库柏:《最后的莫西干人》

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詹姆斯·费尼莫尔·库柏（James Fenimore Cooper）于1789年出生在美国新泽西州的伯林顿。一年后，他父亲威廉·库柏法官把他带到纽约州中部奥茨高湖畔的库柏镇。他31岁时开始写小说，第一部小说《戒备》（The Precaution）于1820年自费出版，很不成功。在妻子的鼓励下，他改变方向，写了一部他认为“应当是纯粹美国式的以爱国主义思想为主题的书”，即《间谍》（The Spy）。小说在1821年出版后受到欢迎。他以后又写了反映边疆生活的《皮袜子故事集》（“皮袜子”是小说主人公纳蒂·班波的绰号）五部曲：《拓荒者》（The Pioneers， 1823）、《最后的莫希干人》（The Last of the Mohicans， 1826）、《草原》（The Prairie， 1827）、《探路者》（The Pathfinder， 1840）和《杀鹿人》（The Deerslayer， 1841）以及反映航海生活的《舵手》（The Pilot， 1824），在美国文学史上开创了三种不同类型的小说，即革命历史小说《间谍》、边疆冒险小说《拓荒者》和海上冒险小说《舵手》。库柏在30年创作生涯中写了50多部小说和其他著作。他最有成就的作品，如《皮袜子故事集》五部曲，对美国的西部小说产生很大影响。至今仍拥有不少读者。

《最后的莫希干人》是《皮袜子故事集》中最出色的一部。故事发生在18世纪50年代末期，英法两国为争夺北美殖民地而进行的“七年战争”的第三年，地点是在赫德森河的源头和乔治湖一带。当时，这儿是一片腥风血雨的战场。小说以威廉·亨利堡司令孟罗上校的两个女儿，科拉和艾丽斯，前往堡垒探望父亲途中被劫持的经历为主线，展开了在原始森林中追踪、伏击、战斗等一系列惊险情节的描写。主人公纳蒂·班波，此时已做了英军的侦察员，并已获得“鹰眼”的绰号，他和他的老友莫希干族酋长“大蟒蛇”钦加哥，以及钦加哥的儿子“快腿鹿”恩卡斯挺身而出，为了救出姐妹俩，和劫持者展开了一场惊心动魄的斗争，最后以一场大厮杀而告终。表面看来，这有点像一个“游侠骑士式”的浪漫故事，实质上，作品首先告诉我们的是：英法殖民主义者是一切罪恶的根源。下面的内容节选自第三十章，描写了恩卡斯从牢房被带到大酋长塔门努德面前，受到特拉华部落众人质问的情景。

The silence continued unbroken by human sounds for many anxious minutes. Then the waving multitude opened and shut again， and Uncas stood in the living circle. All those eyes， which had been curiously studying the lineaments of the sage， as the source of their own intelligence， turned on the instant， and were now bent in secret admiration on the erect， agile， and faultless person of the captive. But neither the presence in which he found himself， nor the exclusive attention that he attracted， in any manner disturbed the self-possession of the young Mohican. He cast a deliberate and observing look on every side of him， meeting the settled expression of hostility that lowered in the visages of the chiefs with the same calmness as the curious gaze of the attentive children. But when， last in this haughty scrutiny， the person of Tamenund came under his glance， his eye became fixed， as though all other objects were already forgotten. Then， advancing with a slow and noiseless step up the area， he placed himself immediately before the footstool of the sage. Here he stood unnoted， though keenly observant himself， until one of the chiefs apprised the latter of his presence.

“With what tongue does the prisoner speak to the Manitou？” demanded the patriarch， without unclosing his eyes.

“Like his fathers，” Uncas replied； “with the tongue of a Delaware.”

At this sudden and unexpected annunciation， a low， fierce yell ran through the multitude， that might not inaptly be compared to the growl of the lion， as his choler is first awakened—a fearful omen of the weight of his future anger. The effect was equally strong on the sage， though differently exhibited. He passed a hand before his eyes， as if to exclude the least evidence of so shameful a spectacle， while he repeated， in his low， guttural tones， the words he had just heard.

“A Delaware！I have lived to see the tribes of the Lenape driven from their council-fires， and scattered， like broken herds of deer， among the hills of the Iroquois！ I have seen the hatchets of a strong people sweep woods from the valleys， that the winds of heaven have spared！The beasts that run on the mountains， and the birds that fly above the trees， have I seen living in the wigwams of men； but never before have I found a Delaware so base as to creep， like a poisonous serpent， into the camps of his nation.”

“The singing-birds have opened their bills，” returned Uncas， in the softest notes of his own musical voice； “and Tamenund has heard their song.”

The sage started， and bent his head aside， as if to catch the fleeting sounds of some passing melody.

“Does Tamenund dream！” he exclaimed. “What voice is at his ear！Have the winters gone backward！ Will summer come again to the children of the Lenape！”

A solemn and respectful silence succeeded this incoherent burst from the lips of the Delaware prophet. His people readily constructed his unintelligible language into one of those mysterious conferences he was believed to hold so frequently with a superior intelligence and they awaited the issue of the revelation in awe. After a patient pause， however， one of the aged men， perceiving that the sage had lost the recollection of the subject before them， ventured to remind him again of the presence of the prisoner.

Question：

1. What language does the prisoner speak？

2. How do the multitude（群众） think of Delaware？

3. Can you describe the character of the sage？

好一会儿，会场上都鸦雀无声。随后，人群有点骚动，闪开一条路，跟着又合拢了。恩卡斯出现在人们中间。人们一直在注视着老族长的面孔，把他看作他们自己智慧的源泉。但是此时，所有人都把眼光转向这个俘虏，心下暗暗称赞他那挺拔、敏捷、完美无缺的身材。年轻的莫希干人虽然是站在尊敬的长老们的面前，而且众人都在注意着他，但他却仍然泰然自若。他不慌不忙地四下打量了一番，像孩子们在好奇地注视着什么东西那样，镇静地看着那些酋长脸上暗淡的、含有敌意的表情。但是，当他高傲的目光看见塔门努德时，他的眼睛立刻定住了，仿佛忘记了所有别的事情。他缓慢而悄无声音地走上前去，随即站在老族长的脚凳前。他站在这儿敏锐地观察着眼前的一切，但族长并没有注意到他，直到后来，一个头领告诉了老族长。

“俘虏用什么语言和玛尼多说话？”老族长闭着眼睛问道。

“像他的祖先一样，”恩卡斯答道，“用德拉瓦尔语。”

听到这突然而出人意料的回答，人群中起了一阵低沉沉、凶狠的叫喊，仿佛狮子开始发怒时的吼叫——一种可怕的征兆，预示着以后愤怒的程度。这话对老族长也产生了强烈的影响，不过他的反应有所不同。他用手遮住了眼睛，好像是不愿看见这样一种可耻现象的任何形迹似的，同时，他用低沉而带喉音的语调把刚听到的话又重复了一遍。

“德拉瓦尔人！我曾经看过莱那泼的各个部族像打散的鹿群一样从会议篝火边被赶到伊洛魁人的群山之中！我曾经看过外族人用斧头砍伐着我们的山谷里经过风吹雨打幸存下来的树木！我还看见过山中奔跑的野兽和树梢上飞翔的鸟儿生活在人们的屋子里。但我从未见到一个德拉瓦尔人竟会如此卑鄙，像一条毒蛇般地爬进了他的族人的营地。”

“叫雀张开了口，”恩卡斯用最柔和悦耳的语调答道，“塔门努德听到他们的叫嚷了。”

老族长一怔，他把头偏到一边，仿佛要捕捉流逝的曲调的余音。

“塔门努德难道在做梦吗？”他叫道，“他听到了什么声音！难道冬天过去了！夏天还会来到莱那泼的子孙身边吗？”

听到这德拉瓦尔先知不连贯的语言，会场上一片肃穆恭敬的沉默。他的人民认为他说这不连贯的言语时，已和往常一样和大神在进行神秘的交流，他们在敬畏中等着交流的结果。不过，过了很久以后，其中的一个长者发现族长已经记不得眼前的事了，于是大着胆子提醒他面前站着俘虏。