An Inhabitant Of Carcosa 1

For there be divers¹ sorts of death -- some wherein the body remained; and in some it vanished quite away with the spirit. This commonly occurred only in solitude²（孤独，隐居） (such is God's will) and, none seeing the end, we say the man is lost, or gone on a long journey -- which indeed he has; but sometimes it has happened in sight of many, as abundant testimony³ showed. In one kind of death the spirit also dies, and this it has been known to do while yet the body was in vigour⁴（活力，气势） for many years. Sometimes, as is veritably attested⁵, it died with the body, but after a season is raised up again in that place where the body did decay.

Pondering these words of Hali (whom God rest) and questioning their full meaning, as one who, having an intimation, yet doubts if there be not something behind, other than that which he has discerned（识别，领悟） , I noted⁶ not whither I had strayed until a sudden chill wind striking my face revived in me a sense of my surroundings. I observed with astonishment⁷ that everything seemed unfamiliar⁸. On every side of me stretched a bleak⁹ and desolate¹⁰（荒凉的） expanse of plain, covered with a tall overgrowth of sere¹¹ grass, which rustled¹² and whistled in the autumn wind with Heaven knows what mysterious and disquieting¹³ suggestion. Protruded¹⁴ at long intervals¹⁵ above it, stood strangely shaped and sombre（阴沉的） coloured rocks, which seemed to have an understanding with one another and to exchange looks of uncomfortable significance, as if they had reared their heads to watch the issue of some foreseen event. A few blasted trees here and there appeared as leaders in this malevolent¹⁶（恶毒的） conspiracy¹⁷ of silent expectation.

The day, I thought, must be far advanced, though the sun was invisible; and although sensible that the air was raw and chill my consciousness of that fact was rather mental than physical -- I had no feeling of discomfort¹⁸. Over all the dismal¹⁹（凄凉的） landscape a canopy²⁰（天篷，华盖） of low, lead-coloured clouds hung like a visible curse. In all this there was a menace（威胁，恐吓） and a portent²¹ -- a hint of evil, an intimation of doom²². Bird, beast, or insect there was none. The wind sighed in the bare branches of the dead trees and the grey grass bent²³ to whisper its dread²⁴ secret to the earth; but no other sound nor motion broke the awful repose²⁵ of that dismal place.