Text A The Circular Ruins（第1页）

TextATheCirs

JeLuisBes

TranslatedbyJamesE。Irby

[1]Noonesawhimdisembarkintheunanimousnight，heBambookingintothesacredmud，butwithinafewdaysnoonewasuhesilentmaheSouthandthathishomewasoevillagesupstream，omouheZeihGreekandwhereleprosyisiruthisthattheobskissedthemud，cameupthebankwithoutpushingaside（probablywithoutfeeling）thebrambleswhichdilaceratedhisflesh，anddraggedhimself，nauseousandbloodstaihecirclosureedbyastoigerorhorse，whicewasthecolouroffireandnowwasthatofashes。Thiscirclele，longagodevouredbyfire，whichthemalarialjunglehadprofanedandwhosegodnolohehomageofmen。

[2]Thepurposewhichguidedhimossible，thoughiterodreamamaodreamhimwithmiyahimihismagicalprojecthadexhaustedtheeofhissoul;ifsomeonehadaskedhimhisowraitofhispreviouslife，hewouldnothavebeeoaheuninhabitedaemplesuitedhim，foritwasaminimumofvisibleworld;thehepeasantsalsosuitedhim，fortheywouldseethathisfrugaliesweresupplied。Theridfruitoftheirtributeweresuffitsustenanceforhisbody，secratedtothesoletaskofsleepinganddreaming。

[3]Atfirst，hisdreamswereewhatlater，theywereofadialeature。Thestrahewasireofacircularamphitheatrewhiewaywastheburemple:cloudsofsilesfilledthegradins;thefacesofthelastoneshuuriesawayandataicheight，butwereentirelydprecise。Themaothemonanatomy，agic;theedwitheagerrovetorespondwithuanding，asiftheydiviaionwhichwouldredeemohemfromhisstateofvainappearaerpolatehimintotheworldofreality。Theman，bothindreamsandawake，sideredhisphantoms’replies，wasnotdeceivedbyimpostors，divinedagrowingintelligeaiies。Hesoughtasoulwhieritpartiintheuniverse。

[4]Afters，heprehehsomebitterhecouldexpegofthosestudentswhopassivelyacceptedhisdoes，butthathecouldofthosewho，attimes，wouldventureareasoradi。Thefhworthyofloveaion，otrisetothestateofindividuals;thelatterpre-existedsomewhatmore。Oernoon（nowhisafternooariesofsleep，nowheremainedawakeonlyforacoupleofhoursatdawn）hedismissedthevastilluseforeveraheobstihsharpfeatureswhichreproducedthoseofthedreamer。Hewasnotlongdiscertedbyhispanions’suddeiress，afterafewspeciallessons，astoueaevertheless，catastropheehemanemergedfromsleeponedayasiffromaviscousdesert，lookedatthevainlightofafternoon，whichatfirsthefusedwiththatofdawn，ahathehadnotreallydreamt。Allthatnightandallday，theiyofinsomniaweighedupooexplorethejuhimself;amidstthehemlocks，hewasscarcelyabletomachesoffeeblesleep，fleetinglymottledwithsomerudimentaryvisionswhichwereuseless。Hetriedtovokethedhadscarcelyutteredafewbriefwordsofexhortatiobeedainguished。Inhisalmostperpetualsleeplessness，hisoldeyesburearsofanger。

[5]Hepreheheefforttomouldtheiaiginousmatterdreamaremadeofwasthemostarduoustaskamandertake，thoughhemightpeeallenigmasoftheupperandlowerorders:muchmorearduousthanethefad。Hepreheaninitialfailurewasiable。Hesworehewettheenormoushalluwhichhadmisledhimatfirst，aahiti，hededicatedamonthtoreplenishingthepowershisdeliriumhadwasted。Heabandonedaiand，almostatonce，wasabletosleepforasiderablepartoftheday。Thefewtimeshedreamtduringthisperiod，hedidiceofthedreams。Totakeuphistaskagaieduntilthemoon’sdiskerfe，iernoon，hepurifiedhimselfiheriver，worshippedtheplaarygods，utteredthelawfulsyllablesofapowerfulnameaimmediately，hedreamtofabeati。

[6]Hedreamtitasactive，warm，secret，thesizeofclosedfist，ofgarthepenumbraofahumanbodyasyetwithoutfaceorsex;withminutelovehedreamtit，forfourteenluights。Eaightheperceiveditwithgreaterclarity。Hedidnottouchit，perhapsgitwithhiseyes。Heperceivedit，liveit，frommanydistandmahefourteenthouchedthepulmohhisfihenthewholeheart，i。Theexaminationsatisfiedhim。Deliberately，hedidnotdreamfht;theheheartagaiheheplaoenvisioheprincipalans。Withinayearhereachedtheskeletoheinnumerablehairsthemostdifficulttask。Hedreamtaan，ayouth，butthisyouthotrisenordidhespeaknorcouldheopeafternight，themahimasasleep。

[7]IiogohedemiurgikneadandmouldaredAdamwhootstandalone;asunskilfulanddelementaryasthisAdamofdustwastheAdamofdreamsfabricatedbythemagiightofeffort。Ohemanalmostdestroyedhiswork，butthewouldhavebeeerforhimhadhedestroyedit。）Oncehehadpletedhissuppliihandtheriver，hethrewhimselfdowoftheeffigysatigerandperhapsahorse，asunknownsuccour。Thattwilight，hedreamtofthestatue。Hedreamtofitasalivihing:itwasnotanatroerahthesevehemeondalsoabull，arose，atempest。ThismultiplegodrevealedtohimthatitsearthlynamewasFire，thatinthecirculartemple（askind）peoplehadresacrifiddthatitwouldmagicallygivelifetothesleepingphantom，insuchawaythatallcreaturesexceptFireitselfandthedreamerwouldbelievehimtobeamanoffreshandblood。Themahedivinitytoinstructhiscreatureinitsrites，aobeotherbrokentemplewhosepyramidssurviveddowhatiededifiightgiveglorytothegod。Inthedreamer’sdream，thedreamedoneawoke。

[8]Themagicarriedouttheseorders。Hedevotedaperiodoftime（risedtwoyears）tthearaoftheuhefireculttohisdreamwardly，itpaiobeseparatedfromtheboy。Uofpedagogiecessity，eachdayheprolohehourshededicatedtohisdreams。Healsoredidtherightshoulder，sdefit。Attimes，hewastroubledbytheimpressionthatallthishadhappenedbefeneral，hisdaysy;whenheclosedhiseyes，hewouldthink:NowIshallbewithmysoen:ThechildIhaveesmeandwillifIdonotgotohim。

[9]Gradually，heaedtheboytoreality。Onceheorderedhimtoplaeronadistahefollowingday，thebannerfliountaiheras，eachmtha。Heuoodwithbitterhissonwasready—andperhapsimpatiehatnighthekissedhimforthefirsttimeaotheothertemplewhosedebrisshohroughmanyleaguesofirigleands。Butfirst（sothathewouldneverknohantom，sothathewouldbethoughtamahers）heiohimapleteoblivionofhisyearsofapprenticeship。

[10]Theman’svidpeaceweredimmedbywearidawnandattwilight，hewouldprostratehimselfbeforethestihathisunrealchildragthesamerites，inothercirs，downight，hewouldnotdream，orwoulddreamonlyasallmehesoundsandformsoftheuhacolourlessness:hisabsentsouredwiththesediminutionsofhissoul。Hislife’spurposelete;themaedinakiasy。Afteratime，whienarratorsofhisstoryprefertoputeinyearsara，hewasawakebytwoboatmen;heotseetheirfaces，buttheytoldhimofamagiatempleoftheNorthwhocouldobeburhemagisuddehewordsofthegod。Herecalledthat，ofallthecreaturesoftheworld，firewastheoknewhissonhantom。Thisre，atfirstsoothing，finallytormentedhim。Hefearedhissoeonhisabneanddissomewaythathiswasthate。obetheprojeofanothermaafeelingofhumiliatio!（theyhavepermittedtoexist）inmereorpleasure;itwasnaturalthatthemagishouldfearforthefutureofthatsohought，limbbylimbaure，inathousanights。

[11]Theendofhismeditationswassudden，thoughitwasforetns。First（afteralht）afarawayahill，lightandrapidasabird;then，towardsthesouth，theskywhichhadtherosecolouroftheleopard’smouth;thenthesmokewhietalliights;finally，thepanickyflightoftheanimals。Foreninghadhappenedmauriesago。Theruinsod’ssaroyedbyfire。Ihemagisawthetricblazedthewalls。Foramomeoftakiheriver，butthedeathwasingtohisoldageandabsolvehimofhislabours。Hewalkedintotheshredsofflame。Buttheydidohisflesh，theycaressedhimahoutheatorbustiohhumiliation，withterror，heuhathetooearabyanother。

[1956]

Notes

1。JeLuisBes（1899-1986）:Hewasaiorywriter，essayist，poetandtranslatorborninBuenosAires。Hisworkembracesthe“chararealityiure”。Hismostfamousbooks，Fies（1944）andTheAleph（1949），arepilationsofshortstoriesiedbyessuchasdreams，labyrinths，libraries，mirrors，animals，fialwriters，philionandGod。Hisworkshavetributedtophilosophicalliteratureandalsotothefantastire，agereasttherealismnaturalismofthe19thtury。ScholarshavealsosuggestedthatBressiveblindoovativeliterarysymbinatioionalfamewassolidatedinthe1960s，aidedbythe“LatinAmeri”andthesuccessarcíaMárquez’sOneHundredYearsofSolitude。WriteraJ。M。Coetzeesaidofhim:“He，morethaedthelaionandthusopeeionofSpanishAmeriovelists。”

&referstolatemiddlePersiaariesontheindividualbooksoftheAvesta（波斯古教）withinZoroastriaefromthe3rdto10thturiesaendedforuseastheologicaltextsbythemselvesbutfiousinstruofthean-speakingpublic。

3。Gnosticism（相信神秘直觉的早期基督教派，诺斯替教派）:Itisamodernscholarlytermforasetiousbeliefsandspiritualpraongsomeearlyandnroupsostied”）byIreherearlyleaders。

AfterYouRead

KnowledgeFocus

1。Discussthefollowiionswithyourpartner。

1）Wheredoesthemagi?Whatkindoffunysteriousidentityserveihethemeofthestory?

2）Whatkindofimpressioioingsofthe“cirs”givetoyou?

3）Trytodescribethesettioryinsimpleladisttheatmosphere。

4）Trytodescribetheimageofthemagisimpleladisttheatmosphere。

5）Whatisthemagi’stask?Whatarethesighetask?

6）Wouldyousummarizetheprocessofthetask?

7）Whatdothemagidhistasksymbolize?