优山美地瀑布

Thomas Starr King，1824—1863，was born in New York City.His father was a Universalist minister；and，in 1834，he settled in Charlestown，Massachusetts.The son was preparing to enter Harvard University，when the death of his father devolved upon him the support of his mother，and his collegiate course had to be given up.He spent several years as clerk and teacher，improving meanwhile all possible opportunities for study.In 1846 he was settled over the church to which his father had preached in Charlestown.Two years later，he was called to the Hollis Street Unitarian Church in Boston.Here his eloquence and active public spirit soon made him well known.He also gained much reputation as a public lecturer.In 1860 he left the East to take charge of the Unitarian church in San Francisco.During the remaining years of his life，he exercised much influence in the public affairs of California.He died suddenly，of diphtheria，in the midst of his brilliant career.

The Yosemite valley，in California，is a pass about ten miles long.At its eastern extremity it leads into three narrower passes，each of which extends several miles，winding by the wildest paths into the heart of the Sierra Nevada chain of mountains.For seven miles of the main valley，which varies in width from three quarters of a mile to a mile and a half，the walls on either side are from two thousand to nearly five thousand feet above the road，and are nearly perpendicular.From these walls，rocky splinters a thousand feet in height start up，and every winter drop a few hundred tons of granite，to adorn the base of the rampart with picturesque ruin.

The valley is of such irregular width，and bends so much and often so abruptly，that there is a great variety and frequent surprise in the forms and combinations of the overhanging rocks as one rides along the bank of the stream.The patches of luxuriant meadow，with their dazzling green，and the grouping of the superb firs，two hundred feet high，that skirt them，and that shoot above the stout and graceful oaks and sycamores through which the horse path winds，are delightful rests of sweetness and beauty amid the threatening awfulness.

The Merced，which flows through the same pass，is a noble stream，a hundred feet wide and ten feet deep.It is formed chiefly of the streams that leap and rush through the narrower passes，and it is swollen，also，by the bounty of the marvelous waterfalls that pour down from the ramparts of the wider valley.The sublime poetry of Habakkuk is needed to describe the impression，and，perhaps，the geology，of these mighty fissures： “Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers.”

At the foot of the breakneck declivity of nearly three thousand feet by which we reach the banks of the Merced，we are six miles from the hotel，and every rod of the ride awakens wonder，awe，and a solemn joy.As we approach the hotel，and turn toward the opposite bank of the river，what is that

“Which ever sounds and shines，

A pillar of white light upon the wall

Of purple cliffs aloof descried”？

That，reader，is the highest waterfall in the world—the Yosemite cataract，nearly twenty-five hundred feet in its plunge，dashing from a break or depression in a cliff thirty-two hundred feet sheer.

A writer who visited this valley in September，calls the cataract a mere tape line of water dropped from the sky.Perhaps it is so，toward the close of the dry season；but as we saw it，the blended majesty and beauty of it，apart from the general sublimities of Yosemite gorge，would repay a journey of a thousand miles.There was no deficiency of water.It was a powerful stream，thirty-five feet broad，fresh from the Nevada，that made the plunge from the brow of the awful precipice.

At the first leap it clears fourteen hundred and ninety-seven feet；then it tumbles down a series of steep stair ways four hundred and two feet，and then makes a jump to the meadows five hundred and eighteen feet more.But it is the upper and highest cataract that is most wonderful to the eye，as well as most musical.The cliff is so sheer that there is no break in the body of the water during the whole of its descent of more than a quarter of a mile.It pours in a curve from the summit，fifteen hundred feet，to the basin that hoards it but a moment for the cascades that follow.

And what endless complexities and opulence of beauty in the forms and motions of the cataract！It is comparatively narrow at the top of the precipice，although，as we said，the tide that pours over is thirty-five feet broad.But it widens as it descends，and curves a little on one side as it widens，so that it shapes itself，before it reaches its first bowl of granite，into the figure of a comet.More beautiful than the comet，however，we can see the substance of this watery loveliness ever renew itself and ever pour itself away.

“It mounts in spray the skies，and thence again

Returns in an unceasing shower，which round

With its unemptied cloud of gentle rain，

Is an eternal April to the ground，

Making it all one emerald；—how profound

The gulf！and how the giant element

From rock to rock leaps with delirious bound，

Crushing the cliffs.”

The cataract seems to shoot out a thousand serpentine heads or knots of water，which wriggle down deliberately through the air and expend themselves in mist before half the descent is over.Then a new set burst from the body and sides of the fall，with the same fortune on the remaining distance；and thus the most charming fretwork of watery nodules，each trailing its vapory train for a hundred feet or more，is woven all over the cascade，which swings，now and then，thirty feet each way，on the mountain side，as if it were a pendulum of watery lace.Once in a while，too，the wind manages to get back of the fall，between it and the cliff，and then it will whirl it round and round for two or three hundred feet，as if to try the experiment of twisting it to wring it dry.

Of course I visited the foot of the lowest fall of the Yosemite，and looked up through the spray，five hundred feet，to its crown.And I tried to climb to the base of the first or highest cataract，but lost my way among the steep，sharp rocks，for there is only one line by which the cliff can be scaled.But no nearer view that I found or heard described，is comparable with the picture，from the hotel，of the comet curve of the upper cataract，fifteen hundred feet high，and the two falls immediately beneath it，in which the same water leaps to the level of the quiet Merced.

译文　TRANSLATION

托马斯·斯塔尔·金（1824-1863），生于纽约市。其父为普教派牧师，1834年，定居马萨诸塞州查尔斯顿镇。托马斯·斯塔尔·金原准备进哈佛读书，但因父亲突然病故，他要负起赡养母亲的义务，所以只得放弃学业。这段时间，他一边做职员、教师，一边利用一切机会刻苦自修。1846年，他在父亲曾经布道的教堂任牧师。两年后，他转到波士顿霍利斯·斯特里特独神论教会任牧师。在这里，他的辩才和热心公益的精神使他很快就闻名遐迩。同时，他还是一位颇负盛名的演说家。1860年，他离开东部到圣弗朗西斯科执掌那里的独神论教会。在余生里，他在加州的公共事务中发挥了重大影响。正当他事业如日中天之际，他突患白喉辞世。金先生酷爱自然。他的《白色的群山》生动描绘了新罕布什尔的山景，是有关这一地区最完备的一本书。

位于加利福尼亚的优山美地是长约10英里的峡谷。在其最东面，与三个较窄的峡谷相连。那些峡谷长数英里，清寂敻绝，蜿蜒崎岖，直抵内华达山脉深处。而主峡谷全长7英里，谷内宽度由3/4英里渐至一又1/2英里，两侧层岩壁立，距下方路面约2000至5000英尺之高。而从1000英尺处的岩壁上常有花岗岩碎片落下，每个冬季都可达几百吨之巨。这些岩片错落在山坡上，宛若废墟，饶具画意。

由于谷内宽度不一，转弯既多且剧，兼之巉岩峭壁，故当策马驰过急湍甚箭的岸边时，令人魂飞心荡之处，目不暇给。而芳草鲜美、绿意葱茏的牧场亦星散在峡谷之中；牧场周遭，则点缀着一丛丛冷杉，足有200英尺之高，似在俯视盘旋在马道两侧典雅、茁壮的橡树与西卡莫槭树。这番景致令峡谷迫人的森严中流露一脉赏心悦目的甜蜜与优美。

流经这一峡谷的是远近闻名的默思德河。河有100英尺宽，10英尺深，主要由来自其他较为狭仄的山谷间的细流汇聚而成。当瀑布从那些开阔的山谷奔腾而下，注入其间时，就是默思德河的丰水期。希伯来先知哈巴谷壮美的诗行恰可用以描绘这一意象或地貌：“你用众河劈开大地。”

我们从一个近3000英尺的陡坡上下到默思德河岸边。这里距我们的客栈6英里，策马前行，每一步都伴随着惊奇、敬畏与肃穆交织的欣悦。当我们接近客栈，回望对岸，正是：

谁在喧腾，闪耀？

白色的光柱悬于

紫色的岩壁，

你可看到？

读者诸君，那就是世界上最高的瀑布——优山美地瀑布。瀑布从3 200英尺高的岩隙飞流直下2 500英尺。

一位作者曾于九月时造访峡谷，他将优山美地瀑布称作一线从天而降的碧水。枯水期即将结束时，也许是那样一番景象吧。但我们看到的瀑布却秀丽与壮美兼具，同庄严的峡谷相得益彰，足偿旅人远来的辛劳。这是一道完美无瑕的瀑布，气势磅礴，水面足有35英尺宽，从内华达的群山深处涌溢而出，越过巍峨的山脊，冲下陡峭的断崖。

优山美地瀑布首先跃下1 497英尺。随之，又从状如石阶的巉岩上奔流而下402英尺，然后，竦身跳向518英尺外的牧场。而最为壮观的则是瀑布的上段，其窾坎镗鞳之声恍似乐音。因崖陡如壁，故而瀑布得以绵亘3/4英里，了无断痕。但见悠悠碧水自1 500英尺高的崖顶呈弧形倾泻而下，注入、蓄积于下方深潭；不一刻，又有别的瀑布汇入潭内。

奔流着、奔流着，奔流中的优山美地瀑布尽态极妍、美不胜收！虽然据说有35英尺宽，但在陡峭的崖顶，瀑布相对略窄。而在飞流下注之际，水体渐宽，变为弧形，仿佛璀璨的彗尾，落入第一个花岗岩池。而比彗星更美的，是飞瀑的灵动之妙，跳波不已，流沫千涡，不断更新、永远倾注。

瀑布的水雾腾向天空，

化作淅沥的春雨润泽大地。

永恒的四月，世界成为一方碧玉。

啊，多么幽深的峡谷！

瀑布，那浩瀚的精魂，

在千山万壑间奔突，

破碎了重重岩扉！

或千蛇狂舞或交织扭结，瀑布激射出的水柱，逶迤而降，待至中途散作一天雨雾。在接下来的途程中，又是一番飞珠溅玉；水珠织就的回纹饰，旖旎不可方物，竞逐于灵雾霭霭的裙裾之后，连亘百英尺，漫笼于飞瀑之上，时或逸出山侧，恍若晶莹的丝带吊起的钟摆，因氤氲绵延至30英尺。偶尔，风似欲挽住奔泻的瀑布，而将其抛离岩壁二三百英尺之高，仿佛在做甩干实验。

当然，我所到之处是优山美地瀑布的最末端。在那里，翘首远望，透过飞溅的水沫，依约可见500英尺外的瀑布顶端。我试着攀向瀑布的第一个亦即最高处的基座上，但在层层叠叠的陡石峭岩间却迷失了方向，找不到那通达彼处的唯一路径。而我看到或耳闻的左近景致亦都无法与从客栈所见的瀑布上段—1—500英尺处的弧形彗尾相比。在那之下，还须再经两叠的蜿蜒，瀑布才流入静谧的默思德河。