

their　one　fixed　stare？　Why　is　it　then　that　their　motionless　regard

surprises　and　chills　us；　even　while　we　are　obsessed　by　the　smile　of

the　sealed　lips　that　seem　to　hold　back　the　answer　to　the　supreme

enigma？　。　。　。



It　is　cold；　but　cold　as　in　our　country　are　the　fine　nights　of　January；

and　a　wintry　mist　rises　low　down　in　the　little　valleys　of　the　sand。

And　that　again　we　were　not　expecting；　beyond　question　the　latest

invaders　of　this　country；　by　changing　the　course　of　the　old　Nile；　so

as　to　water　the　earth　and　make　it　more　productive；　have　brought　hither

the　humidity　of　their　own　misty　isle。　And　this　strange　cold；　this

mist；　light　as　it　still　is；　seem　to　presage　the　end　of　ages；　give　an

added　remoteness　and　finality　to　all　this　dead　past；　which　lies　here

beneath　us　in　subterranean　labyrinths　haunted　by　a　thousand　mummies。



And　the　mist；　which；　as　the　night　advances；　thickens　in　the　valleys；

hesitates　to　mount　to　the　great　daunting　face　of　the　Sphinx；　and

covers　it　with　the　merest　and　most　transparent　gauze；　and；　like

everything　else　here　to…night；　this　gauze；　too；　is　rose…colored。　And

meanwhile　the　Sphinx；　which　has　seen　the　unrolling　of　all　the　history

of　the　world；　attends　impassively　the　change　in　Egypt's　climate；

plunged　in　profound　and　mystic　contemplation　of　the　moon；　its　friend

for　the　last　5000　years。



Here　and　there　on　the　soft　pathway　of　the　sandhills　are　pigmy　figures

of　men　that　move　about　or　sit　squatting　as　if　on　the　watch；　and　small

as　they　are；　low　down　in　the　hollows　and　far　away；　this　wonderful

silver　moon　reveals　even　their　slightest　gestures；　for　their　white

robes　and　black　cloaks　stand　sharply　out　against　the　monotonous　rose

of　the　desert。　At　times　they　call　to　one　another　in　a　harsh；　aspirate

tongue；　and　then　go　off　at　a　run；　noiselessly；　barefooted；　with

burnous　flying；　like　moths　in　the　night。　They　lie　in　wait　for　the

parties　of　tourists　who　arrive　from　time　to　time。　For　the　great

symbols；　during　the　hundreds　and　thousands　of　years　that　have　elapsed

since　men　ceased　to　venerate　them；　have　nevertheless　scarcely　ever

been　alone；　especially　on　nights　with　a　full　moon。　Men　of　all　races；

of　all　times；　have　come　to　wander　round　them；　vaguely　attracted　by

their　immensity　and　mystery。　In　the　days　of　the　Romans　they　had

already　become　symbols　of　a　lost　significance；　legacies　of　a　fabulous

antiquity；　but　people　came　curiously　to　contemplate　them；　and　tourists

in　toga　and　in　peplus　carved　their　names　on　the　granite　of　their　bases

for　the　sake　of　remembrance。



The　tourists　who　have　come　to…night；　and　upon　whom　have　pounced　the

black…cloaked　Bedouin　guides；　wear　cap　and　ulster　or　furred　greatcoat；

their　intrusion　here　seems　almost　an　offence；　but；　alas；　such　visitors

become　more　numerous　in　each　succeeding　year。　The　great　town　hard　by

which　sweats　gold　now　that　men　have　started　to　buy　from　it　its　dignity

and　its　soulis　become　a　place　of　rendezvous　and　holiday　for　the

idlers　and　upstarts　of　the　whole　world。　The　modern　spirit　encompasses

the　old　desert　of　the　Sphinx　on　every　side。　It　is　true　that　up　to　the

present　no　one　has　dared　to　profane　it　by　building　in　the　immediate

neighbourhood　of　the　great　statue。　Its　fixity　and　calm　disdain　still

hold　some　sway；　perhaps。　But　little　more　than　a　mile　away　there　ends　a

road　travelled　by　hackney　carriages　and　tramway　cars；　and　noisy　with

the　delectable　hootings　of　smart　motor　cars；　and　behind　the　pyramid　of

Cheops　squats　a　vast　hotel　to　which　swarm　men　and　women　of　fashion；

the　latter　absurdly　feathered；　like　Redskins　at　a　scalp　dance；　and

sick　people；　in　search　of　purer　air；　and　consumptive　English　maidens；

and　ancient　English　dames；　a　little　the　worse　for　wear；　who　bring

their　rheumatisms　for　the　treatment　of　the　dry　winds。



Passing　on　our　way　hither；　we　had　seen　this　road　and　this　hotel　and

these　people　in　the　glare　of　the　electric　lights；　and　from　an

orchestra　that　was　playing　there　we　caught　the　trivial　air　of　a

popular　refrain　of　the　music　halls；　but　when　in　a　dip　of　the　ground

all　this　had　disappeared；　what　a　sense　of　deliverance　possessed　us；

how　far　off　this　turmoil　seemed！　As　soon　as　we　commenced　to　tread　upon

the　sand　of　centuries；　where　all　at　once　our　footsteps　made　no　sound；

nothing　seemed　to　have　existence；　save　only　the　great　calm　and　the

religious　awe　of　this　world　into　which　we　were　come；　of　this　world

with　its　so　crushing　commentary　upon　our　own；　where　all　seemed　silent；

undefined；　gigantic　and　suffused　with　rose…colour。



And　first　there　is　the　pyramid　of　Cheops；　whose　immutable　base　we　had

to　skirt　on　our　way　hither。　In　the　moonlight　we　could　see　the　separate

blocks；　so　enormous；　so　regular；　so　even　in　their　layers；　which　lie

one　above　the　other　to　infinity；　getting　ever　smaller　and　smaller；　and

mounting；　mounting　in　diminishing　perspective；　until　at　last　high　up

they　form　the　apex　of　this　giddy　triangle。　And　the　pyramid　seemed　to

be　illumined　by　some　sad　dawn　of　the　end　of　the　world；　a　dawn　which

made　ruddy　only　the　sands　and　the　granites　of　earth；　and　left　the

heavens；　pricked　with　their　myriad　stars；　more　awful　in　their

darkness。　How　impossible　it　is　for　us　to　conceive　the　mental　attitude

of　that　king　who；　during　some　half…century；　spent　the　lives　of

thousands　and　thousands　of　his　slaves　in　the　construction　of　this

tomb；　in　the　fond　and　foolish　hope　of　prolonging　to　infinity　the

existence　of　his　mummy。



The　pyramid　once　passed　there　was　still　a　short　way　to　go　before　we

confronted　the　Sphinx；　in　the　middle　of　what　our　contemporaries　have

left　him　of　his　desert。　We　had　to　descend　the　slope　of　that　sandhill

which　looked　like　a　cloud；　and　seemed　as　if　covered　with　felt；　in

order　to　preserve　in　such　a　place　a　more　complete　silence。　And　here

and　there　we　passed　a　gaping　black　holean　airhole；　as　it　seemed；　of

the　profound　and　inextricable　kingdom　of　mummies；　very　populous　still；

in　spite　of　the　zeal　of　the　exhumers。



As　we　descended　the　sandy　pathway　we　were　not　slow　to　perceive　the

Sphinx　itself；　half　hill；　half　couchant　beast；　turning　its　back　upon

us　in　the　attit