Tuan will she die? The white man moved his shoulders uneasily and muttered in a hesitating manner-- If such is her fate No, Tuan, "said Arsat, calmly. " If such is my fate. I hear, I see, I wait. I remember.. Tuan do you remember the old days? Do you remember my brother? Yes, said the white man. The Malay rose suddenly and went in. The other, sitting still outside, could hear the voice in the hut. Arsat said: "Hear me! Speak "His words were succeeded by a complete silence. O Diamelen "he cried, suddenly. After that cry there was a deep sigh Arsat came out and sank down again in his old place They sat in silence before the fire. There was no sound within the house, ther near them; but far away on the lagoon they could hear the voices of the boatmen ringing fitful and distinct on the calm water. The fire in the bows of the sampan shone faintly in the distance with a azy red glow. Then it died out. The voices ceased. The land and the water slept invisible unstirring and mute. It was as though there had been nothing left in the world but the glitter of stars streaming, ceaseless and vain. through the black stillness of the night. The white man gazed straight before him into the darkness with wide-open eyes. The fear and fascination, the inspiration and the wonder of death--of death near, unavoidable, and unseen soothed the unrest of his race and stirred the most indistinct, the most intimate of his thoughts the ever-ready suspicion of evil, the gnawing suspicion that lurks in our hearts, flowed out into the stillness round him--into the stillness profound and dumb, and made it appear untrustworthy and infamous, like the placid and impenetrable mask of an unjustifiable violence. In that fleeting and powerful disturbance of his being the earth enfolded in the starlight peace became a shadowy country of inhuman strife, a battle-field of phantoms terrible and charming, august or ignoble struggling ardently for the possession of our helpless hearts. An unquiet and mysterious country of inextinguishable desires and fears a plaintive murmur rose in the night; a murmur saddening and startling as if the great solitudes of surrounding woods had tried to whisper into his ear the wisdom of their immense and lofty indifference. Sounds hesitating and vague floated in the air round him, shaped themselves slowly into words, and at last flowed on gently in a murmuring stream of soft and monotonous sentences. He stirred like a man waking up and changed his position slightly. Arsat, motionless and shadowy, sitting with bowed head under the stars, was speaking in a low and dreamy tone-- for where can we lay down the heaviness of our trouble but in a friends heart? a man must speak of war and of love. You, Tuan, know what war is, and you have seen me in time of danger seek death as other men seek life! A writing may be lost; a lie may be written; but what the eye has seen is truth and remains in the mind I remember, "said the white man, quietly Arsat went on with mournful composure "Therefore I shall speak to you of love. Speak in the night. Speak before both night and love are gone--and the eye of day looks upon my sorrow and my shame; upon my blackened face, upon my burnt-up heart A sigh, short and faint, marked an almost imperceptible pause, and then his words flowed on without a stir, without a gesture 8 gnawing:折磨人的,使人痛苦的 In that fleeting. our helpless heart:在他的内心闪现着严重不安的情况下,包裹在和平星光中的大地变成 一个非人类的斗争环境,那些施展魔力的可怕的幽灵们的一个战场,不管令人敬畏还是并不体面,它们 狂热地想要占有我们无助的心"Tuan . . . will she die?" The white man moved his shoulders uneasily and muttered in a hesitating manner-- "If such is her fate." "No, Tuan," said Arsat, calmly. "If such is my fate. I hear, I see, I wait. I remember . . . Tuan, do you remember the old days? Do you remember my brother?" "Yes," said the white man. The Malay rose suddenly and went in. The other, sitting still outside, could hear the voice in the hut. Arsat said: "Hear me! Speak!" His words were succeeded by a complete silence. "O Diamelen!" he cried, suddenly. After that cry there was a deep sigh. Arsat came out and sank down again in his old place. They sat in silence before the fire. There was no sound within the house, there was no sound near them; but far away on the lagoon they could hear the voices of the boatmen ringing fitful and distinct on the calm water. The fire in the bows of the sampan shone faintly in the distance with a hazy red glow. Then it died out. The voices ceased. The land and the water slept invisible, unstirring and mute. It was as though there had been nothing left in the world but the glitter of stars streaming, ceaseless and vain, through the black stillness of the night. The white man gazed straight before him into the darkness with wide-open eyes. The fear and fascination, the inspiration and the wonder of death--of death near, unavoidable, and unseen, soothed the unrest of his race and stirred the most indistinct, the most intimate of his thoughts. The ever-ready suspicion of evil, the gnawing18 suspicion that lurks in our hearts, flowed out into the stillness round him--into the stillness profound and dumb, and made it appear untrustworthy and infamous, like the placid and impenetrable mask of an unjustifiable violence. In that fleeting and powerful disturbance of his being the earth enfolded in the starlight peace became a shadowy country of inhuman strife, a battle-field of phantoms terrible and charming, august or ignoble, struggling ardently for the possession of our helpless hearts19. An unquiet and mysterious country of inextinguishable desires and fears. A plaintive murmur rose in the night; a murmur saddening and startling, as if the great solitudes of surrounding woods had tried to whisper into his ear the wisdom of their immense and lofty indifference. Sounds hesitating and vague floated in the air round him, shaped themselves slowly into words; and at last flowed on gently in a murmuring stream of soft and monotonous sentences. He stirred like a man waking up and changed his position slightly. Arsat, motionless and shadowy, sitting with bowed head under the stars, was speaking in a low and dreamy tone-- ". . . for where can we lay down the heaviness of our trouble but in a friend's heart? A man must speak of war and of love. You, Tuan, know what war is, and you have seen me in time of danger seek death as other men seek life! A writing may be lost; a lie may be written; but what the eye has seen is truth and remains in the mind!" "I remember," said the white man, quietly. Arsat went on with mournful composure-- "Therefore I shall speak to you of love. Speak in the night. Speak before both night and love are gone--and the eye of day looks upon my sorrow and my shame; upon my blackened face; upon my burnt-up heart." A sigh, short and faint, marked an almost imperceptible pause, and then his words flowed on, without a stir, without a gesture. 18 Gnawing: 折磨人的，使人痛苦的 19 In that fleeting… our helpless heart: 在他的内心闪现着严重不安的情况下，包裹在和平星光中的大地变成 了一个非人类的斗争环境，那些施展魔力的可怕的幽灵们的一个战场，不管令人敬畏还是并不体面，它们 狂热地想要占有我们无助的心