第14章 NATURE 自然

Beautiful are the heralds

That stand at Nature's door,

Crying, “O traveller, enter in,

And taste the Master's store!”

“Enter,” they cry,

“to a kingly feast,

Where all may venture near; —

A million beauties for the eye,

And music for the ear:

“Only, before thou enterest in,

Upon the threshold fall,

And pay the tribute of thy praise

To Him who gives thee all.’”

So some kneel down, and enter

With reverent step and slow;

And calm airs fraught with precious scent

Breathe round them as they go:

Gently they pass 'mid sight and sound

And the sunshine round them sleeping,

To where the angels Faith and Love

The inner gates are keeping.

Then backward rolls the wondrous screen

That hides the secret place,

Where the God of Nature veils himself

In the brighter realms of Grace:

But they who have not bent the knee

Will smile at this my story;

For, though they enter the temple gates,

They know not the inner glory.

— W. E. Littlewood

Words

fraught,laden.

heralds,proclaimers.

realms,regions;kingdoms.

reverent,humble.

screen,curtain.

threshold,entrance.

tribute,meed;homage.

venture,dare to come.

wondrous,wonderful.

美丽的使者，

站在自然的门外，

里面有人喊道：“哦旅行者，进来吧！

来欣赏主人的宝藏！”

“进来，”他们呼喊，

“来品尝这高贵的盛宴！”

所有人都会冒险靠近，

靠近眼前的万千风情，

靠近耳边的绝美乐章。

“不过，在你进门之前，

请走到门槛旁，

赞美那个人，

那个将这些礼物赠送于你的人。”

有些人跪下了，进门，

内心虔诚，脚步缓慢，

当走进时，他们嗅到，

宁静的空气洋溢沁人的清香。

在光影与声响中，他们轻轻地走近，

阳光在他们周围徜徉，

走近天使信仰与热爱的地方，

里面的大门在此紧紧闭上。

背后奇妙的屏障翻滚，

遮蔽了这一神秘之地，

自然之神隐匿在这里，

在明亮的优雅之邦。

然而那些没有跪下的人们，

会嘲笑我的这个故事；

因为他们虽然走进了庙宇大门，

却发现里面没有光芒。

——利特尔伍德