2025年5月25日 星期日

The Devil Of Pope-Fig Island. After a car plowed into crowds celebrating their team’s Premier League title, camaraderie and jubilation dissolved into dread.

 

How a Day of Soccer Celebrations Turned to Chaos in Liverpool

After a car plowed into crowds celebrating their team’s Premier League title, camaraderie and jubilation dissolved into dread.

利物浦足球慶祝活動如何演變成混亂

一輛汽車衝進慶祝球隊奪得英超聯賽冠軍的人群,原本的友誼和歡呼聲瞬間化為一片恐慌。




分析(ai):這首詩諷刺了宗教迷信以及由此產生的虛偽和管理不善。其諷刺的語氣和對波普-菲格島居民誇張的描述傳達了作者對那些盲目追隨宗教教義的人的嘲笑。


這首詩的結構由對帕皮馬尼亞(人們在那裡安然入睡)和波普無花果島(人們在那裡痛苦不堪、飽受折磨)的交替描述組成。這種對比凸顯了相信憤怒的神靈懲罰無辜者的荒謬性。


這首詩在幽默和社會評論的運用方面與拉封丹的其他作品相比毫不遜色。它反映了啟蒙時期的懷疑主義和理性主義,揭露了宗教教條的非理性。雖然它缺乏拉封丹某些寓言的深度和複雜性,但它透過機智和諷刺的語氣有效地傳達了其訊息。 (隱藏)


這是一幅 1762 年的插圖,描繪的是一位婦女用她的私處驅趕魔鬼。

這幅插圖是用來配合 17 世紀法國詩人讓·德·拉·封丹的詩歌《波普無花果島的魔鬼》的。

這首詩很長,所以我只跟你講故事的概要。

有一天,一個魔鬼突然出現在波普菲格島的一個小村莊,開始製造騷亂並恐嚇村民。

然後魔鬼走近一個名叫菲爾的農夫並要求他將一半的農作物給他。

菲爾遵從了命令,把一半的農作物給了魔鬼,但魔鬼只給了葉子和莖,而不是真正的蔬菜。

魔鬼因被一個卑微的農民智勝而感到尷尬和惱火,並威脅要懲罰菲爾並在一周內拿走他的那份蔬菜。

菲爾嚇壞了,跑回家並告訴他的妻子佩雷塔所發生的事。她告訴他不要擔心,她會處理好的。

當魔鬼回來時,菲爾跳進一桶聖水中尋求保護。佩雷塔淚流滿面,頭髮凌亂地迎接魔鬼。她告訴魔鬼,菲爾是個可怕的男人,他無情地毆打她,甚至用爪子在她身上留下一道深深的傷口。

這時,佩雷塔撩起裙子,向魔鬼展示她的私處。魔鬼驚恐萬分,拔腿就跑,再也沒有回來。

以下是詩歌中對插圖中確切事件的描述:

「看在上帝的份上,大人,請你逃走吧,

剛才我聽到那個野蠻人說,

他會用爪子撕扯大人,

瞧,瞧,我的主人,他造成了這個傷口;

她向你展示了什麼:——毫無疑問,你會猜到的,並立即擊潰了魔鬼,魔鬼在胸前畫著十字,嚇得渾身發抖:

他從未見過或聽說過這樣的景象,爪子或指甲的抓痕如此明顯;

他的恐懼佔了上風,他迅速駛離了…”

The Devil Of Pope-Fig Island

BY master Francis clearly 'tis expressed:
The folks of Papimania are blessed;
True sleep for them alone it seems was made
With US the copy only has been laid;
And by Saint John, if Heav'n my life will spare,
I'll see this place where sleeping 's free from care.
E'en better still I find, for naught they do:
'Tis that employment always I pursue.
Just add thereto a little honest love,
And I shall be as easy as a glove.

ON t'other hand an island may be seen,
Where all are hated, cursed, and full of spleen.
We know them by the thinness of their face
Long sleep is quite excluded from their race.

SHOULD you, good reader, any person meet,
With rosy, smiling looks, and cheeks replete,
The form not clumsy, you may safely say,
A Papimanian doubtless I survey.
But if, on t'other side, you chance to view,
A meagre figure, void of blooming hue,
With stupid, heavy eye, and gloomy mien
Conclude at once a Pope-figer, you've seen.

POPE-FIG 'S the name upon an isle bestowed,
Where once a fig the silly people showed,
As like the pope, and due devotion paid:—
By folly, blocks have often gods been made!
These islanders were punished for their crime;
Naught prospers, Francis tells us, in their clime;
To Lucifer was giv'n the hateful spot,
And there his country house he now has got.
His underlings appear throughout the isle,
Rude, wretched, poor, mean, sordid, base, and vile;
With tales, and horns, and claws, if we believe,
What many say who ought not to deceive.

ONE day it happened that a cunning clown
Was by an imp observed, without the town,
To turn the earth, which seemed to be accurst,
Since ev'ry trench was painful as the first.
This youthful devil was a titled lord;
In manners simple:—naught to be abhorred;
He might, so ignorant, be duped at ease;
As yet he'd scarcely ventured to displease:
Said he, I'd have thee know, I was not born,
Like clods to labour, dig nor sow the corn;
A devil thou in me beholdest here,
Of noble race: to toil I ne'er appear.

THOU know'st full well, these fields to us belong:
The islanders, it seems, had acted wrong;
And, for their crimes, the pope withdrew his cares;
Our subjects now you live, the law declares;
And therefore, fellow, I've undoubted right,
To take the produce of this field, at sight;
But I am kind, and clearly will decide
The year concluded, we'll the fruits divided.
What crop, pray tell me, dost thou mean to sow?
The clod replied, my lord, what best will grow
I think is Tousell; grain of hardy fame;
The imp rejoined, I never heard its name;
What is it. Tousell, say'st thou?—I agree,
If good return, 'twill be the same to me;
Work fellow, work; make haste, the ground prepare;
To dig and delve should be the rabble's care;
Don't think that I will ever lend a hand,
Or give the slightest aid to till the land;
I've told thee I'm a gentleman by birth,
Designed for ease: not doomed to turn the earth.
Howe'er I'll now the diff'rent parts allot,
And thus divide the produce of the plot:—
What shall above the heritage arise,
I'll leave to thee; 'twill very well suffice;
But what is in the soil shall be my share;
To this attend, see ev'ry thing is fair.

THIS beardless corn when ripe, with joy was reaped,
And then the stubble by the roots was heaped,
To satisfy the lordly devil's claim,
Who thought the seed and root were just the same,
And that the ear and stalk were useless parts,
Which nothing made if carried to the marts:
The labourer his produce housed with care;
The other to the market brought his ware,
Where ridicule and laughter he received;
'Twas nothing worth, which much his bosom grieved.

QUITE mortified, the devil quickly went;
To seek our clod, and mark his discontent:
The fellow had discreetly sold the corn,
In straw, unthrashed, and off the money borne,
Which he, with ev'ry wily care, concealed;
The imp was duped, and nothing was revealed.
Said he, thou rascal?—pretty tricks thou'st played;
It seems that cheating is thy daily trade;
But I'm a noble devil of the court,
Who tricking never knew, save by report.
What grain dost mean to sow th' ensuing year?
The labourer replied, I think it clear,
Instead of grain, 'twill better be to chop,
And take a carrot, or a turnip crop;
You then, my lord, will surely plenty find;
And radishes, if you are so inclined.

THESE carrots, radishes, and turnips too,
Said t'other, I am led to think will do;
My part shall be what 'bove the soil is found:
Thine, fellow, what remains within the ground;
No war with thee I'll have, unless constrained,
And thou hast never yet of me complained.
I now shall go and try to tempt a nun,
For I'm disposed to have a little fun.

THE time arrived again to house the store;
The labourer collected as before;
Leaves solely to his lordship were assigned,
Who sought for those a ready sale to find,
But through the market ridicule was heard,
And ev'ry one around his jest preferred:—
Pray, Mister Devil, where d'ye grow these greens?
How treasure up returns from your demesnes?

ENRAGED at what was said, he hurried back,
And, on the clown, proposed to make attack,
Who, full of joy, was laughing with his wife,
And tasting pleasantly the sweets of life.
By all the pow'rs of Hell, the demon cried,
He shall the forfeit pay, I now decide;
A pretty rascal truly, master Phil:
Here, pleasures you expect at will,
Well, well, proceed; gallant it while allowed;
For present I'll remit what I had vowed;
A charming lady I'm engaged to meet;
She's sometimes willing: then again discreet;
But soon as I, in cuckold's row, have placed
Her ninny husband, I'll return in haste,
And then so thoroughly I'll trim you o'er,
Such wily tricks you'll never practise more;
We'll see who best can use his claws and nails,
And from the fields obtain the richest sales.
Corn, carrots, radishes, or what you will:—
Crop as you like, and show your utmost skill
No stratagems howe'er with culture blend;
I'll take my portion from the better end;
Within a week, remember, I'll be here,
And recollect:—you've every thing to fear.

AMAZED at what the lordly devil said,
The clod could naught reply, so great his dread;
But at the gasconade Perretta smiled,
Who kept his house and weary hours beguiled,
A sprightly clever lass, with prying eye,
Who, when a shepherdess, could more descry,
Than sheep or lambs she watched upon the plain,
If other views or points she sought to gain.
Said she, weep not, I'll undertake at ease,
To gull this novice-devil as I please;
He's young and ignorant; has nothing seen;
Thee; from his rage, I thoroughly will skreen;
My little finger, if I like can show
More malice than his head and body know.

THE day arrived, our labourer, not brave,
Concealed himself, but not in vault nor cave;
He plunged within a vase extremely large,
Where holy-water always was in charge;
No demon would have thought to find him there,
So well the clod had chosen his repair;
In sacred stoles he muffled up his skin,
And, 'bove the water, only kept his chin;
There we will leave him, while the priests profound
Repeated Vade retro round and round.

PERRETTA at the house remained to greet
The lordly devil whom she hoped to cheat.
He soon appeared; when with dishevelled hair,
And flowing tears, as if o'erwhelmed with care,
She sallied forth, and bitterly complained,
How oft by Phil she had been scratched and caned;
Said she, the wretch has used me very ill;
Of cruelty he has obtained his fill;
For God's sake try, my lord, to get away:
Just now I heard the savage fellow say,
He'd with his claws your lordship tear and slash:
See, only see, my lord, he made this gash;
On which she showed:—what you will guess, no doubt,
And put the demon presently to rout,
Who crossed himself and trembled with affright:
He'd never seen nor heard of such a sight,
Where scratch from claws or nails had so appeared;
His fears prevailed, and off he quickly steered;
Perretta left, who, by her friends around,
Was complimented on her sense profound,
That could so well the demon's snares defeat;
The clergy too pronounced her plan discrete.

Analysis (ai): This poem satirizes religious superstition and the resulting hypocrisy and mismanagement. Its sardonic tone and exaggerated descriptions of the inhabitants of Pope-Fig Island convey the author's mockery of those who blindly follow religious doctrine.

The poem's structure consists of alternating descriptions of Papimania, where people sleep peacefully, and Pope-Fig Island, where they are miserable and tormented. This contrast highlights the absurdity of believing in a wrathful deity who punishes innocent people.

The poem compares favorably to La Fontaine's other works in its use of humor and social commentary. It reflects the skepticism and rationalism of the Enlightenment period, exposing the irrationality of religious dogma. While it lacks the depth and complexity of some of La Fontaine's fables, it effectively conveys its message through its wit and satirical tone. (hide)


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