《牧羊少年奇幻之旅》 71 男孩产生幻觉

Suddenly, one of the hawks¹ made a flashing dive through the sky, attacking the other.

突然，一只鹰飞速俯冲下来，攻击另一只鹰。

As it did so, a sudden, fleeting² image came to the boy: an army, with its swords at the ready, riding into the oasis³.

那一刻，一个突如其来的幻觉在男孩眼前一闪而过：一支剑拔弩张的军队正在进入绿洲。

The vision vanished immediately, but it had shaken him.

那幻觉瞬间便消失了，但是场面却令他震惊。

He had heard people speak of mirages⁴, and had already seen some himself: they were desires that, because of their intensity⁵, materialized over the sands of the desert.

他听别人说起过海市蜃楼，而且也见到过几次，可那都是人们的愿望在沙漠中的体现。

But he certainly didn't desire that an army invade the oasis.

然而，他并不希望有军队入侵绿洲。

He wanted to forget about the vision, and return to his meditation⁶.

他想忘掉那幻觉，重新回到原来的思绪。

He tried again to concentrate on the pink shades of the desert, and its stones.

他试图将注意力集中在玫瑰色的沙漠和石头上。

But there was something there in his heart that wouldn't allow him to do so.

但是，他内心深处平静不下来。

"Always heed⁷ the omens," the old king had said.

“你要永远遵循预兆行事。”撒冷王曾说过。

The boy recalled what he had seen in the vision, and sensed that it was actually going to occur.

他回想刚才的幻觉，预感到这件事很快就会发生。

He rose, and made his way back toward the palm trees.

他站起身，朝椰枣树方向走去。

Once again, he perceived the many languages in the things about him: this time, the desert was safe, and it was the oasis that had become dangerous.

此时他察觉到万物的语言：沙漠是安全之地，绿洲则为险境。

The camel driver was seated at the base of a palm tree, observing the sunset.

那个赶驼人坐在一棵椰枣树下，观看落日的余晖。

He saw the boy appear from the other side of the dunes⁸.

他看到男孩从一个沙丘后面走出来。

"An army is coming," the boy said. "I had a vision."

“有一支军队正往这儿来。”男孩说，“我出现了幻觉。”

"The desert fills men's hearts with visions," the camel driver answered.

“是沙漠使人心里充满幻觉。”赶驼人回答说。

But the boy told him about the hawks: that he had been watching their flight and had suddenly felt himself to have plunged⁹ to the Soul of the World.

不过，男孩还是对赶驼人讲了那两只鹰的事，说他当时正在观察飞翔的鹰，突然就与世界之魂联通。

1 hawks   

鹰( hawk的名词复数 )； 鹰派人物，主战派人物

参考例句：

• Two hawks were hover ing overhead. 两只鹰在头顶盘旋。
• Both hawks and doves have expanded their conditions for ending the war. 鹰派和鸽派都充分阐明了各自的停战条件。

2 fleeting   

adj.短暂的，飞逝的

参考例句：

• The girls caught only a fleeting glimpse of the driver.女孩们只匆匆瞥了一眼司机。
• Knowing the life fleeting,she set herself to enjoy if as best as she could.她知道这种日子转瞬即逝，于是让自已尽情地享受。

3 oasis   

n.（沙漠中的）绿洲，宜人的地方

参考例句：

• They stopped for the night at an oasis.他们在沙漠中的绿洲停下来过夜。
• The town was an oasis of prosperity in a desert of poverty.该镇是贫穷荒漠中的一块繁荣的“绿洲”。

4 mirages   

n.海市蜃楼，幻景( mirage的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Through my half-closed eyelids I began to see mirages. 透过我半睁半闭的双眼，我看到了海市蜃楼。 来自辞典例句
• There was for him only one trustworthy road through deceptions and mirages. 对他来说只有一条可靠的路能避开幻想和错觉。 来自辞典例句

5 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

6 meditation   

n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录

参考例句：

• This peaceful garden lends itself to meditation.这个恬静的花园适于冥想。
• I'm sorry to interrupt your meditation.很抱歉，我打断了你的沉思。

7 heed   

v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心

参考例句：

• You must take heed of what he has told.你要注意他所告诉的事。
• For the first time he had to pay heed to his appearance.这是他第一次非得注意自己的外表不可了。

8 dunes   

沙丘( dune的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The boy galloped over the dunes barefoot. 那男孩光着脚在沙丘间飞跑。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat. 将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。

9 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。