书城外语澳大利亚学生文学读本(套装1-6册)
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第199章 第六册(33)

General Notes.-Make a list in the fewest possible words of the joys enumerated by the poet. What does he mean by "dappled swamp "; "purple glory "; "scarter pomp "; "tempter apple "; "lyric touch "; "far- listening morn "; " beat on their corslets "; "minting his words "; " racy smell "; " I am one with you " ? Write an essay on the joys that are not mentioned in the poem.

When you read the poem aloud, notice the strolling movement-two steps to each line :-An ópen hand, an eásy shoe,

And hópe to make the dáy go through.

LESSON 37

A-ROVINg

When the sap runs up the tree, And the vine runs o"er the wall, When the blossom draws the bee, From the forest comes a call,Wild, and clear, and sweet, and strange, Many-toned and murmuring,Like the river in the range- "Tis the joyous voice of Spring!

On the boles of grey old trees, See the flying sunbeams play, Mystic, soundless melodies- A fantastic march and gay;But the young leaves hear them-hark, How they rustle, every one !-And the sap beneath the bark, Hearing, leaps to meet the sun.

Oh, the world is wondrous fair,

When the tide of life"s at flood!

Drawn by John Rowell

"Mystic, soundless melodies. "

There is magic in the air, There is music in the blood; And a glamour draws us on,To the distance, rainbow-spanned, And the road we tread upon,Is the road to fairyland.

Lo! the old hear voices sweet,

And they know the wondrous song; And their ancient pulses beat,To a tune forgotten long; And they talk in whispers low, With a smile and with a sigh, Of the years of long ago,And the roving days gone by.

Victor Daley.

Author.-Victob James Patrick Daley, born in Ireland, 1858, arrived in Australia at the age of 18 years, followed the profession of journalism and earned a somewhat precarious living. He died at Sydney in 1905. Daley is one of our best lyric poets, a worthy successor to Kendall. Two volumes, At Dawn and Dusk, and Wine and Roses, contain his poetry.

General Notes.-Note the smooth flow of the words, the aptness ofdescription, the air of gaiety so suitable to the theme. The version given in the text omits certain lines after "the joyous voice of Spring. " Insert-"O rise up, rise up, light-hearted,

And take your staff in hand, For it is the time for rovingThrough the green and pleasant land. "

Write a little essay on "The Call of Summer, " "The Call of Autumn, " "The Call of Winter. "LESSON 38

lAST lEAVES FROm SCOTT"S DIARy

[Captain Robert Falcon Scott and his companions perished in the Antarctic in 1912 on their return journey from the South Pole. The tragic story of their endurance and heroism has been learned from the following last entries in Scott"s diary, which the relief party found in the explorers" last camp-only eleven miles from the depot in which food and fuel had been stored.]

Friday, March 16 or Saturday 17.-Lost track of dates, but think the last correct. Tragedy all along the line. At lunch, the day before yesterday, poor Titus Oates said he couldn"t go on; he proposed we should leave him in his sleeping-bag. That we could not do, and induced him to come on, on the afternoon march. In spite of its awful nature for him, he struggled on and we made a few miles. At night he was worse, and we knew the end had come.

Should this be found I want these facts recorded. Oates"s last thoughts were of his mother, but immediately before he took pride in thinking that his regiment would be pleased with the bold way in which he met his death. We can testify to his bravery. He has borne intense suffering for weeks without complaint, and to the very last was able and willing to discuss outside subjects. He did not-would not-give up hope to the very end. He was a brave soul. This was the end. He sleptthrough the night before last, hoping not to wake; but he woke in the morning-yesterday. It was blowing a blizzard. He said, "I am just going outside and may be some time. " He went out into the blizzard, and we have not seen him since.

We knew that poor Oates was walking to his death; but,The last page of Scott" diary.

though we tried to dissuade him, we knew it was the act of a brave man and an English gentleman. We all hope to meet the end with a similar spirit, and assuredly the end is not far.

Wednesday, March 21.-Got within eleven miles of depot,Monday night; had to lay up all yesterday in severe blizzard. To-day forlorn hope, Wilson and Bowers going to depot for fuel.

22 and 23.-Blizzard bad as ever-Wilson and Bowersunable to start-to-morrow last chance-no fuel and only one or two of food left-must be near the end. Have decided it shall be natural-we shall march for the depot with or without our effects and die in our tracks.

Thursday, March 29.-Since the 21st we have had acontinuous gale from W.S.W. and S.W. We had fuel to make two cups of tea apiece and bare food for two days on the 20th. Every day we have been ready to start for our depot eleven miles away, but outside the door of the tent it remains a scene of whirling drift. I do not think we can hope for any better things now. We shall stick it out to the end, but we are getting weaker, of course, and the end cannot be far.

It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write more.

R. Scott.

[Wilson and Bowers were found in the attitude of sleep, their sleeping-bags closed over their heads as they would naturally close them.

Scott died later. He had thrown back the flaps of hissleeping-bag and opened his coat. The little wallet containing the three notebooks was under his shoulders, and his arm flung across Wilson. So they were found, eight months later.]Author.-Robert Falcon Scott (1868-1912), born in Devonport, England, in 1868. At the age of fourteen, he joined the British Navy and by 1900 had received the rank of commander. He led several Antarctic expeditions, in the last of which he, together with some companions, met his death, about March, 1912.

General Notes.-See a map of Antarctica. What do you think ofOates"s last exploit? What good comes to Antarctic exploration ? Compare Scott"s death with that of Sir John Franklin.