eps alive the sense of continuing creation and of the relentless drive of life。 each time that i enter it； i gain some new awareness of its beauty and it s deeper meanings； sensing that intricate fabric of life by which one creature i s linked with another； and each with its surroundings。
in my thoughts of the shore； one place stands apart for its revelation of ex quisite beauty。 it is a pool hidden within a cave that one can visit only rarely and briefly when the lowest of the year's low tides fall below it； and perhaps from that very fact it acquires some of its special beauty。 choosing such a tide ； i hoped for a glimpse of the pool。 the ebb was to fall early in the morning。 i knew that if the wind held from the northwest and no interfering swell ran in f rom a distant storm the level of the sea should drop below the entrance to the p ool。 there had been sudden ominous showers in the night； with rain like handfuls of gravel flung on the roof。 when i looked out into the early morning the sky w as full of a gray dawn light but the sun had not yet risen。 water and air were p allid。 across the bay the moon was a luminous disc in the western sky； suspended above the dim line of distant shore — the full august moon； drawing the tide t o the low； low levels of the threshold of the alien sea world。 as i watched； a g ull flew by； above the spruces。 its breast was rosy with the light of the unrise n sun。 the day was； after all； to be fair。
later； as i stood above the tide near the entrance to the pool； the promise of that rosy light was sustained。 from the base of the steep wall of rock on whi ch i stood； a mosscovered ledge jutted seaward into deep water。 in the surge a t the rim of the ledge the dark fronds of oarweeds swayed smooth and gleaming as leather。 the projecting ledge was the path to the small hidden cave and its poo l。 ocomasionally a swell； stronger than the rest； rolled smoothly over the rim an d broke in foam against the cliff。 but the intervals between such swells were lo ng enough to admit me to the ledge and long enough for a glimpse of that fairy p ool； so seldom and so briefly exposed。
and so i knelt on the wet carpet of sea moss and looked back into the dark c avern that held the pool in a shallow basin。 the floor of the cave was only a fe w inches below the roof； and a mirror had been created in which all that grew on the ceiling was reflected in the still water below。
under water that was clear as glass the pool was carpeted with green sponge。 gray patches of sea squirts glistened on the ceiling and colonies of raft coral were a pale apricot color。 in the moment when i looked into the cave a little e lfin starfish hung down； suspended by the merest thread； perhaps by only a singl e tube foot。 it reached down to touch its own reflection； so perfectly delineate d that there might have been； not one starfish； but two。 the beauty of the refle cted images and of the limpid pool itself was the poignant beauty of things that are ephemeral； existing only until the sea should return to fill the little cav e。
在自然威力之下
埃德加。爱伦。坡
萧伯纳曾说：“美国出了两个伟大的作家——埃德加。爱伦。坡和马克。吐温。”埃德 加。爱伦坡（1809—1849）以其诗歌、小说和文学评论广受推崇，对于美国文学乃至世界文 学影响甚大。本文节选自其短篇小说《厄谢尔宅第的倒塌》。
那年秋天，一个天气阴沉、昏暗而又寂静的日子，低压的云层笼罩着大地。整整一天， 我独自骑着马，在一条异常沉闷的乡间小路上行进；暮『色』降临时分，凄凉的厄谢尔宅第终于 呈现在我眼前。但是，不知出于什么原因，第一眼望见这幢房子，我就被一种令人难以忍受 的阴郁抓住了。我说难以忍受，是因为往常即使人们看到荒山野岭或其他令人生畏的自然景 象时，也可能产生一些诗意，心中或许有几分快感，但此时此地的情景在我心中却丝毫引不 起此种感情。我看着眼前的这番景象——宅第本身、房子周围单调的景象、光秃秃的墙壁、 空空的圆窗、几丛杂『乱』的茅草、几株灰白的枯树——心情十分沮丧，这种沮丧，无法拿人世 间的任何心情来比拟，除非把它比作过足鸦片烟瘾的人从梦幻中回到现实生活里的那种痛苦 心情。我只觉心中一凉，往下一沉，异常难受。还有一种挥之不去的凄凉之感，无论如何也 不能激起我的兴致。那么，究竟是什么——我停下来仔细思量——究竟是什么使我的心绪在 凝望厄谢尔宅第时如此烦『乱』呢？这完全是一个无法解答的谜，在我思量的时候，脑海里充满 了模模糊糊的想法，却无法弄得清楚明白。我只好用那个不能令人满意的解释来安慰自己— —尽管一些非常简单的自然景物结合在一起，也具有影响我们的威力，但要仔细分析这种威 力，却远在我们思考的深度之外。
under the power of nature
edgar allan poe
during the whole of a dull； dark； and soundless day in the autumn of the yea r； when the clouds hung up pressively low in the heavens； i had been passing alo ne； on horseback； through a singularly dreary tract of country； and at length fo und myself； as the shades of the evening drew on； within view of the melancholy house of usher。 i knew not how it was — but； with the first glimpse of the buil ding； a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit。 i say insufferable； for the feeling was unrelieved by any of that halfpleasurable； because poetic；sent iment with which the mind usually receives even the sternest natural images of t he desolate or terrible； i looked upon the scene before me — upon the mere hous e； and the simple landscape features of the domain； upon the bleak walls； upon t he vacant eyelike windows； upon a few randy sedges； and upon a few white trunk s of decayed treeswith an utter depression of soul which i can compare to no e arthly sensation more properly than to the afterdream of the reveler upon opium； the bitter lapse into everyday life；the hideous dropping off of the veil。 there was an iciness； a sinking； a sickening of the heart； an unredeemed torture into ought of the sublime。 what was it i paused to think what was it that so unnerve d me in the contemplation of the house of usher。 it was a mystery all insoluble； nor could i grapple with the shadowy fancies that crowded upon me as i pondered 。 i was forded to fall back upon the unsatisfactory conclusion； that while； beyo nd doubt； there are combinations of very simple natural objects which have the p ower of thus affecting us； still the analysis of this power lies among considera tions beyond our depth。
风 车
爱德华。凡尔拉莱。卢卡斯
爱德华。凡尔拉莱。卢卡斯（1868—1938），英国作家，散文家，毕业于伦敦大学，长 期从事编辑、出版工作，同时致力于写作，是20世纪初期英国文坛的知名人士。
不久之前，一个偶然的机会曾使我成为一座风车的住客。但并不是真的住进去，而且说 来遗憾，也不是进去磨点什么东西，只是兴致来时进去转了转，从它最顶的窗户遥望港口的 船只，或者俯视周围的羊群和原野。这座风车又大又白——而且白得很厉害，每当雷雨云绕 到它的背后时，整个风车就光亮得如同铝制的一样。
从风车的其他几个窗口往外看，你还可以看到另外的四个风车，这些风车和它一样，也 都在闲置着。其中有一个已经破损得非常厉害，还有一个也只剩下了两个翅膀。但就在下一 道山冈、远得望不见的东北方向，就有一座风车在那里欢快地转动着，另外由此再折向西北 四五英里的地方，也有一个风车非常活跃。所以这个地方的情形还不至于像全国其他地方那 么糟糕，任由阵阵好风从身边白白吹过……
一旦想起由于蒸气机以及工程师的聪明才智所带给英国的种种损失，人们总会把风车的 衰落列为其中的第一项。也许如果只从景物的美观别致来说，英国所遭遇的最大不幸乃是锌 镀铁屋顶