【連載】提供《高級英語教程》

海外逸士

trumpet. At that signal the turnpikes of the lists were immediately opened
and two parties of knights-contestant entered therein - the one party at
the northern extremity of the meadow of battle and the other party at the
southern extremity thereof. Then immediately all that lone field was a-glitter
with the bright-shining splendor of the sunlight upon polished armor and
accoutrements. So these two parties took up their station, each at such
a place as had been assigned unto them - the one to the north and the other
to the south.
   Now the party with which Sir Kay had cast his lot was at the north of
the field, and that company was fourscore and thirteen in number; and the
other party stood at the south end of the field, and that company was fourscore
and sixteen in number. But though the party with whom Sir Kay had attached
himself numbered less by three than the other party, yet was it the stronger
by some degree because that there were a number of knights of great strength
and renown in that company. Indeed it may be here mentioned that two of
those knights afterward became companions in very good credit of the round
table - to wit: Sir Mador de la Porte, and Sir Bedevere - which latter was
the last who saw King Arthur alive upon this earth.
   So, when all was prepared according to the ordination of the tournament,
and when those knights-contestant had made themselves ready in all ways
that were necessary, and when they had dressed their spears and their shields
in such a manner as befitted knights about to enter serious battle, the
herald set his trumpet to his lips a second time and blew upon it with might
and main. Then, having sounded this blast, he waited for a while and then
he blew upon the trumpet again.
   And, upon that blast, each of those parties of knights quitted its station
and rushed forth in great tumult against the other party, and that with
such noise and fury that the whole earth groaned beneath the feet of the
war-horses, and trembled and shook as with an earthquake.
   So those two companies met, the one against the other, in the midst of
the field, and the roar of breaking lances was so terrible that those who
heard it were astonished and appalled at the sound. For several fair dames
swooned away with terror of the noise, and others shrieked aloud; for not
only was there that great uproar, but the air was altogether filled with
the splinters of ash wood that flew about.
   In that famous assault threescore and ten very noble and honorable knights
were overthrown, many of them being trampled beneath the hoofs of the horses;
wherefore, when the two companies withdrew in retreat each to his station
the ground was beheld to be covered all over with broken fragments of lances
and with cantels of armor, and many knights were seen to be wofully lying
in the midst of all that wreck. And some of these champions strove to arise
and could not, while others lay altogether quiet as though in death. To these
ran divers esquires and pages in great numbers, and lifted up the fallen
men and bare (bear=carry) them away to places of safe harborage. And likewise
attendants ran and gathered up the cantels of armor and the broken spears,
and bare them away to the barriers, so that, by and by, the field was altogether
cleared once more.
   Then all those who gazed down upon that meadow gave loud acclaim with
great joyousness of heart, for such a noble and glorious contest at arms
in friendly assay had hardly ever been beheld in all that realm before.
   Now turn we unto Sir Kay; for in this assault lie had conducted himself
with such credit that no knight who was there had done better than he, and
maybe no one had done so well as he. For, though two opponents at once had
directed their spears against him, yet he had successfully resisted their
assault. And one of those two he smote so violently in the midst of his
defences that he had lifted that assailant entirely over the crupper of the
horse which he rode, and had flung him down to the distance of half a spear's
length behind his steed, so that the fallen knight had rolled thrice over
in the dust ere he ceased to fall.
   And when those of Sir Kay's party who were nigh to him beheld what he
did, they gave him loud and vehement acclaim, and that in such measure that
Sir Kay was wonderfully well satisfied and pleased at heart.
   And, indeed, it is to be said that at that time there was hardly any
knight in all the world who was so excellent in deeds of arms as Sir Kay.
And though there afterward came knights of much greater renown and of more
glorious achievement (as shall be hereinafter recorded in good season),
yet at that time Sir Kay was reckoned by many to be one of the most wonderfully
puissant knights (whether errant or in battle) in all of that realm.
   So was that course of the combat run to the great pleasure and satisfaction
of all who beheld it, and more especially of Sir Kay and his friends. And
after it had been completed the two parties in array returned each to its
assigned station once more.
   And when they had come there, each knight delivered up his spear unto
his esquire. For the assault which was next to be made was to be undertaken
with swords, wherefore all lances and other weapons were to be put away;
such being the order of that courteous and gentle bout at arms.
   Accordingly, when the herald again blew upon his trumpet, each knight
drew his weapon with such readiness for battle that there was a great splendor
of blades all flashing in the air at once. And when the herald blew a second
time each party pushed forward to the contest with great nobleness of heart
and eagerness of spirit, every knight being moved with intent to engage
his oppugnant with all the might and main that lay in him.
   Then immediately began so fierce a battle that if those knights had been
very enemies of long standing instead of friendly contestants, the blows
which they delivered the one upon the other could not have been more vehement
as to strength or more astonishing to gaze upon.
   And in this affair likewise Sir Kay approved himself to be so extraordinary
a champion that his like was nowhere to be seen in all that field; for he
violently smote down five knights, the one after the other, ere he was stayed
in his advance.
   Wherefore, beholding him to be doing work of such a sort, several of
the knights of the other party endeavored to come at him with intent to
meet him in his advance.
   Amongst these was a certain knight, hight Sir Balamorgineas, who was
so huge of frame that he rode head and shoulders above any other knight.
And he was possessed of such extraordinary strength that it was believed
that he could successfully withstand the assault of three ordinary knights
at one time. Wherefore when this knight beheld the work that Sir Kay did,
he cried out to him, "Ho! ho! Sir Knight of the black gryphon, turn thou
hitherward and do a battle with me!"
   Now when Sir Kay beheld Sir Balamorgineas to be minded to come against
him in that wise - very threateningly and minded to do him battle - he turned
him toward his enemy with great cheerfulness of spirit. For at that time
Sir Kay was very full of youthful fire and reckoned nothing of assaulting
any enemy who might demand battle of him.
   (So it was at that time. But it after befell, when he became Seneschal,
and when other and mightier knights appeared at the court of the King, that
he would sometimes avoid an encounter with such a knight as Sir Launcelot,
or Sir Pellias, or Sir Marhaus, or Sir Gawaine, if he might do so with credit
to his honor.)
   So, being very full of the spirit of youth, he turned him with great
lustiness of heart, altogether inflamed with the eagerness and fury of battle.
And he cried out in a great voice, "Very well, I will do battle with thee,
and I will cast thee down like thy fellows!" And therewith he smote with
wonderful fierceness at Sir Balamorgineas, and that with all his might.
And Sir Balamorgineas received the stroke upon his helmet and was altogether
bewildered by the fury thereof, for he had never felt its like before that
time. Wherefore his brains swam so light that it was necessary for him to
hold to the horn of his saddle to save himself from falling.
   But it was a great pity for Sir Kay that, with the fierceness of the
blow, his sword-blade snapped short at the haft, flying so high in the air
that it appeared to overtop the turrets of the cathedral in its flight.
Yet so it happened, and thus it befell that Sir Kay was left without any
weapon. Yet it was thought that, because of that stroke, he had Sir Balamorgineas
entirely at his mercy, and that if he could have struck another blow with
his sword he might easily have overcome him.
   But as it was, Sir Balamorgineas presently so far recovered himself that
he perceived his enemy to be altogether at his mercy; wherefore, being filled
beyond measure with rage because of the blow he had received, he pushed
against Sir Kay with intent to smite him down in a violent assault.
   In this pass it would maybe have gone very ill with Sir Kay but that
three of his companions in arms, perceiving the extreme peril in which he
lay, thrust in betwixt him and Sir Balamorgineas with intent to take upon
themselves the assault of that knight and so to save Sir Kay from overthrow.
This they did with such success that Sir Kay was able to push out from the
press and to escape to the barriers without suffering any further harm at
the bands of his enemies.
   Now when he reached the barrier, his esquire, young Arthur, came running
to him with a goblet of spiced wine. And Sir Kay opened the umbril of his
helmet for to drink, for he was athirst beyond measure. And, lo! his face
was all covered over with blood and sweat, and he was so a-drought with
battle that his tongue clave (stick) to the roof of his mouth and he could
not speak. But when he had drunk of the draught that Arthur gave him, his
tongue was loosened and he cried out to the young man in a loud and violent
voice: "Ho! ho! Brother, get me another sword for to do battle, for I am
assuredly winning our house much glory this day!" And Arthur said, "Where
shall I get thee a sword?" And Kay said, "Make haste unto our father's pavilion
and fetch me thence another sword, for this which I have is broken." And
Arthur said, "I will do so with all speed," and thereupon he set hand to
the barrier and leaped over it into the alleyway beyond. And he ran down
the alleyway with all the speed that he was able with intent to fulfil that
task which his brother had bidden him to undertake; and with like speed he
ran to that pavilion that his father had set up in the meadows.
   But when he came to the pavilion of Sir Ector he found no one there,
for all the attendants had betaken themselves unto the tournament. And neither
could he find a sword fit for his brother's handling, wherefore he was put
to a great pass to know what to do in that matter.
   In this extremity he bethought him of that sword that stood thrust into
the anvil before the cathedral, and it appeared to him that such a sword
as that would suit his brother's purposes very well. Wherefore he said to
himself, "I will go thither and get that sword if I am able to do so, for
it will assuredly do very well for my brother for to finish his battle withal.
" Whereupon he ran with all speed to the cathedral. And when he had come
there he discovered that no one was there upon guard at the block of marble,
as had heretofore been the case, for all who had been upon guard had betaken
themselves unto the contest of arms that was toward. And the anvil and the
sword stood where he could reach them. So, there being no one to stay (stop)
young Arthur, he leaped up upon the block of marble and laid his hands unto
the hilt of the sword. And he bent his body and drew upon the sword very
strongly, and, lo! it came forth from the anvil with wonderful smoothness
and ease, and he held the sword in his hand, and it was his.
   And when he had got the sword in that way, he wrapped it in his cloak
so that no one might see it (for it shone with an exceeding brightness and
splendor) and he leaped down from the block of marble stone and hastened
with it unto the field of battle.
   Now when Arthur had entered into that meadow once more, he found Sir
Kay awaiting his coming with great impatience of spirit. And when Sir Kay
saw him he cried out, very vehemently, "Hast thou got a sword?" And Arthur
said, "Yea, I have one here." Thereupon he opened his cloak and showed Sir
Kay what sword it was he had brought.
   Now when Sir Kay beheld the sword he immediately knew it, and he wist
not what to think or what to say, wherefore he stood for a while, like one
turned into a stone, looking upon that sword. Then in awhile he said, in
a very strange voice "Where got ye that sword?" And Arthur looked upon his
brother and he beheld that his countenance was greatly disturbed, and that
his face was altogether as white as wax. And he said, "Brother, what ails
thee that thou lookest so strangely. I will tell the entire truth. I could
find no sword in our father's pavilion, wherefore I bethought me of that
sword that stood in the anvil upon the marble cube before the cathedral.
So I went thither and made assay for to draw it forth, and it came forth
with wonderful ease. So, when I had drawn it out, I wrapped it in my cloak
and brought it hither unto thee as thou beholdest."
   Then Sir Kay turned his thoughts inward and communed with himself in
this wise, "Lo! my brother Arthur is as yet hardly more than a child. And
he is, moreover, exceedingly innocent. Therefore he knoweth not what he
hath done in this nor what the doing thereof signifieth. Now, since he hath
achieved this weapon, why should I not myself lay claim to that achievement,
and so obtain the glory which it signifieth." Whereupon he presently aroused
himself, and he said to Arthur, "Give the sword and the cloak to me," and
Arthur did as his brother commanded. And when he had done so Sir Kay said
to him, " Tell no man of this but keep it privy in thine own heart. Meantime
go thou to our father where he sits at the lists and bid come straightway
unto the pavilion where we have taken up our inn."
   And Arthur did as Sir Kay commanded him, greatly possessed with wonder
that his brother should be so disturbed in spirit as he had appeared to
be. For he wist not what he had done in drawing out that sword from the
anvil, nor did he know of what great things should arise from that little
thing, for so it is in this world that a man sometimes approves himself to
be worthy of such a great trust as that, and yet, in lowliness of spirit,
he is yet altogether unaware that he is worthy thereof. And so it was with
young Arthur at that time.

1) 生詞自查。
2) King Arthur背景介紹﹕King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the
late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and
romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early
6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore
and literary invention, and his historical existence is debated and disputed
by modern historians.
3)作者介紹﹕Howard Pyle (1853-1911), American illustrator, teacher and author
wrote The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood (1883). Sometimes he was referred
to as "the father of American Illustration". He also produced a four volume
series: The Story of King Arthur and His Knights (1903), The Story of the
Champions of the Round Table, The Story of Lancelot and His Companions,
and The Story of the Grail and the Passing of Arthur.  Howard Pyle was born
on 5 March 1853 in Wilmington, Delaware to parents William Pyle and Margaret
Churchman. His father was a leather manufacturer and his mother nurtured
his artistic side with books and drawing materials. Pyle attended art school
in Philadelphia before moving to New York City to continue his artistic
studies and illustrating and writing for the popular periodicals of the day
including Scribner's, Harper's, McClure's, and Collier's Weekly. In 1881
he married Anne Poole with whom he would have seven children.
4) 英國六世紀初的亞瑟王的故事也是大家知道的。或叫圓桌騎士。Knights of the
Round Table. 凡學英文的人﹐這個故事也是應該讀一下的。