Waltey
Naravni most
171 Natural Bridge
Myths and Legends of Our Own Land · Charles M. SkinnerO besedilu
Naravni most
- Vir
- Myths and Legends of Our Own Land
- Avtor
- Charles M. Skinner
- Jezik branja
- Slovenščina
- Jezik izvirnika
- English
- Čas branja
- 2 min branja
- Obseg
- 2 strani
- Naslov izvirnika
- 171 Natural Bridge
O izvirniku
Myths and Legends of Our Own Land
Obsežna zgodovinska zbirka ameriških legend, ki jih je Skinner zbral in avtorsko rekonstruiral. Bralni jezik je Slovenščina, izvirnik pa prihaja iz vira Myths and Legends of Our Own Land v jeziku English.
Besedilo
Naravni most
Čeprav je v tej deželi znanih več naravnih mostov, je le eden slaven po vsem svetu: tisti, ki se pne čez Clear Creek v Virginiji — ostanek jamskega stropa, medtem ko se je preostali del jame zrušil. Dviga se dvesto petnajst čevljev nad vodo in je strnjena skalna gmota, debela štirideset čevljev, široka sto čevljev in z razponom devetdeset čevljev. Nekoč je bil v lasti Thomasa Jeffersona; George Washington se je povzpel po njegovem boku in v skalo vklesal svoje ime čevelj više kot kdor koli drug. Sem je prišel tudi mladenič, ki je hotel svoje ime vklesati nad Washingtonovo, a je na pol poti navzgor z grozo spoznal, da mora nadaljevati, saj si ni pustil opor za noge na varnih in dosegljivih razdaljah. Zato je plezal više in više ter si v apnenec izsekaval oprimke in stopinje, dokler ni napol omedlel dosegel vrha, rezilo njegovega noža pa je bilo obrabljeno do štrclja. Tu v drugem rovu jame teče tudi Lost River, h kateri se mora prej ali slej vrniti vsakdo, ki pije njeno vodo. Tu je pod obokom tudi temen madež, tako podoben orlu v letu, da je francoski častnik, ki ga je videl med revolucijo, v njem prepoznal znamenje uspeha za združeno orožje narodov, ki so imeli orla za svoj simbol.
Mohegani so poznali to čudo naravne zidave, saj jih je do tega kraja zasledovalo sovražno pleme; ko so prispeli do brezna, so se znašli na robu prepada, ki je bil tam prestrm, da bi se lahko spustili vanj. Za njimi je bil sovražnik, pred njimi brezno. Na predlog enega svojih vračev so skupaj molili k Velikemu duhu za rešitev, in ko so se spet ozrli okoli sebe, je pred njimi stal most. Svoje ženske so naglo spravili čezenj, nato pa so se kakor Horaciji razpostavili počez čez to vrtoglavo visoko pot in se spopadli s sovražnikom. Opogumljeni z zavestjo, da se lahko varno umaknejo, če bi jih sovražnik premagal, so se bojevali tako srčno, da so ga porazili, hvaležni Mohegani pa so kraj poimenovali Božji most.
Izvirnik
171 Natural Bridge
Naslednje strani prikazujejo izvirno besedilo za primerjavo.
Though several natural bridges are known in this country, there is but one that is famous the world over, and that is the one which spans Clear Creek, Virginia--the remnant of a cave-roof, all the rest of the cavern having collapsed. It is two hundred and fifteen feet above the water, and is a solid mass of rock forty feet thick, one hundred feet wide, and ninety feet in span. Thomas Jefferson owned it; George Washington scaled its side and carved his name on the rock a foot higher than any one else. Here, too, came the youth who wanted to cut his name above Washington's, and who found, to his horror, when half-way up, that he must keep on, for he had left no resting-places for his feet at safe and reachable distances--who, therefore, climbed on and on, cutting handhold and foothold in the limestone until he reached the top, in a fainting state, his knife-blade worn to a stump. Here, too, in another tunnel of the cavern, flows Lost River, that all must return to, at some time, if they drink of it. Here, beneath the arch, is the dark stain, so like a flying eagle that the French officer who saw it during the Revolution augured from it a success for the united arms of the nations that used the eagle as their symbol.
The Mohegans knew this wonder of natural masonry, for to this point they were pursued by a hostile tribe, and on reaching the gulf found themselves on the edge of a precipice that was too steep at that point to descend. Behind them was the foe; before them, the chasm. At the suggestion of one of their medicine-men they joined in a prayer to the Great Spirit for deliverance, and when again they looked about them, there stood the bridge. Their women were hurried over; then, like so many Horatii, they formed across this dizzy highway and gave battle. Encouraged by the knowledge that they had a safe retreat in case of being overmastered, they fought with such heart that the enemy was defeated, and the grateful Mohegans named the place the Bridge of God.
Nadaljuj z branjem
