第6章 Description of a Storm 风暴

Benjamin Disraeli, 1805-1881, was of Jewish descent. His ancestors were driven out of Spain by the Inquisition, and went to Venice. In 1748, his grandfather came to England. His father was Isaac Disraeli, well known as a literary man. Benjamin was born in London, and received his early education under his father. He afterwards studied for a lawyer, but soon gave up his profession for literature. His first novel, "Vivian Grey, " appeared when the author was twenty-one years of age;it received much attention. After several defeats he succeeded in an election to Parliament, and took his seat in that body, in the first year of Victoria's reign. On his first attempt to speak in Parliament, the House refused to hear him. It is said that, as he sat down, he remarked that the time would come when they would hear him. In 1849, he became the leader of the Conservative party in the House. During the administration of W. E. Gladstone, Mr. Disraeli was leader of the opposition. In 1868, he became prime minister, holding the office for a short time. In 1874, he was again appointed to the same office, where he remained until 1880. His wife was made Viscountess of Beaconsfield in 1868. After her death, the title of Earl of Beaconsfield was conferred on Disraeli. He ranked among the most eminent, statesmen of the age, but always devoted a portion of his time to literature."Lothair, " a novel, was published in 1870.

They looked round on every side, and hope gave way before the scene of desolation. Immense branches were shivered from the largest trees; small ones were entirely stripped of their leaves; the long grass was bowed to the earth; the waters were whirled in eddies out of the little rivulets; birds, leaving their nests to seek shelter in the crevices of the rocks, unable to stem the driving air, flapped their wings and fell upon the earth; the frightened animals of the plain, almost suffocated by the impetuosity of the wind, sought safety and found destruction; some of the largest trees were torn up by the roots; the sluices of the mountains were filled, and innumerable torrents rushed down the before empty gullies. The heavens now open, and the lightning and thunder contend with the horrors of the wind.

In a moment, all was again hushed. Dead silence succeeded the bellow of the thunder, the roar of the wind, the rush of the waters, the moaning of the beasts, the screaming of the birds. Nothing was heard save the plash of the agitated lake, as it beat up against the black rocks which girt it in.

Again, greater darkness enveloped the trembling earth. Anon, the heavens were rent with lightning, which nothing could have quenched but the descending deluge. Cataracts poured down from the lowering firmament. For an instant, the horses dashed madly forward; beast and rider blinded and stifled by the gushing rain, and gasping for breath. Shelter was nowhere. The quivering beasts reared, and snorted, and sank upon their knees, dismounting their riders.

He had scarcely spoken, when there burst forth a terrific noise, they knew not what; a rush, they could not understand; a vibration which shook them on their horses. Every terror sank before the roar of the cataract. It seemed that the mighty mountain, unable to support its weight of waters, shook to the foundation. A lake had burst upon its summit, and the cataract became a falling ocean. The source of the great deep appeared to be discharging itself over the range of mountains; the great gray peak tottered on its foundation! —It shook! —it fell! and buried in its ruins the castle, the village, and the bridge!

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本杰明·迪斯累利（1805～1881年），犹太人后裔。他的祖先被宗教法庭驱逐出西班牙，被迫迁到威尼斯。1748年，他的祖父来到英格兰。迪斯累利的父亲艾萨克·迪斯累利，是一位有名的文学家。迪斯累利于1805年在伦敦出生，他的早期教育受父亲影响颇深。后来，迪斯累利一心学习法律，希望成为一名律师，但不久以后他就放弃法律而转战文学。他出版第一本小说《维维安·格雷》时只有21岁，此书一经出版便受到广泛关注。在经历过多年的挫折之后，他终于在维多利亚女王继位的第一年当选为英国议会议员。当他第一次试图在议会发言的时候，英国议会拒绝听他的阐述。据说，当他坐下来的时候，他发誓终有一天，他们会倾听自己的言论。1849年，他成为众议院保守党领袖。在英国首相威廉·尤特·格莱斯顿任职期间，迪斯累利是反对党领袖。1868年，迪斯累利当选英国首相，不过任期不长。1874年，他再次被任命为英国首相，并任期到1880年。他的妻子于1868年被授予比肯斯菲尔德子爵夫人称号，在她去世以后，迪斯累利被授予比肯斯菲尔德伯爵称号。迪斯累利是他那个时代最杰出的政治家。除此之外，他始终倾注于文学。《好色之徒》是他于1870年出版的一部小说。

他们环顾四周，希望自己的眼前不会再出现荒芜贫瘠的景象。这里最高大的树，它那无比粗壮的树干也在瑟瑟发抖，树上光秃秃的，就连一片小树叶都没有。地上的草被吹得紧贴在地面上，小溪里的浅水被吹起一个又一个漩涡。鸟儿离开了巢穴，想在岩石深处寻觅藏身之处，但大风还是把它们吹在了地上，尽管它们努力地拍打着翅膀，仍然无法飞起。强风吹得人几乎窒息，受到惊吓的动物寻找着安全的地方，然而它们找到的却是暴风雨无情的打击。一些大树被连根拔起，被狂风摧毁。山洪呼啸，咆哮着从山上倾泻而下，填满了以前空荡荡的山谷和河床。天像裂开一样，电闪雷鸣，令人惊悚的狂风咆哮着。

一瞬间，一切都寂静下来，死一般的静寂。电不再闪，雷不再鸣，风也不再呼啸，水停止了奔流，动物们停止了痛苦的呻吟，鸟儿也不再悲惨地鸣叫。除了湖水还在拍打着黑色的岩石，一切都是那么寂静。

又一次，浓密的乌云笼罩住了颤抖的大地。不一会儿，空中布满了闪电，洪水肆意地奔流，仿佛没有什么可以阻止它。天空下面一片苍白。瞬间，马儿们全都疯狂地向前冲，瓢泼大雨弄得它们几乎什么都看不见，沉重的货物也让它们无法呼吸。几乎无处可以躲雨，马儿们颤抖地蹬着后腿，发出几声闷哼，水已经淹没了它们的膝盖，冲掉了它们身上的货物。

时不时传来的一声声骇人的噪音，把他吓得几乎说不出话，他们也不知道究竟是什么发出的声音，也许是一个冲撞导致的，这让他们无法理解。声音的震撼力足以让坐在马背上的他们摇晃起来。每次在这恐怖的噪音沉没之前都会发出苍白的轰鸣声，就好像无法支撑雨水的重量而地动山摇。湖水疯狂地奔流而出，在这苍茫的天空下，就像一片怒吼的海洋。山间历史悠久的古迹被湖水淹没，不停晃动后坠落，被埋在城堡、村庄、桥梁的废墟中！