The Silken Tassel
文章来源: 文章作者: 发布时间:2007-05-26 06:39 字体: [ ]  进入论坛
(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
There was a girl called Torko-Chachak, which means "Silken Tassel1." Her eyes were like wild cherries, her brows were like two rainbows. Into her braids she plaited seashells from distant lands, and on her hat there was a silken tassel, white as moonlight.

One day the father of Silken Tassel fell ill, and her mother said to her:

"Get up on the bay horse and hurry to the bank of the rushing river. There, in a tent made of birchbark, you will find the shaman Teldekpei. Ask him to come here and to cure your father."

The girl leaped up on the bay horse with the white star on his forehead, took in her right hand the leather reins2 with silver rings and in her left, the lash3 with a finely carved bone handle. The bay horse galloped4 fast, the reins shook up and down, the harness tinkled5 merrily.

Old Teldekpei sat at the threshold of his birchbark tent. With a sharp knife, he was carving6 a round cup out of a piece of birchwood. He heard the merry clattering7 of hooves, the ringing of the harness. He raised his eyes and saw the girl on the bay horse.

She sat proudly in the high saddle, the silken tassel fluttered in the wind, the seashells sang in her thick braids.

The knife dropped from the shaman's hand, the cup rolled into the fire.

"Grandfather," said the girl. "My father is sick, come help us."

"I will cure your father, Silken Tassel, if you will marry me." The shaman's eyebrows8 were like moss9, his white beard, like a thorny10 shrub11.

Frightened, Silken Tassel pulled the reins and galloped off.

"At dawn tomorrow I will come to you!" the shaman called after her.

The girl came home, entered the tent and said: "Old Teldekpei will be here tomorrow at dawn."

The stars had not yet melted in the sky, the people in the camp had not yet set the milk out to ferment12, the meat in the kettles had not yet been cooked, and the fine white rugs were not yet spread upon the ground when there was a loud clattering of hooves.

The oldest of the elders came out to welcome the mighty13 shaman Teldekpei.

He sat atop a shaggy horse with a back as wide as a mountain yak's. Silently, looking at no one, he dismounted, and, greeting no one, he went into the tent. The old men brought in after him the eighty-pound robe in which he worked his magic and put it down on the white rug. They hung his tambourine14 upon a wooden peg15 and made a fire of fragrant16 juniper twigs17 under it.

All day, from dawn to sunset, the shaman sat without lifting his eyelids18, without moving, without uttering a word.

Late at night Teldekpei stood up and pulled his red shaman's hat down to his eyebrows. Two owl19 feathers stood up in his hat like ears; red strips of cloth fluttered behind it like two wings. Large glass beads20 fell upon his face like hail. Groaning21, he lifted from the rug his eighty-pound robe and put his hands into the stiff, hard sleeves. Along the sides of the robe hung frogs and snakes woven of magic grasses. Feathers of woodpeckers were stuck into its back.

The Shaman took his tambourine from the peg and struck it with a wooden stick. A booming noise filled the tent, like a mountain storm in winter. The people stood about chilled with fear. The shaman danced and swayed and worked his magic, the bells rang, and the tambourine clashed and moaned and thundered. Then sudden silence fell. The tambourine moaned for the last time, and everything was still.

Teldekpei sank onto the white rug, wiped the sweat off his brow with his sleeve, straightened his tangled22 beard with his fingers, took the heart of a goat from a tray, ate it, and said:

"Drive out Silken Tassel. An evil spirit resides in her. While she is in the camp, her father will not get up from his illness. Misfortune will not leave this valley. Little children will fall asleep forever; their fathers and grandfathers will die in torment23."

The women of the camp fell down upon the ground in fear. The old men pressed their hands over their eyes with grief. The young men looked at Silken Tassel; twice they turned red, and twice they turned pale.

"Put Silken Tassel into a wooden barrel," the shaman boomed. "Bind24 the barrel with nine iron hoops25. Nail down the bottom with copper26 nails, and throw the barrel into the rushing river."

He said this, mounted his shaggy horse, and rode off to his own white tent.

"Hey!" he shouted to his slaves. "Go to the river! The water will bring down a large barrel. Catch it and bring it here, then run into the woods. If you hear weeping, do not turn back. If cries and moans spread through the woods, do not look back. Do not return to my tent in less than three days."

For seven days and seven nights the people of the encampment could not bring themselves to carry out the shaman's orders. For seven days and seven nights they bid the girl farewell. On the eighth day they put Silken Tassel into a wooden barrel, bound it with nine iron hoops, nailed down the bottom with copper nails, and threw the barrel into the rushing river.

On that day a young fisherman called Balykchi sat on the steep bank of the river some distance from the camp.

He saw the barrel, caught it, brought it into his hut, picked up an axe27, and knocked out the bottom. When he saw the girl, the hand that held the axe dropped, and his heart leaped like a grasshopper28. At last he asked the girl:

"What is your name?"

"Silken Tassel---Torko-Chachak."

The girl climbed out of the barrel and bowed low to the fisherman.

"Who put you into the barrel?"

"The shaman Teldekpei said that it must be done."

The fisherman whistled for his dog, fierce as a mountain lion, put him into the barrel, nailed down the bottom with copper nails, and let the barrel float downstream.

The shaman's slaves pulled out the barrel, brought it to the white birchbark tent, put it before the old wizard, and ran away into the woods.

But even before they reached the woods, they heard the shaman call: "Help! Help!"

But the slaves did everything he had bidden. They heard shouts, but did not turn back. They heard moaning and cries, but did not look back. For such were their master's orders.

Three days later they returned from the woods. The shaman lay on the ground, more dead than alive. His clothes were torn to shreds29, his beard was bloody30 and tangled, his eyebrows were shaggier than ever.

And Torko-Chachak remained with the young fisherman in the green hut. But Balykchi did not go out fishing any more. He would pick up the rod and take two steps toward the river, then look back at the girl on the threshold, and his feet carried him back to her. He could not get enough of gazing at Silken Tassel.

And so the girl took a piece of birchbark and painted her face on it with the juice of flowers and berries. She nailed the birchbark to a stick and put the stick into the ground right by the water. Now the fisherman was not so lonely by the river. The painted Torko-Chachak looked at him as if she were alive.

One day Balykchi looked at the picture and did not notice when a large fish caught his bait. The rod slipped from his hand and knocked down the stick, and the birchbark fell into the water and floated away.

When the girl heard this, she wept and wailed31, she rubbed her brows with her hands, she tangled her braids with her fingers. "Whoever finds the birchbark will come here! Hurry, hurry, Balykchi, and try to catch it! Turn your goatskin coat with the fur outside, get up on the blue ox, and ride as fast as he will go along the riverbank."

Balykchi put on his goatskin coat with the fur outside. He mounted the blue ox and galloped off along the riverbank. But the painted birchbark floated down and down, faster and faster. Balykchi could not catch it.

The water brought the birchbark to the mouth of the river. Here it got tangled in a willow32 branch and hung over the rapid current.

At the mouth of that river, the camp of rich and cruel Kara-Khan spread far and wide over endless fields and meadows. Innumerable herds33 of cattle, white and red, were grazing in the tall grass.

The shepherds noticed the white birchbark in the willows34. They came down nearer and stared at it, enchanted35. Their hats were blown off by the wind and floated down the current. Their herds wandered away and scattered36 in the woods.

"What is this?" thundered Kara-Khan, riding up to his shepherds. "Hey, lazy good-for-nothings! What holiday is this? Whose wedding are you celebrating?"

He raised his nine-tailed lash, but suddenly he saw the birchbark, and the lash dropped from his hand.

A girl looked at him from the birchbark. Her lips were like a newly opened scarlet37 flower, her eyes were like wild cherries, her brows like two rainbows, her lashes38 like arrows that struck the heart.

He snatched the birchbark, put it into the bosom39 of his coat, and shouted in a terrifying voice:

"Hey, you! Mighty fighters, strong men, warriors40, heroes! Get on your horses at once! If we don't find this girl, I'll kill you with my spear, I'll shoot you with my arrows, I'll have you thrown into boiling water!"

He touched the reins and galloped off upstream. Behind him came an army of warriors, clanking their heavy armor of red copper and yellow bronze.

Behind the army rode the stablemen leading a white stallion that was as fast as thought.

At the sight of this dread41 army, Silken Tassel did not cry and did not laugh. Silently she mounted the white stallion with the pearl-embroidered saddle.

And so, without crying, without laughing, without saying a word to anyone, without answering anyone, Torko-Chachak sat in the khan's tent.

Suddenly, one sunny morning, she sprang outside, clapped her hands, and laughed, and sang!

Kara-Khan looked where she was looking, ran where she was running, and saw a young man in a goatskin coat turned inside out mounted on a blue ox.

"So it was he who made you laugh, Silken Tassel? Why, I can do the same. I can also put on this ragged42 coat. I can also mount the blue ox without fear. Then smile as gaily43 to me, sing to me as merrily!"

And Kara-Khan tore the goatskin coat from Balykchi's shoulders, went over to the blue ox, picked up the reins, and put his foot into the iron stirrup.

"Moo-oo! Moo-oo!" bellowed44 the ox, and, giving the khan no time to swing his right foot over the saddle, he dragged him off over the hills and valleys.

Kara-Khan's black cruel liver burst with shame. His round cruel heart burst with rage.

And Silken Tassel took the poor fisherman Balykchi by the right hand, and together they returned to their green hut.

May you, too, find the happiness they found, for this is the end of our tale.



点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 tassel egKyo     
n.流苏,穗;v.抽穗, (玉米)长穗须
参考例句:
  • The corn has begun to tassel.玉米开始长出穗状雄花。
  • There are blue tassels on my curtains.我的窗帘上有蓝色的流苏。
2 reins 370afc7786679703b82ccfca58610c98     
感情,激情; 缰( rein的名词复数 ); 控制手段; 掌管; (成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的)保护带
参考例句:
  • She pulled gently on the reins. 她轻轻地拉着缰绳。
  • The government has imposed strict reins on the import of luxury goods. 政府对奢侈品的进口有严格的控制手段。
3 lash a2oxR     
v.系牢;鞭打;猛烈抨击;n.鞭打;眼睫毛
参考例句:
  • He received a lash of her hand on his cheek.他突然被她打了一记耳光。
  • With a lash of its tail the tiger leaped at her.老虎把尾巴一甩朝她扑过来。
4 galloped 4411170e828312c33945e27bb9dce358     
(使马)飞奔,奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 ); 快速做[说]某事
参考例句:
  • Jo galloped across the field towards him. 乔骑马穿过田野向他奔去。
  • The children galloped home as soon as the class was over. 孩子们一下课便飞奔回家了。
5 tinkled a75bf1120cb6e885f8214e330dbfc6b7     
(使)发出丁当声,(使)发铃铃声( tinkle的过去式和过去分词 ); 叮当响着发出,铃铃响着报出
参考例句:
  • The sheep's bell tinkled through the hills. 羊的铃铛叮当叮当地响彻整个山区。
  • A piano tinkled gently in the background. 背景音是悠扬的钢琴声。
6 carving 5wezxw     
n.雕刻品,雕花
参考例句:
  • All the furniture in the room had much carving.房间里所有的家具上都有许多雕刻。
  • He acquired the craft of wood carving in his native town.他在老家学会了木雕手艺。
7 clattering f876829075e287eeb8e4dc1cb4972cc5     
发出咔哒声(clatter的现在分词形式)
参考例句:
  • Typewriters keep clattering away. 打字机在不停地嗒嗒作响。
  • The typewriter was clattering away. 打字机啪嗒啪嗒地响着。
8 eyebrows a0e6fb1330e9cfecfd1c7a4d00030ed5     
眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
  • His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。
9 moss X6QzA     
n.苔,藓,地衣
参考例句:
  • Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
  • He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。
10 thorny 5ICzQ     
adj.多刺的,棘手的
参考例句:
  • The young captain is pondering over a thorny problem.年轻的上尉正在思考一个棘手的问题。
  • The boys argued over the thorny points in the lesson.孩子们辩论功课中的难点。
11 shrub 7ysw5     
n.灌木,灌木丛
参考例句:
  • There is a small evergreen shrub on the hillside.山腰上有一小块常绿灌木丛。
  • Moving a shrub is best done in early spring.移植灌木最好是在初春的时候。
12 ferment lgQzt     
vt.使发酵;n./vt.(使)激动,(使)动乱
参考例句:
  • Fruit juices ferment if they are kept a long time.果汁若是放置很久,就会发酵。
  • The sixties were a time of theological ferment.六十年代是神学上骚动的时代。
13 mighty YDWxl     
adj.强有力的;巨大的
参考例句:
  • A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
  • The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。
14 tambourine 5G2yt     
n.铃鼓,手鼓
参考例句:
  • A stew without an onion is like a dance without a tambourine.烧菜没有洋葱就像跳舞没有手鼓。
  • He is really good at playing tambourine.他很擅长演奏铃鼓。
15 peg p3Fzi     
n.木栓,木钉;vt.用木钉钉,用短桩固定
参考例句:
  • Hang your overcoat on the peg in the hall.把你的大衣挂在门厅的挂衣钩上。
  • He hit the peg mightily on the top with a mallet.他用木槌猛敲木栓顶。
16 fragrant z6Yym     
adj.芬香的,馥郁的,愉快的
参考例句:
  • The Fragrant Hills are exceptionally beautiful in late autumn.深秋的香山格外美丽。
  • The air was fragrant with lavender.空气中弥漫薰衣草香。
17 twigs 17ff1ed5da672aa443a4f6befce8e2cb     
细枝,嫩枝( twig的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Some birds build nests of twigs. 一些鸟用树枝筑巢。
  • Willow twigs are pliable. 柳条很软。
18 eyelids 86ece0ca18a95664f58bda5de252f4e7     
n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 );眼睛也不眨一下;不露声色;面不改色
参考例句:
  • She was so tired, her eyelids were beginning to droop. 她太疲倦了,眼睑开始往下垂。
  • Her eyelids drooped as if she were on the verge of sleep. 她眼睑低垂好像快要睡着的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
19 owl 7KFxk     
n.猫头鹰,枭
参考例句:
  • Her new glasses make her look like an owl.她的新眼镜让她看上去像只猫头鹰。
  • I'm a night owl and seldom go to bed until after midnight.我睡得很晚,经常半夜后才睡觉。
20 beads 894701f6859a9d5c3c045fd6f355dbf5     
n.(空心)小珠子( bead的名词复数 );水珠;珠子项链
参考例句:
  • a necklace of wooden beads 一条木珠项链
  • Beads of perspiration stood out on his forehead. 他的前额上挂着汗珠。
21 groaning groaning     
adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式
参考例句:
  • She's always groaning on about how much she has to do. 她总抱怨自己干很多活儿。
  • The wounded man lay there groaning, with no one to help him. 受伤者躺在那里呻吟着,无人救助。
22 tangled e487ee1bc1477d6c2828d91e94c01c6e     
adj. 纠缠的,紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • Your hair's so tangled that I can't comb it. 你的头发太乱了,我梳不动。
  • A movement caught his eye in the tangled undergrowth. 乱灌木丛里的晃动引起了他的注意。
23 torment gJXzd     
n.折磨;令人痛苦的东西(人);vt.折磨;纠缠
参考例句:
  • He has never suffered the torment of rejection.他从未经受过遭人拒绝的痛苦。
  • Now nothing aggravates me more than when people torment each other.没有什么东西比人们的互相折磨更使我愤怒。
24 bind Vt8zi     
vt.捆,包扎;装订;约束;使凝固;vi.变硬
参考例句:
  • I will let the waiter bind up the parcel for you.我让服务生帮你把包裹包起来。
  • He wants a shirt that does not bind him.他要一件不使他觉得过紧的衬衫。
25 hoops 528662bd801600a928e199785550b059     
n.箍( hoop的名词复数 );(篮球)篮圈;(旧时儿童玩的)大环子;(两端埋在地里的)小铁弓
参考例句:
  • a barrel bound with iron hoops 用铁箍箍紧的桶
  • Hoops in Paris were wider this season and skirts were shorter. 在巴黎,这个季节的裙圈比较宽大,裙裾却短一些。 来自飘(部分)
26 copper HZXyU     
n.铜;铜币;铜器;adj.铜(制)的;(紫)铜色的
参考例句:
  • The students are asked to prove the purity of copper.要求学生们检验铜的纯度。
  • Copper is a good medium for the conduction of heat and electricity.铜是热和电的良导体。
27 axe 2oVyI     
n.斧子;v.用斧头砍,削减
参考例句:
  • Be careful with that sharp axe.那把斧子很锋利,你要当心。
  • The edge of this axe has turned.这把斧子卷了刃了。
28 grasshopper ufqxG     
n.蚱蜢,蝗虫,蚂蚱
参考例句:
  • He thought he had made an end of the little grasshopper.他以为把那个小蚱蜢干掉了。
  • The grasshopper could not find anything to eat.蚱蜢找不到任何吃的东西。
29 shreds 0288daa27f5fcbe882c0eaedf23db832     
v.撕碎,切碎( shred的第三人称单数 );用撕毁机撕毁(文件)
参考例句:
  • Peel the carrots and cut them into shreds. 将胡罗卜削皮,切成丝。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • I want to take this diary and rip it into shreds. 我真想一赌气扯了这日记。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说
30 bloody kWHza     
adj.非常的的;流血的;残忍的;adv.很;vt.血染
参考例句:
  • He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
  • He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。
31 wailed e27902fd534535a9f82ffa06a5b6937a     
v.哭叫,哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She wailed over her father's remains. 她对着父亲的遗体嚎啕大哭。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • The women of the town wailed over the war victims. 城里的妇女为战争的死难者们痛哭。 来自辞典例句
32 willow bMFz6     
n.柳树
参考例句:
  • The river was sparsely lined with willow trees.河边疏疏落落有几棵柳树。
  • The willow's shadow falls on the lake.垂柳的影子倒映在湖面上。
33 herds 0a162615f6eafc3312659a54a8cdac0f     
兽群( herd的名词复数 ); 牧群; 人群; 群众
参考例句:
  • Regularly at daybreak they drive their herds to the pasture. 每天天一亮他们就把牲畜赶到草场上去。
  • There we saw herds of cows grazing on the pasture. 我们在那里看到一群群的牛在草地上吃草。
34 willows 79355ee67d20ddbc021d3e9cb3acd236     
n.柳树( willow的名词复数 );柳木
参考例句:
  • The willows along the river bank look very beautiful. 河岸边的柳树很美。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Willows are planted on both sides of the streets. 街道两侧种着柳树。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
35 enchanted enchanted     
adj. 被施魔法的,陶醉的,入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • She was enchanted by the flowers you sent her. 她非常喜欢你送给她的花。
  • He was enchanted by the idea. 他为这个主意而欣喜若狂。
36 scattered 7jgzKF     
adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的
参考例句:
  • Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来,塞进文件夹里。
37 scarlet zD8zv     
n.深红色,绯红色,红衣;adj.绯红色的
参考例句:
  • The scarlet leaves of the maples contrast well with the dark green of the pines.深红的枫叶和暗绿的松树形成了明显的对比。
  • The glowing clouds are growing slowly pale,scarlet,bright red,and then light red.天空的霞光渐渐地淡下去了,深红的颜色变成了绯红,绯红又变为浅红。
38 lashes e2e13f8d3a7c0021226bb2f94d6a15ec     
n.鞭挞( lash的名词复数 );鞭子;突然猛烈的一击;急速挥动v.鞭打( lash的第三人称单数 );煽动;紧系;怒斥
参考例句:
  • Mother always lashes out food for the children's party. 孩子们聚会时,母亲总是给他们许多吃的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Never walk behind a horse in case it lashes out. 绝对不要跟在马后面,以防它突然猛踢。 来自《简明英汉词典》
39 bosom Lt9zW     
n.胸,胸部;胸怀;内心;adj.亲密的
参考例句:
  • She drew a little book from her bosom.她从怀里取出一本小册子。
  • A dark jealousy stirred in his bosom.他内心生出一阵恶毒的嫉妒。
40 warriors 3116036b00d464eee673b3a18dfe1155     
武士,勇士,战士( warrior的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。
  • The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。
41 dread Ekpz8     
vt.担忧,忧虑;惧怕,不敢;n.担忧,畏惧
参考例句:
  • We all dread to think what will happen if the company closes.我们都不敢去想一旦公司关门我们该怎么办。
  • Her heart was relieved of its blankest dread.她极度恐惧的心理消除了。
42 ragged KC0y8     
adj.衣衫褴褛的,粗糙的,刺耳的
参考例句:
  • A ragged shout went up from the small crowd.这一小群人发出了刺耳的喊叫。
  • Ragged clothing infers poverty.破衣烂衫意味着贫穷。
43 gaily lfPzC     
adv.欢乐地,高兴地
参考例句:
  • The children sing gaily.孩子们欢唱着。
  • She waved goodbye very gaily.她欢快地挥手告别。
44 bellowed fa9ba2065b18298fa17a6311db3246fc     
v.发出吼叫声,咆哮(尤指因痛苦)( bellow的过去式和过去分词 );(愤怒地)说出(某事),大叫
参考例句:
  • They bellowed at her to stop. 他们吼叫着让她停下。
  • He bellowed with pain when the tooth was pulled out. 当牙齿被拔掉时,他痛得大叫。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
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