RipVanWinkle原文.docx

RipVanWinkle原文.docx

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RipVanWinkle原文

作者简介：

华盛顿·欧文（Washington Irving）（1789-1895）, 美国浪漫主义作家，也是一个纯文学作家，他的写作态度是"writing for pleasure and to produce pleasure"。

欧文的代表作有《见闻札记》（Sketch Book），这是第一部伟大的青少年读物，也是美国本土作家第一部成功的小说。

由于欧文对美国文学的伟大贡献，他获得了“美国文学之父”的光荣称号。

这篇短篇小说，《瑞普·凡·温克尔》便是摘自《见闻札记》。

RipVanWinkle

APosthumousWritingofDiedrichKnickerbocker

ByWashingtonIrving

（THEFOLLOWINGtalewasfoundamongthepapersofthelateDiedrichKnickerbocker,anoldgentlemanofNewYork,whowasverycuriousintheDutchhistoryoftheprovince,andthemannersofthedescendantsfromitsprimitivesettlers.Hishistoricalresearches,however,didnotliesomuchamongbooksasamongmen;fortheformerarelamentablyscantyonhisfavoritetopics;whereashefoundtheoldburghers,andstillmoretheirwives,richinthatlegendaryloresoinvaluabletotruehistory.Whenever,therefore,hehappeneduponagenuineDutchfamily,snuglyshutupinitslow-roofedfarmhouse,underaspreadingsycamore,helookeduponitasalittleclaspedvolumeofblack-letter,andstudieditwiththezealofabookworm.

TheresultofalltheseresearcheswasahistoryoftheprovinceduringthereignoftheDutchgovernors,whichhepublishedsomeyearssince.Therehavebeenvariousopinionsastotheliterarycharacterofhiswork,and,totellthetruth,itisnotawhitbetterthanitshouldbe.Itschiefmeritisitsscrupulousaccuracy,whichindeedwasalittlequestionedonitsfirstappearance,buthassincebeencompletelyestablished;anditishowadmittedintoallhistoricalcollectionsasabookofunquestionableauthority.

Theoldgentlemandiedshortlyafterthepublicationofhiswork,andnowthatheisdeadandgoneitcannotdomuchharmtohismemorytosaythathistimemighthavebeenmuchbetteremployedinweightierlabors.He,however,wasapttoridehishobbyinhisownway;andthoughitdidnowandthenkickupthedustalittleintheeyesofhisneighborsandgrievethespiritofsomefriends,forwhomhefeltthetruestdeferenceandaffection,yethiserrorsandfolliesareremembered“moreinsorrowthaninanger”;anditbeginstobesuspectedthatheneverintendedtoinjureoroffend.Buthoweverhismemorymaybeappreciatedbycritics,itisstillhelddearamongmanyfolkwhosegoodopinioniswellworthhaving;particularlybycertainbiscuitbakers,whohavegonesofarastoimprinthislikenessontheirNewYearcakes,andhavethusgivenhimachanceforimmortalityalmostequaltothebeingstampedonaWaterloomedaloraQueenAnne’sfarthing.）

ByWoden,GodofSaxons,

FromwhencecomesWensday,thatisWodensday,

TruthisathingthateverIwillkeep

UntothylkedayinwhichIcreepinto

Mysepulchre—

        CARTWRIGHT.

WhoeverhasmadeavoyageuptheHudsonmustremembertheCatskillMountains.TheyareadismemberedbranchofthegreatAppalachianfamily,andareseenawaytothewestoftheriver,swellinguptoanobleheight,andlordingitoverthesurroundingcountry.Everychangeofseason,everychangeofweather,indeed,everyhouroftheday,producessomechangeinthemagicalhuesandshapesofthesemountains,andtheyareregardedbyallthegoodwives,farandnear,asperfectbarometers.Whentheweatherisfairandsettled,theyareclothedinblueandpurple,andprinttheirboldoutlinesonthecleareveningsky;butsometimes,whentherestofthelandscapeiscloudless,theywillgatherahoodofgrayvaporsabouttheirsummits,which,inthelastraysofthesettingsun,willglowandlightuplikeacrownofglory.

Atthefootofthesefairymountainsthevoyagermayhavedescriedthelightsmokecurlingupfromavillagewhoseshingleroofsgleamamongthetrees,justwherethebluetintsoftheuplandmeltawayintothefreshgreenofthenearerlandscape.Itisalittlevillageofgreatantiquity,havingbeenfoundedbysomeoftheDutchcolonists,intheearlytimesoftheprovince,justaboutthebeginningofthegovernmentofthegoodPeterStuyvesant（mayherestinpeace!

）,andthereweresomeofthehousesoftheoriginalsettlersstandingwithinafewyears,withlatticewindows,gablefrontssurmountedwithweathercocks,andbuiltofsmallyellowbricksbroughtfromHolland.

Inthatsamevillage,andinoneoftheseveryhouses（which,totelltheprecisetruth,wassadlytime-wornandweather-beaten）,therelivedmanyyearssince,whilethecountrywasyetaprovinceofGreatBritain,asimple,good-naturedfellow,ofthenameofRipVanWinkle.HewasadescendantoftheVanWinkleswhofiguredsogallantlyinthechivalrousdaysofPeterStuyvesant,andaccompaniedhimtothesiegeofFortChristina.Heinherited,however,butlittleofthemartialcharacterofhisancestors.Ihaveobservedthathewasasimple,good-naturedman;hewas,moreover,akindneighborandanobedient,henpeckedhusband.Indeed,tothelattercircumstancemightbeowingthatmeeknessofspiritwhichgainedhimsuchuniversalpopularity;forthosemenaremostapttobeobsequiousandconciliatingabroadwhoareunderthedisciplineofshrewsathome.Theirtempers,doubtless,arerenderedpliantandmalleableinthefieryfurnaceofdomestictribulation,andacurtainlectureisworthallthesermonsintheworldforteachingthevirtuesofpatienceandlong-suffering.Atermagantwifemay,therefore,insomerespects,beconsideredatolerableblessing;andifso,RipVanWinklewasthriceblessed.

Certainitisthathewasagreatfavoriteamongallthegoodwivesofthevillage,who,asusualwiththeamiablesex,tookhispartinallfamilysquabbles,andneverfailed,whenevertheytalkedthosemattersoverintheireveninggossipings,tolayalltheblameonDameVanWinkle.Thechildrenofthevillage,too,wouldshoutwithjoywheneverheapproached.Heassistedattheirsports,madetheirplaythings,taughtthemtoflykitesandshootmarbles,andtoldthemlongstoriesofghosts,witches,andIndians.Wheneverhewentdodgingaboutthevillage,hewassurroundedbyatroopofthem,hangingonhisskirts,clamberingonhisback,andplayingathousandtricksonhimwithimpunity;andnotadogwouldbarkathimthroughouttheneighborhood.

ThegreaterrorinRip’scompositionwasaninsuperableaversiontoallkindsofprofitablelabor.Itcouldnotbefromthewantofassiduityorperseverance;forhewouldsitonawetrock,witharodaslongandheavyasaTartar’slance,andfishalldaywithoutamurmur,eventhoughheshouldnotbeencouragedbyasinglenibble.Hewouldcarryafowlingpieceonhisshoulder,forhourstogether,trudgingthroughwoodsandswamps,anduphillanddowndale,toshootafewsquirrelsorwildpigeons.Hewouldneverevenrefusetoassistaneighborintheroughesttoil,andwasaforemostmanatallcountryfrolicsforhuskingIndiancorn,orbuildingstonefences.Thewomenofthevillage,too,usedtoemployhimtoruntheirerrands,andtodosuchlittleoddjobsastheirlessobliginghusbandswouldnotdoforthem;inaword,Ripwasreadytoattendtoanybody’sbusinessbuthisown;butastodoingfamilyduty,andkeepinghisfarminorder,itwasimpossible.

 Infact,hedeclareditwasofnousetoworkonhisfarm;itwasthemostpestilentlittlepieceofgroundinthewholecountry;everythingaboutitwentwrong,andwouldgowrong,inspiteofhim.Hisfenceswerecontinuallyfallingtopieces;hiscowwouldeithergoastrayorgetamongthecabbages;weedsweresuretogrowquickerinhisfieldsthananywhereelse;therainalwaysmadeapointofsettinginjustashehadsomeoutdoorworktodo;sothatthoughhispatrimonialestatehaddwindledawayunderhismanagement,acrebyacre,untiltherewaslittlemoreleftthanamerepatchofIndiancornandpotatoes,yetitwastheworst-conditionedfarmintheneighborhood.

Hischildren,too,wereasraggedandwildasiftheybelongedtonobody.HissonRip,anurchinbegotteninhisownlikeness,promisedtoinheritthehabits,withtheoldclothesofhisfather.Hewasgenerallyseentroopinglikeacoltathismother’sheels,equippedinapairofhisfather’scast-offgalligaskins,whichhehadmuchadotoholdupwithonehand,asafineladydoeshertraininbadweather.

 RipVanWinkle,however,wasoneofthosehappymortals,offoolish,well-oileddispositions,whotaketheworldeasy,eatwhitebreadorbrown,whichevercanbegotwithleastthoughtortrouble,andwouldratherstarveonapennythanworkforapound.Iflefttohimself,hewouldhavewhistledlifeaway,inperfectcontentment;buthiswifekeptcontinuallydinninginhisearsabouthisidleness,hiscarelessness,andtheruinhewasbringingonhisfamily.Morning,noon,andnight,hertonguewasincessantlygoing,andeverythinghesaidordidwassuretoproduceatorrentofhouseholdeloquence.Riphadbutonewayofreplyingtoalllecturesofthekind,andthat,byfrequentuse,hadgrownintoahabit.Heshruggedhisshoulders,shookhishead,castuphiseyes,butsaidnothing.This,however,alwaysprovokedafreshvolleyfromhiswife,sothathewasfaintodrawoffhisforces,andtaketotheoutsideofthehouse—theonlysidewhich,intruth,belongstoahenpeckedhusband.

Rip’ssoledomesticadherentwashisdogWolf,whowasasmuchhenpeckedashismaster;forDameVanWinkleregardedthemascompanionsinidleness,andevenlookeduponWolfwithanevileye,asthecauseofhismaster’ssooftengoingastray.Trueitis,inallpointsofspiritbefittinganhonorabledog,hewasascourageousananimalaseverscouredthewoods—butwhatcouragecanwithstandtheever-duringandall-besettingterrorsofawoman’stongue?

ThemomentWolfenteredthehousehiscrestfell,histaildroopedtotheground,orcurledbetweenhislegs;hesneakedaboutwithagallowsair,cas