Базовый курс английского языка - Эккерсли К.Э.
ISBN 5-7871-0174-X
Скачать (прямая ссылка):
So the next day, after they had worshipped in the church at Camelot, the knights who had made the vow rode together out of Camelot, and the people wept as they rode away for they felt they would never return.
FRIEDA: And did they ever return?
MR. EVANS: Some of them did; but not Sir Galahad. He wandered for years searching for the Holy Grail. He had many adventures (every one of which would be a separate story). He rescued maidens who had been imprisoned, he was himself imprisoned for a year by an evil king in Sarras in Babylon where Joseph of Arimathea had lived 300 years before teaching the people the true faith. Finally he was freed and he forgave the king who had imprisoned him, and when that king died, Galahad was made king. But though at times he had seen again the light of the Holy Grail, he never saw it in reality. Every morning, early, he used to go into the little chiirch to pray. Then one morning, very early, as he knelt, he saw a man in the dress of a bishop; and the bishop was surrounded by a great band of angels. The bishop said, "Come here, servant of the Lord, and see what you have so long wished to see." And Galahad took the Grail in his trembling hands. "Do you know who I am?" said a bishop," "No," said the knight. "I am Joseph of Arimathea whom God has sent to show you the perfect vision of the Holy Grail." Then Galahad knelt and prayed. As he prayed a hand came from Heaven and took away the Cup. And when, a little later, the people came to the church, they found Sir Galahad dead.
FRIEDA: What a wonderful story! But what happened to King Arthur?
MR. EVANS: Well, though some of the knights returned, the great days of the Round Table were over. While Arthur was fighting his enemies in France, the wicked knight Sir Modred, whom Arthur had left to rule the land while he was away, plotted against the King and gathered together an army to fight against him. Arthur returned and a great battle was fought in the far west of Britain by the sea shore. The traitors were defeated and Modred was killed by Arthur, but only one of Arthur's knights, Sir Bedivere, was left, and Arthur
¦448
himself was very badly wounded. Then Arthur said to Sir Bedivere, "The end has come. Take my sword Excalibur and throw it into the deep water. Watch what happens and come back and tell me." So Sir Bedivere took the sword and went to the water's edge. But the handle of the sword was thick with precious stones and he couldn't bear to throw it away. So he hid the sword under a tree and came back to the King. "What did you see?" said the King, "and what did you hear?" And Sir Bedivere said, "I saw nothing but the waves and heard nothing but the wind." "That is untrue," said Arthur. "I order you, as a faithful knight, to go again and throw the sword into the sea." Again Sir Bedivere went and again he was tempted. " It is a sin and a shameful thing," he thought, "to throw away so noble a sword. It should be kept so that people in all future times can see it and be reminded of this great king." So he left the sword under the tree and returned again to the dying Arthur. "What did you hear; what did you see?" said Arthur slowly. And Bedivere said, "Sir, I saw the water washing on the rocks and heard the wind blowing in the trees." "Traitor," said Arthur, "you have betrayed your knighthood and your name. Go again and do as I command. If you fail this time I will rise and kill you with my hands." Then Sir Bedivere went quickly back to the water's edge and took the sword from where he had hidden it and closed his eyes for a moment so that he should not see the handle and the precious stones, and then he threw it with all his might out to sea. But before the sword touched the water, an arm rose out of the sea and caught the sword, raised it three times and then drew it under the water. Bedivere hurried back to the King and told him what he had seen. "Help me down to the water's edge," said Arthur, "but hurry. I have waited too long, my wound has taken cold and I may die." So Bedivere raised the King and took him on his shoulders and brought him gently down the rocks to the water's edge. And as they reached the shore they saw a small ship there, and in it were many noble figures and among them three queens dressed in black with crowns of gold on their heads. "Put me in the ship," said Arthur. So Bedivere gently lifted the King into it and laid him down. Then the most beautiful of the queens knelt beside him, took
449 ¦
offhis helmet, which was cut through with a sword, and, looking at his pale face, wept and said, "Dear brother, why have you waited so long?" Bedivere cried out, "Oh my lord Arthur, what shall I do now you are taken from me, and all my friends of the Round Table are dead? Where shall I go, alone, among new men, strange faces, other minds?"
And Arthur said, "Find comfort in yourself, for I can give you no comfort. My life is ended. The work of the Round Table is done. The old order has changed, giving place to new; but God's will is done in many ways. Pray for my soul; more things are done by prayer than this world dreams of. I am going now to the Valley of Avilion where my wound may be healed." As he spoke, the ship slowly moved away, and Bedivere watched it until it could be seen no more.
