夏季的一天-A Summer Day

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ASummerDay-夏季的一天

OnedaythirtyyearsagoMarseilleslayintheburningsun.AblazingsunuponafierceAugustdaywasnogreaterrarityinsouthernFrancethenthanatanyothertimebeforeorsince.EverythinginMarseillesandaboutMarseilleshadstaredatthefervidsun,andbeenstaredatinreturn,untilastaringhabithadbeeuniversalthere.Strangerswerestaredoutofcountenancebystaringwhitehouses,staringwhitestreets,staringtractsofaridroad,staringhillsfromwhichverdurewasburntaway.Theonlythingstobeseennotfixedlystaringandglaringwerethevinesdroopingundertheirloadsofgrapes.Thesedidoasionallywinkalittle,asthehotairbarelymovedtheirfaintleaves.

Theuniversalstaremadetheeyesache.TowardsthedistantblueoftheItaliancoast,indeed,itwasalittlerelievedbylightcloudsofmistslowlyrisingfromtheevaporationofthesea,butitsoftenednowhereelse.Farawaythestaringroads,deepindust,staredfromthehillside,staredfromthehollow,staredfi＇omtheinterminableplain.Farawaythedustyvinesoverhangingwaysidecottages,andthemonotonouswaysideavenuesofparchedtreeswithoutshade,droppedbeneaththestareofearthandsky.Sodidthehorsewithdrowsybells,inlongfilesofcarts,creepingslowlytowardstheinterior;sodidtheirrecumbentdrivers,whentheywereawake,whichrarelyhappened;sodidtheexhaustedlaborersinthefields.Everythingthatlivedrewwasoppressedbytheglare:exceptthelizard,passingswiftlyoverroughstonewalls,andcicada,chirpingitsdryhotchirp,likearattle.Theverydustwasscorchedbrown,andsomethingquiveredintheatmosphereasiftheairitselfwerepanting.

Blinds,shutters,curtains,awnings,wereallclosedanddrawntokeepoutthestare.Grantitbutachinkorakeyhole,anditshotinlikeawhitehotarrow.